Empress of All Seasons

Indeed, if this novel has any major flaw, it???s the plot???s pace. It simply moves far too fast for certain characters (like Taro and the novel???s primary antagonist) and certain story elements (like the romance) to really develop well. In the case of the former, Taro???s transformation from sympathetic co-protagonist to ancillary villain is so quick that the reader loses all sympathy for him, which is a pity because he could have had an incredible story arc had he just been given enough time to grow as a character. The true antagonist, on the other hand, feels like a caricature instead of a genuine example of manipulative villainy, which is disappointing because I truly enjoy a good villain, and the wasted potential here is quite sad.

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The speed of the plot also spoils the ending somewhat. Since things move so quickly, there are moments in the climax that have a rather deus ex machina quality to them, which is unfortunate because those events could have grown more slowly and more organically out of a slower, more carefully-nurtured plot, and thus would have made more sense and had greater emotional impact. The ending, too, feels rushed; there is practically an entire second, maybe even third, book???s worth of story crammed in the concluding chapter, but it is all brushed off with a lacklustre ???but that???s a story for another time???. This makes me think that the author had grander plans, but was forced for whatever reason to simply stuff everything into one book and call it a day. While some stories can and often do benefit from a bit of judicious pruning, in this case the attempt to make the story fit in one book has done rather more harm than good.

Full review here: https://wp.me/p21txV-GV