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A review by wanderinglynn
Strike the Zither by Joan He
adventurous
3.75
This is not my favorite book Joan He. But she can certainly write a page-turning story full of politics, found family, war, strategy, intrigue, and action.
Some of my struggle with this book is the pacing. The first half of the book is fast paced. I started reading chapter one and thought I had accidentally picked up book 2 because it drops you in the middle of the action. I hung on and the story evened out so that I understood the world and the action occurring. Also, the hardcover edition has character art and maps, which was helpful especially during the first few chapters when I was trying just to hang on.
But . . .
At the half-way point, there's a plot twist and the story takes a sharp right turn. That twist slows down the pacing enormously. In fairness (and without giving anything away), it makes sense but that doesn't lessen the jarring nature. And of course, because this is a duology, book 1 ends with not so much a cliff hanger as a different kind of twist.
This is a book that, at it's heart, is based on politics.
I'm getting ready to dive into book 2. So for now, I'll leave my rating at 3.75 stars because I do like Joan He's writing.
Some of my struggle with this book is the pacing. The first half of the book is fast paced. I started reading chapter one and thought I had accidentally picked up book 2 because it drops you in the middle of the action. I hung on and the story evened out so that I understood the world and the action occurring. Also, the hardcover edition has character art and maps, which was helpful especially during the first few chapters when I was trying just to hang on.
But . . .
At the half-way point, there's a plot twist and the story takes a sharp right turn. That twist slows down the pacing enormously. In fairness (and without giving anything away), it makes sense but that doesn't lessen the jarring nature. And of course, because this is a duology, book 1 ends with not so much a cliff hanger as a different kind of twist.
This is a book that, at it's heart, is based on politics.
I'm getting ready to dive into book 2. So for now, I'll leave my rating at 3.75 stars because I do like Joan He's writing.