If you thought Romeo and Juliet was the greatest tragedy ever told, buckle up! This book will have you gasping for air and clutching your heart at every turn and reveal. For Qu Xiaofeng, life was simple in Shangjing. Sure, she’s married to the crown prince and can never return to her homeland, but that doesn’t stop her from sneaking out to have some fun with her trusted bodyguard and confidant. One night out drinking, she meets someone from her past, or so they tell her. She has no memory of the last three years. That is, until she finally sees her long lost love once again. Then it all comes flooding back.

I have to admit, with my unfamiliarity of the original story, I felt the translation was a little hard to follow at times - But I have no regrets reading this book. Gu Xiaowu is officially my new fictional boyfriend. I hope one day someone catches me one hundred fireflies. The twist was something I did not see coming and it was definitely a surprise - I stared in shock for a good amount of time. I would definitely recommend this book to any true romance lovers out there.

Wow, this was sad! I went into this book only reading the description, and I really enjoyed it. I'm always a little nervous about books that label themselves as a 'tragedy,' but this book certainly earned that title.

I'm unfamiliar with Chinese politics and their history, but I never felt lost while reading this and was able to figure out the basic structure of the court. I loved getting to learn more about everything and had fun learning all the terms and what they meant.

The romance is where I got a little mixed up in everything. I would have better enjoyed focusing more on the politics, but I feel like once the romance becomes apparent, that becomes more of the story's focus. This might have been a personal preference in my case because I'm sure others would devour this aspect. I always had a looming sense of dread hanging over my head when it came to the romance elements and it took me out of focus.

The main characters were well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed Qu Xiaofeng! The ending wasn't my favorite, but it does make sense in the grand scheme of things. Overall, I did enjoy this book and found it very interesting. My only recommendation is to have a box of tissues on standby.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love this with my whole heart, and it continues to stab me repeatedly the more I read.

This story is one you've heard before. It has a prince and princess, and a royal court where lies and betrayal rule above all. Being in a position of power is a treacherous thing, and being princess consort in a foreign kingdom is a death sentence.

Qu Xiaofeng is married to crown prince Li Chengyin and she doesn't love him. QXF not loving LCY is exactly why I love her. Reading about her actions and reactions to LCY's behaviour was so entertaining. To not fall at the feet of the crown prince is snubbing him in the most enjoyable ways for me. QXF is also a main character that has more than just romance on her mind. Even when the romance seems to take ahold in her, it doesn't deter her from her goals, from her being princess consort of a foreign kingdom. She remembers who she is.

Their romantic shift is not so subtle and yet, I couldn't tell you exactly what it was that flipped the switch. I usually dislike when the change is so abrupt and obvious, but with LCY's actions, I found myself digging my grave deeper, faster.

The politics of the novel aren't hard to grasp and neither are they convoluted; I think it's pretty straight forward even if you have no prior knowledge of how the court works. Even though I prefer more intricate plots when it comes to court politics, this was still engaging. There were moments of suspense that had me reading like my next breath depended on it.

This is not my first Chinese novel with court politics, but I do appreciate the notes at the beginning, and the footnotes about some of the lines' origins.

Even though I wanted more out of the side stories, I understand why the main story did not delve further into an epilogue. I'm still crying real tears though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC!

Although I am no stranger to ARCs or book reviews, Goodbye, My Princess by Fei Wo Si Cun is the first ARC that I completed for my new account on NetGalley. I had no idea what to expect from this one. It is an English translation of a Chinese story, so I was hoping for some fun Chinese mythology revolving around immortals and spirits in the vein of Ashes of Love or Love Between Fairy and Devil. This book contained very little of that lore, and the characters are quite human. There was one supernatural element, but it was more dark and depressing than fantastical. For those who enjoy Chinese dramas, it looks like there was a 2019 TV series inspired by the book. Overall, this book is a cautionary tale about trust and sacrifice.

The first thing that threw me off about this book is that it is published by Simon & Schuster's Children's Publishing, which led me to believe that it would be a quick and easy read. It is neither of those things. Although there are no explicit scenes, I do not think this book is appropriate for children due to the complexity and maturity of the content, which includes elements like forced abortion, innuendo, and assassination attempts. I even hesitate to say it's appropriate for a high school audience. Goodbye, My Princess is quite long and difficult to get through. Most of its chapters stretch over 50 pages, which makes it hard to find a stopping point or catch up across multiple devices. Although the translation is accurate, the story is told out of order, and it is not always clear what point in time is being narrated, which left me scratching my head trying to put the pieces together.
Qu Xiaofeng is a princess trapped in a loveless marriage alliance with a prince named Li Chengyin. The book does not follow the current fantasy trope of postmarital love and instead leans toward infidelity. The book references Chengyin's concubines and two potential love interests for Xiaofeng outside of her marriage, but neither of those relationships go in a romantic direction. The most interesting character in the book is A'du, Xiaofeng's mute bodyguard and best friend who would give up her life for the princess in a heartbeat. Xiaofeng is every bit as protective of A'du as A'du is of her. Their relationship was the strongest and most interesting in the book even though it was not based on romance.

Although this book is not poorly written, I had a hard time following it. There were so many isolated events that I kept scratching my head trying to determine the main plot. Maybe someone smarter than me would have an easier time enjoying it, or maybe it helps to watch the drama series it inspired before diving into the book. The main character is missing some of her memories, which contributes to some of the confusion and causes it to read a little like the movie Memento, which was also told out of order. Once I figured that out, it became easier to follow, but I still found it hard to grasp the main theme. It appears to be a dramatization of a toxic relationship between a prince and a princess along the lines of Frozen.

Goodbye, My Princess by Fei Wo Si Cun is a complex and challenging read that defies expectations. Despite its publication under a children's imprint, this book tackles mature themes and features a non-linear narrative that demands close attention. While the story's exploration of toxic relationships and the bond between Qu Xiaofeng and her bodyguard A'du are compelling, the book's convoluted structure and isolated events may deter some readers. Ultimately, Goodbye, My Princess is a book that requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to piece together its fragmented narrative.

4.5 ⭐️

This book is tragic and heartbreaking but also, so beautifully written. It did a good job with showing how some monsters are made. The romance in this book is more hurt than anything else. The palace in this book was such a cruel place, everyone was against the main character, Xiaofeng had so much against her and it only got worse.

The romance was far from kind, filled with power games and no trust. One character using the other, playing games and hurting those involved even though in some twisted, messed up way, this character did love the other.

While I don’t know much about Chinese customs or the monarchy mentioned in this book, it didn’t make a difference, this was such a good read even with how sad it was. I will say while it was nicely structured and each part of the book was broken up well I didn’t care for how long the chapters were.

Plot: 8/10
Pace: 6/10
Ending: 5/10
Characters: 8/10
Enjoyability: 7/10
Writing Style: 5/10
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character: Qu Xiaofeng

Favorite Quote: ❝I thought then that I would never forget that night, with its thousands of fireflies, the way they circled us, fluttering into the distance to break up the dark.❞