>> Buddy read with David, Vilina, Emily, & Mel!

★ 4.5 stars ★

RTC

I wanted to like this, as an Asian-American reader who kept up with the MCU all the way through Avengers: Endgame. But the social themes/ messages are so blatant and simplistic — which may be symptomatic of the comic format rather than this particular narrative, I'm not familiar enough with the genre to say — plus I was just really not a fan of the art style.

content warnings:

Spoiler

major character death, human sacrifice, violence, torture, blood, misogyny, foot binding & mutilation, branding, loss of loved ones, grief & guilt, allusions to queerphobia, alcoholism, withdrawal, domestic abuse, xenophobia, colorism, threats of suicide, brief suicidal ideation, mention of prostitution, ableist language

rep:

Spoiler

Chinese historical basis & characters; bi/pan MCs [Zetian, Yizhi, Shimin], biracial MC [Shimin], polyam F/M/M main relationship

The concept is absolutely killer, with all the elements — Chinese historical figures, action sequences like Pacific Rim, oppressive patriarchy in the style of harem stories (or The Handmaid's Tale), media spectacle and main triad dynamic reminiscent of The Hunger Games — interwoven for impressively cohesive worldbuilding and (at least in my opinion) pretty great representation that's integral but not overpoweringly central to the story.

However, the narrative flow is frequently put on hold for a paragraph or two establishing the whole setup, and there are countless moments where the narration sidetracks into "how is this wildly inequitable system so entrenched and accepted? well, this is why" philosophizing/ borderline preaching, which can be distracting and/or tedious.

And I really wanted to like the characters and their dynamics, because they seemed cool! There's thoughtful exploration of morality and culpability and trauma which I appreciated on a theoretical level, and significant development over the course of the novel. But to be honest I found them fairly archetypal, maybe a bit flat? I was also a bit put off by

Spoiler

Zetian's sudden and inexplicable bursts of inappropriate villain laughter, since the association of mental illness with antagonists and antiheroes is an ongoing problem in media

.

All that said, though, overall this was a really engaging and unique read; I am definitely excited to see how the second book will build on this foundation!

-----------
CONVERSION: 10.27 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5

I remember not liking Lahiri's [b:The Namesake|33917|The Namesake|Jhumpa Lahiri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480106986l/33917._SY75_.jpg|16171] when I had to read it for high school English (though I know now that I was extremely lucky to go to a school where diverse books were included in our curriculum), and I often don't get on very well with short-story collections.

So maybe it's a sign of my maturing taste in books that I actually quite liked Interpreter of Maladies. I don't totally agree with the foreword that gushes about the beautiful writing — I was honestly bored with all the long, detailed character descriptions and I thought there were too many commas — but the characters, plot, and themes are fantastic. They're subtle enough that the reader can draw their own conclusions to some extent, but without losing any vivid detail or (figurative) color. The stories are deceptively simple too, slice-of-life that takes on new significance with Lahiri's purposeful framing.

And, of course, the first- and second-generation Bengali immigrant rep is thorough: it addresses the big and little struggles, from language barriers to the availability of certain favorite snacks. I can't personally speak to whether it's truly representative of the Desi-American experience, but it spoke to me (being East Asian-American).

content warnings:

Spoiler

stillbirth, death of a child, death of (elderly) minor character, infidelity, ableism, microaggressions

rep:

Spoiler

first- & second-generation immigrant Bengali-American MCs, chronically-ill (possibly epileptic) MC

-----------
CONVERSION: 11.4 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: N/A

3.5 stars

Honestly? Past the first few chapters, I basically zoned out with the audiobook playing in the background. But the opening was intriguing even if I didn't find Esther particularly likable, and I definitely want to give this another shot in a print format where I can actually immerse myself.

Not gonna lie, a not insignificant part of my interest in Norse mythology stems from their role in the MCU. But I have a feeling Riordan will do for it what he's already done for Greco-Roman mythology (though perhaps to a lesser degree, like Kane chronicles; as a generation of readers we're disproportionately interested in the Greco-Roman myths), because it's presented in a way that's accessible, through the eyes of a relatable protagonist who is himself just figuring out the rules of this new world - and the reader gets bonus enjoyment from cameos by known characters in the Riordan 'verse!

3.5 stars.

Definitely a middle grade novel, definitely the second book in a trilogy. (In other words: not my preference, but not an automatic dealbreaker.) The developments are pretty predictable if you know Norse mythology, more history-repeating-itself than the modern reincarnations we got with PJO & HoO — less exciting, but well-told enough that it’s still a fun ride. Also, Alex Fierro might be my new favorite character ever.