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A review by majaingrid
The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette de Bodard
3.0
2021 reread
It’s said to work as a stand-alone. But it doesn’t. Read House of Shattered Wings before reading this one.
First time I read this book I had very little memories of Shattered Wings, which kinda hurt my reading experience a little. This second time around I’m reading this with Shattered Wings fresh in my mind (after also having reread that one). Did it help the reading experience? Well, it at least helped me understand it better because I knew who all the characters were.
BUT. I hardly care for the characters. I like Philippe and he didn’t have that much page/chapter time. Thuan’s chapters I could enjoy too. But Madeleine. She wasn’t my favourite in the first book and I did not much like her here either and she’s got the most page/chapter time. The plot is not as interesting either, and for the majority of the book It's difficult to even grasp what the plot is. I do appreciate de Bodard basing her story on France colonising on Vietnam and the Opium wars. It’s important to make historical events like these known to more people so that more can learn about it.
I’m in love with the world de Bodard has created. This Paris in ruins, ran by Housed ran by Fallen angels and dragon kingdoms.
2017 read
As much as I wanted to love this book, because I do like Borard's writing and the world she created in this series, I just couldn't bring myself fully into it. Felt myself skimming the second half of the book just to be done with it.
It’s said to work as a stand-alone. But it doesn’t. Read House of Shattered Wings before reading this one.
First time I read this book I had very little memories of Shattered Wings, which kinda hurt my reading experience a little. This second time around I’m reading this with Shattered Wings fresh in my mind (after also having reread that one). Did it help the reading experience? Well, it at least helped me understand it better because I knew who all the characters were.
BUT. I hardly care for the characters. I like Philippe and he didn’t have that much page/chapter time. Thuan’s chapters I could enjoy too. But Madeleine. She wasn’t my favourite in the first book and I did not much like her here either and she’s got the most page/chapter time. The plot is not as interesting either, and for the majority of the book It's difficult to even grasp what the plot is. I do appreciate de Bodard basing her story on France colonising on Vietnam and the Opium wars. It’s important to make historical events like these known to more people so that more can learn about it.
I’m in love with the world de Bodard has created. This Paris in ruins, ran by Housed ran by Fallen angels and dragon kingdoms.
2017 read
As much as I wanted to love this book, because I do like Borard's writing and the world she created in this series, I just couldn't bring myself fully into it. Felt myself skimming the second half of the book just to be done with it.