Minju窶冱 Year in Books

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2024

940

pages read

books read

Minju Kim

Shortest Book

246

pages

Longest Book

374

pages

Average book length in 2024

313

pages

Most Shelved

38,818

people also shelved

Least Shelved

3,025

people also shelved

Minju窶冱 average rating for 2024

4.7

Highest Rated on ﾀﾏｻ｢ｻ昀ﾈﾓｮｷｽｷｨ

4.89 average

Minju窶冱 first review of the year

it was amazing

I suppose that I cannot describe this book better than it窶冱 title. Deep, dark, and delicious, Vilest Things is depraved and cruel like its predecessor, but far worse. With Chloe Gong窶冱 infamous twists and turns, betrayals, and longing romance, I spent all three hours of my reading perched on the very edge of my seat.

While the first novel focused mainly on the games, we dive deeper into San-Er窶冱 history and tension in the sequel. There窶冱 different I suppose that I cannot describe this book better than it窶冱 title. Deep, dark, and delicious, Vilest Things is depraved and cruel like its predecessor, but far worse. With Chloe Gong窶冱 infamous twists and turns, betrayals, and longing romance, I spent all three hours of my reading perched on the very edge of my seat.

While the first novel focused mainly on the games, we dive deeper into San-Er窶冱 history and tension in the sequel. There窶冱 different powers at play, from the now revived Otta Avia to Calla窶冱 foiled plan, August窶冱 mysterious scheming and Anton窶冱 revenge. Everything is more high stakes now than ever, because with Calla having no one on her side, she has to figure out how she窶冤l save San-Er by herself. She also has to navigate the complicated history Otta has with everyone, leaving her half a step behind. Otta is a catalyst with too much information that she seems impossible for even August to handle.

Chloe truly excels at intertwining plot with politics, as we see in These Violent Delights. She pulls it off again in VT, although it窶冱 different due to the genre change. San-Er is described as a disease, a mold that seems to grow and leech off of its residents, and its court is the same. Alliances shift and change every few chapters, and the atmospheric tones keep the story engaging and flowing along. It窶冱 less action driven than her YA novels, but more nuanced. The climax of the book focuses on both the politics and powers of the three standing players, and a kingdom finally on the brink of war.

The ability to shift between different bodies is such an interesting basis for a fantasy, especially when that power is the basis of the lore. San-Er窶冱 history is woven with the ability for the Tuoleimis and the Shenzhis holding the Mandate of Heaven, and chaos reigns with the realization that perhaps the king on the throne is an imposter, that anyone that can find the true crown, lost somewhere in the provinces that surround the walled city. The book expands on the magic system and the extent of using qi, and how it all circles back to the royals. I think there are still some questions left unanswered when it comes to the exact boundaries of the magic system, although I窶冦 sure that the finale will provide answers.

I really loved the 窶徼he girlies are fighting窶� vibes in VT as well. Whether it窶冱 Calla and Otta threatening each other while Anton just stands there pretending he doesn窶冲 exist, or Anton and August, two best friends at war in one body, the tension is truly delicious. The romance is beautiful as it is painful, but the jealousy and angst? Mmm.

Chloe, please. Galipei.

And of course, Mr. Mao Mao! The amount of Mao Mao content in VT, I am happy to announce, is greater than that of Immortal Longings. I greatly agreed with him when he said, 窶廴eowr,窶� a statement that can relate to all things. He is truly the most majestic and regal out of the cast of Flesh and False Gods, a royal cat. I think I deserve more Mao Mao photos as therapy after all this.

I started this book fearful that another tragedy, another unavoidable fate, would be brought to our characters. I was delightfully and also terrified, however, that Chloe decided to change things up in her ending. And while it is a tragedy, a destiny brought to fruition, it was certainly not the end I was braced for. It窶冱 interesting to see the way an author will tackle a finale versus a pause between novels in a series, as we窶况e never had a middle book by Chloe before. The ending felt like a deep breath before diving into what will be the third and final novel in the trilogy, and I窶冦 excited but scared to learn what that窶冤l be! I think a (non-finalized) quote to summarize the events of this book is best said by beloved Galipei Weisanna, my favourite: 窶廾h, heavens.窶�

Thank you to Saga Press and Chloe for sending me a manuscript of Vilest Things! I loved it, hated it, adored it, cursed it. I will never recover from this cruel, cruel book. My heart will never mend after getting repeatedly stabbed through the back (sorry for the reference). It is as if Chloe yanked out my intestines and took the time to make them into strings, simply so she could play with my mental wellbeing as if it was a fiddle. I will never forgive you, Chloe Gong, for what you窶况e done.

Keep your eyes out for Vilest Things, out September 10th! Who will be crowned the king at last, hmm窶ｦ
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ｲﾑｱｷｴｳｱｫ窶儡 2024 BOOKS

it was amazing

The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan

Minju窶冱 last review of the year

really liked it

I wasn窶冲 quite sure what to expect when I first set foot into the world of Sitara, Lady of the Lotus, but I was pleasantly surprised with the vivid, colourful world author S. A Hoque paints with her writing, just as beautiful as the cover!

As a Korean, I truly appreciated all the careful research and detail the author wove into the book, not only for setting the scene but to educate the reader. The author is correct - many Koreans are not well-in
I wasn窶冲 quite sure what to expect when I first set foot into the world of Sitara, Lady of the Lotus, but I was pleasantly surprised with the vivid, colourful world author S. A Hoque paints with her writing, just as beautiful as the cover!

As a Korean, I truly appreciated all the careful research and detail the author wove into the book, not only for setting the scene but to educate the reader. The author is correct - many Koreans are not well-informed about Islam, and I personally learned a lot from her work. Aside from maybe one or two tiny detail that seemed off about Korean culture, but the author is precise and very descriptive in her tone.

While I understand that I am not the target audience for this book, I did have a few issues with the story. I did not think that there were enough stakes for a satisfying ending, and I thought it would involve more politics, even for a YA. It felt anticlimactic once the book ended, and I really wished for more resolution.

Sitara窶冱 struggles with diaspora and connecting back to her own culture and identity was wonderfully written, but a huge part of her personality revolves around her love interest, and I really wished that the book took a different route instead. Her faith is very important to her of course; Sitara goes in-depth about her thoughts in her journal entries, but besides her culture, religion, and feeling of diaspora, she mainly writes about her crush. I was hoping that there would be an underlying mystery or big reveal at the end. Perhaps it is because the book is written as a journal, which provides less information than a typical narration (you don窶冲 remember everything at the end of the day). However, I think there were many avenues the writer could窶况e chosen to heighten the plot.

One direction I can think of is the world having dragons, hinting that it takes place in a fantastical world. But other than mentions, the book seems to just be historical fiction. Had the author chose to write this book as a fantasy, it would窶况e been an interesting choice, and I was a bit disappointed that the dragons were only mentioned, never shown, in the book.

I also think that a two-year gap when you窶决e fifteen can be a bit concerning. Yes, the book is historical fiction, and girls were married off very young then - but if a 13/14-year-old was reading this, it may be uncomfortable for them. I know I would窶况e been at that age to talk to someone two years my senior that way.

Overall, I thought Sitara, Lady of the Lotus had great potential! Certainly a cute, imaginative read, but I personally found it lacking in some areas. I know that a younger me struggling with diaspora would窶况e adored it, and it truly is representative of many teen immigrants. Today, I give it 3.5 stars out of five, and thank you to Shaherazad Shelves for sending me a copy!
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