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aelynreads 's review for:
Empress of All Seasons
by Emiko Jean
3.5 stars
Why I liked this book
1. The magic of the seasons rooms is SO intriguing and original.
2. Mari is epic and complex. I really liked her.
3. The class system of humans and yōkai is well explained and given depth.
4. The ending of this book is nicely surprising. It doesn't follow the typical ending for YA fantasy books, which was refreshing.
5. The inclusion of Japanese mythology was interesting.
Why is it not 5 stars?
1. Instalove. Pretty bad instalove.
2. I mean, the romance in general was poor. I didn't feel it at all.
3. The ending is FAR too rushed. The final 2 pages summarise the outcomes of the whole story, but it really made me feel disconnected from the ending of the story.
4. Taro's character was fairly shallow. It started out great as we saw him with his mechanical creations, but then it didn't feel like he was given much depth beyond that.
Overall, this was a fun and original read. The concept of the season rooms is unique and enjoyable, and the ending presents a nice surprise. However, the romance is weak and the pace of the book is variable. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves YA fantasy and prefers plot-driven (over character driven) stories.
Why I liked this book
1. The magic of the seasons rooms is SO intriguing and original.
2. Mari is epic and complex. I really liked her.
3. The class system of humans and yōkai is well explained and given depth.
4. The ending of this book is nicely surprising. It doesn't follow the typical ending for YA fantasy books, which was refreshing.
5. The inclusion of Japanese mythology was interesting.
Why is it not 5 stars?
1. Instalove. Pretty bad instalove.
2. I mean, the romance in general was poor. I didn't feel it at all.
3. The ending is FAR too rushed. The final 2 pages summarise the outcomes of the whole story, but it really made me feel disconnected from the ending of the story.
4. Taro's character was fairly shallow. It started out great as we saw him with his mechanical creations, but then it didn't feel like he was given much depth beyond that.
Overall, this was a fun and original read. The concept of the season rooms is unique and enjoyable, and the ending presents a nice surprise. However, the romance is weak and the pace of the book is variable. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves YA fantasy and prefers plot-driven (over character driven) stories.