I have mixed emotions about this one, but I did enjoy reading it overall!

I have three major grievances with this book but only two I can talk about without spoiling the entire thing 😅

First things first: The world-building in this book is clearly inspired by a mix of East Asian cultures. I say a mix because I do think they get a bit muddled together. Korea, Japan and China seem to be the major influences - countries whose cultures share similarities in some ways, but are nonetheless very distinct from one another. I think the book makes the mistake of turning these cultures into an amalgamation, and I would completely understand if readers found this to be a deal-breaker.

My other major grievance with this book is that it has a tendency to over-explain itself. It’s court intrigue, so the characters’ words and actions are always layered in their meaning. I found that the book constantly followed a pattern of Dialogue -> What we can glean from this line. A character says something, and our POV character will immediately explain why that was disrespectful, or what it was supposed to imply. It made it easy to follow yes, but I do think we could’ve done with certain interactions just left on their own.

BUT!! There were still aspects of this book that I found enjoyable. I think its greatest strength is the character of Yala. All the good things obviously - she’s quick witted and capable, but I think what really makes her shine is her sense of duty. Her upbringing and backstory only add to this particular trait of hers and it made it incredibly easy to root for her.

I also think the characterizations were incredibly distinct, and really highlighted the different ways of thinking within each POV. Yala, for example, is pragmatic and observant, but has a tendency of referring back to old writings and poetry - the mark of a learned noblewoman such as herself. General Kai thinks like he is constantly trying to solve a problem, because even within the palace, he can’t quite turn off the war strategist in him. Delicious characterization!!

Overall I do think it’s an enjoyable book, just not without its flaws 🙂‍↕️☝️