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carricatures's review
3.5
A bit slow paced and could see where things were going after a while. The brother-v-brother subplot was the most interesting, romance was a bit underdeveloped, but setting & cultural stuff woven in quite nicely.
melodys_library's review
3.0
I love Crescent by Abu-Jaber, and was really hoping to feel the same about Fencing with the King. At first, it felt immersive in Jordanian culture, politics, family, with a hint of mystery and corruption…but then it veered into a…light romance? Also, there was a family member that was borderline divine or fantastical? I would still read more from this author, but this was not my favorite.
thepagelady's review
4.0
Fencing with the King has a really interesting plot and some amazing characters! It does start a little slow and there are a lot of names in the very first pages but it all comes together pretty quickly and once it gets going it's a wonderful story! I really enjoyed Amani’s character and her determination to figure out the family mystery. This is a story of family myths, belonging, heritage, and love! A wonderful well written book that would be great for book clubs!
eelmore7's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
damnedmuddle's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
delijha711's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
2.75
This was my second book that I read in honor of Arab Heritage month and it's definitely out of my genre comfort range but I'm glad that I read it. I really didn't know anything going into the book and I found that I had a vast LACK of knowledge when it comes to Jordanian culture and customs and really anything. I did enjoy the great explanations of the world around Amani and how even she was struggling to know things but I felt at times the descriptions were too long, to the point where it was taking away from the story rather than adding to it. I also have to say the beginning of this book. my god was it slow, like I was 40% in and felt like it was still building up to the more interesting part of the story. And even when it did get there, I felt like it would get really good and we would change POVs and it started slacking off again. The last like 30% of the book was for sure the best part. I found the characters incredibly complex and all of them definitely had their own struggles with their self identity and it was interesting to see that unfold. I enjoyed the story but just wish it didnt take so long to get there. 2.75/5 but I might do a reread to get a better understanding of the culture surrounding the story.
k_plansandreads's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍 Jordan 🇯🇴
📚 Historical Fiction
The book starts slowly by introducing lots of different characters and telling us about the history of Jordan. I found this fascinating.
Amani was born in the USA to a Jordanian father and Sicilian mother. When her father receives an invitation from his brother to have a fencing match as part of the Kings 60th birthday celebration Amani decides to travel with him and discover more about her family and learn about their history. We delve into this family saga of exile, jealousy, greed, discovery and ambition. I feel like we could have learnt more about the characters and the ending felt rushed and I had lots of questions that were left unanswered which is why I’ve deducted a couple of stars.
📍 Jordan 🇯🇴
📚 Historical Fiction
The book starts slowly by introducing lots of different characters and telling us about the history of Jordan. I found this fascinating.
Amani was born in the USA to a Jordanian father and Sicilian mother. When her father receives an invitation from his brother to have a fencing match as part of the Kings 60th birthday celebration Amani decides to travel with him and discover more about her family and learn about their history. We delve into this family saga of exile, jealousy, greed, discovery and ambition. I feel like we could have learnt more about the characters and the ending felt rushed and I had lots of questions that were left unanswered which is why I’ve deducted a couple of stars.
memphisholli's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
kleonard's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book about the complexities of life in Jordan, homecoming, and family. the characters are beautifully drawn and imbued with reality, and the gentle teasing out of family history is elegant but believable. Through the use of a large cast, the author makes it possible to share information about things like gender, parenting, work, and behavior in ways that aren't condescending to readers. I'd love to read this with a group of really smart people, or teach it to a class. (Fencers considering reading this: Even most of the fencing terminology is right!)
supersabs's review
relaxing
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
3.75