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A review by moonlitemuseum
In the Vanishers' Palace by Aliette de Bodard
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
To be honest I have been reading In the Vanisher's Palace for a lot longer than the logged time on StoryGraph says. It's been a comfort read of mine for many months now, and eventually I chose to only check in on Yên and Vu Côn when I was bathing. Then I could give it my undivided attention and fully drink in every word, and this is a story where words matter.
The world building is almost painfully rich, depicting a world in ruin that doesn't feel at all dissimilar to our own, but the detail never feels as though it detracts from the central love story. The love story itself is deftly told, acquiescing to all the questions and doubts a reader might have but convincing them that yes, it can work, and should work, and both should stand to grow from it.
The range of sexualities and genders in the cast is astonishing. I felt a deep, warm ache reading this story—is this how it feels, to read compelling literature about gay women and nonbinary characters? I don't doubt that Asian readers, especially LGBT Vietnamese readers, will feel even more sated.
This is an incredible story and it is stunningly easy to read. If you want to read about dragons, women-loving-women, and an intriguing world ravaged by magical plagues, then you owe it to yourself to pick this up.
The world building is almost painfully rich, depicting a world in ruin that doesn't feel at all dissimilar to our own, but the detail never feels as though it detracts from the central love story. The love story itself is deftly told, acquiescing to all the questions and doubts a reader might have but convincing them that yes, it can work, and should work, and both should stand to grow from it.
The range of sexualities and genders in the cast is astonishing. I felt a deep, warm ache reading this story—is this how it feels, to read compelling literature about gay women and nonbinary characters? I don't doubt that Asian readers, especially LGBT Vietnamese readers, will feel even more sated.
This is an incredible story and it is stunningly easy to read. If you want to read about dragons, women-loving-women, and an intriguing world ravaged by magical plagues, then you owe it to yourself to pick this up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Medical content, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual content and Terminal illness
There is a part where Yên has a terminal illness but it is ultimately healed.