A review by lisabee
Snake Agent by Liz Williams

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I feel like I got suckered in. I quite enjoy fantasy stories from or about other cultures. For example: Ruth Ozeki's "A Tale for the Time Being", or Aliette de Bodard's "The Tea-Master and the Detective" - both fine, interesting books in which you learn new ways of looking and thinking about the world along with your story which doesn't fit neatly into your western categories.

So I had high hopes for this book. The author is educated, has at least been nominated for various awards, etc, etc. The book is set in the Chinese mythological space of souls that need to travel, be judged, and be reincarnated.

But. I felt all the way through that this was second and third hand Chinese culture, belief and thought, filtered through Western expectations.