'A Bright Heart' by Kate Chenli - Book Tour & Review!!

10/20/2023

A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli - Tour Schedule

Continue below to read my review of the book and be sure to follow this link - [TOUR SCHEDULE] to check out the rest of the stops on the 'A BRIGHT HEART' blog tour brought to you by TBR & BEYOND TOURS, UNION SQUARE & CO / STERLING PUBLISHING, and KATE CHENLI!

A Bright Heart
Kate Chenli

Publisher: Union Square & Co / Sterling Publishing

Pub Date: Oct. 17th, 2023

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Synopsis:

What if you could avenge your own murder? A brilliant young woman gets a second chance at life in this debut YA tale of vengeance, court intrigue, and romance, inspired by classic Chinese tropes.

Mingshin outsmarted three princes to help the man she loved become king. But she doesn’t see Ren’s betrayal coming, not until she’s lying in a pool of her own blood on the palace steps.

As she’s dying, Mingshin makes a desperate plea to the gods to turn back time and give her a chance to make things right.

Mingshin wakes up two years earlier, her prayer granted, and swears two things: Ren will never become king, and she will never fall in love again.

But the timeline in this life has changed: a dignitary gifted with dark magic is threatening her kingdom’s peace, and Ren’s thirst for power runs deeper than Mingshin could have imagined.

She finds herself allying with Jieh, another contender for the throne. Mingshin knows better than anyone not to give her heart to a prince. But in the viper’s nest of the royal court, she and Jieh prove a phenomenal team. Can Mingshin avert the catastrophe of her past by once again learning to trust…and maybe even love?

Content warnings: Death, attempted murder, mentions of blood, drowning, violence, loss of limbs

r e v i e w
rating: ★ ★ ★ (3 / 5 stars)

'A Bright Heart' by Kate Chenli starts out with a bang, mid-betrayal. The reader, much like the MC.. Mingshin, gets a couple of minutes to get their bearings, and then the real story begins. Personally, I'm a fan of these types of whirlwind openings, but it's a little on the brief side.

Things I loved:

Prince Jieh -- While at first he's painted as a bit of a snob and he seems dismissive of the trivialities of other people's lives, his character opens up over time through exposure to Mingshin. What we are shown, I felt was always there as with his best friend, Yao.. and they both turn out to be favorites for me.

Yao -- The prince's best friend is warm, loyal, and light-hearted. I felt like the pair kept each other grounded despite social statuses and their comraderie was a lot of fun. He's probably the most relatable character in the book for me.

The magic system -- Nine types of magic, mirroring the use of this number in other areas of Chinese legends/mythology. I won't be too specific, as I don't want to ruin anything and it isn't overly developed, but it is handled in an interesting way. The imagery of the magic through artwork was one of the highlights though.

Things that could have been better:

Mingshin -- Our main character is likeable enough and has good intentions. She's one of those types who is instantly one of the best at everything though and that always feels a bit silly to me. She's perfectly smart and skilled, but "so plain and looked down upon." Not my trope.

Prose -- From both a descriptive and narrative standpoint, the story felt a bit out of sync. And I don't blame the author here, it's something I'm seeing more and more in current releases.. but it feels incomplete? Lackadaisical? Unfulfilling. Whether the author is describing a setting or having a character convey information, it ends up coming across like a checklist.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I was rooting for Mingshin and rooting specifically against a couple of other characters, which I'll leave you to discover. Though the topics seem heavy in spots, it's actually a pretty light read, in my opinion and it's well-paced.

If you enjoy Asian fantasy, enemies who might become something more, and stories featuring underdogs.. this is one for you.

About the Author:

Kate Chenli writes adult and young adult fantasy. As a Chinese immigrant, Kate is a proud US citizen who also cherishes her Chinese heritage.

She has a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, but has always enjoyed creating elaborate worlds and characters more than designing complex software. Besides reading and writing, her passion is world travel (five continents down and counting.)

AUTHOR LINKS: KATECHENLI.COM | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM

1 Comment

Donald link

2/19/2025 10:51:57 pm

Your review of A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli is insightful and beautifully written. You provide a perfect balance of analysis and enthusiasm, making it clear why this book is a must-read. Your thoughtful critique and engaging writing style make your blog a fantastic resource for book lovers. Well done!