A review by whatellaread
The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale

adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This is only my second Kinsale and I remain awed by her gift for language and poetic descriptions—you can see the influence on later writers like Duran and Thomas in a big way. This book was slow to start for me, but once it got going—really once they were in Westpark and then on from there—I was spellbound. I did find the ending somewhat abrupt, and I found the focus on Japanese and Hawaiian culture from an author who is, to my knowledge, not a member of those communities a little off putting (although it’s by and large respectfully done and definitely pro-native Hawaiian). Overall, a beautiful read.
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