Zetian is a girl in a world that has been overrun by an alien race. In this Chinese-esqe future that blends crazy mechs that can fight using a person's spirit strength with an ancient culture and belief system, Zetian know that the only way she can help fight the aliens is by the side of a male pilot in a mech. She also knows, that to do this is to risk her very life - but she's got one big thing she needs to do before she lets that happen. Revenge. And Zetian is not messing around.
I can tell that the book is trying hard to be a very feminist, girl-power story but Zetian's actions and thoughts are sometimes so erratic that, for me, it went a bit too far. I didn't understand her character enough to believe in her blood-thirstiness - and that didn't help me feel like I was celebrating woman-power. It was more like she felt like she had to be as murderous at the men in charge in order to get what she wanted, which felt like an easy way out. I wish she'd been more complicated, more nuanced. My biggest gripe, though, was the dialogue. Both inter-character and inner dialogue didn’t fit the storyline very well. Colloquialisms like "a freak out" and "screw this" just took me out of this fantasy China and into a modern-day mall, and it was hard to get myself back into the story.
This book is way out there. The world building is intense and layered - the magic system is complex and so foreign and seeped in Chinese lore and culture. I really liked that about it, even if it was sometimes confusing and hard to keep straight. I appreciate the uniqueness of what the author has created and for lovers of The Hunger Games or other more violent science fiction stories with alien invasions, this could be a better fit for them than it was for me.
note: language, a polyamorous relationship
No comments:
Post a Comment