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awortiz 's review for:
The Lotus Palace
by Jeannie Lin
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A historical romance not set in Regency England? Yes, sign me up!
From the very first page, Jeannie Lin immerses you fully into the atmospheric world of the Pingkang Li, a lantern-lit pleasure quarter filled with tinkling music, ever pouring wine, and abundant festivals, but with a dark undercurrent of secrets and crime. With courtesans, concubines, smugglers, emperors, imperial scholars, and a bit of murder, The Lotus Palace offers a lot of intrigue, but truly shines in its characters.
Yue-ying has got to be one of my favorite heroines. No wilting flowers here. Yue-ying is clear-eyed, realistic, and does her absolute darndest not to get swept up in romance and fantasy that she knows only Bai Huang can afford to get caught up in. Yue-ying is characterized with so much depth and has secrets of her own.
Bai Huang is an equally intriguing character, but I wish he was explored in greater detail. His character felt lightly sketched out and I would have loved a deeper exploration of his sense of familial duty, his addiction to gambling, and his personal reasons for his spy-like role in playing a fool.
As for the romance itself - I have such a soft spot for playboy heroes and heroines that take none of their bullshit. This romance is for all those Mr. Darcy hand flex people out there - it’s all in the furtive looks and what’s left unsaid. It can be slow and understated at first but the depth of feeling backed up by action really makes a girl swoon by the end.
I also loved how The Lotus Palace explores the role of women in this society and how little freedom women had in personal autonomy being themselves but also not being owned by men in one way or another. However, something about the mystery in this book didn’t work for me and I wish there were more clues so that the reader could truly form our own guesses as the story unfolds. The ending felt rushed, with the mystery and the romance being tied up off page and a little too conveniently.
Overall, this book is such a breath of fresh air and is a fantastic start to a series. Onto the next one!
From the very first page, Jeannie Lin immerses you fully into the atmospheric world of the Pingkang Li, a lantern-lit pleasure quarter filled with tinkling music, ever pouring wine, and abundant festivals, but with a dark undercurrent of secrets and crime. With courtesans, concubines, smugglers, emperors, imperial scholars, and a bit of murder, The Lotus Palace offers a lot of intrigue, but truly shines in its characters.
Yue-ying has got to be one of my favorite heroines. No wilting flowers here. Yue-ying is clear-eyed, realistic, and does her absolute darndest not to get swept up in romance and fantasy that she knows only Bai Huang can afford to get caught up in. Yue-ying is characterized with so much depth and has secrets of her own.
Bai Huang is an equally intriguing character, but I wish he was explored in greater detail. His character felt lightly sketched out and I would have loved a deeper exploration of his sense of familial duty, his addiction to gambling, and his personal reasons for his spy-like role in playing a fool.
As for the romance itself - I have such a soft spot for playboy heroes and heroines that take none of their bullshit. This romance is for all those Mr. Darcy hand flex people out there - it’s all in the furtive looks and what’s left unsaid. It can be slow and understated at first but the depth of feeling backed up by action really makes a girl swoon by the end.
I also loved how The Lotus Palace explores the role of women in this society and how little freedom women had in personal autonomy being themselves but also not being owned by men in one way or another. However, something about the mystery in this book didn’t work for me and I wish there were more clues so that the reader could truly form our own guesses as the story unfolds. The ending felt rushed, with the mystery and the romance being tied up off page and a little too conveniently.
Overall, this book is such a breath of fresh air and is a fantastic start to a series. Onto the next one!