erynnr's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jarichan's review
3.0
Ein wundervolles und aussergewöhnliches Setting, sehr gut durchdacht und ausgearbeitet. Dadurch überzeugt Riveras Geschichte um zwei unterschiedliche Frauen, die doch nicht ohne einander können.
Auch der Schreibstil ist der Welt angepasst, bzw. der Briefform, in der der Roman verfasst ist. Der Stil ist oft ausufernd, sehr emotional und berührend. Man spürt richtig, wie nahe sich Shefali und Shizuka sind.
Jedoch steht sich genau diese Art zu Schreiben ab und zu auch selbst im Weg. Denn sie hält den Lauf der Handlung auf, verlangsamt sie auch an Stellen, die mehr Tempo und weniger Emotionalität erfordert hätten. Etwas weniger Umfang hätte es auch getan. Aber zumindest ich wurde mit der Zeit ungeduldig und ja, ich wusste unterdessen wie Shizukas Haar fällt, wie sie ihren Körper bewegt etc. etc.
Hier wäre meiner Ansicht nach weniger mehr gewesen.
Da ich dennoch von der Vielfalt von Riveras Welt fasziniert bin, möchte ich gerne irgendwann die nächsten Bücher lesen und hoffe, dass diese dann vielleicht etwas weniger ausufernd sind.
Auch der Schreibstil ist der Welt angepasst, bzw. der Briefform, in der der Roman verfasst ist. Der Stil ist oft ausufernd, sehr emotional und berührend. Man spürt richtig, wie nahe sich Shefali und Shizuka sind.
Jedoch steht sich genau diese Art zu Schreiben ab und zu auch selbst im Weg. Denn sie hält den Lauf der Handlung auf, verlangsamt sie auch an Stellen, die mehr Tempo und weniger Emotionalität erfordert hätten. Etwas weniger Umfang hätte es auch getan. Aber zumindest ich wurde mit der Zeit ungeduldig und ja, ich wusste unterdessen wie Shizukas Haar fällt, wie sie ihren Körper bewegt etc. etc.
Hier wäre meiner Ansicht nach weniger mehr gewesen.
Da ich dennoch von der Vielfalt von Riveras Welt fasziniert bin, möchte ich gerne irgendwann die nächsten Bücher lesen und hoffe, dass diese dann vielleicht etwas weniger ausufernd sind.
jordandotcom's review
5.0
oh my goddddd oh my god that was one of the best books i have read. EVER. i already want to reread it
karareadshobby's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
frootlupo's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Sexual content
gurkenlimo's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
halcyon_tarra_marcawin's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
emmyella's review
3.0
Okay, i'm not sure I know how to articulate how I feel about this (very long) book.
There was clearly a lot of inspiration drawn from Asian cultures, which I can't speak as to whether it was done tastefully or not considering im white american. I enjoyed the setting, the beautiful descriptions of the lush Hokkaran kingdom and the stark Steppes. I felt like the world was surprisingly fleshed out for such an inexperienced author. Fantasy is really difficult for anyone to keep track of, and i noticed that some of the story felt incomplete. Sort of like the author forgot where they were going with parts of the narrative, and aspects such as the honorifics felt rushed.
Most of this story is a slow burn romance. The prose is done artistically, with plenty of figurative language and comparison of everything to a poem. The story is romantic is basically every way, except the shockingly detailed descriptions of gore in battle and death. Other than that, each character is better described as a caricature. The unbeatable feminine warriors leaders, the tiny little so small so dark so small did i mention she is SO FUCKING SMALL???? unbeatable dark hair white skin delicate her toenails are pearls warrior shes so graceful so pure she is elegance embodied i mean come on man. am i the only one annoyed with all that? Maybe that's just me. I love lesbians, and I can appreciate a woman's love and adoration for another woman, but something about the description of the empress was a bit much. It reminded me of when the heteros get obsessive about all their relationships including a big tall giant man and his itty bitty tiny girl. I definitely accepted much more of that kind of lovey dovey shit because this was gay than I would have otherwise. I love fantasy, so this was good. The world was interesting and i did really dig some aspects like the narrators connection to her horse and a lot of the other cultural creations. I was often a bit bored tho, and this took me longer than it should've
There was clearly a lot of inspiration drawn from Asian cultures, which I can't speak as to whether it was done tastefully or not considering im white american. I enjoyed the setting, the beautiful descriptions of the lush Hokkaran kingdom and the stark Steppes. I felt like the world was surprisingly fleshed out for such an inexperienced author. Fantasy is really difficult for anyone to keep track of, and i noticed that some of the story felt incomplete. Sort of like the author forgot where they were going with parts of the narrative, and aspects such as the honorifics felt rushed.
Most of this story is a slow burn romance. The prose is done artistically, with plenty of figurative language and comparison of everything to a poem. The story is romantic is basically every way, except the shockingly detailed descriptions of gore in battle and death. Other than that, each character is better described as a caricature. The unbeatable feminine warriors leaders, the tiny little so small so dark so small did i mention she is SO FUCKING SMALL???? unbeatable dark hair white skin delicate her toenails are pearls warrior shes so graceful so pure she is elegance embodied i mean come on man. am i the only one annoyed with all that? Maybe that's just me. I love lesbians, and I can appreciate a woman's love and adoration for another woman, but something about the description of the empress was a bit much. It reminded me of when the heteros get obsessive about all their relationships including a big tall giant man and his itty bitty tiny girl. I definitely accepted much more of that kind of lovey dovey shit because this was gay than I would have otherwise. I love fantasy, so this was good. The world was interesting and i did really dig some aspects like the narrators connection to her horse and a lot of the other cultural creations. I was often a bit bored tho, and this took me longer than it should've
annereads2000's review
2.0
“ A strange thing happens when one speaks aloud: words take on their own meaning. They move in through the listener's ears and make themselves at home, decorating their meaning with whatever memories they find lying around. ”
The Tiger's Daughter has an amazing premise - f/f romance wrapped up in an asian inspired fantasy. I mean, it sounds bloody brilliant, right?
I thought so too. Instead, it's incredibly slow, focused only on O-Shizuka and Shefali and the romance between the two of them. I wanted that to be an extra little something to the story, but as I hit the 200-page mark, I wondered what the hell this story was leading up to? Everything was so goddamn slow, and I was snoozing off when I didn't put off continuing reading it.
It was really the last 200, maybe 150 pages that were worth anything. Stuff started happening and I got interested in more than just the romantic aspects of the story. Which is what I initially was looking forward to when I first began reading this book.
I was expecting a story set in an asian inspired fantasy world, were two women destined to be together would find love between the two of them on a quest to kill some great demonic force. And sure, it's hinted at, but that's barely the story.
I can appreciate this book for bringing wlw romance to the fantasy genre in a way I haven't experienced it before (I mean, I don't think I've ever seen an adult fantasy with a main f/f couple before, but please correct me if I'm wrong and recommend that stuff to me, please) but it falls so flat on so many things.
Rivera has amazing opportunity to expand the story to be more than just a love story, a romance that happens to fall into the fantasy category as well, but it glances over so many parts I would've LOVED to know more about. The parts of the story that aren't essential to the love between Shefali and O-Shizuka are boiled down to two sentences and then moves on years or months to once again focus on the two women. Now, I'm down for f/f romance, but then market the book as such, so as to avoid disappointment like mine.
Then there's the issue of racial slurs and total disregard of the cultures it takes inspiration from. I won't say too much, since I'm no expert on the subject, but I will urge you to read a review from a Japanese woman (who knows more than me, a white dane) here.
I will say I really liked the way Rivera told this story. In letters Shefali retells the story of how O-Shizuka and her were ment to be, how they came to be and all the things that led them together and apart from one another. It was very beautiful, excactly like a love letter (which should've warned me that my initial expectations were not true). I like O-Shizuka and Shefali. They're incredibly loving and true to one another, but I just wish this book had been about more than the love they share. I want f/f romance in fantasy, but I don't want it to be the main story as such - if I'd wanted that I'd read a YA contemporary with LGBT themes. I want the story and quest to be grand, and then have that love sprinkled in there because it's right.
The Tiger's Daughter has an amazing premise - f/f romance wrapped up in an asian inspired fantasy. I mean, it sounds bloody brilliant, right?
I thought so too. Instead, it's incredibly slow, focused only on O-Shizuka and Shefali and the romance between the two of them. I wanted that to be an extra little something to the story, but as I hit the 200-page mark, I wondered what the hell this story was leading up to? Everything was so goddamn slow, and I was snoozing off when I didn't put off continuing reading it.
It was really the last 200, maybe 150 pages that were worth anything. Stuff started happening and I got interested in more than just the romantic aspects of the story. Which is what I initially was looking forward to when I first began reading this book.
I was expecting a story set in an asian inspired fantasy world, were two women destined to be together would find love between the two of them on a quest to kill some great demonic force. And sure, it's hinted at, but that's barely the story.
I can appreciate this book for bringing wlw romance to the fantasy genre in a way I haven't experienced it before (I mean, I don't think I've ever seen an adult fantasy with a main f/f couple before, but please correct me if I'm wrong and recommend that stuff to me, please) but it falls so flat on so many things.
Rivera has amazing opportunity to expand the story to be more than just a love story, a romance that happens to fall into the fantasy category as well, but it glances over so many parts I would've LOVED to know more about. The parts of the story that aren't essential to the love between Shefali and O-Shizuka are boiled down to two sentences and then moves on years or months to once again focus on the two women. Now, I'm down for f/f romance, but then market the book as such, so as to avoid disappointment like mine.
Then there's the issue of racial slurs and total disregard of the cultures it takes inspiration from. I won't say too much, since I'm no expert on the subject, but I will urge you to read a review from a Japanese woman (who knows more than me, a white dane) here.
I will say I really liked the way Rivera told this story. In letters Shefali retells the story of how O-Shizuka and her were ment to be, how they came to be and all the things that led them together and apart from one another. It was very beautiful, excactly like a love letter (which should've warned me that my initial expectations were not true). I like O-Shizuka and Shefali. They're incredibly loving and true to one another, but I just wish this book had been about more than the love they share. I want f/f romance in fantasy, but I don't want it to be the main story as such - if I'd wanted that I'd read a YA contemporary with LGBT themes. I want the story and quest to be grand, and then have that love sprinkled in there because it's right.