- #1
This book is really ☆ but I gave it ☆☆ just because I could see this author was trying to overturn some imperial tropes. Did they succeed? No, not even close but they tried.You need to be intelligent to write imperial intrigue. It isn't for everyone and that's okay. But our darling author didn't realise that.Did they write about FL's inner thoughts and struggles, love and hate for the emperor well? No.Did they interest the reader with the schemes of the harem? Nope, it was poorly written and orchestrated.Did they write about the gray area of the royal family? Also no. Because let's be frank there is no way you can play happy families (like author tried to do with crown prince and the other princes) when you are royalty. This isn't black and white, it is very much gray and THAT IS OKAY. There are much much better ways to portray the nuanced relationship the princes SHOULD have with each other, and dear author chose the fairyland route.I hated being in FL's head, she wasn't smart or cunning and the only thing she had going for her was her beauty. ML was boring.I have read my fair share of imperial harem books and none were this unbelievably bad and eye-rolling s*upid.And do not get me started with the names, I do not know if it's the author or the translator but it was bad. My goodness! I have read numerous historical novels and I get the many names they could have. But this book changed names even in the same sentence! And the next sentence the same person has another title already even though it's still the same scene! Mind-boggling bad! And wtf is "Mrs"?? In a historical novel? Mrs? Really? Lol.