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tbuoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Gore, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
author2223's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Medical trauma, and Medical content
Moderate: Body horror, Colonisation, and Trafficking
Minor: Genocide
tinysierra's review
- Beautiful cover
- Slow/mid paced
- Healing/Medical related powers
- Themes of colonization
Graphic: Death of parent, Colonisation, Animal death, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Cannibalism
booknerdery's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Colonisation, Child death, Body horror, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Gore, and Gun violence
Moderate: Animal death and Cancer
betweentheshelves's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The characters were also really well done. Nhika is such a complicated main character, as are the Congmis and Kochin. Just when you think you might have the plot figured out, Le throws a wrench into things. It hooked me until the end, and I can't wait to read the next one!
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, and Medical content
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Cannibalism
prairy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Medical content
linhsreadinghour's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I loved this, the representation and worldbuilding was so easy to understand. It was great to see my culture represented in a fantasy world, I loved it. Very apt homage to Vietnamese culture in so many ways.
Inspired by Vietnamese culture, this book has such a unique medical/biological magic system, murder mystery, tension and small romance subplot. It’s underpinned by themes of continuing one’s family legacy and identity.
I enjoyed this so much, a great YA fantasy novel. I was gripped and intrigued throughout the story. Need the second book soon because cliffhanger is HANGING 😫
Check TW warnings though, lots of medical content - if you’re squeamish, take care reading this!
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Medical content, Child death, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Murder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Colonisation, and Grief
mikasana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This originally felt like a fantasy novel but it soon quickly became more of a murder mystery with elements of fantasy set in an old timey city where horses were still occasionally used to pull carriages.
My only main grievances were the romance and the engagement towards the end. The beginning sucks you in so well and you lose a lot of steam in the middle and end. It’s still great, but it could have been so much more if that same momentum kept going or even built up. The romance was very underwhelming. Yes there were some hints that something was blooming but when it did happen it felt like it came out of left field. It felt off.
The story as a whole was as wonderful as it felt it was a dedication. A love letter written not only to culture and family but to the healers of the world and to the commitment they vow to life itself.
And that ending??? Ohhh man. There’s that momentum again. I look forward to the final installment.
Graphic: Medical content, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Trafficking, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Torture, Death of parent, Grief, and Drug abuse
runealin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Classism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, and Cannibalism
roseleebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The plot is part mystery/thriller, part medical drama in a fantasy setting and I am impressed by how well it all worked in this book. Kochin also was a great counter to Nhika. Their relationship does seem to develop and change very quickly, I was wishing there were more interactions between the two of them.
I would love to read another book in this world. The ending was phenomenal and the characters well developed. A great read!
Graphic: Car accident, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Murder, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Genocide, and Gun violence