hlstump's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this second book as Mehrunnisa navigates court life and finds that there are still walls that keep women hindered even as an empress. I enjoyed watching her rule from behind a wall and a veil, breaking down the stereotypes and rules for women in the culture, but more so during that time. To have the courage to break the norms and risk everything for power and love was incredibly interesting.
The only issue I had was that this book felt very long, and very detailed in the politics. While I enjoyed the detail, I noticed I set this book aside slightly more so than the first. I think people who enjoy history will be the ones who truly enjoy this book.
The only issue I had was that this book felt very long, and very detailed in the politics. While I enjoyed the detail, I noticed I set this book aside slightly more so than the first. I think people who enjoy history will be the ones who truly enjoy this book.
mahi_tiwari's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
hrtlss_grl's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
borealis85's review against another edition
3.0
A solid 3.5 stars. Finally picked up the sequel for the [b:The Twentieth Wife|27298|The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, #1)|Indu Sundaresan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441836224s/27298.jpg|27945] and i was not disappointed! Although I am certainly not the target audience as I usually loathe love stories, I kind of made an exception here. This one ends the story for mehrunnisa in a thrilling story, surprisingly accurate historically.
vani_in_wonderland_'s review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
samwescott's review against another edition
4.0
I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than the first book in the series, The Twentieth Wife. The first book irritated me because I felt like the courtship between Mehrunissa and Salim/Jahangir felt very strained and inauthentic. It's hard to enjoy a book focused on the marriage plot when you don't buy the romance.
This book begun with Mehrunissa already in power as Empress Nur Jahan and was mainly about her scrabble for power and increasingly complex intrigues. There were a bunch of historical and semi-mythical stories about Nur Jahan that Indu Sundaresan sought to fictionalize and somewhat explain. It was enjoyable, especially since I know so little about the Moghul Empire in the first place.
All in all, I think this was an improvement over the first book and am excited to read the author's other novels.
This book begun with Mehrunissa already in power as Empress Nur Jahan and was mainly about her scrabble for power and increasingly complex intrigues. There were a bunch of historical and semi-mythical stories about Nur Jahan that Indu Sundaresan sought to fictionalize and somewhat explain. It was enjoyable, especially since I know so little about the Moghul Empire in the first place.
All in all, I think this was an improvement over the first book and am excited to read the author's other novels.
new_universe's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kazi_nabil's review against another edition
3.0
আগের বইটার চেয়ে একটু কম পছন্দ হলো। কাহিনীটা বেশিই দ্রুত এগিয়ে গেছে মনে হচ্ছিল, সেই সাথে বোধহয় মেহেরুন্নিসার প্রতি টানের কারণে কাহিনীটা ঠিক হজম করতেও কষ্ট হচ্ছিল।
mstera's review against another edition
2.0
I loved the first book so very much I was really excited to read this one. Sadly it left me disappointed. In the end I didn't feel a lot of emotion for any of the characters that I had come to love in the first book. Perhaps the author was trying to put too much into this book but it felt rushed at times and the characters didn't come to life for me like they did in her first book. Still she is a gifted author and I would pick another of her books based on what I have read to this point.
khatijarr's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.25