Scan barcode
arenasg's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
flamepea's review against another edition
3.0
Emotional and suffocating but the ending & relationships felt rushed
lesbianbarista's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This is a really, really beautiful story about someone overcoming years upon years of abuse, finding the love they deserve, and finally going for the life they want. And it's all just a little under 100 pages. The setting was beautiful, the characters were ALL women, and it is sapphic!
It just fell flat for me and it might be because it was so short, but the writing is also a little clunky at times. I just wanted more just something a little bit more than what I was given. I can't put my finger on it, but it just didn't quite strike me in all the places I wish it would've.
It just fell flat for me and it might be because it was so short, but the writing is also a little clunky at times. I just wanted more just something a little bit more than what I was given. I can't put my finger on it, but it just didn't quite strike me in all the places I wish it would've.
kokechii's review against another edition
2.0
The writing itself is nice, but the story... I felt myself getting intrigued at the start and definitely wanted to learn more and to live a bit with these characters. But the shortness of the story leaves so much to be desired. Bringing in topics of colonialism and toxic relationships in such a short time felt like a rather poor attempt at anything. Expecting more mystery and court intrigues the turnover of the story felt too fast and fell flat for me.
catellion's review against another edition
5.0
Listen, I have never read a novella before this. So, I was coming into this with a few worries. But seeing how it was fantasy and sapphic, I thought, at least I would have some fun with it.
Oh boy! Not only was a wrong (I cried), but I was so thrilled when realizing how this book managed to make me care so much about Thanh and her relationships with only 99 pages!
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this read from start to finish. It pulled on my heartstrings, made me want to throw it across the room, and then made me want to reread it to see if I missed anything during the first read! I definitely would recommend this to someone who wants a quick read but also an emotional one.
Oh boy! Not only was a wrong (I cried), but I was so thrilled when realizing how this book managed to make me care so much about Thanh and her relationships with only 99 pages!
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this read from start to finish. It pulled on my heartstrings, made me want to throw it across the room, and then made me want to reread it to see if I missed anything during the first read! I definitely would recommend this to someone who wants a quick read but also an emotional one.
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
2.0
I give these two stars with a heavy heart, as I was poised to like everything about this. I just want to first say that don't want to discourage anyone from giving this a try if they really want to; perhaps it will be for you even though it wasn't for me. It definitely was a quick read and had a queer story at the center of it. Unfortunately, I don't think this novella fulfilled the promise of either the romance of Howl's Moving Castle or the political intrigue of The Goblin Emperor. Perhaps because it was too short, but even then, I found a lot of it so frustrating that I had to force myself to get through the last half of the book though it wasn't much.
Both romances were entirely too rushed. I understand the need for brevity in a novella, but never once did I get a sense of why anyone liked one another, especially to the point of potentially giving up their kingdom or incurring the censure of their court. They were also just unfulfilling, and didn't carry the emotional intensity I expected given that much of the arc of this novella involves two princesses from enemy empires who fall in love. It felt like lip service whenever Thanh would say how much Eldris saw her or how Eldris valued her, and given the ending that might be intentional, but then none of this story makes much sense.
The political aspects of this book were also...just plain bad. I'm sorry to say that the politics were thin, and something that could've been solved with a conversation or two. If your high politics can be undone by the threat of exposing an affair, then the stakes were incredibly low.
The writing was wonderful and perhaps I will pick up another book by Aliette de Bodard, but maybe I'll see if they have any longer works since this was not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Both romances were entirely too rushed. I understand the need for brevity in a novella, but never once did I get a sense of why anyone liked one another, especially to the point of potentially giving up their kingdom or incurring the censure of their court. They were also just unfulfilling, and didn't carry the emotional intensity I expected given that much of the arc of this novella involves two princesses from enemy empires who fall in love. It felt like lip service whenever Thanh would say how much Eldris saw her or how Eldris valued her, and given the ending that might be intentional, but then none of this story makes much sense.
The political aspects of this book were also...just plain bad. I'm sorry to say that the politics were thin, and something that could've been solved with a conversation or two. If your high politics can be undone by the threat of exposing an affair, then the stakes were incredibly low.
The writing was wonderful and perhaps I will pick up another book by Aliette de Bodard, but maybe I'll see if they have any longer works since this was not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
joana_stormblessed's review against another edition
1.0
I don't know what this was but I did not care one single bit for it. I don't know if it was my mood or what, but I ended up skimming some passages because I simply did not care.