Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Dawn of Yangchen

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Dawn of Yangchen by F.C. Yee

8 reviews

c_dmckinney's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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? Yes

4.75

I would have given it a 5 ⭐ rating because it was a really fun read but I am intensely BOTHERED by a one-off reference to Yangchen befriending a Water Tribe chief's pettsme one polar bear dog when Avatar Korra is supposed to be the first person to ever take one. I realize this is an extremely petty issue, but I must stand on this petty hill.

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twistedflower2357's review

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adventurous emotional tense

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

(Just want to note that I haven’t read the Kyoshi books yet.)

I was really impressed with this book and I honestly think it’s the best Avatar-related media to come out since the original cartoon. The written medium lets us dig even deeper into the worldbuilding and the constant spying around that our characters do lends itself very well to the political intrigue aspect of the story. FC Yee has a lovely writing style, rich with in-universe idioms and simple-but-poignant description. Overall this is a really fun and worthwhile addition to the Avatar universe.

The two main characters, Yangchen and Kavik, are the book’s greatest strength. They’re both quite beautifully written, and even though they only have a few scenes together to really bond, the trust that grows between the two feels very believable and compelling (

making it all the more deliciously sad when Kavik ends up betraying her

). Yangchen’s characterization especially is amazing, building expertly off the very little we know of her from the show while also bringing a lot more to the table. The high reputation of the previous Avatar, Szeto, looms heavy over every decision Yangchen makes. She feels genuinely so intelligent and cunning while still having realistic moments of youthful impatience and impulsivity, which can be a difficult balance to strike. She serves as a really compelling contrast to Aang, as an Airbender Avatar who doesn’t have to be the LAST Airbender, and thus has more liberty to bend the rules and explore less noble solutions to her problems. Yangchen has so many great moments of emotionality in this book, but none so impactful as her rage, an explosive frustration at being placated and undermined. The core of her character is that she “chooses” to use underhanded methods, but

the truth is that her choice wasn’t to play or not play the game: it was a choice between fighting back or lying down and taking it. Subterfuge has always been a part of her life, even before she chose to engage in it herself.

One small issue I had with the book was that the story felt a little decentralized—it takes a while to get started and is interrupted in the middle to address some of the background introduced the Gene Yang comics. This detour is undeniably one of the most emotionally powerful parts of the book, but in the context of the rest of the story, it comes out of nowhere. There are also some moments where events are told out of order and story beats are withheld from the audience until later. This isn’t necessarily bad, but I think it detracts from a certain character beat near the end.

I felt like Jujinta was left to the wayside as the defining part of his arc (siding with the Avatar) was relegated to a quick flashback. Later, Kavik claims that tricking Jujinta was one of the most horrible things he’s done, but this idea holds little weight because we never actually saw it happen. I think the non-linear structure of the narrative, in this case, weakens both their arcs.

Regardless, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Avatar spin-off content. It accomplishes everything you might want in a prequel spin-off and then some, and Yangchen’s compassion and surprising methodology is guaranteed to draw you in. I’ve already got the next book and I’m excited to read it.

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haleybre's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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doodeedoda's review

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adventurous mysterious 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

3.25

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scarlettskyes's review

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adventurous challenging mysterious 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

4.5

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reclusivebookslug's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I usually don't start reading a series I know is unfinished, but I love these books so much I had to make an exception. There are a lot of loose ends for the second Yangchen book to play with and I'm excited to see how everything turns out. I'm especially interested to hear more about Yangchen's unusual connection to her past lives, which seens analogous to some kind of neurological or psychological condition. You'd think all these Avatar reincarnations would be similar enough that it would feel repetitive, but the opposite is true. Another great feature of the writing in this book and the Kyoshi books is how they manage to hold suspense and weight even though you more or less know how things turn out, based on their depictions in other Avatar works.

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toffishay's review

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adventurous emotional 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

3.5

I was sadly disappointed by this book! I loved the first two books in the Chronicles of the Avatar series, so I went in to this with high expectations. <SPOILER> There is way too much Kavik in this book, like it starts with him and so much of the drama and the action is tied to him, that I think you could easily forget that this is Yangchen's story. I really wanted to see more of her. They reference her battle with Old Iron and I know that this battle is already an established piece of ATLA lore, so I maybe get why they didn't tell that story, but I would have liked to see it lol! I think what I ultimately enjoyed about this story is what I enjoy about the world of ATLA, the struggle of a young Avatar trying to come into their own and fighting against the bonds of a world that wants to shape them to their own needs. That story has just been told better and in a more flushed out way by the other Avatar's who we have gotten to know...<END SPOILER> The writing is still well-done and I did not feel lost in the story, although at times, I felt that my hand was being held a bit too much.

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theuncannydani's review

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Still a nice look into the world of ATLA, it is more stale than The Rise of Kyoshi and The Shadow of Kyoshi. Don't look for layered side characters or a well-rounded storyline in this third installment of the ATLA novels. So far the only promise this era has is deepening for the Kyoshi books.

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