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sarah984's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is a fantasy novel about a girl with dark magical abilities being inducted into (and then cast out of) order of geisha-like entertainers and magic users. Parts of the story are set in the present and the other parts are Tea describing her history to a disgraced bard.
The story is slow but rich and detailed, and I thought the world was fascinating, especially the stuff about heartsglass. The main character Tea isn't necessarily likable but she is sympathetic and interesting. However most of the other characters are pretty flat - including, unfortunately, the love interest, which makes some parts of the plot feel a little silly - and some of them are pretty broad ethnic stereotypes (the "Russian" guy is mostly just kind of goofy but the way the characters implied to be Muslim are handled is genuinely offensive in places).
The story is slow but rich and detailed, and I thought the world was fascinating, especially the stuff about heartsglass. The main character Tea isn't necessarily likable but she is sympathetic and interesting. However most of the other characters are pretty flat - including, unfortunately, the love interest, which makes some parts of the plot feel a little silly - and some of them are pretty broad ethnic stereotypes (the "Russian" guy is mostly just kind of goofy but the way the characters implied to be Muslim are handled is genuinely offensive in places).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Islamophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Self harm, Stalking, Terminal illness, and Violence
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