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Shine the Brightest: The Magpie Chronicles Book One
The Red Dragon has been betrayed. Akaryu Masaomi is rightfully one of six rulers of the celestial world's elaborate and repressive administration, and has taken his powers and privileges for granted all his life, but he has been framed for treason, stripped of his lands, and thrown in prison. Now, trapped in human form and without allies, all he can do is wait for his execution in the most secure prison in the land of Tenou.
Elsewhere, three strangers are all sent on a mission. The soldier obeying her commanding officer and seeking a turning point in their rebellion against the tyrannical administration, the shaman just trying to survive her fall from grace while listening to the cryptic advice of her great-grandmother's ghost, and the outcast who owes a favor to the divine entity who once saved his life, all set out with the same goal: Rescue the Red Dragon.
Shine the Brightest, first in the Magpie Chronicles, is an epic fantasy inspired by East Asian mythologies.
Elsewhere, three strangers are all sent on a mission. The soldier obeying her commanding officer and seeking a turning point in their rebellion against the tyrannical administration, the shaman just trying to survive her fall from grace while listening to the cryptic advice of her great-grandmother's ghost, and the outcast who owes a favor to the divine entity who once saved his life, all set out with the same goal: Rescue the Red Dragon.
Shine the Brightest, first in the Magpie Chronicles, is an epic fantasy inspired by East Asian mythologies.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2020
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 18, 2020
I've been a fan of this author for years now, and I was really happy to read this original work from them! The characterization was consistent throughout the novel, and their reactions were always realistic given their personalities. The writing style wasn't simple or superfluous, and instead was exactly what I look for as a reader. I wasn't familiar with a lot of the mythological figures used, but they were all explained succinctly in a way that didn't feel like exposition. The ending was probably my favorite part, and I can't wait for the sequel!
July 18, 2020
(Cross-posted to Amazon)
"Shine the Brightest" starts off promising with careful worldbuilding and characters with significant potential, and carries this potential through to the end on a note that made me very excited for the sequel. I won't summarize the book here - the back of the book has the summary, after all - but the basic plot is that three characters, separately and then eventually working together, are sent to rescue someone who was framed for a crime from prison. It's set in a world of mythology and magic against a backdrop of technological modernity.
To start with worldbuilding: the focus on East Asian mythology is refreshing. As someone that grew up in the US as a white American of European descent, my exposure to East Asian mythology was fairly limited. However, Shine the Brightest contains Korean, Japanese, and Chinese mythology, but didn't mix them together in a "oh, this is some pan-Asian country" - the mythologies are separated by the different lands very distinctly. The worldbuilding is clear from the get-go - "mythology in a modern context" using the cultural sources of these three countries and a magic system that is inherently tied into the technology system.
The main characters are unique, each with significantly different motivations from the other, which means you're not reading the same kind of character over and over. If the author stripped all of the names from the book and only used dialogue, I would still know which of the four main characters were talking. Also, while romance is not fully present in the first book, there's enough queer references to make me feel confident we'll see that in later books (and not in a queerbaiting way).
I read Shine the Brightest in three sittings, and that wasn't my ideal way of reading it - I would have much rather read it sitting in one, as the plot moves along at a brisk pace without leaving out important details or lacking worldbuilding.
Some aspects of the book I found specifically appealing:
Found family: Of the four main characters, most are complete strangers to the other, but are thrown into a situation where they are inextricable, meaning they instantly have to rely on each other. This trust is not easily won, but already the building blocks for found family are set by the end of the book.
Plot as an onion: Layers of politics that are not deeply confusing like some fantasy books (you know the series), but instead, when you've understood a layer, another is peeled back, making the plot more nuanced and interesting at the right time. It's not complicated for complication's sake, but still has enough to make you already start connecting the dots between plot points.
Character-focused: The plot is very present and definitely interesting. But, I can tell the characters will be the focus, which, to me, means more than the most exquisitely crafted plot. Their relationships (platonic and possibly romantic) will be the key to the series.
I would recommend Shine the Brightest if you're looking for a series that has a great context (modernized mythology and magic) with a strong set of main characters that will only grow more interesting and complex as the series goes on, but already have fully fleshed out personalities in this book.
"Shine the Brightest" starts off promising with careful worldbuilding and characters with significant potential, and carries this potential through to the end on a note that made me very excited for the sequel. I won't summarize the book here - the back of the book has the summary, after all - but the basic plot is that three characters, separately and then eventually working together, are sent to rescue someone who was framed for a crime from prison. It's set in a world of mythology and magic against a backdrop of technological modernity.
To start with worldbuilding: the focus on East Asian mythology is refreshing. As someone that grew up in the US as a white American of European descent, my exposure to East Asian mythology was fairly limited. However, Shine the Brightest contains Korean, Japanese, and Chinese mythology, but didn't mix them together in a "oh, this is some pan-Asian country" - the mythologies are separated by the different lands very distinctly. The worldbuilding is clear from the get-go - "mythology in a modern context" using the cultural sources of these three countries and a magic system that is inherently tied into the technology system.
The main characters are unique, each with significantly different motivations from the other, which means you're not reading the same kind of character over and over. If the author stripped all of the names from the book and only used dialogue, I would still know which of the four main characters were talking. Also, while romance is not fully present in the first book, there's enough queer references to make me feel confident we'll see that in later books (and not in a queerbaiting way).
I read Shine the Brightest in three sittings, and that wasn't my ideal way of reading it - I would have much rather read it sitting in one, as the plot moves along at a brisk pace without leaving out important details or lacking worldbuilding.
Some aspects of the book I found specifically appealing:
Found family: Of the four main characters, most are complete strangers to the other, but are thrown into a situation where they are inextricable, meaning they instantly have to rely on each other. This trust is not easily won, but already the building blocks for found family are set by the end of the book.
Plot as an onion: Layers of politics that are not deeply confusing like some fantasy books (you know the series), but instead, when you've understood a layer, another is peeled back, making the plot more nuanced and interesting at the right time. It's not complicated for complication's sake, but still has enough to make you already start connecting the dots between plot points.
Character-focused: The plot is very present and definitely interesting. But, I can tell the characters will be the focus, which, to me, means more than the most exquisitely crafted plot. Their relationships (platonic and possibly romantic) will be the key to the series.
I would recommend Shine the Brightest if you're looking for a series that has a great context (modernized mythology and magic) with a strong set of main characters that will only grow more interesting and complex as the series goes on, but already have fully fleshed out personalities in this book.
January 13, 2021
A fun book that's extremely readable and easy to breeze through.
I loved the worldbuilding and how it incorporates mythology from multiple East Asian countries, but not in a way where all the different cultures get smushed together. The author is careful to draw distinctions between each real-world country's mythology while simultaneously creating a world where all the creatures from these various cultures have reasons to interact.
The characters are also delightful. There's Masaomi, an irreverent, arrogant genius with an entertaining penchant for quips (think Tony Stark with even less willingness to work with others). There's Hinami, a woman with strong morals and equally strong muscles. There's Shiori, a woman who's well-versed in politics and knows the necessity of being clever to survive. And finally, there's Youji, a friendly but mysterious man with a mysterious background who casually ignores his own mysteriousness.
There's some political intrigue and exciting fight scenes in this book, but it's mainly set-up for the rest of the series. Still very enjoyable, and it did a great job of hyping me up for the following books.
I eagerly await the second installment.
I loved the worldbuilding and how it incorporates mythology from multiple East Asian countries, but not in a way where all the different cultures get smushed together. The author is careful to draw distinctions between each real-world country's mythology while simultaneously creating a world where all the creatures from these various cultures have reasons to interact.
The characters are also delightful. There's Masaomi, an irreverent, arrogant genius with an entertaining penchant for quips (think Tony Stark with even less willingness to work with others). There's Hinami, a woman with strong morals and equally strong muscles. There's Shiori, a woman who's well-versed in politics and knows the necessity of being clever to survive. And finally, there's Youji, a friendly but mysterious man with a mysterious background who casually ignores his own mysteriousness.
There's some political intrigue and exciting fight scenes in this book, but it's mainly set-up for the rest of the series. Still very enjoyable, and it did a great job of hyping me up for the following books.
I eagerly await the second installment.
June 3, 2023
so like my favorite thing about hinami is how she has never once been able to leave someone in trouble alone in her life and consequently everyone who meets her is like 'wow...strong hero lady with morals...i feel like i need to stick with this lady...who knows why...'
except masaomi but he has many personal problems and is therefore an outlier who shouldn't count 😄
i'm excited for the next volume, i can't believe michaela ro . it's gonna be good :DDD
4 stars
except masaomi but he has many personal problems and is therefore an outlier who shouldn't count 😄
i'm excited for the next volume, i can't believe michaela ro . it's gonna be good :DDD
4 stars
June 13, 2021
Michaela Ro has a fantastic writing style the uses dialogue and characters to drive the story. I absolutely love fast paced stories with complex characters so this book was perfect. I love that she allows her characters to be flawed, and make the wrong choices, and react realistically to situations rather than feeling scripted or inauthentic to themselves. Shine the Brightest is definitely one of those books that sit with you after. I have high expectations for the rest of the series!
April 25, 2024
I absolutely love this series
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews