Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin | Book Review

Hi! It's been months since my last post in this blog. Now I'm going to share a book review of Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin, which is one of my most anticipated new releases of 2024 (even though I haven't read A Magic Steeped in Poison). This book review will be different from my usual ones, it'll be more straightforward and shorter. I hope you find what you need in this review.

(Hai! Sudah berbulan-bulan sejak terakhir membuat postingan di blog ini. Sekarang aku akan membagikan ulasan buku Song of the Six Realms oleh Judy I. Lin, yang merupakan salah satu most anticipated releases aku di tahun 2024 (meskipun aku belum baca A Magic Steeped in Poison sih). Review buku ini akan berbeda dari review yang biasa aku buat, yaitu bakal lebih lugas dan singkat. Semoga kalian menemukan apa yang kalian butuhkan dalam review ini.)

BLURB

Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison, weaves a dreamy gothic romance worthy of the heavens in Song of the Six Realms.

Xue, a talented young musician, has no past and probably no future. Orphaned at a young age, her kindly poet uncle took her in and arranged for an apprenticeship at one of the most esteemed entertainment houses in the kingdom. She doesn’t remember much from before entering the House of Flowing Water, and when her uncle is suddenly killed in a bandit attack, she is devastated to lose her last connection to a life outside of her indenture contract.

With no family and no patron, Xue is facing the possibility of a lifetime of servitude playing the qin for nobles that praise her talent with one breath and sneer at her lowly social status with the next. Then one night she is unexpectedly called to the garden to put on a private performance for the enigmatic Duke Meng. The young man is strangely kind and awkward for nobility, and surprises Xue further with an irresistible offer: serve as a musician in residence at his manor for one year, and he’ll set her free of her indenture.

But the Duke’s motives become increasingly more suspect when he and Xue barely survive an attack by a nightmarish monster, and when he whisks her away to his estate, she discovers he’s not just some country noble: He’s the Duke of Dreams, one of the divine rulers of the Celestial Realm. There she learns the Six Realms are on the brink of disaster, and incursions by demonic beasts are growing more frequent.

The Duke needs Xue’s help to unlock memories from her past that could hold the answers to how to stop the impending war… but first Xue will need to survive being the target of every monster and deity in the Six Realms.

SONG OF THE SIX REALMS BOOK REVIEW

Song of the Six Realms is a young adult fantasy romance with elements of Chinese mythology. The story has an interesting setting with celestial beings, mystical powers, and lots of politics. However, the journey through this world has its ups and downs.

One of the main things we'll notice is the slow pacing. The author spends a lot of time on detailed descriptions and info-dumping, which sometimes feel unnecessary. Because of this, the story can feel like it’s dragging, and you might not really get to the main plot until you’re about 80% through the book.

The plot itself is pretty complex and dense, making it hard to follow all the details and character connections. This is a bit overwhelming if you’re looking for a straightforward story.

The main character, Xue, and her love interest, Meng, don’t really stand out. Their characters sometimes feel flat, and their romance is not romancing, which is disappointing for a fantasy romance book.

The most interesting part of the book is the story of the Sky Sovereign. His story shows the theme of manipulation and deceitfulness in order to gain more power. This story shows that the fear of losing power makes someone do some extreme things, like creating chaos and killing each other. 

The magic system in the book is also confusing. It’s not clear how each character’s power works, which can be frustrating and make it harder to understand the story.

(Song of the Six Realms adalah buku YA fantasy romance dengan unsur mitologi Tiongkok di dalamnya. Ceritanya memiliki latar yang menarik dengan makhluk celestial, kekuatan mistis, dan banyak politik. Namun, perjalanan dalam membaca buku ini tidak selalu mulus.

Salah satu hal utama yang akan kita perhatikan adalah alurnya yang lambat. Penulis menghabiskan banyak waktu untuk deskripsi terperinci dan info-dumping, yang terkadang terasa tidak perlu. Karena itu, ceritanya terasa seperti dragging, dan kita tidak akan benar-benar sampai ke plot utama sampai kita membaca sekitar 80% bukunya.

Alurnya sendiri cukup rumit dan padat, sehingga sulit untuk mengikuti semua detail dan hubungan karakter. Buku ini agak membingungkan jika kita mencari cerita yang to the point.

Tokoh utama, Xue, dan love interest-nya, Meng, tidak terlalu menonjol. Karakter mereka terkadang terasa datar, dan aspek romance mereka rasanya kurang romancing deh, yang mengecewakan untuk buku kategori fantasy romance.

Bagian paling menarik dari buku ini adalah kisah tentang Sky Sovereign. Kisahnya menunjukkan tema manipulasi dan tipu daya untuk mendapatkan lebih banyak kekuatan. Kisah ini menunjukkan bahwa rasa takut kehilangan kekuatan membuat seseorang melakukan banyak hal ekstrem, seperti menciptakan kekacauan dan saling membunuh. 

Magic system dalam buku ini juga membingungkan. Tidak jelas bagaimana kekuatan masing-masing karakter bekerja, yang dapat membuat frustrasi dan membuat ceritanya lebih sulit dipahami.)