Song of the Six Realms

I was walking through MPH in Kuala Lumpur (the one in Publika, which has turned out to be a surprisingly pretty mall in Mont Kiara) and low-key, forcing myself to buy a book. I knew I wanted one, but I wasn't sure what, and it was more of a force of habit.

I wasn't too excited when I came across Song of the Six Realms. Sure, the cover was gorgeous, and yes, I'd heard of Judy Lin before. Still, I had surrendered my hardcover copy of A Magic Steeped in Poison to my baby cousin (read thirteen-year-old cousin) without reading the book (she made me buy the sequel on my Kindle after that).

How many stars had to align for you to stand here before me? And still, you doubt.

Now I sit here and regret that because Judy L. Lin is good. As in really good. Wreck a reading slump good. I've had issues focusing because I'm addicted to my phone but Judy L. Lin had me focused on the book for 45 minutes at a stretch with no desire to look at insta.

Incidentally, if you need help tracking, I would recommend downloading Bookly. It's one of those apps that I can't live without.

I'm not going to rehash the blurb of the book. It's a fairly good summary of how the book starts. The game is in Lin's writing, which makes you forget about it. She has a way with words. You can't describe this as lyrical or quotable writing, like the kind you get in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue or A Dowry of Blood, but it flows. You're with Xue for one minute, entering the House of Flowing Water, and the next on the road with her and the Duke. As this happens, characters like Lady He jump off the page and remind you of people you've met.

Lin does a significant amount of worldbuilding, with Xue telling us what things are, and also via the interlude chapters. However, it's perfectly balanced; at no point do you have too much or too little information.

All in all, I'm happy to give this book 5 stars!