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triannamn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- 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
ardennnn's review against another edition
2.0
I was so surprised to see how much positive feedback this book got. I enjoyed the darkness and twisted ending but that’s about it. The world building is bad. The pace is too fast I think, if Kuang had slowed down to really focus on building a believable world it would’ve been better. There were also so many unclear plot points and poor characters. If Jiang unleashed the monsters, why wasn’t it terrible like he had warned Rin it would be? It was just skipped over and never followed up. I was fed up with this by the end and debated not finishing it because I couldn’t enjoy how random things seemed to be put together in the story.
ivysinconsistentreads's review against another edition
5.0
this book broke me, especially the second half. rf kuang did a good job of being able to integrate fantasy into historical events and this book has made me a fan of her writing. i'm looking forward to reading the dragon republic next.
dobando_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
quackers's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
anyamaniyath's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
gillygild2342's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I enjoyed this and found myself questioning if I should like Rin. I admire her tenacity and loyalty but some of her actions were downright evil. I want to know if Altan’s fate truly is how it was depicted. Will they hunt down Feylen? Will Kitay stick around? I hope we find out more about the empress and the trifecta. How did the empress gain power? Will we learn anything more about Rin’s biological family?
guedilleopoulet's review against another edition
5.0
I’m so glad I decided to read this. Thanks again to my friend for gifting me this book!
It was very dark and it made question some things. The characters are for the most part all very morally grey. The MC is definitely closer to the bad side than the good side. Because that’s what it is about vilains, they too think they are doing the right thing when they act, they consider themselves vilains. This is a story where there are no good or bad sides. It’s a story about war, where there are no winners.
My favourite characters in this book were: Jiang, Kitay, the Seer and Nezha.
I liked Rin’s character at first, and I still like her now. But I am not supporting her in what she intends to do next. I support Jiang’s good intentions, Kitay’s heart, Nezha’s growth and the Seer’s values. I do not support Rin’s revenge and the actions she did at the end of the book. But fuck this was a good read, although heavy
It was very dark and it made question some things. The characters are for the most part all very morally grey. The MC is definitely closer to the bad side than the good side. Because that’s what it is about vilains, they too think they are doing the right thing when they act, they consider themselves vilains. This is a story where there are no good or bad sides. It’s a story about war, where there are no winners.
My favourite characters in this book were: Jiang, Kitay, the Seer and Nezha.
I liked Rin’s character at first, and I still like her now. But I am not supporting her in what she intends to do next. I support Jiang’s good intentions, Kitay’s heart, Nezha’s growth and the Seer’s values. I do not support Rin’s revenge and the actions she did at the end of the book. But fuck this was a good read, although heavy