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books_coffee_yarn 's review for:
He Who Drowned the World
by Shelley Parker-Chan
I would give this 6 stars if I could. What a magnificent story. The second book gripped me almost immediately and I could not put this book down. Interesting you say, considering I rated the first book 3 stars (later bumped up to 4) and I absolutely hated the characters in book one. Yet I anticipated getting my hands on the second book, because even though I hated the characters, I enjoyed the plot and political intrigue and I just had to know what happened. Ultimately, that's why the change in the score; because as much as I did not like the characters, I could not stop thinking about this book.
Dare I say I fell in love with the characters. Is that possible? It was. Almost immediately. I don't know what it was that changed it for me, but this book seemed to have depth to each character that made them seem less driven by the worst of human nature. I found Zhu to be smart, witty, and daring. General Ouyang was a fantastic protagonist to Zhu. I absolutely loved the relationship between the two. I found myself chucking several times during their conversations. I also felt like we saw more of Zhu's heart. In book one she was using people but it seemed without care. In book 2, she shows her care and concern for everyone; and that exposes her soul as well.
I was riveted by what would happen next and so invested I got angry at points, I cried at points, I read in breathless anticipation.
Read this duology. I might have been in a funk for book 1 (I can almost guarantee I was given when I read it) and so I was overly harsh. But the second book was worth it and carries the whole duology up to 5 stars together. Magnificent.
Dare I say I fell in love with the characters. Is that possible? It was. Almost immediately. I don't know what it was that changed it for me, but this book seemed to have depth to each character that made them seem less driven by the worst of human nature. I found Zhu to be smart, witty, and daring. General Ouyang was a fantastic protagonist to Zhu. I absolutely loved the relationship between the two. I found myself chucking several times during their conversations. I also felt like we saw more of Zhu's heart. In book one she was using people but it seemed without care. In book 2, she shows her care and concern for everyone; and that exposes her soul as well.
I was riveted by what would happen next and so invested I got angry at points, I cried at points, I read in breathless anticipation.
Read this duology. I might have been in a funk for book 1 (I can almost guarantee I was given when I read it) and so I was overly harsh. But the second book was worth it and carries the whole duology up to 5 stars together. Magnificent.