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386 reviews
The Empress of Time by Kylie Lee Baker
the empress of time is definitely better than the previous book, at least for me. it's not that i dislike the keeper of night but this book has a higher stake and character development. it has become one of my favorite sequels, alongside crooked kingdom.
what i liked is baker's talent in weaving a story that felt so real it gutted my heart and blew my mind away. i didn't think that it would be so addicting but suddenly it was 4 am and i finished almost half the book in one seating. then there are the yōkai! it was fascinating to meet and learn about the ghosts/monsters in the japanese folklore. my fav is definitely the Ryūjin~
as for the characters, they owned my heart. ren, neven, and tsukuyomi could spend an entire chapter bantering all day and i'd read it with a happy and warm heart. i would give up my life for their happiness. they deserve the whole universe!!
as much as i treasured this book, i think the plot where they're looking for susanoo's sword is rather unnecessary and draggy. but the final battle made up for it! it was awesome to the point of i didn't know whether to fangirl or cower under all the powers.
the final chapter totally broke my heart because i wasn't ready to part with any of the characters and wished i could read the book all over again. it also wrenched some tears because the story wrapped up both painfully and beautifully. all i want right now is just to curl up on my bed and let this book haunt me for days ahead.
all in all, i want more people to read the empress of time. if you're craving a dark YA fantasy with a biracial heroine and unexpected twists rooted in the japanese folklore, go read this duology!
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
one of the best books i've read in 2023 so far!
the empress of time is definitely better than the previous book, at least for me. it's not that i dislike the keeper of night but this book has a higher stake and character development. it has become one of my favorite sequels, alongside crooked kingdom.
what i liked is baker's talent in weaving a story that felt so real it gutted my heart and blew my mind away. i didn't think that it would be so addicting but suddenly it was 4 am and i finished almost half the book in one seating. then there are the yōkai! it was fascinating to meet and learn about the ghosts/monsters in the japanese folklore. my fav is definitely the Ryūjin~
as for the characters, they owned my heart. ren, neven, and tsukuyomi could spend an entire chapter bantering all day and i'd read it with a happy and warm heart. i would give up my life for their happiness. they deserve the whole universe!!
as much as i treasured this book, i think the plot where they're looking for susanoo's sword is rather unnecessary and draggy. but the final battle made up for it! it was awesome to the point of i didn't know whether to fangirl or cower under all the powers.
the final chapter totally broke my heart because i wasn't ready to part with any of the characters and wished i could read the book all over again. it also wrenched some tears because the story wrapped up both painfully and beautifully. all i want right now is just to curl up on my bed and let this book haunt me for days ahead.
all in all, i want more people to read the empress of time. if you're craving a dark YA fantasy with a biracial heroine and unexpected twists rooted in the japanese folklore, go read this duology!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I didn’t remember most of what happened in the previous two books and decided to read the finale just because I have the physical copy.
This is a fun and quick end to a trilogy. Some scenes were a bit rushed, and I was surprised that there are quite many spicy scenes but I guess that’s now a trend. Still, this book should be labeled as an adult fantasy. I loved the moment Emilia came to her true self and gained access to her power, she was amazing! This book hinted at some plots that could be explored more in the future series, and personally, I want to know more about Envy and his past as well as Claudia and her decision on her memories.
Overall, if you’re a fan of the series, you will enjoy this one. But if you’re still contemplating whether to read it or not, I suggest diving into it with minimum expectations.
This is a fun and quick end to a trilogy. Some scenes were a bit rushed, and I was surprised that there are quite many spicy scenes but I guess that’s now a trend. Still, this book should be labeled as an adult fantasy. I loved the moment Emilia came to her true self and gained access to her power, she was amazing! This book hinted at some plots that could be explored more in the future series, and personally, I want to know more about Envy and his past as well as Claudia and her decision on her memories.
Overall, if you’re a fan of the series, you will enjoy this one. But if you’re still contemplating whether to read it or not, I suggest diving into it with minimum expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Blood and War
黄金台 Golden Stage by 苍梧宾白 (Cang Wu Bin Bai)
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
a short novel with only 79 main chapters, yet each one is filled with warm and funny exchanges between the YanFu couple, some sweet moments of revenge, and a sprinkle of plot twists.
this one helped heal my heart after Yu Wu by Meatbun, and i’m grateful for it. Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan’s interactions never failed to bring a smile to my face. they have a healthy relationship where they communicate and were still be powerful and normally function as an individual. aside from the happy sugary moments, like every danmei that i have read, Golden Stage also has its heartbreaking and mind-blowing moments. but any gloomy feelings you might have after finishing the main chapters, the extras will heal you.
i would recommend reading this book if you are down for a quick danmei read that is not too plot heavy but still enjoyable.
this one helped heal my heart after Yu Wu by Meatbun, and i’m grateful for it. Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan’s interactions never failed to bring a smile to my face. they have a healthy relationship where they communicate and were still be powerful and normally function as an individual. aside from the happy sugary moments, like every danmei that i have read, Golden Stage also has its heartbreaking and mind-blowing moments. but any gloomy feelings you might have after finishing the main chapters, the extras will heal you.
i would recommend reading this book if you are down for a quick danmei read that is not too plot heavy but still enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Suicide
Remnants of Filth: Yu Wu [余污] by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
i believe this book is built with tragedy as its foundation and angst as its pillar. sufferings rained down on me until i was suffocated with the pain.
this book really served the "your lover or your country" trope, if such trope ever existed. both mo xi and gu mang were awesome characters in their own way and when they were together, they accomplished much more. every time mo xi brandished tuntian or gu mang used dark magic, i couldn't help but get pumped up!
as for their relationship, it's kinda similar to erha in which the couple cannot lay their hearts out because of some secrets or their status. so if you expect a couple who communicates, i suggest you read golden stage/golden terrace.
what i really liked about this book is that i could barely guess what will happen next. it kept me guessing until seconds before the twists were unwound. oh, i also liked the ending and all the erha's easter eggs. unfortunately, how they resolved the final plot felt a bit off to me. i learned to expect the unexpected but not to that degree!
all in all, yu wu has become my favorite danmei, right after tgcf and mdzs.
this book really served the "your lover or your country" trope, if such trope ever existed. both mo xi and gu mang were awesome characters in their own way and when they were together, they accomplished much more. every time mo xi brandished tuntian or gu mang used dark magic, i couldn't help but get pumped up!
as for their relationship, it's kinda similar to erha in which the couple cannot lay their hearts out because of some secrets or their status. so if you expect a couple who communicates, i suggest you read golden stage/golden terrace.
what i really liked about this book is that i could barely guess what will happen next. it kept me guessing until seconds before the twists were unwound. oh, i also liked the ending and all the erha's easter eggs. unfortunately, how they resolved the final plot felt a bit off to me. i learned to expect the unexpected but not to that degree!
all in all, yu wu has become my favorite danmei, right after tgcf and mdzs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
南禅 [Nan Chan] by Tang Jiu Qing
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
I didn’t think I would love this book as much as I am now! LinJi deserve the whole world!!
At the beginning, both the pace and plot were slow. Nothing exciting happened until chapter 20-ish or so. Once I grasped the world-building and had rough ideas on the characters, the story went smoothly for me.
There were heartbreaking moments, especially that scene of character A asked character B to take him home. My heart could not handle it!!!
Overall, Nan Chan was a story that took me on a ride filled with curiosity to know what the next chapter has in store, a great amount of tears, and end it with a satisfying closure.
At the beginning, both the pace and plot were slow. Nothing exciting happened until chapter 20-ish or so. Once I grasped the world-building and had rough ideas on the characters, the story went smoothly for me.
There were heartbreaking moments, especially that scene of character A asked character B to take him home. My heart could not handle it!!!
Overall, Nan Chan was a story that took me on a ride filled with curiosity to know what the next chapter has in store, a great amount of tears, and end it with a satisfying closure.
The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
I am disappointed..
Six Crimson Cranes was one of my favorite books so I dived into the sequel with high expectations. Unfortunately, The Dragon’s Promise failed to fulfill them. For most of the times, the plot feel dragged and my love for the characters were not enough to keep my attention engaged. Still, I love them and enjoyed the part where Shiori visited Seryu’s home.
Six Crimson Cranes was one of my favorite books so I dived into the sequel with high expectations. Unfortunately, The Dragon’s Promise failed to fulfill them. For most of the times, the plot feel dragged and my love for the characters were not enough to keep my attention engaged. Still, I love them and enjoyed the part where Shiori visited Seryu’s home.
Great Journey of Teenagers by 周木楠 Zhou Mu Nan
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Found this novel through the donghua and fallen in love with the characters. Started reading the novel before I watched the live action version. Although it felt dragged and all over the place at the beginning, once I know each character by heart and grasped the world-building, the story entranced me.
If you love wuxia, found family, and a story that is both filled with humor and twists, I recommend reading SNGX
If you love wuxia, found family, and a story that is both filled with humor and twists, I recommend reading SNGX
With Fire In Their Blood by Kat Delacorte
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I dived in with expectations, and although not all of them were met, With Fire in Their Blood caught my attention until its last page with mystery and war surrounding Castello.
One thing that instantly attracted me to this book is the setting. I will spend five months in Italy, so I thought, why not pick up this book and learn more about Castello? What began as a coincidence turned out to be an enjoyable read. It tells Lilly's story of moving to Castello after her mom died of suicide. As an engineer, her father got himself a job to modernize the city. However, instead of a new beginning, she is trapped in lies and a war going on for centuries.
The story has medium pacing. Although the building was relatively slow, it managed to pique my interest and made me keep reading. IMO, this is a plot-driven tale rather than a character-driven one. I could say that because there was never truly a moment where the character was stripped off their armor and grew. As I see it, Lilly was too busy being attracted to too many characters, so I could not see her character being well-developed.
When I reached the book's middle part, I thought things would start to pick up faster. Because it has medium pacing, I could not bring myself to binge this book in one sitting. But once only 5-10 chapters were left, I started to enjoy it again. Things were slowly but surely being revealed, and at the end of the day, it did not go in the direction I expected, which is delightful!
Overall, With Fire in Their Blood was an enjoyable pace that revolved around power, desire, and Castello itself. The ending was satisfying, leaving much room for the sequel to develop. If you enjoy stories that are set in a mysterious city with characters that have their agendas, you should add this book to your TBR!
One thing that instantly attracted me to this book is the setting. I will spend five months in Italy, so I thought, why not pick up this book and learn more about Castello? What began as a coincidence turned out to be an enjoyable read. It tells Lilly's story of moving to Castello after her mom died of suicide. As an engineer, her father got himself a job to modernize the city. However, instead of a new beginning, she is trapped in lies and a war going on for centuries.
The story has medium pacing. Although the building was relatively slow, it managed to pique my interest and made me keep reading. IMO, this is a plot-driven tale rather than a character-driven one. I could say that because there was never truly a moment where the character was stripped off their armor and grew. As I see it, Lilly was too busy being attracted to too many characters, so I could not see her character being well-developed.
When I reached the book's middle part, I thought things would start to pick up faster. Because it has medium pacing, I could not bring myself to binge this book in one sitting. But once only 5-10 chapters were left, I started to enjoy it again. Things were slowly but surely being revealed, and at the end of the day, it did not go in the direction I expected, which is delightful!
Overall, With Fire in Their Blood was an enjoyable pace that revolved around power, desire, and Castello itself. The ending was satisfying, leaving much room for the sequel to develop. If you enjoy stories that are set in a mysterious city with characters that have their agendas, you should add this book to your TBR!
Thousand Autumns [千秋] by 梦溪石
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
QQ is one of the best danmeis I have ever read!
I have not read many danmeis but I dare to say QQ undoubtedly sits on the top three, right after TGCF-MDZS and Erha. Shen Qiao’s journey—allow me to put it simply—from hero to zero-to-hero, and through it, he remained steadfast in his belief and undeterred in his kindness, was one of the main reasons why this story is so dear to me. It was rare to find someone like him in fiction books, rarer still to have a Shen Qiao in this world. If every one of us could be the tiniest bit of Shen-zhangjiao, this world would be a stranger to hatred and suffering.
On the other hand, I envy Yan Wushi. A gambler at heart, he lived freely and did not give a single glance at others’ opinions. Those were the things I would like to accomplish in life. But I think Yan-zongzhu would sneer at me for having such thoughts!
YWS: This Venerable One’s way of life is not something that can be copied by ants.
Me: Forgive this poor one for overstepping.
Ehem, back to the review. My heart could not take it and just burst when Yan Wushi confessed to his A-Qiao; not to mention his acts of love over and over again to the latter, I SHIPPED THEM SO HARD! Although I can see how hard Shen Qiao had to endure all the teasings and advances from Yan Wushi, I still enjoyed every scene of them together!
I could barely say goodbye to the characters. Especially, when the ending was THAT nerve-racking and abrupt. However, that’s why the extras exist, to cure the readers’ hearts with all the sweetest scenes~ Reading the extras made me love SQxYWS even more! I would also like to know Bian Yanmei’s story; a disciple of the Huanyue sect, navigating the court full of treachery and schemes. Also, Bai Rong, my girl, you did it! Proud of you!! Now, step on me, please.
As a danmei novel, QQ also has its moments where the characters were at their lowest, and I just could not help but want to protect them from all the injustices and harshness of the world. It also has Yan Wushi; he is a warning enough so tread carefully if you’re picking up this book. Another side note, the romance is a very slow burn. This book is heavy on its political and philosophical aspects. But if you are someone who does not mind those, worry not, you are going to enjoy the ride.
I want to close this review with a quote from Shen Qiao, as a reminder to myself:
I have not read many danmeis but I dare to say QQ undoubtedly sits on the top three, right after TGCF-MDZS and Erha. Shen Qiao’s journey—allow me to put it simply—from hero to zero-to-hero, and through it, he remained steadfast in his belief and undeterred in his kindness, was one of the main reasons why this story is so dear to me. It was rare to find someone like him in fiction books, rarer still to have a Shen Qiao in this world. If every one of us could be the tiniest bit of Shen-zhangjiao, this world would be a stranger to hatred and suffering.
On the other hand, I envy Yan Wushi. A gambler at heart, he lived freely and did not give a single glance at others’ opinions. Those were the things I would like to accomplish in life. But I think Yan-zongzhu would sneer at me for having such thoughts!
YWS: This Venerable One’s way of life is not something that can be copied by ants.
Me: Forgive this poor one for overstepping.
Ehem, back to the review. My heart could not take it and just burst when Yan Wushi confessed to his A-Qiao; not to mention his acts of love over and over again to the latter, I SHIPPED THEM SO HARD! Although I can see how hard Shen Qiao had to endure all the teasings and advances from Yan Wushi, I still enjoyed every scene of them together!
I could barely say goodbye to the characters. Especially, when the ending was THAT nerve-racking and abrupt. However, that’s why the extras exist, to cure the readers’ hearts with all the sweetest scenes~ Reading the extras made me love SQxYWS even more! I would also like to know Bian Yanmei’s story; a disciple of the Huanyue sect, navigating the court full of treachery and schemes. Also, Bai Rong, my girl, you did it! Proud of you!! Now, step on me, please.
As a danmei novel, QQ also has its moments where the characters were at their lowest, and I just could not help but want to protect them from all the injustices and harshness of the world. It also has Yan Wushi; he is a warning enough so tread carefully if you’re picking up this book. Another side note, the romance is a very slow burn. This book is heavy on its political and philosophical aspects. But if you are someone who does not mind those, worry not, you are going to enjoy the ride.
I want to close this review with a quote from Shen Qiao, as a reminder to myself:
“It was true that there was a lot of malice in the world, but he didn’t want to deny the existence of goodwill and kindness just because of the malice.”
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I kept putting off Our Violent Ends because I knew it would break my heart. And here I am, writing this review with a hole in my chest.
It started with a bang, followed by heart-pounding and heart-wrenching scenes that felt like Chloe Gong herself twisted a knife deep into my soul. After the events of These Violent Delights, I had to witness Juliette and Roma hurt each other while Benedikt slowly lost himself. Not to mention THAT scene with Rosalind, and THAT scene with Tyler, and do not get me started on THAT ending... To put it simply, it was torture.
However, it was a torture that I welcomed and would willingly experience all over again if I had been given the time to reread the book. Yes, Our Violent Ends was so good that it had kept me up long past midnight.
Let me write this whole paragraph for the characters because my heart bleeds for them. I would give them my life to see them get a day without hate being the cause of their misery. Sure, I cared a lot about Juliette and Roma, but my heart has also cried for Benedikt and Marshall. To see Benedikt fall apart while Marshall watched him from afar: utter and absolute pain. Also, Katherine—or Celia—and Rosalind, both sisters, deserved all the happiness this universe could offer.
Oh, and the epilogue. I thought reading the epilogue would give me a sense of comfort, but I should have known better. But however much it hurt me, the epilogue also gave me hope, excitement, and apprehension for what's to come in Foul Lady Fortune.
On a side note, it was heartbreaking to know that some events in this story are based on what has happened in the past. In the chapter where the massacre happened, I was terrified and saddened by the fact that civilians will always be victims in the power struggle.
If you have read the first book but haven't picked up Our Violent Ends yet, you have nothing to worry about except your heart. The sequel is so much better than These Violent Delights in every aspect. Thus, you could expect a gripping plot wrapped in spine-chilling action scenes with a star-crossed lovers' story at its heart.