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What Members Thought
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I finished the entire thing in one sitting. The court drama is engrossing, and I enjoy the main character Maia a heck of a lot. And all the feminism!! Definitely recommend to everyone, particularly if you like fantasy or can deal with a large cast of characters with strange names.
04/27/16 update: I'd been wanting to reread this book for a while because I've kept thinking about it. I still finished the reread within a day because it's so engrossing! It's a wonderful royal court ...more
04/27/16 update: I'd been wanting to reread this book for a while because I've kept thinking about it. I still finished the reread within a day because it's so engrossing! It's a wonderful royal court ...more
I loved this book. What a charming fantasy, full of court intrigue and excellent (if complicated) world-building. And, as others have noted, a main character of such kindness and sympathy and strength it is impossible not to love and cheer for him. I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish the story. 10/10, will read again.
ETA: And indeed, I read it again two years later as a comfort read during a difficult month.
ETA: And indeed, I read it again two years later as a comfort read during a difficult month.
It is extremely refreshing to find a book about political intrigue where the protagonist succeeds by simply being nice to people and keeping a open mind.
I found this to be an engaging and somewhat addictive read. The plot, characters, and world building aren't particularly new or original but they're done very well. The world makes sense and feels lived in, the characters are interesting and sympathetic, and the plot is simple and straightforward without being boring. I couldn't put it down.
My ...more
I found this to be an engaging and somewhat addictive read. The plot, characters, and world building aren't particularly new or original but they're done very well. The world makes sense and feels lived in, the characters are interesting and sympathetic, and the plot is simple and straightforward without being boring. I couldn't put it down.
My ...more
I really enjoyed this book. I thought at first that all the names and new labels for everything would confuse me, but the book was so evocative and consistent that I rarely had trouble. I loved getting to know characters in the weird way that Maia did--a task made more difficult by being emperor. I am a sucker for stories where lonely people find their people.
This was a cozy, immersive fantasy novel chock-full of intrigue but with a hero at the heart that was unabashedly good, and while I normally prefer my heroes flawed as hell but I just genuinely liked Maia. I'm also a sucker for character-driven novels, so there you go. Is this a thrilling book, full of twists and turns? And yet I found myself resenting the train for being on time so that I had to put this book away. Highly recommend.
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Jun 24, 2014
Emily
marked it as to-read
Sep 12, 2014
Mai
is currently reading it
Jul 08, 2016
Megan Harms
marked it as to-read
Dec 02, 2016
Rebecca B
marked it as to-read
Jul 16, 2018
Kathleen Cooper
marked it as to-read
