I read this for the challenge, and I had one major issue with it. The main character is continually defeated, I hesitate to use the term victim mentality, but it really feels like it applies here.
The entire book felt so difficult to read because Eon/a continually struggled with challenges of the smallest nature, the food, the clothes, what to say, what to think, who to talk to. Always frightened all the time is so wearing to read. Everything that was achieved was because the fear of not doing was greater than the doing.
I started reading the second one but the continual theme of defeat was just to hard to continue to read.
It was a shame because I really wanted to like this book, but in the end I didn't. Having read Sabriel and The Shattering and Obernewtyn where the characters do evolve, it was a disappointment.
This is where I step in & respectfully disagree with the "victim" label. While was reading I didn't particularly notice fear as a trend either, but for an entirely different reason. As someone with an anxiety disorder, having to force myself to act in the face of (occasionally paralyzing) fear in order to do the apparently "smallest" things is my daily reality. I am fortunate enough that my stakes are lower: I'm not in imminent danger of being beaten, killed or shunned for unintentionally revealing my gender, sexuality, beliefs, or preferred employment (which is good, because 100% of my acting skills are typically consumed in maintaining a facade of calm). I'm also an adult: I have more practice at recognizing situations where my fears are out of touch with reality. I'm also more practiced (though not always better or faster) at overcoming perceived social pressure than I was at 16. Chronic fear can be tedious to read about, but believe me, it is far more tedious to experience. Being sick of being scared doesn't make you any
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I liked this one well enough, but I did find it to be pretty predictable. I really liked the setting, though. I am not Japanese or Chinese, but I have more than a passing familiarity with parts of both cultures (of course China & Japan are not monoliths), and it did not seem appropriative to me. It's obviously a fantasy land influenced by Chinese and Japanese cultures and does not attempt to be an altogether accurate representation of either culture, but I felt that the influences were incorporated with reasonable respect for and knowledge of the source cultures
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I think her problem was not that she was more male than female, but that she had internalized a lot of contempt for women. Fairly often, she would think something about how 'women's only power comes from their looks' or about how women were really incapable of doing most of the things men were. Since she thought anything feminine was worthless, she wanted to excise all of that worthless stuff from herself. If, deep down, she was really a masculine spirit, that would mean to her that she was a person of value.
To be honest, I wasn't sure quite how to interpret the issue of Eona's disability at the time, and I'm still not sure if her healing was a good or bad thing. Still, I really enjoyed the book. It reminded me a lot of a Tamora Pierce book for a couple of reasons: the whole disguising herself as female, and the fact that she had to struggle to get what she wanted. That's always been more satisfying to me because I've always felt like characters that have to really work to get what they want always feel like they deserve it more.
If anything, reading this review has inspired me to finally pick up that sequel!
I really loved this one. You bring up some interesting points around the disability politics of Eon's healing - it's not something that often registers with me, so thank you for pointing it out, because it's something I sometimes need to be reminded of.
What I appreciated so much was the portrayal of a transgendered character in a positive light. It's so rare to find in a mainstream book, and it made me really happy to see here. Lady Dela was by far my favorite character.
You bring up some interesting points around the disability politics of Eon's healing - it's not something that often registers with me, so thank you for pointing it out, because it's something I sometimes need to be reminded of.
According to an above commenter, Eona's healing isn't without a price in the sequel, so I'm really curious to see how all of that plays out!
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The entire book felt so difficult to read because Eon/a continually struggled with challenges of the smallest nature, the food, the clothes, what to say, what to think, who to talk to. Always frightened all the time is so wearing to read. Everything that was achieved was because the fear of not doing was greater than the doing.
I started reading the second one but the continual theme of defeat was just to hard to continue to read.
It was a shame because I really wanted to like this book, but in the end I didn't. Having read Sabriel and The Shattering and Obernewtyn where the characters do evolve, it was a disappointment.
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That is a good point. I never consciously picked up on that, but you're right!
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Great point and insight. :)
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To be honest, I wasn't sure quite how to interpret the issue of Eona's disability at the time, and I'm still not sure if her healing was a good or bad thing. Still, I really enjoyed the book. It reminded me a lot of a Tamora Pierce book for a couple of reasons: the whole disguising herself as female, and the fact that she had to struggle to get what she wanted. That's always been more satisfying to me because I've always felt like characters that have to really work to get what they want always feel like they deserve it more.
If anything, reading this review has inspired me to finally pick up that sequel!
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And speaking of the sequel, wait until you see the entry I post tomorrow. :) No, I haven't read the sequel. You'll see what I mean Thursday. :)
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What I appreciated so much was the portrayal of a transgendered character in a positive light. It's so rare to find in a mainstream book, and it made me really happy to see here. Lady Dela was by far my favorite character.
My review here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/375982190
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According to an above commenter, Eona's healing isn't without a price in the sequel, so I'm really curious to see how all of that plays out!
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