Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Bottom line: I really loved this book, but I don’t think it’s for everyone.
Overall I was really surprised by how much I liked this. I really wasn’t crazy about Babel so I was going into this with very low expectations. The premise was just too good for me to pass up on, and I’m glad that I read it. This book has everything I love: academia, romance, a quest, retelling, inclusion of myths — even a bit of found family — and it really hit almost all of those notes perfectly for me. It’s a very cute fall / back to school book.
Overall I was really surprised by how much I liked this. I really wasn’t crazy about Babel so I was going into this with very low expectations. The premise was just too good for me to pass up on, and I’m glad that I read it. This book has everything I love: academia, romance, a quest, retelling, inclusion of myths — even a bit of found family — and it really hit almost all of those notes perfectly for me. It’s a very cute fall / back to school book.
Writing Style and Audience:
Kuang can do highbrow prose very well. It’s evident that she is incredibly smart. However, my gripe with her books is that I feel like she is writing for a very specific audience: one who is extremely well versed in classical literature and philosophical concepts. The hypocrisy of her writing is that while this book and Babel are both critiques of The Academy, you need to be very well versed in its references in order to get that critique. You can still enjoy it without getting the references, it just feels a bit elitist. These references were a big part of my enjoyment of this book, which in turn reinforces my point: I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much if I hadn’t gotten the references.
It also feels like it romanticizes the dangers of the academic world, even in its critique.
It also feels like it romanticizes the dangers of the academic world, even in its critique.
Magic System:
The magic system in this book is so unique — I really like the idea of a magic system that uses paradoxes and gaps in logic. The use of non-Euclidean spaces is so neat in this as well.
Plot & Pacing:
I love a quest premise. This was one of the major draws for me to read this, and it didn’t disappoint. The premise of having two rival academics go to Hell together to return their supervisor back from the dead is an A-tier idea to me. The irony of going on a quest to save someone terrible, someone you hate, was perfect.
In execution, the book feels pretty predictable, but I really appreciated the journey. It read very quickly. There were also lots of little mysteries at the start of the book that are well plotted and revealed slowly along the way.
I did find some elements of the plot to be a bit too convenient, though. Likehow she was saved multiple times by the right people showing up randomly and in inexplicable ways at exactly the time she needed saving. Also the book was significantly less enjoyable for me when Peter wasn’t there.
I did find some elements of the plot to be a bit too convenient, though. Like
Setting:
What a perfect setting for a quest like this — I almost wish I had thought of it myself. I just wish I had a better visual image with more vivid descriptions. I didn’t really have a sense of what the locations looked like.
Characters:
I think this book could have used a bit stronger character work. While I really liked the tensions that the characters played with, I do wish that Alice was just a bit more fleshed out. For example, what’s her relationship like with her family? What drives her beyond her blind, hopeless ambition?
I also had some issues with her lack of grief for losing Peter. Alice’s lack of grief for Peter (even a lack of denial) doesn’t make the act or the sacrifice feel believable or like the deeply emotional beat that I wish it was. It kind of gives the impression that she knows he will come back, which gives us the same impression, removing drama from the moment she does bring him back. I really wish the author had put more tragic and dramatic emphasis on this, to make more of the moment and make it more believable. Also, the cat seemed kind of random and I almost wish that it was just a skeleton cat from Hell rather than one from the world of the living. It doesn’t really make sense to me how the cat can break the very worldbuilding rules that define the core tension of this book.
Romance:
I really enjoyed the romance; it was so sweet and wanting to see it played out kept me reading.
Overall, I am very surprised at how much I enjoyed this! Also all of the little details in the special edition hardcover I got were super cool.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship