Haven't read this since I was a kid and oh my, the matter-of-fact sexism and how it was simply universally accepted didn't register at the time. I started the re-read in February but couldn't finish it—it's not a long book!—and was reminded of it only as I was going through my year in review stats, but it still took me 7 days. The mystery is fine but I most likely not gonna re-read this again.
Atmospheric, superb writing with fantastic revelations and little heartbreaks—details like the accent change are quietly devastating. It's at times smart and unpredictable, but can feel like it's lacking momentum in some places; not so much because of the pacing, which felt deliberate, and more because of how there's not much discernible plot and how it's about things happening to Thaniel, not the other way around.
(However, the Japanese parts can sometimes be wonky: maybe I'm just bad at learning Japanese, but I doubt things like syntax are something you can just pick up from a Japanese-English dictionary that quickly.)
Political intrigue executed with restraint, rich worldbuilding, charming and very smart, and most precious of all unflinchingly kind. I did struggle a bit with some names, titles, and honorifics at the start, but I appreciate how the author doesn't overexplain things, which makes it all the more rewarding when you find yourself catching up with it.
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