June CL Tan

This book was ok.
It started very good, but then I kinda lost interest halfway because it’s nothing I haven’t read before.
There’s a poor girl with a special kind of magic, and a presumed dead prince in disguise and the fall in love. I disliked the romance a lot. Why do these two find each other so special? They have nothing more going on than basic friendship.
As for the plot, there’s a myth about a sword, kingdoms at war and a few scheming politicans. I didn’t care about it to be honest, I mainly wanted Ahn to see her grandma again.

I will say that the Chinese influences were nice, so if you want a fantasy that isn’t set in some version of medieval Europe, this is it.… (altro)

A great first book. Ahn and Altan head a cast of young people who are driven, but for different reason . Ahn wants to understand what happened to her family, Altan wants revenge and to regain what was stolen from him when his father was murdered. Their journeys to get answers and find a sense of peace and comfort force them together. That togetherness is often prickly and laced with mistrust, but there's also a growing romantic tension that develops so nicely. There's plenty of blood, and intense and tricky situations, not to mention magic, both good and evil as the story unfolds. This is a dandy story for teens who like intrigue, a dark fairy tale atmosphere and lots of action. Props to the author for a neat surprise at the end, one that will allow readers to imagine what it will bring to the protagonists when they discover it.… (altro)