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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
belsbookramblings's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Death of parent, and Trafficking
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Colonisation and Genocide
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
elee2013's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
And the ending was oddly drawn out… and then everything all at once! And then the book is over! Artificial suspense with no falling action. For all the explaining the book does (I do think it came across a bit heavy handed) we get to the end and there’s no reflection whatsoever.
It’s disappointing because so much of the rest of the book is so good!! The “magic”, the steampunk, the colonialism, the hints at the upcoming conflict with Nazi-ish standins (don’t think I didn’t notice the Mengele reference), the medical mystery Nhika is working to solve in the first half. Awesome start! But it lost me in the final act. I won’t be continuing with the series.
Moderate: Medical trauma, Grief, Violence, Gun violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Medical content, Animal death, and Colonisation
natashaleighton_'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
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Murder, Racism, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Animal death, and War