The other characters were interesting as well – Hesina’s brother (I think he had more of the spunk in him to fit a ‘sticky’ character, but hey-ho), the adopted twin siblings. But here’s the crux, I KNOW that she’s passionate for what she believes in, I just didn’t feel it. Hesina herself had all the lovely qualities- heart in the right place, stubborn where need be, passionate for her cause and so on.
I am not trying to be mean, I just feel like there’s a whole vibe here that did not bounce off the page quite like it potentially could have. that was kind of it? I was hoping for more of a cultural feast for the mind, however, for me, the story could have taken place anywhere at any court. There is, indeed, mention of clothing and such but. I would have LOVED to get MORE of the Chinese-culture. So, there’s your outcast from the society covered, too!īut. There is also the matter of sooths – essentially, they’re the kind of folk who can do magic, and are witch-hunted. As always, court intrigue will promise traitorous weasels and misplaced trust. Not to mention the princess turned queen who takes the investigation into his father’s death as her first task. The start was promising what with the characters coming across funky and fresh. Maybe it’s the young adult factor in the genre that leaves me a bit wanting for more, maybe it’s the fact that what I expected was not at all the reality of this book. Was the itchy chase worth it? Well, yes and no. I finally got it, thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley. For its cover, for its blurb, for its vibe. Yonks – that’s how long it took for me to chase this book. In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high? Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira-a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own.
Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer-a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom.
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