2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss The Wall of Storms, the second book in the The Dandelion DynastySeries by Ken Liu.

Pages: 880 pages

Length: 3 Months (November, December, January)

Participants: oshizu, Lynn.

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.


Happy Buddy Reading!

Howdy Lynn!

So, how you doing?
I "suffered" over a week of non-reading earlier this month and am now struggling to catch up with my November reading plans.
Ended up moving a handful of books to next year.

Right now, I'm thinking of reading Wall of Storms in December.
No law against making this a 3-month Buddy Read. What do you think?

oshizu wrote: "Howdy Lynn!

So, how you doing?
I "suffered" over a week of non-reading earlier this month and am now struggling to catch up with my November reading plans.
Ended up moving a handful of books to ne..."

Totally agree! I really need the rest of 2020 to concentrate mostly on finishing challenges. Wall of Storms can be end-of-year and into January. :)

Haha, it would be nice to start off 2021 with an 880+ page chunkster nearly finished.
I'll go post on the Buddy Read Sign-Up thread. :D

oshizu wrote: "Haha, it would be nice to start off 2021 with an 880+ page chunkster nearly finished.
I'll go post on the Buddy Read Sign-Up thread. :D"

I suspect I may have read less than 100 pages by January! If that... :) It will be my main focus for January for sure!

This topic has been moved to the December Buddy Reads folder

SarahKat wrote: "This topic has been moved to the December Buddy Reads folder"

Thank you, SarahKat!

This topic has been moved to the January 2021 Buddy Reads folder.

Ugh. As I stated before, oshizu, I will read at least the first 50 pages on January 1! I am determined to finally get this read! LOL And I am so glad that you are reading and discussing it with me! :)

And, just think, when we are done, we'll have a pair of almost-matching doorstoppers! HAHA

I absolutely adore that first scene! :)

At page 134 I am enthralled! (view spoiler)[That Lady Soto! She’s quite the confidante, isn’t she? When she made the three children hush and get closer to eavesdrop! (hide spoiler)]I’m enjoying this ever so much more than The Grace of Kings! No fighting/wars! Yet...

I read another 100 pages today and am now on page 606. (75%)

About the first 400 pages
Like you, I thoroughly enjoyed the first 400 pages. I'm sure it's because thee was no war, with the story focused on the women in and around the imperial court.
(I'm not going to use spoilers because I won't reveal any plot spoiles.)
I enjoyed reading about Princess Thera and scholar Zomi growing into their own. Loved Zomi's backstory and travels with her teacher.
Among the women, I regret Gin Mazoti's pride and admit that I distrust and dsilike Jia's maneurvering.

Regarding pages 400-606
(view spoiler)[Jia proves to unwise and power-hungry, though she swears that she's doing everything for the benefit of Dara. I don't believe her.
In fact, Jia waits so long to apoloize to Gia Mazoti for framing her for treason, now she can only ask Gin for a solution that would protect Dara but the expense of her husband and son's lives. Nice work, Jia!

Ugh, we the readers are back in a war zone and it's a brutal, barbaric one.
Also, I'm tired of the many allusions to Chinese philosophical schools. Enough, we get it! Kon Fiji 'sposed to represent Confucious. Sheesh!

I was dismayed when Zomi realized that the only reason Than whatzhisname wanted Empero Kuni to be the front lines in Rui was so that Than wouldn't be blamed for Prince Timu's death. Than is disgusting.

I think what keeps me interested in the book, though, is that women are driving the search to military solutions that lead to victory. (hide spoiler)]

I have to wonder why the author decided to publish two 800+ page chunksters instead of, I don't know, splitting the story into 3-4 books. The biggest obstacle for me to picking up this book (instead of my many other TBRs) is the fact that it's slow reading to begin with plus it's taking so long to finish.
In comparison, I whizzed through Robin Hobb's 880-page fantasy Ship of Destiny in a three-day binge-reading trance.
And it even included battles as well...

I finished our chunkster last night!

A few comments on pages 607-800
(view spoiler)[
War: Although the last half of the book center on the war against the Lyucu, I enjoyed this war more than the battles in The Grace of Kings. In Book 2, the Dara side of the war revolved around technical ingenuity and strategy, initiated mostly by women.

Gin Mazoti: I loved this character and nodded when she cried at Luan Zyaji's funeral. I'm glad she finally shared with her daughter Aya who her father was. So belatedly, though! I feel bad for both father and daughter!

Thera: I was surprised when Empress Thera temporarily pass her throne to Phyros, marry the Agon Prince, and set sail to Agon. Despite professing love for Zomi, Thera's feelings didn't ring true to me. Thera denies being like her mother, Jia, but I wonder.
Well, yeah, her idea to use silkmotic force to make General Mazoti appear alive was brilliant, but I didn't like how she left Zomi.

Jia: Grrrr, was there no alternative to Risana dying? I preferred her actually to Jia. Jia constantly insists that she's only doing what's best for Dara, but she also enjoys pulling the strings too much.
Soto Zyndu is right in saying that, if Jia doesn't let go of imperial authority when Phyros comes of age, Soto will abandon Jia (but in what way?)

Interestingly, most of the male characters in the 2nd half of Book 2 were mostly tangential to the female characters. (hide spoiler)]

Well, while reading Book 2, I swore that I would give Book 3 a hard pass. But now I feel the need to read Book 3 if only to enjoy a certain power-hungry woman get her comeuppance.

Lynn, I found I was able to read quickly through the book's 2nd half. It was so engaging!

Sticking my tongue out at you and blowing raspberries!! :)

Actually, I allowed myself to get on social media and go down internet rabbit holes on Saturday for 3-4 hours, then met a friend on Sunday and cooked, so that somewhat limited my reading time this weekend but I should get to this one again this coming weekend. Really want to get most of it read then. Now I'm anxious to do so. Your comments are motivating!

Page 205 and I am loving these children! Talk about precocious!

I agree that personalities of and dynamics between the children are really intriguing!
Do you feel differently about their mothers so far?

oshizu wrote: "I agree that personalities of and dynamics between the children are really intriguing!
Do you feel differently about their mothers so far?"

Huh. Well, I just don't trust anyone in this book... :) I have always felt (view spoiler)[Jia couldn't be trusted. I felt it was such a stupid thing for her to even suggest Kuni take another woman/wife. That just begs for trouble, doesn't it? But I am very much in favor of monogamous relationships... (hide spoiler)]

About Jia (view spoiler)[maybe she suggested that Kuni take other wives so she could keep her stewart, whatzhisname. :D (hide spoiler)]

oshizu wrote: "About Jia [spoilers removed]"
Ah, yes. Perhaps so... I just read of (view spoiler)[Gin's death yesterday. That Jia! What a well, I would use the "C" word but I refuse to use it, so I'll just call her a heartless bitch and be done with it. And the way she purposefully setup Phyro--for shame! Not that Phyro is my favorite of the children by any means... Talk about power-hungry! Now I'm wondering how she and Thera will get along... I was so gratified that Kuni sees Thera is the preferred future ruler--the she has the desirable personality and skills! That was cool! I'm dying to read of what I assume must be a battle for power between Jia and Kuni. Or will she somehow have him killed? And what of Risana? (hide spoiler)]

oshizu wrote: "I read another 100 pages today and am now on page 606. (75%)

About the first 400 pages
Like you, I thoroughly enjoyed the first 400 pages. I'm sure it's because thee was no war, with the story foc..."
People like Jia can never be trusted, IMO! And she has (view spoiler)[proven that to be true, to the end. She will always and has always done whatever she could to exploit her manipulative/political prowess, with little regard for others. I truly hated her and was hoping she would die on that dias! (hide spoiler)]
I loved Zomi's whole story. I thought it was ingenious of Liu to withhold the fact that (view spoiler)[Zomi actually stole the initial Exam invitation. Or maybe he exposed that fact earlier in the book and I missed it? LOL I was totally scared that she was going to die in the end... I was glad she didn't. I also particularly appreciated the romantic relationship between Thera and Zomi. I loved Thera's explanation to Zomi that one can and does experience many "loves" during one's lifetime. (hide spoiler)]

oshizu wrote: "I read another 100 pages today and am now on page 606. (75%)

About the first 400 pages
Like you, I thoroughly enjoyed the first 400 pages. I'm sure it's because thee was no war, with the story foc..."

I was rather fascinated by all the references to philosophy(view spoiler)[ and I felt it blended well with this idea of fate vs. effort/self-reliance (I don't believe those are the exact words Liu uses.) (hide spoiler)] But I love to speculate how a person's attitudes, intentions, and actions may or may not relate to their self-professed philosophy of life... (I am a nerd!)

And although there was much (view spoiler)[gore in this last battle, I was so fascinated by the technological applications of all those seemingly obscure/meaningless bits of information and knowledge that the gory details didn't bother me much since they were simply background to what interested me the most. Though I admit I mourned Kuni's death and especially his disappointment in his own son's decisions and ability to be manipulated and used by Tanavaki (sp? I'm too lazy to look it up! LOL) I felt as if he really tried... And Gin. I mistakenly thought they had killed her when they had her tied in the boat earlier, so was glad to discover she was still alive at that point in time! But she definitely died by her own choice, as she believed it was the only way to kill the Lyucu leader. (Or was that simply "fate"? LOL) I must admit I was both grossed out and yet very impressed by Zomi's presence of mind to use Gin's corpse as a motivator for the Dara people to rally and "win"... (hide spoiler)]

I agree that Than's motivation for (view spoiler)[moving Kuni to the front lines was disgusting, but I felt it was so very typical of a political manipulator, thinking only of their own reputation, etc. (hide spoiler)]

"I think what keeps me interested in the book, though, is that women are driving the search to military solutions that lead to victory."
Oh, my God! Yes! And my (view spoiler)[engineer-wanna-be nerd adored all the technological/physiological details that combined into such amazingly innovative weaponry, etc.! (hide spoiler)]

oshizu wrote: "I have to wonder why the author decided to publish two 800+ page chunksters instead of, I don't know, splitting the story into 3-4 books. The biggest obstacle for me to picking up this book (instead of my many other TBRs) is the fact that it's slow reading to begin with plus it's taking so long to finish.
In comparison, I whizzed through Robin Hobb's 880-page fantasy Ship of Destiny in a three-day binge-reading trance.
And it even included battles as well..."
Who knows how much input Liu had regarding the publishing details though? Though I would agree. Not sure exactly where I would have cut this off, but it definitely would have probably read better for me as two separate tomes rather this behemoth! Though I so admire Liu's writing! I love mysteries and for me, this read as many mysteries compiled into one book. It was so very complex and complicated and yet easily comprehended.

I also felt a bit bogged down by it, but I believe that was due to the aforementioned complexities as well as the overall length. I believe this may well rank among my all-time favorite books. Time will tell...

oshizu wrote: "I finished our chunkster last night!

A few comments on pages 607-800"

Yes, Gin (view spoiler)[should have told Luan and Aya about each other, but so often people withhold such information. I discovered in the aftermath of my mother's death that she had lied to me my whole life regarding my own biological father. Why?!? Especially when she (To my mind, purposefully!) left behind a portion of a letter my father had written to her during their divorce court proceedings. She knew I would find it and discover just how she had deceived me all those years...what a bitch! But who knows anyone's true motivation for their actions...? We can conjecture, but rarely discover the underlying truths for such actions. (hide spoiler)]

I also felt Thera (view spoiler)[was displaying behaviors similar to her mother's at the end. I believe she just wants to prove herself to be as formidable as Jia. I remember the scene where Jia admits that Thera is much stronger than either of her brothers is to resist their mother's suggestions, etc. That struck me. I am very interested to see how that relationship transpires and what Thera accomplishes. I'm relatively certain we have not seen the end of these two women's power struggles. (hide spoiler)]

And how about that hidden code that (view spoiler)[Zomi discovered in Luan's calculations! I loved that last bit of Zomi showing herself to be such a mystery solver! And then to fashion the ships to travel UNDER the wall! (hide spoiler)] Amazing! And I am so worried for (view spoiler)[Zomi. As she admits, she is no match for Jia's manipulative actions and intentions as she lacks that political prowess. I think she is scared with Thera gone and incommunicado what Jia might do...to her and/or others that she might not venture to do if Thera was there to monitor and challenge her. (hide spoiler)]

Exactly. Risana was (view spoiler)[much more genuine than Jia ever considered being. You did notice that when Kuni went to the front lines it was Risana he took with him to the front lines. Though I assume he realized Jia would rule with an iron fist in the wake of his departure whereas Risanna might be too kind-hearted and generous to protect the empire and his position as emporer...especially compared to Jia. Though I remember thinking at the time, but Jia could easily take over and have him killed. I don't believe he felt any need to beware of her, but I did! LOL (hide spoiler)]

I am uncertain what I think of (view spoiler)[Soto. Her character doesn't seem to add much to the book, at least not this one, perhaps moreso in the first installment. Perhaps she will play a larger role in book #3. (hide spoiler)]

"Interestingly, most of the male characters in the 2nd half of Book 2 (view spoiler)[were mostly tangential to the female characters." (hide spoiler)]
And I'm relatively certain that was one thing that drew me in to the second half. Though I admit the details surrounding the technological advances enthralled me!

"Well, while reading Book 2, I swore that I would give Book 3 a hard pass. But now I feel the need to read Book 3 if only to enjoy a certain power-hungry woman get her comeuppance."
Agreed!

"Lynn, I found I was able to read quickly through the book's 2nd half. It was so engaging!"
Again...AGREED! :)

Thank you for your patience with me during this overly-extended "buddy read"! :)

Yay! I'm so glad that we both persevered to finish Book 2 of the Dandelion Dynasty!
I did enjoy it so much more than Book 2, mainly because the main intrigues were between women! :D

I think we should pat ourselves on the back for finishing these two doorstoppers and spend some time basking in the glory of our achievement, LOL!