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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is the first xianxia novel I read since... 2020, maybe? And it just confirmed something I already knew: I´m tired of this genre. I want out.
Now, don´t get me wrong, I quite liked this book. I didn´t know about the original legend in which this story is based, but I think the author did a good job at doing her own retelling.
My main complain are the characters.
Here, Xian is a prince who is in the search of a white snake, because he needs it to find the cure for her mother´s illness. At some point he meets Zhen (a boy that turns out to be a white snake spirit) and they fall in love a bit too quick for my taste.
Then again, I liked the plot but at the same time I feel the story would have been better with some character development or a proper slow burn.
I didn´t like Xian past a certain point in the plot, because he seemed ruthless, not doing any emotional work. Zhen had saved him from death like three times and he still agreed to imprison him. And I get it, you want to save your mom, but is it necessary to treat someone so bad? Especially considering Zhen had agreed to go help Xian´s mother anyway.
And I liked Zhen better but, if Xian looked too ruthless for no reason, Zhen had the opposite problem: He gave too much for things of dubious worth.
This book features cartoonish villains, a nice portrayal of Chinese culture and zero abuse in the relationship (thank heavens, every fucking xianxia novel I used to read had that).
I recommend this book if you´re curious about the genre or the legend in which is based. For me it was a good yet forgettable read.
Now, don´t get me wrong, I quite liked this book. I didn´t know about the original legend in which this story is based, but I think the author did a good job at doing her own retelling.
My main complain are the characters.
Here, Xian is a prince who is in the search of a white snake, because he needs it to find the cure for her mother´s illness. At some point he meets Zhen (a boy that turns out to be a white snake spirit) and they fall in love a bit too quick for my taste.
Then again, I liked the plot but at the same time I feel the story would have been better with some character development or a proper slow burn.
I didn´t like Xian past a certain point in the plot, because he seemed ruthless, not doing any emotional work. Zhen had saved him from death like three times and he still agreed to imprison him. And I get it, you want to save your mom, but is it necessary to treat someone so bad? Especially considering Zhen had agreed to go help Xian´s mother anyway.
And I liked Zhen better but, if Xian looked too ruthless for no reason, Zhen had the opposite problem: He gave too much for things of dubious worth.
This book features cartoonish villains, a nice portrayal of Chinese culture and zero abuse in the relationship (thank heavens, every fucking xianxia novel I used to read had that).
I recommend this book if you´re curious about the genre or the legend in which is based. For me it was a good yet forgettable read.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence
Minor: Bullying
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So much love for this book. You could tell that the author actually knew what they were talking about about with many things. Felt very informative regarding several aspects. Love a book rooted in truths
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
A white snake, after saving the Prince from drowning, swallowed a precious pearl. This granted him the ability to become a snake spirit and assume human form. Zhen will reunite with Prince Xian and discover that the pearl was intended to save his mother. Thus, our story commences. I kistened to the audiobook. The narration was excellent, and the story was superb. This book of adventure, hope, love, and loss features outstanding characters. Every page, with its twists and turns, was a delight to read.
~~Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Macmillan for the ARC!~~
Not gonna lie, but this was just boring and predictable to me.
Don't get me wrong, though. Predictability in itself does not mean it's bad. When utilized well, well-expected twists or plot beats can be entertaining or tug on the readers heartstrings.
Legend of the White Snake is not one of those books.
Xian and Zhen are so bland they'd make cardboard look defined and fleshed out. Zhen's backstory was kind of interesting enough to make some potential out of it, but it was very much squandered. It only takes one look from both boys to realize they were in love with the other. Granted, there was some hesitancy due to acknowledged, and enormous, power imbalance between the two. But they still get together so quick I hardly had the time to process it, especially when Xian asked Zhen to move in with him after, like, they slept together. Nothing about this relationship felt natural or organic; the boys are too one-dimensional for me to get fully invested in them.
I don't know the original story, but what I do know it that it's not standard to title your book on the very thing your basing your story on. I don't know if the blame lies with the author or the publisher for doing something this dumb. Either way, that's still a slight from me.
The story was so lacking and beat by beat in the worse way. Of course, there was the inevitable liar/betrayer revealed moment, the forgiveness arc,, I was basically scrolling through the pages just to get through the book quickly to be done with it. I did not care enough for the characters or this world to be wholly invested into it.
The only thing I did like was the tidbits of snake biology sprinkled throughout the story. Sure, they were jarring and took me out of the story, but I liked learning about snakes. It made me want to pick up a snake biology book rather than continue to read this.
All in all, this just wasn't for me. I always hope I'll enjoy whatever book I pick up, but, more often than not, there'll be the ones like this where I won't.
Not gonna lie, but this was just boring and predictable to me.
Don't get me wrong, though. Predictability in itself does not mean it's bad. When utilized well, well-expected twists or plot beats can be entertaining or tug on the readers heartstrings.
Legend of the White Snake is not one of those books.
Xian and Zhen are so bland they'd make cardboard look defined and fleshed out. Zhen's backstory was kind of interesting enough to make some potential out of it, but it was very much squandered. It only takes one look from both boys to realize they were in love with the other. Granted, there was some hesitancy due to acknowledged, and enormous, power imbalance between the two. But they still get together so quick I hardly had the time to process it, especially when Xian asked Zhen to move in with him after, like, they slept together. Nothing about this relationship felt natural or organic; the boys are too one-dimensional for me to get fully invested in them.
I don't know the original story, but what I do know it that it's not standard to title your book on the very thing your basing your story on. I don't know if the blame lies with the author or the publisher for doing something this dumb. Either way, that's still a slight from me.
The story was so lacking and beat by beat in the worse way. Of course, there was the inevitable liar/betrayer revealed moment, the forgiveness arc,
Spoiler
the big bad guy twist followed by the monologue explaining their evil back story, sacrificing of the self to bring a beloved back to life only to miraculously come back from the dead, too, in the epilogue,The only thing I did like was the tidbits of snake biology sprinkled throughout the story. Sure, they were jarring and took me out of the story, but I liked learning about snakes. It made me want to pick up a snake biology book rather than continue to read this.
All in all, this just wasn't for me. I always hope I'll enjoy whatever book I pick up, but, more often than not, there'll be the ones like this where I won't.
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes