A review by berenikeasteria
The Last Concubine by Lesley Downer

3.0

I feel so-so about The Last Concubine. It was alright, but it just didn’t grab me. It’s competently written, but it seemed to lack flair or any real imagination. It was only sporadically evocative, and I didn’t get any sense of atmosphere or ambience to draw me into the historical setting.

The plot was well-constructed, and it wasn’t predictable at least, but it wasn’t amazing or awe-inspiring or gripping. The same thing for the characters. They were… there. I didn’t dislike them, but I don’t feel like I rooted for any of them. Even Sachi, the main character, came off as rather one-note and like I was barely scratching the surface of her personality. That made it hard to connect with the characters or get involved in the plot.

I wouldn’t call this a bad read, by any means, and I did find it mildly enjoyable, but I felt disconnected and couldn’t get into the world of the story or empathise with the characters.

6 out of 10