Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

The fantasy elements were strong, but the whole Zhongese - Asian - and pseudo African nations made me think the world was set up to exploit other cultures.   Let me explain, instead of using China or Japan, where one could call into question whether or not the author has researched properly, instead they have Zhong: faux Asia, where one can cut corners.   If things are different?   Well, duh, it's Zhong, not actually part of Asia!  

It seems slick, although once I thought about it, it felt like appropriation - or like an excuse for appropriation if any came into play - while that excuse felt... lazy.   (Note, I didn't see any appropriation, but I don't know enough about Asian and African culture to actually say.   This however seems to backup my point.   Because I don't know, it's easier to exploit that ignorance of cultural details, and even claim it doesn't matter because I know.)

Now, if the world building had called for these differences, if they made it clear that they needed a Western/Eastern fusion, and that the story wouldn't work without this, then I would have expected the author to be knowledgable in both, and for that reason to become clear at some point. 

It didn't.   It still feels odd that the word is so similar to ours, and yet not be ours.   Why?   I asked this question all throughout the story.   Which is a shame.  I liked the characters, I really liked the way the animal spirits were set up, and it was action packed. 

I liked it more than I disliked and am eyeing the e-book version of the second book.   So three stars seemed fair to balance out my enjoyment versus my issues with the world building.