A review by teen_writing_101
The Girl King by Mimi Yu

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was the first YA Fantasy I had read in a worryingly long time and it was super refreshing - the worldbuilding was great (even if it could have been developed a bit more) and I loved all the characters, particularly Nasan and Lu. I also really liked how the author didn't shy away from the fact that empires in themselves aren't good things, no matter how good the person who runs them is, which isn't something that's too common in this genre. When the book was good, it was amazing: the dialogue was great, and I was sucked in both by the political intrigue and Lu and Nok's escapades elsewhere. However, the moments where it slipped - lack of development of certain ideas/plot points, issues with character motivation (which led to quiet a flat romance) and confusing description - were an issue for me, hence the lower rating.