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ws_bookclub's review
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on October 15th.
Admission: I judged a book based on its cover. The cover is incredible and immediately piqued my interest. That it’s a politically-charged fantasy didn’t hurt either. Beautifully written, if a bit dense, this east-Asian inspired fantasy was the only of its kind I’ve read this year.
It took me quite a while to become invested in this book. I was almost halfway through, and considering not finishing, before I found myself interested in the story. There’s that much setup. The pacing was much slower than with many fantasies, and takes some getting used to.
The writing was flowery, which alternated between annoying and impressing me. What can I say: sometimes I’m hard to please. That being said, I am of the opinion that if I had cloistered myself away for a few days and read this book straight through, I would have enjoyed it more. The subtle chess-like moves made throughout this book were very well done and it’s apparent that the author has an intricate plan for the series and knows exactly where everything is going.
My biggest complaint is less of a complaint than an observation: it was really difficult to keep track of all the characters for the first bit. Next time I pick up a book of this scope, I’ll write down character names and relationships if there isn’t a glossary of characters in the book.
If you like slow-building books, political intrigue, and flowing language, this is a fantasy to read.
Admission: I judged a book based on its cover. The cover is incredible and immediately piqued my interest. That it’s a politically-charged fantasy didn’t hurt either. Beautifully written, if a bit dense, this east-Asian inspired fantasy was the only of its kind I’ve read this year.
It took me quite a while to become invested in this book. I was almost halfway through, and considering not finishing, before I found myself interested in the story. There’s that much setup. The pacing was much slower than with many fantasies, and takes some getting used to.
The writing was flowery, which alternated between annoying and impressing me. What can I say: sometimes I’m hard to please. That being said, I am of the opinion that if I had cloistered myself away for a few days and read this book straight through, I would have enjoyed it more. The subtle chess-like moves made throughout this book were very well done and it’s apparent that the author has an intricate plan for the series and knows exactly where everything is going.
My biggest complaint is less of a complaint than an observation: it was really difficult to keep track of all the characters for the first bit. Next time I pick up a book of this scope, I’ll write down character names and relationships if there isn’t a glossary of characters in the book.
If you like slow-building books, political intrigue, and flowing language, this is a fantasy to read.
vikcs's review
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
crimsoncor's review
4.0
The start of this book is a bit overwhelming. There are six princes, 2 princesses, 2 queens, 2 concubines, a handful of ministers, military officials, and an astrologer. And I have to keep all of them and their familiar relations straight? But you figure it out eventually.
I love the settings. Getting an Asian inspired fantasy world that isn't based on a single culture, but rather a melange of different ideas was really nice. A great alternative to all the generic European-esque fantasy kingdoms that are so common in traditional fantasy. And I think a nice alternative to trying to slavishly replicate a single culture, which often ends up in feeling more like poor cosplay. I loved the world and the world building.
Some other things I really enjoyed (I'll keep these general but writing this after reading the entire series, so maybe some mild spoilery stuff)
How it dealt with its female main character. Writing about a time period and culture where the role of women, especially noble women, was tightly constrained is a challenge. You can go the notLikeOtherGirls route and have the character break out of the mold that society has forced her in. Emmett does something different and allows Komor Yala to be amazing, but still true to her upbringing and the societal expectations. This makes the moments where she, even mildly, breaks the rules feel even more intense and impactful. And while as a long-time reader of fantasy you keep waiting for her to have some power-up or crowning moment of glory, those tropes are gently declined. Her amazingness feels real and of her world. This is a note from the future, but it reminded me a lot of how gender dynamics play in This Desperate Glory.
The slow, but incessant crescendo to the end. When it resolves off-screen, it is like a huge exhale followed by an even bigger gasp. That might be over, but the real story is just beginning.
I was sad about
I just love the entire weaponization of etiquette that permeates the entire culture. And it is written so well. It reminds me of a much more successful version of what was attempted in The Lotus War trilogy.
So after all that, why 4 stars instead of 5. Because of the damn footnotes. I'm clearly not the only person who hated them because they were removed in the next two books, which a snarky front-note added about their removal. But they are so immersion breaking in a novel that is all about immersion. The footnotes are all to explain cultural words or ideas: most of these ideas are already very clearly communicated by the text itself. Like having to footnote a woody grass used in construction called babu and explain it is bamboo. Or an iridescent insect called a dragonwing: yeah I think we know it is like a dragonfly. The author clearly did not trust her readers here and it really hurts the book. Otherwise amazing.
I love the settings. Getting an Asian inspired fantasy world that isn't based on a single culture, but rather a melange of different ideas was really nice. A great alternative to all the generic European-esque fantasy kingdoms that are so common in traditional fantasy. And I think a nice alternative to trying to slavishly replicate a single culture, which often ends up in feeling more like poor cosplay. I loved the world and the world building.
Some other things I really enjoyed (I'll keep these general but writing this after reading the entire series, so maybe some mild spoilery stuff)
How it dealt with its female main character. Writing about a time period and culture where the role of women, especially noble women, was tightly constrained is a challenge. You can go the notLikeOtherGirls route and have the character break out of the mold that society has forced her in. Emmett does something different and allows Komor Yala to be amazing, but still true to her upbringing and the societal expectations. This makes the moments where she, even mildly, breaks the rules feel even more intense and impactful. And while as a long-time reader of fantasy you keep waiting for her to have some power-up or crowning moment of glory, those tropes are gently declined. Her amazingness feels real and of her world. This is a note from the future, but it reminded me a lot of how gender dynamics play in This Desperate Glory.
The slow, but incessant crescendo to the end.
Spoiler
The attempted assassination of the princess is the nail upon which the story rests and creates an incredible amount of narrative tension.I was sad about
Spoiler
Makker going missing for most of the middle of the novel. He had such an interesting relationship with Yala and then it just went nowhere. Obviously there are other love interests that appear, but I had wanted more, even platonically, between them.I just love the entire weaponization of etiquette that permeates the entire culture. And it is written so well. It reminds me of a much more successful version of what was attempted in The Lotus War trilogy.
So after all that, why 4 stars instead of 5. Because of the damn footnotes. I'm clearly not the only person who hated them because they were removed in the next two books, which a snarky front-note added about their removal. But they are so immersion breaking in a novel that is all about immersion. The footnotes are all to explain cultural words or ideas: most of these ideas are already very clearly communicated by the text itself. Like having to footnote a woody grass used in construction called babu and explain it is bamboo. Or an iridescent insect called a dragonwing: yeah I think we know it is like a dragonfly. The author clearly did not trust her readers here and it really hurts the book. Otherwise amazing.
aislinreads's review
This was a fast DNF because the writing was impossible for me to get into. Would consider revisiting in the future but only if it was strongly strongly recommended to me
mxsallybend's review
3.0
The Throne of the Five Winds is a big book. A big, thick, dense book that’s overflowing with key characters, scattered locations, and tangled relationships. It’s neither an easy read to get into nor a quick one. As beautifully written as it is, and as strong as the characters are, it still took me a couple of hundred pages to become comfortable with the story – but it all pays off eloquently in the final pages.
The politics and family drama here rival anything to be found in epic fantasy and it all begins with an Emperor whose disregard for the women in his life starts a tumbling of political dominoes. Queens and princes, wives and brothers, they’re all plotting and scheming, playing off one another with silvered tongues and poisoned kisses – not to mention assassination attempts and actual poisonings. You need a scorecard to keep track, but as you get deeper into the story and more familiar with the characters, the entertainment value of those conflicts increases significantly.
Mahara and Yala are the heart of the story, and that relationship between hostage princess and loyal lady-in-waiting is the best-developed one in the novel. They are genuine, with an emotional back-story, and it’s easy to believe in the loyalty they feel for one another. Standing in contrast to the two is Queen Gamwone, a cruel, foul, deplorable woman who is something of a guilty pleasure every time she appears on the page. Her cruelty to her children doesn’t just illuminate their characters, it defines them, creating sympathy and empathy that cracks open the density of the narrative.
Politically and geographically, S. C. Emmett has crafted an Asia-inspired fantasy and the world-building behind it stands up to the political maneuvering in front of it. Customs, morals, and languages are so well-defined that innocuous terms and comments for one character are amusing or offensive for others, and mistakes in translation are realistically common.
If I were to have any complaints, it would be that The Throne of the Five Winds is far more heavily character/relationship focused, and a sometimes light on the complexities of plot. I would have preferred that it start before the end of hostilities, partly to inject some action into the plot, and partly to give the political sacrifices more significance.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2019/10/08/book-review-the-throne-of-the-five-winds-by-s-c-emmett/
The politics and family drama here rival anything to be found in epic fantasy and it all begins with an Emperor whose disregard for the women in his life starts a tumbling of political dominoes. Queens and princes, wives and brothers, they’re all plotting and scheming, playing off one another with silvered tongues and poisoned kisses – not to mention assassination attempts and actual poisonings. You need a scorecard to keep track, but as you get deeper into the story and more familiar with the characters, the entertainment value of those conflicts increases significantly.
Mahara and Yala are the heart of the story, and that relationship between hostage princess and loyal lady-in-waiting is the best-developed one in the novel. They are genuine, with an emotional back-story, and it’s easy to believe in the loyalty they feel for one another. Standing in contrast to the two is Queen Gamwone, a cruel, foul, deplorable woman who is something of a guilty pleasure every time she appears on the page. Her cruelty to her children doesn’t just illuminate their characters, it defines them, creating sympathy and empathy that cracks open the density of the narrative.
Politically and geographically, S. C. Emmett has crafted an Asia-inspired fantasy and the world-building behind it stands up to the political maneuvering in front of it. Customs, morals, and languages are so well-defined that innocuous terms and comments for one character are amusing or offensive for others, and mistakes in translation are realistically common.
If I were to have any complaints, it would be that The Throne of the Five Winds is far more heavily character/relationship focused, and a sometimes light on the complexities of plot. I would have preferred that it start before the end of hostilities, partly to inject some action into the plot, and partly to give the political sacrifices more significance.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2019/10/08/book-review-the-throne-of-the-five-winds-by-s-c-emmett/
anniemd's review
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
emnii's review
Did not finish. I couldn't keep reading about the state of everyone's top knots without doing anything. It described the world in such a way that I felt like I was there, but then it did so little in that world that I dreaded continuing. Eventually, I stopped dreading it and just stopped reading.
jyb's review against another edition
DNF at 40%. The worldbuilding is very interesting, the characters' machinations are interesting to follow, the plot overall seems like it's going somewhere intriguing... but by GOD does this book <i>crawl</i>.
It would be inaccurate to say that reading this book is like watching paint dry. This is more like as if someone took a very interesting episode of a TV show and slowed it down by 200 percent. I <i>know</i> that interesting stuff is <i>going</i> to happen, I know that this build up is creating interesting plot threads... but holy shit, can we go a little faster? I keep seeing reviews saying it gets more interesting and better paced in the last 200 pages or 20 percent or whatever, but I literally cannot keep reading conversation after conversation that develops maybe 2% of the plot each time they happen. AND each conversation is padded with dozens of descriptions that are <i>nice,</i> but when compared with the already slow pacing, it just annoys. I like the courtly intrigue, I like the scheming, I like the characters (even with SO many names it was hard to keep track of who was who within the first 200 pages), but I cannot keep going with this DRAG. Some people said if you liked Game of Thrones you should read this, but Games of Thrones' pacing is far better. The build up and pacing certainly is.
Moreover, the attempt at mimicking Tolkien via "this is a translation" felt weak, since all that's translated is stuff like "this is a type of bird" or "this is a plant," instead of cultural or historical knowledge of the world. Building on that, the "translations" feel exceptionally stupid sometimes – turning "bamboo" into "babu"? Why? What is the purpose of that – to make your world feel exotic or something? I don't know. Not a fan. It was initially interesting with the more unique names, but after seeing sohju and babu... meh.
I really wish I could keep going in this book – and perhaps if there were fewer pages between where I am and the ending, I could. But I just can't slog through another 200 pages of barely anything. And while the spoilers did seem rather interesting... I just can't. I'd rather read something that fully engages me. It's such a shame, too, because I actually initially felt quite interested in the book! But after seeing reviews saying it barely speeds up until the end... sigh. Maybe I'll come back to this? We'll see.
It would be inaccurate to say that reading this book is like watching paint dry. This is more like as if someone took a very interesting episode of a TV show and slowed it down by 200 percent. I <i>know</i> that interesting stuff is <i>going</i> to happen, I know that this build up is creating interesting plot threads... but holy shit, can we go a little faster? I keep seeing reviews saying it gets more interesting and better paced in the last 200 pages or 20 percent or whatever, but I literally cannot keep reading conversation after conversation that develops maybe 2% of the plot each time they happen. AND each conversation is padded with dozens of descriptions that are <i>nice,</i> but when compared with the already slow pacing, it just annoys. I like the courtly intrigue, I like the scheming, I like the characters (even with SO many names it was hard to keep track of who was who within the first 200 pages), but I cannot keep going with this DRAG. Some people said if you liked Game of Thrones you should read this, but Games of Thrones' pacing is far better. The build up and pacing certainly is.
Moreover, the attempt at mimicking Tolkien via "this is a translation" felt weak, since all that's translated is stuff like "this is a type of bird" or "this is a plant," instead of cultural or historical knowledge of the world. Building on that, the "translations" feel exceptionally stupid sometimes – turning "bamboo" into "babu"? Why? What is the purpose of that – to make your world feel exotic or something? I don't know. Not a fan. It was initially interesting with the more unique names, but after seeing sohju and babu... meh.
I really wish I could keep going in this book – and perhaps if there were fewer pages between where I am and the ending, I could. But I just can't slog through another 200 pages of barely anything. And while the spoilers did seem rather interesting... I just can't. I'd rather read something that fully engages me. It's such a shame, too, because I actually initially felt quite interested in the book! But after seeing reviews saying it barely speeds up until the end... sigh. Maybe I'll come back to this? We'll see.