Scan barcode
kultumirjam's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Tämä koukutti heti! Pitkäkangas loi upean maailman, joka selvästi on tarkkaan mietitty ja taustoitettu – maailman luominen oli tosin joskus ihan himpun teennäistä. Tarina junnasi ajoittain vähän paikoillaan loppua kohden ja minun makuuni tarpeettoman väkivaltainen ja raakuudet turhan yksityiskohtaisesti kuvailtu. Kurjuudet alkoivat puuduttaa ja jopa ahdistaa. Kokonaisuudessaan kuitenkin mukaansatempaava ja tuoreen tuntuinen tarina, joka jäi kiinnostavalla tavalla auki.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Trafficking
heispa's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, and Blood
heisiiri's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-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? Yes
3.0
There's a lot to love about Sang. It has fantastic storytelling, and I enjoyed the writing style. The world it showcases is a fascinating mix between sci-fi dystopia and fantasy elements. The characters are very believable and flawed in a good way. Also, when it makes sense for the story, I love to see queer romances in settings where homophobia isn't one of the issues that the couple faces, and we get different kinds of conflict instead. This book does that.
However, as I progressed through the novel, it started to annoy me that the main character felt so passive in the story. He didn't go after what he wanted, he was just tossed around in the narrative by other people. This book doesn't really have a traditional adventure story structure or any sort of quest. Plot twist after plot twist threw the main character into new situations, but his own choices rarely drove the story. Yes, there are some moments where he makes huge decisions, but if anything, they just felt jarring and out of character for a boy who spent most of the story being very passive and simply experiencing events dictated by other people. I would perhaps enjoy reading about a protagonist like this in some contemporary fiction novel, but I did not find him to be a compelling fantasy protagonist.
This book is very sad and very violent. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something to take into consideration. It seems like whenever there's a happy scene, something very quickly goes wrong, and the overwhelming tone of suffering and melancholy takes over again. I like my fantasy and sci-fi stories more when they're emotional rollercoasters where you get a bit of everything.
However, as I progressed through the novel, it started to annoy me that the main character felt so passive in the story. He didn't go after what he wanted, he was just tossed around in the narrative by other people. This book doesn't really have a traditional adventure story structure or any sort of quest. Plot twist after plot twist threw the main character into new situations, but his own choices rarely drove the story. Yes, there are some moments where he makes huge decisions, but if anything, they just felt jarring and out of character for a boy who spent most of the story being very passive and simply experiencing events dictated by other people. I would perhaps enjoy reading about a protagonist like this in some contemporary fiction novel, but I did not find him to be a compelling fantasy protagonist.
This book is very sad and very violent. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something to take into consideration. It seems like whenever there's a happy scene, something very quickly goes wrong, and the overwhelming tone of suffering and melancholy takes over again. I like my fantasy and sci-fi stories more when they're emotional rollercoasters where you get a bit of everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Violence
Moderate: Animal death and Death of parent
ok7a's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, and Xenophobia
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and War
anni_swanilda's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Drug use and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, and War
sivujenhavinaa's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Violence
fairylibrary's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, and Blood
vike's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
allyexandra's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, and Gaslighting
elsary's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Full disclosure: this is a work book, but that does not take awya how much I simply LOVE the world of Sang. It's incredible.
I have recently realised that I love YA books enough to name them as one of my favourite genres, though if asked why, I couldn't give you a clear answer. maybe it's the fact that they often have relatable characters, or a gripping plot which keeps you engaged, or questions about good and bad - but increasingly with blurred lines and grayness. Sang has all of these, and also something more special. Something that comes through in every page and every line, something that makes the world of Fusang so alive and vivid, something that made me laugh and gasp and scream in agony.
A special mention for the queer rep - as I voiced it in a teams message sent to a colleague: "it's written perfectly in the way that like, it's definitely queer, but there's more to it too, but at the same time it's a story where you couldn't take the queerness away. I mean as a queer person myself I think it's important to have those stories that only revolve around the queerness because it's such a big part of you and those stories help figure out stuff, but just as important it is to have stories where the queerness is a big part of the story but not the only one. Like it's a fantasy adventure scifi story with queer characters, not a queer story with fantasy and scifi action if that makes sense?"
Absolutely one of the best books I've read this year.
I have recently realised that I love YA books enough to name them as one of my favourite genres, though if asked why, I couldn't give you a clear answer. maybe it's the fact that they often have relatable characters, or a gripping plot which keeps you engaged, or questions about good and bad - but increasingly with blurred lines and grayness. Sang has all of these, and also something more special. Something that comes through in every page and every line, something that makes the world of Fusang so alive and vivid, something that made me laugh and gasp and scream in agony.
A special mention for the queer rep - as I voiced it in a teams message sent to a colleague: "it's written perfectly in the way that like, it's definitely queer, but there's more to it too, but at the same time it's a story where you couldn't take the queerness away. I mean as a queer person myself I think it's important to have those stories that only revolve around the queerness because it's such a big part of you and those stories help figure out stuff, but just as important it is to have stories where the queerness is a big part of the story but not the only one. Like it's a fantasy adventure scifi story with queer characters, not a queer story with fantasy and scifi action if that makes sense?"
Absolutely one of the best books I've read this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence