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A review by foraging_pages
A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli
4.0
I thought this was a stand-alone but apparently it’s not! Nevertheless, now I have a series to look forward to with Chinese mythology, court politics, loath-to-love romance, and a revenge plot.
What if you could go back in time and prevent your loved one’s deaths as well as your own? Prevent your own heartache and the injustices done to you?
Would you be able to keep it together in order to succeed or would your emotions and fear of the future you’ve already lived once get the better of you?
Mingshin is given the ability to do just that when she is about to be put to death but instead wakes up two years earlier with all the knowledge of the past and a plan for revenge.
Some thoughts….
- The exposition of how Mingshin ended up where she did didn’t occur. The first chapter is very short (actually they all are) and very quickly describes how she is in prison for treason, about to be executed, etc and then she is thrown back in time. Granted, as the story goes on, the before plot is filled in but the opening chapter still felt rushed.
- The plot turned a corner around the twenty-five percent mark. The story felt like it was taking place now and the readers weren’t stuck in a before-Mingshin-died and after-Mingshin-died gray area.
- The dialogue felt forced at times and especially in the beginning. It could use more editing.
- I feel that maybe I’m a little too old to enjoy the story fully. It would be enchanting to true young adults.
- Sometimes the author used modern phrases that pulled me out of the fantastical Imperial China setting such as “man child” or “beet red.”
Chenli’s play on hindsight was interesting. The idea that experiences or people change with hindsight played a large role in Mingshin’s plan. She was able to detect threats and gain the upper hand in schemes she was once completely blind to. Things are almost too easy for her this time around.
The romance is loath-to-love but not a slow burn like promised yet I enjoyed it. Jieh is a gorgeous and fit prince who Mingshin automatically dislikes and mistrusts due to her limited knowledge of him in her “first life.” He turns out to be extremely loyal and respectful towards Mingshin and even takes her advice without question. However, their love isn’t simple and is a bittersweet rollercoaster throughout the book. I appreciate this though because it adds depth to their relationship. Jieh has a metamorphosis of sorts going from an arrogant prince to a caring man (he could still use some work though).
What if you could go back in time and prevent your loved one’s deaths as well as your own? Prevent your own heartache and the injustices done to you?
Would you be able to keep it together in order to succeed or would your emotions and fear of the future you’ve already lived once get the better of you?
Mingshin is given the ability to do just that when she is about to be put to death but instead wakes up two years earlier with all the knowledge of the past and a plan for revenge.
Some thoughts….
- The exposition of how Mingshin ended up where she did didn’t occur. The first chapter is very short (actually they all are) and very quickly describes how she is in prison for treason, about to be executed, etc and then she is thrown back in time. Granted, as the story goes on, the before plot is filled in but the opening chapter still felt rushed.
- The plot turned a corner around the twenty-five percent mark. The story felt like it was taking place now and the readers weren’t stuck in a before-Mingshin-died and after-Mingshin-died gray area.
- The dialogue felt forced at times and especially in the beginning. It could use more editing.
- I feel that maybe I’m a little too old to enjoy the story fully. It would be enchanting to true young adults.
- Sometimes the author used modern phrases that pulled me out of the fantastical Imperial China setting such as “man child” or “beet red.”
Chenli’s play on hindsight was interesting. The idea that experiences or people change with hindsight played a large role in Mingshin’s plan. She was able to detect threats and gain the upper hand in schemes she was once completely blind to. Things are almost too easy for her this time around.
The romance is loath-to-love but not a slow burn like promised yet I enjoyed it. Jieh is a gorgeous and fit prince who Mingshin automatically dislikes and mistrusts due to her limited knowledge of him in her “first life.” He turns out to be extremely loyal and respectful towards Mingshin and even takes her advice without question. However, their love isn’t simple and is a bittersweet rollercoaster throughout the book. I appreciate this though because it adds depth to their relationship. Jieh has a metamorphosis of sorts going from an arrogant prince to a caring man (he could still use some work though).