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A review by leonidskies
Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I received an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.
This was a really nice read! I'm decently familiar with some of the cultural and historical context, though not the original tale itself. I can't speak to how a reader completely unfamiliar would fare, but I didn't feel bored by the explanations of concepts I was already familiar with.
The sense of setting, especially in the palace Xian called home, was particularly strong, but the thing that shone brightest for me was the characterization of Zhen and Xian. Zhen was interesting and continually surprising with just how *good* he was, while the balance of Xian's kindness with the obvious edge of his upbringing as a prince was really satisfying. I was really taken with the interplay of Xian's position being exciting in its intoxicating power, as well as all the things it took from him. It was fantastically done and definitely a standout element of the book for me.
It was a very sweet romance, even if its contours were pretty predictable. Sometimes sweet and predictable is good :)
The final few parts of the novel were personally a bit fast-paced and all over the place tonally for me, but the content itself was solid and made for a good end to the story.
This was a really nice read! I'm decently familiar with some of the cultural and historical context, though not the original tale itself. I can't speak to how a reader completely unfamiliar would fare, but I didn't feel bored by the explanations of concepts I was already familiar with.
The sense of setting, especially in the palace Xian called home, was particularly strong, but the thing that shone brightest for me was the characterization of Zhen and Xian. Zhen was interesting and continually surprising with just how *good* he was, while the balance of Xian's kindness with the obvious edge of his upbringing as a prince was really satisfying. I was really taken with the interplay of Xian's position being exciting in its intoxicating power, as well as all the things it took from him. It was fantastically done and definitely a standout element of the book for me.
It was a very sweet romance, even if its contours were pretty predictable. Sometimes sweet and predictable is good :)
The final few parts of the novel were personally a bit fast-paced and all over the place tonally for me, but the content itself was solid and made for a good end to the story.