Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.
Read October 2020
This was a beautifully written, well-plotted book for the most part. I loved the mythology behind the story, the Yokai and the deities stories placed at various intervals throughout the novel. The idea of the competition through the seasons was really interesting and unique.
The characters were all well-rounded with decent voice distinction. Mari, our main narrator and Animal Wife Yokai, was easily the best. Akira, Mari's haf-Yokai best friend, was a bit of a lovestruck idiot to start with who didn't like accepting her no. He did grow as a character though which I really appreciated. Taro was just a bit of a jerk. He fell in instalove with Mari just because she didn't immediately know he was the prince. The interest in metalwork seemed to be an attempt to humanise him which failed as he was just as bad as his father and everyone else.
My biggest problem with this book by a long way was the pacing. We end a chapter with Mari and Taro meeting after she gets lost but then the next chapter opens with all the girls gathered for the competition and no explantion as to how Mari found her way. A bit more of a build up, getting ready etc would have been nice.
However that was nothing compared to the ending! All this build up and tension and setting up a rebellion that goes throughout the novel and I presumed setting up for a sequel and then... Not a lot. We'll kill off a main character for shock factor, reverse it with magic, get a few paragraphs that everything is fixed and everyone is happy the end. It was such a let down and took a 4-5 star book to a 2-3 star. I am still so peeved!
3/5 stars
Stef Out x
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