Reviews

Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee

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pyai's review against another edition

5.0

Rich and immersive, this book kept me on my toes and excited about what happened next. I enjoyed the main character, Sunny, quite a lot, although the scowling and crankiness felt forced at some points. Ethan is a delight for most of the book and their sexual tension was good. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator(s) were fantastic at pronunciation and character voices. Most importantly, I have really been craving stories based on non-Western fantasy and this delivers. I learned a lot and cannot wait for the next installment.

That said, there seemed to be tangents set up to explain the setting of the next book in the series, with time spent on side characters we only interacted with once who didn't really progress the story. Clearly the second book is going to be about

Spoiler

the Kingdom of Sky, these side characters, and especially her training and Trial. It was as if someone suggested to the author that they add in those chapters to either hook readers into the next one / set the scene for it. Which is fine, it was just a different vibe than the rest of the book.

Anyways, yes, read this book. Read if you like fantasy and main characters with gumption. Sunny has a lovely arc of self-acceptance which is likely a metaphor for the immigrant experience, but it's not heavy-handed at all. Def recomment.

kmkrueger's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

kate401's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No

2.0

abookishpenguin's review against another edition

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3.5

Sunny is a fox spirit. She has hidden from the world of gods for the better part of a century, leading a quiet, boring life. When Ethan, a face from her past, turns up unexpectedly seeking help to get justice for his brother's murder, flying under the radar become more difficult. An ancient evil is stirring, and Sunny soon discovers destiny can't always be outrun.

Maybe I have just read too many books recently with the whole I-can't-love-tgem-because-it-will-endanger-them-so-I'll-lie-and-hurt-then-instead-of-talk-about-it, but I'm starting to find it a bit annoying. Towards the end of this book, I found Sunny selfish and self-serving, looking for an excuse to end things with Ethan and become a martyr. I felt like this undermined their past and their whole relationship throughout the book, and if they'd just talked it out the ending would have been so much better.
That aside, I really liked Sunny. She was bold and sassy and a really interesting main character with a deep back story that was explored during flashbacks every now and again. I liked Ethan's character growth and his protectiveness of Sunny; he was just a good guy.
The book was heavily influenced by Korean mythology, and the descriptions of Korea when they arrived were beautiful. I felt that the author really knew the source material and brought it into a modern setting well.