If anyone is interested in novels placed in feudal japan, I reeeeeeally recommend the "Tales of the Otori" bookseries, by Lian Hearn. I was so obsessed with these books in my early 20s and honestly I still am. The maincharacter is a boy, but if anybody doesn't fucking care which gender (or sexuality) the character has and loves rich world building and the curse-trope, than this is your bookseries. EDIT: It's a fictional/imagined feudal japan, but believe me ... it doesn't feel like it. The author did a very good job on the research!
I clearly NEED this because Flame in the Mist was a fail on that aspect, and then I tried Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff and it was just as, if not more so inaccurate to a ridiculous level, even taking the steampunk aspects into account. I'm adding Tales of the Otori to my tbr!
I also feel like this could have been like a regular historical fiction without the magic aspect, but I was expecting it because of the kind of stories that Renee likes to write. I also hate when the main character is described as being so strong/smart/powerful and then they can't do anything. I think that Mariko is mostly book smart she doesn't have any experience putting anything to practice.
I would have loved for it to be a fantasy novel, but it would have needed more....idk, just more lol. I felt like the magic system/fantasy aspects needed to be more to the forefront. Exactly! Mariko is all book smarts and no street smarts/common sense.
I know, it's like contemporary novels that are very ambiguous like "the accident season" or "we where liars". You are either a fantasy novel or you are not. It's so confusing when you don't know where the magic is coming from and how to use it. Hopefully all we will know more in the next book.
Am I the only one who feels like when they do that, it's leaving room for them to wrap up the plot with some crazy shit in case they couldn't think of anything else??
I really liked the book, but I agree that there wasn't as much magic as I'm used to seeing in fantasy. It felt a bit more like magical realism to me. I talked about it a bit in my "spotlight" video. And yes! I would have liked to see more of Mariko's intelligence too! :)
I agree the fantasy was pretty subtle. Almost like magical realism. LOVED the historical elements!!! So awesome that you love anime. I read my first anime earlier this year! Loved it!
I was so confused by this book, because there were parts that I loved, but then there were parts that were really boring. Mariko really wasn't my favorite character, I completely agree with you on the 'tell but don't show' aspect.
Soooo much of the book was boring to me that it completely overshadowed everything else. I still struggle with the fact that the author of the Wrath and the Dawn wrote this. I'm never going to let this go, lol
First I got to say you are flying through these book you made me add Lois Lane and Strange the Dreamer to my tbr I want to read those immediately. Second sorry this book was so disappointed I know it was one of your most anticipated reads. Still great video though!!
Oh good, I'm glad you're going to read them! I hadn't watched one single review first, so I didn't know so many people felt that way about it. Kinda sucks because I love her other books so so much
Great review! The Wrath and the Dawn and I did not get along, but I was curious about this book because of the setting (Yay feudal Japan and Inuyasha!!!) but it sounds like the things I didn't like about her other book are here too. So disappointing! :(
It's literally almost like someone took all the In-Betweens from the Wrath and the Dawn and made a separate book out of it. I was so bored, and then disappointed that I was bored! Especially because I was so excited for the Feudal Japan aspect!!
INUYASHA!! LOL I knew you were awesome, but liking anime makes you even more cool! I really want to read this book, and still intend to, but a lot of people have similar opinions about this book. Makes me worried, but at least I know what I'm getting into before I dive into the book :) Great review!
Thank you! And yes, lol Inuyasha is one of my first Fandoms haha. I have all the episodes and a couple of the movies two. I wish I hadn't hyped the book up so much in my head, maybe it wouldn't have been so disappointing >_
I feel so conflicted about this book because on one hand, I loved a lot of parts, but on the other, it could be very slow. I feel like it suffered from the world building. I appreciated it, but it felt info-dumpy at the same time. I feel like the sequel is going to be better, though. It's kind of like this book only exists to set up the next one, if that makes sense?
Yeah, it does feel very "filler", like it's just a reeeeeally long prologue. I definitely won't be pre-ordering the sequel though, I'll be waiting to see what everybody else thinks first.
Just recently read this book and had to find reviews bc I felt so disappointed. Yes I had high expectations after reading her other duology The Wrath and the Dawn and I feel that your review and a couple others hit the nail on the head with how the went :/ (if Mariko's so smart then just do smart shit already?????) I do want to add that I thought about Mariko's character for some time and I think the author tried creating someone intellectual and introverted. I dont think thats a strength of the author. Shazi in TWTD was a great character with their own flaws: telling stories to survive, outspoken, sassy, very visible, etc. I was excited for a more calm and cunning character bc I relate to that personality more IRL but honestly Mariko's character just felt...off and out of place. Fiction not meant to be too realistic but women during those times went through tough shit, its gonna take way more than just sexual empowerment and white lies to survive. Anyway, I'm not going to finish the series. Im going to watch reviews of the sequal. Im done ranting lol
is THAT how you say that woman's name??? man, I've been super struggling with that..... the magic system (or lack thereof) super pissed me off, like explain it! even a little!!! ugh. the plot was soooo basic, nothing happened, nothing frickin happened. the characters were nothing, the story was nothing, the magic was nothing, this book was nothing. okay, sorry. rant over. but seriously, what? what was this?? so glad you didn't like it either, cuz it reeeeeally makes me hopeful for Wrath (I wouldn't be willing to pick that up if it wasn't for you loving it - no pressure hehe)
Idk, that's just how I've been saying it and nobody has corrected me so far, lmao. Ugh, the magic system. If the book wasn't so pretty, I would have thrown it! It was all over the place! It was like this sprawling rambling fanfiction that I read, that literally took the characters and wrote about them in high school and college. Nothing crazy, nothing too wild, just their regular experiences. for 115 chapters! I just. UGH! I would be less pissed if the only reason I didn't like it because one of the characters was problematic or something, because at least that meant the rest of the story would have been intriguing. I can see this discussion video getting loooooooooong lol
OffBeat Book Digest I relate sm. I film a video and realize in editing that something is off or I film and I have to keep redoing it because something is the background noise aka my cat.
If anyone is interested in novels placed in feudal japan, I reeeeeeally recommend the "Tales of the Otori" bookseries, by Lian Hearn. I was so obsessed with these books in my early 20s and honestly I still am. The maincharacter is a boy, but if anybody doesn't fucking care which gender (or sexuality) the character has and loves rich world building and the curse-trope, than this is your bookseries.
EDIT: It's a fictional/imagined feudal japan, but believe me ... it doesn't feel like it. The author did a very good job on the research!
I clearly NEED this because Flame in the Mist was a fail on that aspect, and then I tried Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff and it was just as, if not more so inaccurate to a ridiculous level, even taking the steampunk aspects into account. I'm adding Tales of the Otori to my tbr!
I also feel like this could have been like a regular historical fiction without the magic aspect, but I was expecting it because of the kind of stories that Renee likes to write. I also hate when the main character is described as being so strong/smart/powerful and then they can't do anything. I think that Mariko is mostly book smart she doesn't have any experience putting anything to practice.
I would have loved for it to be a fantasy novel, but it would have needed more....idk, just more lol. I felt like the magic system/fantasy aspects needed to be more to the forefront. Exactly! Mariko is all book smarts and no street smarts/common sense.
I know, it's like contemporary novels that are very ambiguous like "the accident season" or "we where liars". You are either a fantasy novel or you are not. It's so confusing when you don't know where the magic is coming from and how to use it. Hopefully all we will know more in the next book.
Am I the only one who feels like when they do that, it's leaving room for them to wrap up the plot with some crazy shit in case they couldn't think of anything else??
I really liked the book, but I agree that there wasn't as much magic as I'm used to seeing in fantasy. It felt a bit more like magical realism to me. I talked about it a bit in my "spotlight" video. And yes! I would have liked to see more of Mariko's intelligence too! :)
I agree the fantasy was pretty subtle. Almost like magical realism. LOVED the historical elements!!! So awesome that you love anime. I read my first anime earlier this year! Loved it!
Anime is a slippery slope! It's like reading, there are soooooooo many sub genres and types, you can just jump in and get lost!
I was so confused by this book, because there were parts that I loved, but then there were parts that were really boring. Mariko really wasn't my favorite character, I completely agree with you on the 'tell but don't show' aspect.
Soooo much of the book was boring to me that it completely overshadowed everything else. I still struggle with the fact that the author of the Wrath and the Dawn wrote this. I'm never going to let this go, lol
yah, I finished it yesterday. What a perfect timing.
First I got to say you are flying through these book you made me add Lois Lane and Strange the Dreamer to my tbr I want to read those immediately. Second sorry this book was so disappointed I know it was one of your most anticipated reads. Still great video though!!
Oh good, I'm glad you're going to read them! I hadn't watched one single review first, so I didn't know so many people felt that way about it. Kinda sucks because I love her other books so so much
Great review! The Wrath and the Dawn and I did not get along, but I was curious about this book because of the setting (Yay feudal Japan and Inuyasha!!!) but it sounds like the things I didn't like about her other book are here too. So disappointing! :(
It's literally almost like someone took all the In-Betweens from the Wrath and the Dawn and made a separate book out of it. I was so bored, and then disappointed that I was bored! Especially because I was so excited for the Feudal Japan aspect!!
INUYASHA!! LOL I knew you were awesome, but liking anime makes you even more cool! I really want to read this book, and still intend to, but a lot of people have similar opinions about this book. Makes me worried, but at least I know what I'm getting into before I dive into the book :) Great review!
Thank you! And yes, lol Inuyasha is one of my first Fandoms haha. I have all the episodes and a couple of the movies two. I wish I hadn't hyped the book up so much in my head, maybe it wouldn't have been so disappointing >_
I was originally pulled in by this cover , but after looking deeper into the book , I opted to pass..I think I'll be okay with not reading this one.
Yeah, you're not missing much, unfortunately
I feel so conflicted about this book because on one hand, I loved a lot of parts, but on the other, it could be very slow. I feel like it suffered from the world building. I appreciated it, but it felt info-dumpy at the same time. I feel like the sequel is going to be better, though. It's kind of like this book only exists to set up the next one, if that makes sense?
Yeah, it does feel very "filler", like it's just a reeeeeally long prologue. I definitely won't be pre-ordering the sequel though, I'll be waiting to see what everybody else thinks first.
Wow your tattoo is so beautiful. Prettiest one I’ve ever seen. Thanks for the review, I won’t be reading this one.
Just recently read this book and had to find reviews bc I felt so disappointed. Yes I had high expectations after reading her other duology The Wrath and the Dawn and I feel that your review and a couple others hit the nail on the head with how the went :/ (if Mariko's so smart then just do smart shit already?????)
I do want to add that I thought about Mariko's character for some time and I think the author tried creating someone intellectual and introverted. I dont think thats a strength of the author. Shazi in TWTD was a great character with their own flaws: telling stories to survive, outspoken, sassy, very visible, etc.
I was excited for a more calm and cunning character bc I relate to that personality more IRL but honestly Mariko's character just felt...off and out of place. Fiction not meant to be too realistic but women during those times went through tough shit, its gonna take way more than just sexual empowerment and white lies to survive. Anyway, I'm not going to finish the series. Im going to watch reviews of the sequal. Im done ranting lol
is THAT how you say that woman's name??? man, I've been super struggling with that.....
the magic system (or lack thereof) super pissed me off, like explain it! even a little!!! ugh.
the plot was soooo basic, nothing happened, nothing frickin happened. the characters were nothing, the story was nothing, the magic was nothing, this book was nothing. okay, sorry. rant over. but seriously, what? what was this?? so glad you didn't like it either, cuz it reeeeeally makes me hopeful for Wrath (I wouldn't be willing to pick that up if it wasn't for you loving it - no pressure hehe)
Idk, that's just how I've been saying it and nobody has corrected me so far, lmao. Ugh, the magic system. If the book wasn't so pretty, I would have thrown it! It was all over the place! It was like this sprawling rambling fanfiction that I read, that literally took the characters and wrote about them in high school and college. Nothing crazy, nothing too wild, just their regular experiences. for 115 chapters! I just. UGH! I would be less pissed if the only reason I didn't like it because one of the characters was problematic or something, because at least that meant the rest of the story would have been intriguing. I can see this discussion video getting loooooooooong lol
hahaha, just grab a cuppa and settle in, Lauren's got some gripes :)
Bahahaha, right! I love it
Haha. The struggles of filming.
It's such a pain when I don't realize something is messed up until the end lol
OffBeat Book Digest I relate sm. I film a video and realize in editing that something is off or I film and I have to keep redoing it because something is the background noise aka my cat.
Omg, in so many of my videos, my dog is super loud with these heavy sighs like I'm bugging him lmao
OffBeat Book Digest same here. In my last video I had to keep stopping because my dog was behind me sleeping.... VERY LOUDLY