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A review by n_asyikin_
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A simple fantasy set during the British colonialization of Malacca following Li Lan who'd found herself traversing between the land of the living & the spirits (i.e., dead).
What I liked most about the story was the element of mystery; a sort of whodunnit relating to the death of Li Lan's suitor (from the dead). Also, the fantasy world created by Choo rooted in Chinese beliefs was a source of adventure; the world-building related to this was pretty decent.
This story was written from a first-person perspective, rooted more in the "telling" than "showing" what occurred. I wouldn't have any problem with that, but I felt that Li Lan's narration & attention tend to be flighty, disrupting the flow of the story. I found myself unable to enjoy the progress fully as just as I was about to delve into one of the story arc, the story diverted into another. And the prior story arc tends to re-appear at odd moments at times; the transition rather none smooth.
I also thought most of the side characters tend to be rather one-dimensional. Li Lan was verbose as a narrator (honestly, I thought she was too verbose at times). Often, I found a lot that was being said lacking in substance. So her descriptions over her interactions with others tend to be rather superficial. Not to say that her relationships with others weren't interesting, e.g., how could her interactions with Fan the stubborn spirit be boring, or her willingness to investigate the corruption in the afterlife with an "agent" of Heaven (& love interest, the loong Er Lang, be anything less than fascinating. But, I found that I don't really get the opportunity to know "know" them. Many of Li Lan's observations weren't insightful for me. Also, there was an inherent "she's not like other girls" theme which I don't really like. Some may argue that it reflected era-related misogyny, the superficiality of Li Lan's thinking made me feel its unnecessary; that it didn't really contribute much to the story. And I felt the same way about the romance, unfortunately; I just wasn't convinced, & thought it was kind of out-of-nowhere sort of situation. Although, the romance did have an air of lightness, or dreaminess to it. Maybe that was why I did not respond well to it; I tend to prefer greater emotional insights with romances.
That being said, I did quite enjoy the story. The elements of fantasy was suffice to make it interesting, though only little aspects of the characters were shown. If you like a simple read that doesn't delve too much into characterizations, that focus heavily on the external world & quick observations, you would enjoy this.
What I liked most about the story was the element of mystery;
This story was written from a first-person perspective, rooted more in the "telling" than "showing" what occurred. I wouldn't have any problem with that, but I felt that Li Lan's narration & attention tend to be flighty, disrupting the flow of the story. I found myself unable to enjoy the progress fully as just as I was about to delve into one of the story arc, the story diverted into another. And the prior story arc tends to re-appear at odd moments at times; the transition rather none smooth.
I also thought most of the side characters tend to be rather one-dimensional. Li Lan was verbose as a narrator (honestly, I thought she was too verbose at times). Often, I found a lot that was being said lacking in substance. So her descriptions over her interactions with others tend to be rather superficial. Not to say that her relationships with others weren't interesting, e.g., how could her interactions with Fan the stubborn spirit be boring, or her willingness to investigate the corruption in the afterlife with an "agent" of Heaven (& love interest, the loong Er Lang, be anything less than fascinating. But, I found that I don't really get the opportunity to know "know" them. Many of Li Lan's observations weren't insightful for me. Also, there was an inherent "she's not like other girls" theme which I don't really like. Some may argue that it reflected era-related misogyny, the superficiality of Li Lan's thinking made me feel its unnecessary; that it didn't really contribute much to the story. And I felt the same way about the romance, unfortunately; I just wasn't convinced, & thought it was kind of out-of-nowhere sort of situation. Although, the romance did have an air of lightness, or dreaminess to it. Maybe that was why I did not respond well to it; I tend to prefer greater emotional insights with romances.
That being said, I did quite enjoy the story. The elements of fantasy was suffice to make it interesting, though only little aspects of the characters were shown. If you like a simple read that doesn't delve too much into characterizations, that focus heavily on the external world & quick observations, you would enjoy this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Misogyny