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my8ltters 's review for:
Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame
by Neon Yang
Okay so yes, I knew this was a novella going in but if only it was longern T^T There’s so much potential in the worldbuilding and political setup, and while I liked what we got, I also felt like it didn’t have enough time to really go deep. The vibes were great, but I kind of wanted more of everything.
Lady Sookhee was my favorite in this story. Even though I kinda saw the twist coming. I LIVE for her connection with Yeva. They had that quiet, tense dynamic that made every interaction feel meaningful. I just wish we got more time with them together!
Now now...I want to talk about Emory as well. He is the side character who is Yeva's supportive bestfriend (a cousin too). I loved how he kept his words about not wanting to be like his father and wanting to be a better leader because he truly did it. He's very supportive of Yeva and makes reasonable choices at the end.
However, the ending of this novella didn't hit hard as I had hoped. It wrapped up a bit too fast, and I just wanted more emotional ending. It felt somewhat easy for all the tension that built up. Still, the writing was really pretty and easy to get into. Super atmospheric in that quiet, lyrical way. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It had strong characters, good vibes!
Lady Sookhee was my favorite in this story. Even though I kinda saw the twist coming. I LIVE for her connection with Yeva. They had that quiet, tense dynamic that made every interaction feel meaningful. I just wish we got more time with them together!
Now now...I want to talk about Emory as well. He is the side character who is Yeva's supportive bestfriend (a cousin too). I loved how he kept his words about not wanting to be like his father and wanting to be a better leader because he truly did it. He's very supportive of Yeva and makes reasonable choices at the end.
However, the ending of this novella didn't hit hard as I had hoped. It wrapped up a bit too fast, and I just wanted more emotional ending. It felt somewhat easy for all the tension that built up. Still, the writing was really pretty and easy to get into. Super atmospheric in that quiet, lyrical way. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It had strong characters, good vibes!