writehollydavis
Written on Dec 17, 2021
Uncover a riveting story of palace intrigue set in a sumptuous Asian-inspired fantasy world in the breakout YA novel that Publisher's Weekly calls "elegant and adrenaline-soaked."In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it's Lei they're after -- the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king's interest.
Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable: she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.
- ISBN13 9780316561358
- Publish Date 8 October 2019 (first published 6 November 2018)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Little, Brown & Company
- Imprint Little, Brown Young Readers
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 416
- Language English
Reviews
alindstadtcorbeax
Written on Sep 11, 2020
Honestly, I really, really, just absolutely, enjoyed this SOMUCH.
So excited — onto book 2, now!
RTC
Emma (SCR)
Written on Aug 31, 2019
While the cover may be pretty the story is anything but. I warn you now that the way women are treated in this book is vile. The women are treated as less than human and are essentially told to be grateful. I know that this has put a lot of people off so I am putting that warning out there. The darker parts of this book are not explicitly described but the aftermath/fall out of these are. For me I could see past this to what the book was trying to tell us. Our main character Lei isn't about to lay down and take this, quite literally. What Lei tries to tell us is that we all deserve the freedom to make our own choices in life. I really like Lei she is very inspiring.
This book has a lot of world-building and you need to concentrate at the beginning to work out who is who but it's easily picked up.
The story has a slow beginning but is soon full of action. There are many parts of this book that are difficult to read but the message is so powerful. I was on edge and holding my breath so many times throughout this book.
After that ending, I CANNOT wait for the second book which I hope arrives with me soon. I NEED to know what happens next (yes the caps are necessary)
bgsbooks18
Written on Jul 17, 2019
Review to come.
Ashley
Written on Jul 1, 2019
maggiefan
Written on Jun 6, 2019
I liked the characters, the plot wasn't bad. AND THE ENDING WAS FANTASTIC!
But I wasn't super into this exact fantasy world. I guess, it's not the author's fault. I'm just almost never interested in courtesans and animal magic.
I'm excited to read the sequel!
Renee
Written on Mar 27, 2019
Rating 2019: 4 stars
I heard a lot of hype around this book, but I had avoided what it was actually about. Starting in this book, I just knew that it has a stunning cover and that I couldn’t wait to read it.
I think it is important for people to realize that this is not a great fantasy novel, the world building is only a small part of this story, the magic exists, but that is all. This book may be set in a fantasy world, but it is about so much more. Surviving sexual assault, friendships, self empowerment, and growing up. That is what the main character is doing. I won’t praise her for standing up for herself, because I that her decisions could have made everything worse for the others. She did want to make a change, and I applaud her for that. Besides that, she was not the greatest example, and she should really think more before she acts. However, she is growing up and this is part of it.
The other characters were better developed than Lei was. I found myself missing Aoki and Wren as soon as they were not present for a couple of pages. Even Blue, the basic evil person with a redeeming backstory, was more interesting than Lei. I’m sorry Lei, maybe it would have been better if you showed your emotions longer about losing your father and Tien.
I do not believe that this novel indeed deserves the hype that surrounds it. I enjoyed it a lot, the writing was nice, the concept and story were good, but it could have been developed a lot better.
Cocktails and Books
Written on Mar 27, 2019
Nessa Luna
Written on Mar 21, 2019
littleread1
Written on Jan 17, 2019
Read it and let me know your thoughts. I really really wanted to love it, and ended up just liking it.