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rileydobereading's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder and War
eetishmeh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
[This review was written before reading the second book in the duology.]
I absolutely loved this book.
The worldbuilding was vast and beautiful, and showed me that an intricate fantasy world could be crafted without having to be rooted in Western tradition.
Shiori was an incredibly strong main character, and I enjoyed reading her journey immensely.
To be honest, when I first started reading, I was worried that the middle would drag, since I've seen a few reviews say so. Thankfully, I didn't get that sense! Yes, it was harder to get through than the rest of the book, but only marginally. Definitely not as bad as what I'd anticipated.
Another thing I was worried about was the sadness levels. Now, I haven't read Elizabeth Lim's other novels, but my friend has read both books in her previous series and told me that the first book was depressing to the point of being dull. I was concerned going in because I don't like stories that are too sad, but it turns out that this is more like... hurt-comfort, I suppose? Shiori hurts for a while, then later some turn of events makes the tone less sad so we don't dwell on her suffering for too long. (Sorry, Shiori!)
I normally am iffy with the arranged marriage trope, but this one won me over! Mainly because Takkan's amazing haha. I also love the way Shiori sees Takkan in a different light as they grow closer, and she progressively thinks of him less as her betrothed and more as her friend... then something more, too. It's realistic and it makes me feel soft and fuzzy inside <3
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Elizabeth Lim writes hints at future subplots. They weren't too predictable, yet it was amazing how I could look back at the clues that were there all along!
As for the retelling aspect, it kept close to the original folktale (or the Hans Christian Anderson version, I suppose) while also adding a lot of its own spectacular elements.
Also, I've seen some people mention it already, but in terms of swear words and explicit scenes, this book is entirely clean!
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to those who love East Asian fantasy and retellings of classic fairytales! As someone who falls into both categories, I know I loved it a lot.
I absolutely loved this book.
The worldbuilding was vast and beautiful, and showed me that an intricate fantasy world could be crafted without having to be rooted in Western tradition.
Shiori was an incredibly strong main character, and I enjoyed reading her journey immensely.
To be honest, when I first started reading, I was worried that the middle would drag, since I've seen a few reviews say so. Thankfully, I didn't get that sense! Yes, it was harder to get through than the rest of the book, but only marginally. Definitely not as bad as what I'd anticipated.
Another thing I was worried about was the sadness levels. Now, I haven't read Elizabeth Lim's other novels, but my friend has read both books in her previous series and told me that the first book was depressing to the point of being dull. I was concerned going in because I don't like stories that are too sad, but it turns out that this is more like... hurt-comfort, I suppose? Shiori hurts for a while, then later some turn of events makes the tone less sad so we don't dwell on her suffering for too long. (Sorry, Shiori!)
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Elizabeth Lim writes hints at future subplots. They weren't too predictable, yet it was amazing how I could look back at the clues that were there all along!
As for the retelling aspect, it kept close to the original folktale (or the Hans Christian Anderson version, I suppose) while also adding a lot of its own spectacular elements.
Also, I've seen some people mention it already, but in terms of swear words and explicit scenes, this book is entirely clean!
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to those who love East Asian fantasy and retellings of classic fairytales! As someone who falls into both categories, I know I loved it a lot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, and Murder
Minor: Death and Death of parent
I may have missed some warnings, so please look them yo if you're concerned! Stay safe out there :Dchrisljm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
amazing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Self harm, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and War
Minor: Sexual harassment