Riri
Another great installment to the series.
Vol. 13 starts by wrapping up the incident in the previous book, delivering a conclusion to Julius and Barbara's story, before Mia returns to Tearmoon for summer break. This year, she brings some of the SEEC program children home to figure out why Patricia was sent to the future. That question remains unanswered for now though, as this book is still setting up the plot for the upcoming climax. There are new characters introduced, as well as a new conflict that will have to be settled in a horsemanship contest. Can't have a Tearmoon Empire book without horses, you know.
This volume is also hinting that Ruby's romance with Vanos might see some progress soon, as well as giving Keithwood a potential future partner. It's been a while since we saw Ruby after all. Keithwood's focus had always been on Sion, but Sion has resolved his own issues a few books ago so they finally have room to breathe now. Not gonna lie, I actually really enjoy seeing all the side characters finding their own romance. Especially since Mia and most of her friends have been nicely paired off with each other.
Oh, and while this is shown in a really subtle way… this book proves that Bel, after receiving a better life and education in the future, has also become more clever overall. She can read the room and think for herself much better than she used to. Even if she's still struggling with her academic grades, at least she no longer has to spend the whole summer at school due to bombing her exams. Baby steps, but it's still character growth.
My only complaint is that while the overall translation quality has improved from vol. 12, there are still a few mistakes and typos. They're not that bad, but it'd still make you wonder how they got past QC. Mistaking the word "wary" for "weary" should be something basic, and yet it happened twice in a single chapter. Hopefully this will be improved in the next book. As always, if you need proofreaders you can always hire me!
After the events in the previous book, vol. 12 marks the beginning of a new arc. Bel has returned, but this time with a mysterious girl who may or may not be Mia's grandmother, Patricia. Since last time Bel very clearly died in front of so many people, the day has finally come for Mia to tell her friends about Bel's identity and origins. This comes with a brand new theory by Ludwig about the different timelines, which also explains why a lot of the characters have been seeing dreams from the guillotine world.
The book's main focus lies on the new SEEC program, established by Mia to educate children who are vulnerable to the Chaos Serpents' influence. The main reason is because Patricia seems to have been indoctrinated by the serpents due to family circumstances, and despite supposedly being her granddaughter, Mia doesn't remember much about Patricia's house. Or maybe she just doesn't want to remember. There's a number of new characters introduced, and the now 16-year-old Mia spends a lot of time thinking about the best way to run the SEEC program smoothly.
Speaking of Mia, the important decisions she makes are gradually becoming less accidental and more intentional. She's still highly powered by sweets and her motivations are still mostly selfish, of course, this is Mia after all… but there's been less moments of people simply misunderstanding her intentions and more of her actually leaving things up for interpretation on purpose. I really like how her character growth is undeniable, and yet Mia is still Mia at the core.
This book ends in a cliffhanger though, so I waited until vol. 13 was out to pick it up. Since it's the start of a new arc, it spends a lot of time laying the foundations and setting things up. There's also a bonus short story about Mia's personal maid from the previous timeline, which gives some more depth to not only the maid but Mia as well. It made me realize once again that Mia might have made terrible choices in that timeline, but she's always been so much more than just a selfish princess. I love her, and I will never get tired of reading about her.
That being said, I have to take off one star because of the translation. So far the series has been brilliantly translated and edited, but what happened to the QC for this one? There are so many errors that shouldn't have passed the editing stage. For example:
⇢ When Patricia was bathing they mistranslated 白い肌 to "ebony skin" while it should've been pale or ivory.
⇢ "このクッキーを少し持って行っていただけるかしら？" was translated to "Do you mind if I share some of these with them?" Failing to grasp context. This was Mia asking Lynsha to go deliver the cookies, not asking for the permission to do so herself. Japanese is a very context-heavy language, so this sort of translation fail is fatal because it could change the meaning entirely.
⇢ "Mia’s expression made a three-sixty, becoming an ebullient grin." …Isn't it one-eighty? Three-sixty would be the exact same expression, no? The original only says Mia's expression turns into a radiant smile, so this part didn't even exist.
It didn't ruin my enjoyment or anything, but this sort of errors can be quite distracting. I hope it'll be better for the next book, since it was never an issue before this particular volume. If you need proofreaders, hire me.
How many women throughout history were blamed for the weaknesses of men? We made such convenient scapegoats. We were raised to be small, to be silent, to take whatever we were given and no more.
I did not love this and it makes me sad, since I loved all of Ann Liang's YA books. Maybe it would've been a more riveting tale if you've never heard of Xishi's tale before, but if you do, then you've pretty much already read this book. It's the exact same story as the legend, just with some romance thrown in and it's not even that good.
If you want a good romance, this is probably not for you. The instalove is strong, and I simply cannot understand why Ann Liang would make it like this when she's written much better romance before. Xishi and Fanli spent only ten weeks together for her training, most of which is done off-page by the way, and she proceeds to yearn for him for the rest of the book. The problem is that he leaves not even halfway through the story, so not only there's barely any development in their relationship, but we don't even see OR learn much about him. Fanli being hot is not enough reason for me to grow as attached to him as Xishi was, so their tragic love story didn't make me feel anything either.
As for Xishi herself, she has so many issues. Her perspective is just so... flat and detached from beginning to end. She also lacks the ability to think ahead, which makes her a terrible spy who managed to accomplish her mission simply because she's the main character. The portrayal of her life as a concubine and the way she seduced Fuchai is just impossible to believe. Both Xishi and Zhengdan don't act like how women were supposed to behave in ancient China either, but were never called out on it. There's just something that feels weirdly modern from the tone of this book, and the mismatch with the settings can be pretty distracting at times.
Not going to comment much on Fuchai. He may not be the best, but he deserves better. The moment of his downfall is probably the only time I felt some semblance of emotion in the entire book, and that was mostly pity.
There are so many plot points that either felt like they were just slapped on to drive the story along, or never went anywhere. Like Susu. Or Xishi's heart condition. Or how Fuchai's perceptive and cautious advisor was reduced to a simple bully before he got discarded. I understand there were limitations, seeing that the book is only 336 pages long, but it's still a shame.
Beautiful ending though. Love the tragedy.
Lighthearted and cozy. The magical element is pretty light, but the small seaside town vibes are immaculate. Finding out who you are and where you belong is a major theme in this book, and Kiki is a lovable character who grew a lot through the story.
The series has six books that follow Kiki into adulthood until she eventually gets married, so it's a shame only the first book got translated.
Nope.
Gothic romance? What gothic romance? This is supposed to be loosely based on Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, but it ends up being a mess that is neither gothic nor romantic. It reminds me a lot of Daughter of the Moon Goddess. The vibes are vibing but the bland, repetitive writing muted it, the main character is insufferable, and the pacing is awful. For like half of the book nothing is going on, then suddenly a whole chunk of worldbuilding comes out of nowhere and crammed into the last few chapters.
I never knew a story could suffer from too much worldbuilding, but now I do thanks to this book. Great concept, poor execution. It's so unfortunate because the cover is gorgeous, but the story inside just never really comes to life.
The prequel to the Six Crimson Cranes duology, telling the story of Channari's life before she moved to Kiata and became known as Raikama.
Never will I apologize for being the monster they made me.
I find this one a lot more engaging than The Dragon's Promise right from the start, mainly because Channari is such a strong and consistent character. She would do literally anything to protect the people she loves, and this personality trait stays exactly the same many years later. The difference is that in this book, she lives for her sister Vanna. It's an action-packed story about family, though it does have a little bit of romance which I honestly find unnecessary. A platonic friendship would've worked just as good, considering how fast it got dashed anyway. But Channi and Vanna's sisterhood? Channi's friendship with Ukar? Good stuff. 👌✨
What I did not like, though, is how Hokzuh's action was painted as a betrayal. He literally did not have control over himself. He didn't do what he did willingly. It's even made clear plenty of times what would happen if he lost his talisman, so it's not a betrayal no matter how you look at it and it bothers me a lot how the book and Channari insist that it is. If anyone or anything is to blame, then shouldn't it be the pearl instead of him? Speaking of which, it's also never explained how Vanna was born with the pearl either.
I was also under the idea that this book would show more of Channari's ties to Hanriyu, but it doesn't. This particular part was so rushed. Her reason for going to Kiata is crammed in at the last minute, and the selection where she chose him gets entirely skipped. I can't help but feel like some of the scenes in the middle, especially the parts where they hop from Shenlani to Yappang, could've been removed to give more spotlight on their friendship instead. Still, it's an easy book to read and it gives a lot more depth to Channari so it does make a nice addition to the series.
Nowhere near as compelling as Six Crimson Cranes, which is a pity considering I loved that one to bits. Don't let the title fool you, this isn't a Seryu-centric or even a dragon-centric book. It does have dragons and their underwater palace, but they pretty much exit the plot at the 30% mark. Once Shiori is back on land, it's goodbye to the dragons (for the most part) and instead we are given a completely different story.
Different, but familiar if you've read The Blood of Stars duology.
Demon business. Again.
This book reminds me a lot of Unravel the Dusk. Not only in terms of plot and progression, but also in the way Shiori behaves. Specifically, how she lies to the people she loves and shuts them out from the fear of endangering them. Including Kiki, even though Kiki has always been caring and loyal towards her. They've always been together even in the bleakest of times, but now suddenly Kiki's concern is branded as "prying"? Really? In the first book, Shiori was spoiled but endearing. In this one, she's downright frustrating to follow. She's so argumentative and barely listens to others, so I liked her better when she couldn't speak.
The structure also gets repetitive. Shiori gets in danger. Shiori is saved. Brief respite. Shiori gets in danger. Repeat ad infinitum. It makes it even more draining when she makes dumb decisions without consulting anyone, causes trouble, and then the plot lulls for a bit. I think it could've been more interesting if the plot in Ai'long is fleshed out more, with all its dragon politics and society, instead of mixing it with the whole demon ordeal and Raikama's past sandwiched in-between. It feels like several stories rolled into one, each of them deserving a better resolution than what the book is giving.
Despite its flaws, however, I still enjoyed this book mostly thanks to the characters. Takkan may have a less significant role to play this time around, but he still deserves the world (and much better treatment) for his patience and devotion to Shiori. It's also nice to see Gen in his younger days, to know a part of his life that he briefly mentioned in Unravel the Dusk. But in the end, it is Kiki who will always have a special place in my heart. The last scenes with her are so emotional, for me the whole duology is worth reading for her alone. Kiki best girl. I want my own Kiki.
Anyway, this brings a nice ending to Shiori's tale. Not the best, but good enough. It leaves me curious about Raikama's story since the book only dips into it a little bit, so I'm going to pick up the prequel too.
This is a retelling of The Wild Swans, taking place in the same world as The Blood of Stars duology. Shiori and her brothers were mentioned as a legend in Unravel the Dusk, so this is where we get to see her actual story. While I found the previous duology just okay for the most part, Six Crimson Cranes grabbed me by the neck right from the start. The world-building, the characters, the pacing are just so good.
Shiori, the main character, is the very picture of a spoiled, troublemaker princess at the beginning, but the writing is clearly aware of what she is and she has significant character growth throughout the book. Shiori is brave and quick to adapt to new situations. Even though she grew up pampered, she knows how to carry herself in order to survive. That's how you show strength, because being a strong main character doesn't mean you have to be a spitfire who's rude to everyone regardless of your station. I really wish more people would understand this.
Shiori's stepmother, Raikama, is another well-written character. While for a large part of the story Shiori is under the idea that Raikama is an evil monster, every now and then the characters around her (and later on, even Shiori herself) would question if their perception of her is right. It creates some really nice build-up leading to the climax, where the events at the start of the book take on a different meaning entirely. Some of the twists were predictable, and some I didn't see coming.
“I would wish your strand knotted to mine, always.”
Due to things I've heard from other reviews, I was actually expecting to be lukewarm towards the romance at best… but it was really cute? The relationship starts from solid friendship. All Takkan wanted was to know Shiori better but she never gave him a chance, until her predicament leads to them becoming friends. I really liked how she admits that she's been treating him terribly for years, a stark contrast to how stubborn she is in the early chapters.
It seems like Seryu is also a love interest for Shiori? At first I liked their dynamics, but it kind of fizzled out over time since he's absent for the majority of the book. I hope we get to see more of him in the sequel though, since she's going to the dragon palace with him.
Anyway, this has been such a delight to read. Shiori is an endearing lead who's really easy to root for, and by the end of the book I realized that I actually care for these characters. I want them to succeed in their quests and live happily for the rest of their days. Especially Kiki. Best girl.
This is a retelling of the Mid-Autumn Legend, the tale of Chang'e and Houyi.
At first glance, this book seems like everything I would love. The writing is beautiful and lyrical. The world is impeccably lush, it feels somewhat nostalgic to a Chinese person like me, the culture showing through every little thing mentioned subtly. The sceneries, places, clothing, accessories, and food are vividly described, providing very pleasant imageries to the mind. Most importantly, the cover is stunning and the reason why I picked this up to begin with.
Little did I know it'd be the only reason to go on.
The plot starts off with a bang. Right from the first chapter, Xingyin is forced to leave the tranquility of her home and lands in the middle of enemy territory… and that's where it lags endlessly. There isn't a clear direction beyond that point on how Xingyin would find her way home, except a very vague "I need to get better so I can return". What happens instead is Xingyin spends years becoming Prince Liwei's study partner, joins the army because she gets her heart broken, and it's only at the last 30% that she returns to the path of saving her mother.
If that was the only problem, it would've been so much easier to like this book. Sadly, it has a lot of other issues that makes it impossible. First off, Xingyin is a complete Mary Sue. Extremely prideful, brash, and arrogant with a single braincell about to flicker out. Most of the time her arrogance is baseless because she's just running her mouth without the skills to back it up, but she's such a Mary Sue she ends up impressing everyone anyway. Her personal growth is always either skipped or nonexistent. She's just so good at everything, impressing everyone and accomplishing impossible feats easily. She can fight completely fine even when gravely injured or poisoned. Gives off massive unlike-other-girls special snowflake vibes.
Next, the girl-on-girl hate is pretty strong. A lot of female characters hate Xingyin on sight, and she's not exactly nice to them either. Can we leave this kind of thing back in the 2010s PLEASE. It doesn't make the main character look any better.
The romance is terrible. There are time skips that leaves out crucial relationship development, both for Liwei and Wenzhi. Years pass by just like that, and they instantly jump from being good friends to love declarations. No build-up, no chemistry, nothing. It's a lot of telling instead of showing. Despite the beautiful writing, it really feels like beauty with barely any substance. It remains flat throughout and delivers no emotion during crucial scenes and even during the climax.
Memories of our time together flashed before my mind: our years of friendship, our few stolen days of love.
WHERE? You mean the years that got conveniently skipped?
After the Eastern Sea, Wenzhi and I went from one campaign to the next, at times not returning to the Celestial Kingdom for months at a stretch. We fought terrifying monsters, ravenous beasts, and—most recently—the fearsome spirits that plagued the eastern border, close to the forests of the Phoenix Kingdom.
Great. Even more time skip and telling instead of showing.
Xingyin is later tasked to retrieve pearls from the legendary Four Dragons, and being a Mary Sue, she accomplishes this seemingly daunting task in the span of ONE chapter. Two if you count the journey and not the actual battle. Maybe if the book gave more space for the battles instead of the romance and endless descriptions of clothes, this would've been a more engaging read.
Alas, not even delicious romantic angst and endless pining could save this story for me. At first I considered torturing myself further by reading the sequel for the pretty cover, but by the time I reached the end of this book, the willpower and masochism to do so had left me completely. Should just spend the time on better books.
I really wanted to love this so I'm sad. 😭😭😭
I feel like opinions on this book will greatly differ depending on what you're looking for. If you like political intrigue, riveting tales of overthrowing tyrants and plotting rebellions, and a stronger touch of romance blossoming in perilous situation, then you'll love this. If you're more into mystery, however, it might not satisfy you entirely because the book tries to cover so many things that the mystery ends up taking the backseat until the very end.
As far as the mystery goes, it was quite predictable and would've been even easier to solve if the book spends more time on it instead of steering the plot into several different directions at once. It starts off pretty strong by mentioning the series of murders, up to the point where a certain royal guard falls victim to it. The scene where Prince Daehyun finds the body is top tier thriller experience, and I was hoping the book would maintain the bone-chilling, harrowing tone… but it doesn't. Instead, it turns to highlight the rebellion instead, and admittedly I lost focus many times because of it. It's good in the sense that it offers the suffocating air of corruption and oppression, but the fact that the investigation is so blatantly pushed aside to make room for this bothered me quite a bit.
“Because rape is about power; it is never about desire or love.”
The romance is also notably more present than June Hur's previous works. Not saying that I didn't enjoy it though, because I did. Both Iseul and Daehyun have massive character growth throughout the book. Iseul starts off as pretty insufferable while Daehyun is used to being emotionally numb. While I do feel like they could've used more build-up to bond beyond having butterflies due to close proximity, they push each other to be better. There are plenty of important messages subtly woven in, and it feels good to see it as a contrast to how King Yeonsan and his officials treat women like dirt.
“Why is it so irrationally difficult for men to simply leave women alone?!”
Overall, it was a pretty engrossing read. It's always fun to see the author's notes too, to see which parts are facts are which ones are fiction. The writing is beautiful and atmospheric, it'll definitely draw you into 1506 Joseon with the tragedies and nightmares it has to offer. Plus points for the sisterhood and especially the beauty that is chapter 42. 🫠
Wow, I nearly read the whole book in one sitting.
This is everything I could ever wish for in a historical murder mystery. Set in 1758 Joseon, The Red Palace is atmospheric and suspenseful, packed with a good dose of action and intrigue. The stakes are high, because as it says on the cover: to enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood. Both the main character, Hyeon, and her love interest, Eojin, are smart, calm, and focused through the entire book, ensuring that the plot always moves smoothly. It also weaves in the story of Crown Prince Sado, and while he's not exactly the main focus of the story, the delicate balance between facts and fiction makes it a highly engaging page-turner.
I know I tend to be picky with romance, but there's absolutely nothing to complain about here. Hyeon and Eojin have a relationship based on trust and mutual respect, and it just feels so natural. It's so subtle and gentle, which is nice because it never takes the focus away from the main plot. The ending is perfection as well, as it not only solves the mystery, but also all the family issues and inner turmoil that Hyeon struggled with. Many of her issues resonate with me on a personal level, and I'm sure a lot of Asian kids would be able to relate too.
“We are women, and nothing short of death stops us from doing precisely what we wish to do. That is what the laws and restrictions binding our lives breed: determination and cunning.”
These are the words of Lady Hyegyeong, the wife of Crown Prince Sado, and she's absolutely right.
Still not Project Runway, but now it reminds me of Love / Shining Nikki instead. Literally battling in and with fancy dresses.
"If not for Lady Sarnai, I wouldn’t have had to make these damned dresses, the root of everything that had gone wrong."
Still true. The story has taken such a departure from the initial premise though, evolving into something else entirely. There isn't much tailoring or dressing up involved anymore, and the romance is also put on the back burner since Edan is away for the first half of the book. Instead, there's now a lot of politics, war, and demonic business going on. It's not bad. Not at all. It's just not what I expected.
Without Edan's presence to balance her out, Maia's tendency to make stupid decisions really comes out in full force. She's basically doomed and she knows that she badly needs help, but instead of seeking it, she constantly runs off to solve every single problem on her own, lies to everyone who cares about her, and leaves them to panic in isolation since she doesn't actually have any clue on how to fix all these issues. If anyone does catch up to her, she would go back immediately in the hope of finding a solution she doesn't have anyway… so what is even the point of leaving to begin with? This keeps happening repeatedly, and it gets old real fast.
Also, the ending. Not gonna spoil anything, but don't we all love some good ol' deus ex machina. Yay. I do like the conclusion to this story though. It's very wholesome, even if some things are resolved very conveniently.
Complaints aside, this was a quick and easy read. It's been four years since I read the first book, yet I was able to get back into the story immediately. Personally this book makes me less attached to Maia and Edan as a couple since I don't think they have much growth, individually or as a couple, but that's probably just me.
“Doing what is right, it is so utterly terrifying. And yet so freeing.”
Haunting and atmospheric, with a heavy emphasis on sisterhood and father-daughter relationship. Hwani and Maewol provide a clear example of how a father can leave such different impressions on different children, which goes with the underlying theme of how no one is 100% good or bad. There are also parallels seen in Gahee and Chaewon. Just like the sisters, they are daughters struggling with their fathers' love. Because at the end of it, this is what the story is about: how fathers would go to extreme lengths to protect their daughters.
While the story takes its time unfurling, this has been a delight to read. It has a good mix of investigation, exploration, and familial bond. Hwani and Maewol bicker a lot, which sometimes got them in trouble, but they really care about each other and grow much closer through the story. There's also no romance involved, and honestly it's a major plus point for me as it allows the focus to stay on family. The ending is a tad bittersweet, but gives a really nice closure and leaves on a hopeful note.
Having lost my own father a few months ago, I find this book strangely comforting. Will definitely pick up more of June Hur's books.
Historical murder mystery set in 1800 Joseon. It leans more towards police procedural with political intrigue going on in the background, but I enjoyed it a lot. Very atmospheric, can be quite dark at times, and a bit slow at the beginning but picks up about halfway through the book. It definitely has that unique beauty in subtlety that only Asian fiction or authors have, even during the most dramatic parts.
As far as main characters go, this is an excellent example that a strong female main character doesn't have to be literally physically strong with a strong (read: rude) attitude and without any flaws whatsoever. Seol's interactions with Inspector Han were so good even if in a not-exactly-wholesome way, and the nature of their relationship makes the ending terribly bittersweet.
Also, no romance here. Just family drama. A lot of it.
This is a bit difficult to rate. I love the idea, the settings, and the vibes, but good lord I couldn't stand Emily Wilde as a main character. She's refreshing, they say. Has fun banters with her love interest, they say. What they didn't say is that the main characters come off as rude and ignorant, the plot moves at a snail's pace, there's a lot of telling and not showing, and also this book feels very dull and overwritten.
Like what sort of person would have an extended stay in a foreign country and do ZERO research on the local customs because “no interest”? That's a part of her personality, yes. But for someone who's labelled as smart and capable for the entire freaking book, I would expect her to have some common sense. Or common courtesy.
It feels like reading a 500-page book.
It's only around 300 pages long.
For a good part of the book, the story drags on as Emily goes around to “research” and makes very little progress at a time. Then when it does pick up, the cozy vibes get thrown out the window completely and it becomes like... any other faerie book with its faerie politics and drama. As far as the romance goes, I feel like Emily and Wendell are better off as platonic friends and academic rivals than lovers. They do have chemistry. Just not romantically. It just didn't hit for me.
The two stars are for Shadow, who is a very good boy, but I can't bring myself to rate this any higher. If you love the book though, good for you! Wish I could do the same.
My personal favorite along with the first book.
Brilliantly written, with many nostalgic parallels between Hawthorn and September. As someone who didn't really like the third book, I think taking a momentary respite from Fairyland and September is a wise move. Following Hawthorn's adventures in the human world not only gave me time to recharge, but also brought back the magic and whimsical delight when he eventually found his way back to Fairyland. It revives so many memories of September's first visit.
Also, Combat Wombat. I want one for myself.
2.5⭐
Rounded up because we have a lot more Ell and Saturday, and the illustrations are lovely as always. I loved the first two Fairyland books, but this one has barely any plot for about half of the book and it's very heavy on lectures. We, along with September, get lectured on various things related to morals through the entire book. It feels very preachy. Makes this book quite exhausting to get through, not to mention it can be quite disruptive of the plot too even after it picks up.
Nice cliffhanger ending though. Hope the next installment is better cause I really want to finish this series after binging three books in a week.
