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A review by ninetalevixen
Kingdom of The Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao
3.0
I like retellings and stories-within-stories, but to be quite honest I found this one disappointing.
Don't get me wrong, this was an entertaining read that kept me turning the pages. Its greatest strength was probably the rich worldbuilding: geography and politics, magic and belief systems, folklore.
However, I just couldn't really get into it — the pacing kept me feeling disoriented, the dialogue seemed a bit contrived (the kind of inspirational but no one really asked monologues and one-liners you'd hear in Disney movies rather than in real life), and the characters/relationships didn't resonate with me.
The plot hits a lot of the notes you'd expect, but I just didn't feel any tension or relief thereof. I'd say it's more inspired by Snow White than retelling of Snow White since it's very different in themes and details, which isn't inherently a bad thing but added to my disappointment. The other folktales are just barely mentioned — understandable since, but unsatisfying.
Part of Snow White's/Jade's appeal should be her kind heart and innocence, but honestly I didn't think that came through. (Naivete isn't the same thing as compassion.) Although there's a lot of dialogue regarding being good and brave and responsible, in a lot of scenes it felt more demonstrative than genuine as she expresses "disgust" or judgment towards others for their choices. It's not uncommon for a YA character, or even especially off-putting in and of itself, but it doesn't fit with the image I think we're supposed to have of her. Her relationships with other characters, from Koichi to Wren to Xifeng to Amah, didn't add as much dimension to her character as I'd hoped.
content warnings:
rep:
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CONVERSION: 8.9 / 15 = 3 stars
Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 7 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 2 / 5
Don't get me wrong, this was an entertaining read that kept me turning the pages. Its greatest strength was probably the rich worldbuilding: geography and politics, magic and belief systems, folklore.
However, I just couldn't really get into it — the pacing kept me feeling disoriented, the dialogue seemed a bit contrived (the kind of inspirational but no one really asked monologues and one-liners you'd hear in Disney movies rather than in real life), and the characters/relationships didn't resonate with me.
The plot hits a lot of the notes you'd expect, but I just didn't feel any tension or relief thereof. I'd say it's more inspired by Snow White than retelling of Snow White since it's very different in themes and details, which isn't inherently a bad thing but added to my disappointment. The other folktales are just barely mentioned — understandable since
Spoiler
there are relatively many of them, and none of them are the focusPart of Snow White's/Jade's appeal should be her kind heart and innocence, but honestly I didn't think that came through. (Naivete isn't the same thing as compassion.) Although there's a lot of dialogue regarding being good and brave and responsible, in a lot of scenes it felt more demonstrative than genuine as she expresses "disgust" or judgment towards others for their choices. It's not uncommon for a YA character, or even especially off-putting in and of itself, but it doesn't fit with the image I think we're supposed to have of her. Her relationships with other characters, from Koichi to Wren to Xifeng to Amah, didn't add as much dimension to her character as I'd hoped.
content warnings:
Spoiler
blood magic, loss of loved ones, major character death(s), on-page graphic murderrep:
Spoiler
major character with dwarfism-----------
CONVERSION: 8.9 / 15 = 3 stars
Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 7 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 2 / 5