Take a photo of a barcode or cover
rebeccazh's Reviews (2.89k)
Reviewing this and book 2 together:
Pleasantly surprised by how the author takes the standard genre formula (lone wolf kickass heroine who gains a found family and learns to take on responsibilities) and gives it a lot of heart, depth and authenticity. I really like all the characters, and love the family dynamic. Very nice to see family-centric Western stories. Also hoping there will be more genuinely good female friendships now that Lani happened. The strength of this series is really character and relationship development.
Pleasantly surprised by how the author takes the standard genre formula (lone wolf kickass heroine who gains a found family and learns to take on responsibilities) and gives it a lot of heart, depth and authenticity. I really like all the characters, and love the family dynamic. Very nice to see family-centric Western stories. Also hoping there will be more genuinely good female friendships now that Lani happened. The strength of this series is really character and relationship development.
This is a queer historical fantasy. I actually went through about 60% of the book thinking this is all totally made-up and not (heavily) inspired by history.
I really liked the relationship between Ma and Zhu -- the commentary on desire and greatness, the things they saw in each other and what they help each other do/become is so well-written. They have a great dynamic and their interactions are so compelling. I loved Zhu's exploration of gender.
Side note that the author knows Chinese and it shows because there were so many delightful phrases that were direct translations of actual Chinese idioms, words and phrases. I would 'hear' the Chinese word after reading it in English which was very fun.
I did find that the pace was a bit slow and the very descriptive writing style, while beautiful, got a bit draggy for me at times and I would skim to skip over to a more exciting part. I also struggled to connect to some of the main characters who seemed to lack distinct personalities sometimes.
I really liked the relationship between Ma and Zhu -- the commentary on desire and greatness, the things they saw in each other and what they help each other do/become is so well-written. They have a great dynamic and their interactions are so compelling. I loved Zhu's exploration of gender.
Side note that the author knows Chinese and it shows because there were so many delightful phrases that were direct translations of actual Chinese idioms, words and phrases. I would 'hear' the Chinese word after reading it in English which was very fun.
I did find that the pace was a bit slow and the very descriptive writing style, while beautiful, got a bit draggy for me at times and I would skim to skip over to a more exciting part. I also struggled to connect to some of the main characters who seemed to lack distinct personalities sometimes.
Wavering between a 3.5 and a 4. I really liked the author's other book, [b:Brimstone Bound|53713359|Brimstone Bound (Firebrand, #1)|Helen Harper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1590965006l/53713359._SY75_.jpg|84032072], so I decided to try her other books since I'm in the mood for some mindless romance. This was quite fun, a quick and lighthearted read. The main character, Ivy, is very smart but doesn't like to put a lot of effort into things because of finding most things under-stimulating or not challenging enough. She partners with someone very opposite from her, an uptight, serious and by-the-books type of guy (Winters), to solve a murder mystery.
I enjoyed the murder mystery and I liked the broader point about Ivy's 'laziness', as well as her somewhat biased view of the Order. I found the characters rather charming too.
I enjoyed the murder mystery and I liked the broader point about Ivy's 'laziness', as well as her somewhat biased view of the Order. I found the characters rather charming too.
Beautiful art, and I loved the story. The author weaves fairytales with past and present to tell a story about family, love and the power of stories and storytelling. My heart was really full when I finished this. What a great graphic novel.
I read books 1-3 fairly quickly and the entire series is, for me, a 3.5. I enjoyed them (I generally enjoy urban fantasy) and I particularly like the premise of this book. The main character is a reformed bad guy, motivated by her love for her adopted kid.
Over the three books, we learn a bit about her past, the different magical beings out there, her courtship with the daemon guy and magic. World building is a bit on the lite side but it's still enjoyable enough.
Didn't really give this series a higher rating because it lacks something that makes it really special to me. Part of it is that I feel like the story tells rather than shows - she's a bad witch, she's an evil person ... Without it being really shown. So.
First book is the strongest of the three. The case reminded me of something out of Hannibal. So creepy.
Over the three books, we learn a bit about her past, the different magical beings out there, her courtship with the daemon guy and magic. World building is a bit on the lite side but it's still enjoyable enough.
Didn't really give this series a higher rating because it lacks something that makes it really special to me. Part of it is that I feel like the story tells rather than shows - she's a bad witch, she's an evil person ... Without it being really shown. So.
First book is the strongest of the three. The case reminded me of something out of Hannibal. So creepy.
