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A review by seskuh
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The world-building in the first hundred or so pages was promising, with the slow reveal of the truth behind the Romans and from where they came. I enjoyed Ruying's voice of the world.
BUT she was so stupidly naive that I found myself grow increasingly frustrated with her. It was one thing or the other, and she couldn't make up her mind, when the ultimate answer was right there. I understand where the author was coming from and how they wanted to utilize Ruying's naivete to show us who the truly terrible people were, to move the plot forward, and to show how evil and manipulative the Romans are.
I see the potential there, but I feel like the author just barely missed the proper execution there. Despite this, I still did enjoy the book. I was, again, hoping for more.
Also, why are all the characters...19, 20, 21? For a book with war looming in the air, I would have appreciated more age variety. It would honestly make more sense in this setting. I get it, new adult novel, and all that, yet I'm disappointed that everyone important to the plot was around this age. That would also help with demonstrating how this conflict is impacting everyone and not just people in their early twenties.
But that's just me I guess.
BUT she was so stupidly naive that I found myself grow increasingly frustrated with her. It was one thing or the other, and she couldn't make up her mind, when the ultimate answer was right there. I understand where the author was coming from and how they wanted to utilize Ruying's naivete to show us who the truly terrible people were, to move the plot forward, and to show how evil and manipulative the Romans are.
I see the potential there, but I feel like the author just barely missed the proper execution there. Despite this, I still did enjoy the book. I was, again, hoping for more.
Also, why are all the characters...19, 20, 21? For a book with war looming in the air, I would have appreciated more age variety. It would honestly make more sense in this setting. I get it, new adult novel, and all that, yet I'm disappointed that everyone important to the plot was around this age. That would also help with demonstrating how this conflict is impacting everyone and not just people in their early twenties.
But that's just me I guess.