Kat @ Novels & Waffles
Written on Dec 23, 2018
2.5 Stars. I am suffering from a serious case of “right book, wrong reader” syndrome right now, because in all honesty, this book was good, but just not for me.
Think of The Balance of Heaven and Earth as CSI: Ancient China. Magistrates and constables replace private detectives and policemen; the result is something similar to the tried-and-true formula of your standard TV crime show. There’s a seemingly unsolvable murder mystery, a complex legal case, and lots of interoffice drama. Sounds pretty cool, right? The only problem? I’m not a huge fan of crime shows.
Sometimes reading outside your comfort zone allows you to find a surprising new favorite you otherwise wouldn't have. But I'm sad to report that this just wasn't one of those times.
A brief and non-exhaustive list of my random thoughts:
-The worldbuilding was intensely realistic and offered an immersive experience
-You could tell that the author did his research on the time period
-The writing style was distinct and well-developed
-Despite all of these positive things, I still didn't enjoy it that much. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
-I guess it's a mystery haha (yeah, that was a lame attempt at a pun).
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Read my full review on my blog.
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