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thewordsdevourer's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC
The Court Charade is a fast-paced, romping read about a girl's time in the palace, the people she meets and how she winds up changing things through her witty, determined, go-getter attitude.
I don't care much for the story or the characters especially as the latter can be one-dimensional, but overall the book still manages to keep me invested because of Serine's hijinks and shenanigans. I do like how the palace staff got Serine's back though, which illustrates the value of kindness and its returns. The story ties up nicely in the end as well, all the hints and plot threads finally coming together to shed light on the big reveal, though I wish the ending was longer and wasn't so abrupt.
The art is very expressive and effective, with the characters, their physical dynamics, the settings and scenes illustrated nicely and very fittingly for the story. My one complaint about the art, however, is how the pages are often so crammed that it's difficult to discern either the text or the art in more detail; the comic would've benefited more from being longer so each page has more room to breathe and space to be utilized with more techniques, as the artist has illustrated they're capable of.
This is a good read for anyone looking for something lighthearted, quick, and not too hung up on story technicalities and plot plausibility.
The Court Charade is a fast-paced, romping read about a girl's time in the palace, the people she meets and how she winds up changing things through her witty, determined, go-getter attitude.
I don't care much for the story or the characters especially as the latter can be one-dimensional, but overall the book still manages to keep me invested because of Serine's hijinks and shenanigans. I do like how the palace staff got Serine's back though, which illustrates the value of kindness and its returns. The story ties up nicely in the end as well, all the hints and plot threads finally coming together to shed light on the big reveal, though I wish the ending was longer and wasn't so abrupt.
The art is very expressive and effective, with the characters, their physical dynamics, the settings and scenes illustrated nicely and very fittingly for the story. My one complaint about the art, however, is how the pages are often so crammed that it's difficult to discern either the text or the art in more detail; the comic would've benefited more from being longer so each page has more room to breathe and space to be utilized with more techniques, as the artist has illustrated they're capable of.
This is a good read for anyone looking for something lighthearted, quick, and not too hung up on story technicalities and plot plausibility.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Classism, and Torture
Minor: Murder
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