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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
This is between 4 and 5 stars for me (if 5 stars is an all-time favorite, life-changing read) but because I enjoyed so much of the story and it's characters, I'm rounding up.
Before I get into the spoilery details of what I liked about the plot, I just want to talk about the writing style itself. I absolutely LOVED it. The first sentence in the book ("Dimangan heard his name, and came when he was called") takes on a whole new meaning later on, and while that gave me a moment's pause of "oh, I see what you did there", of seeing the scaffolding supporting the emotional response, I deeply appreciated the cleverness. It's an amazing first line. And throughout the book I found myself charmed by the subtle ways the prose and mental comparisons changed depending on whose POV it was. The principle of describing a scene from a character's POV in accordance with the things they'd pick up on has never been truer. It contributed a lot on a sentence-level to making them feel like real people.
Oh, and by the way -- VERY inclusive, featuring multiple LGBTQ+ characters in the most thoughtful, least stereotypical way possible. Love to see that on Pride month.
On that note, I also appreciated that Jimuro and Tala didn't quite end up together. Too often, trauma like Tala has experienced is brushed aside and fixed by the magical power of love conquers all, but not here. Whether they eventually wind up together or not, healing has to come first. I think that's the common thread I deeply appreciated about both romances, the idea that romance can't overwrite every problem and lingering hurt, and time and patience are also precious parts of it. I teared up with that last scene between Jimuro and Tala.
Forgiveness and perspective are big themes in this, as well as, quite obviously, colonialism and imperialism. Lee was a true gem when it came to this, refusing to take the role of consoling the dominant party in the conflict when Xiulan slipped into supremacist horror being confronted with the consequences of the Shang occupation.
Plot-wise, I really enjoyed it, and the magic system definitely feels like the lovechild of ATLA and Pokémon as the blurb states. I thought at first the four POV (five counting Dimangan's chapters) may have bogged down the pace, but it had the opposite effect: by switching to the POV that was most central to the action at each given time, the narrative always felt lively and urgent. It took some time to build that pace, but once it hit its stride about a quarter of the way in, it was impossible to put it down. And although there are definitely some loose ends left, such as Kurihara's ambitions for more violence in the name of patriotism, it felt like a self-contained story, which I appreciate because my reading list is out of control. That said, I will definitely pick up any future books by this author, because I always need more thoughtful, creative, inclusive fantasy like this.
Before I get into the spoilery details of what I liked about the plot, I just want to talk about the writing style itself. I absolutely LOVED it. The first sentence in the book ("Dimangan heard his name, and came when he was called") takes on a whole new meaning later on, and while that gave me a moment's pause of "oh, I see what you did there", of seeing the scaffolding supporting the emotional response, I deeply appreciated the cleverness. It's an amazing first line. And throughout the book I found myself charmed by the subtle ways the prose and mental comparisons changed depending on whose POV it was. The principle of describing a scene from a character's POV in accordance with the things they'd pick up on has never been truer. It contributed a lot on a sentence-level to making them feel like real people.
Oh, and by the way -- VERY inclusive, featuring multiple LGBTQ+ characters in the most thoughtful, least stereotypical way possible. Love to see that on Pride month.
Spoiler
When I read the Goodreads blurb introducing all four characters, I was ready to fall in love with Lee, because she ticked all of my boxes. But then, Xiulan happened. Lonely royal kid taking refuge in detective novels and trying to model herself after their hero to compensate for a huge inferiority complex, diving headfirst after a life that she only feels that she should want? Finally, some good fucking food! This is not to say I didn't love Lee, because I absolutely did, and I was very pleased with the way their romance developed and how they had to at least start working on their issues before they could truly come together.On that note, I also appreciated that Jimuro and Tala didn't quite end up together. Too often, trauma like Tala has experienced is brushed aside and fixed by the magical power of love conquers all, but not here. Whether they eventually wind up together or not, healing has to come first. I think that's the common thread I deeply appreciated about both romances, the idea that romance can't overwrite every problem and lingering hurt, and time and patience are also precious parts of it. I teared up with that last scene between Jimuro and Tala.
Forgiveness and perspective are big themes in this, as well as, quite obviously, colonialism and imperialism. Lee was a true gem when it came to this, refusing to take the role of consoling the dominant party in the conflict when Xiulan slipped into supremacist horror being confronted with the consequences of the Shang occupation.
Plot-wise, I really enjoyed it, and the magic system definitely feels like the lovechild of ATLA and Pokémon as the blurb states. I thought at first the four POV (five counting Dimangan's chapters) may have bogged down the pace, but it had the opposite effect: by switching to the POV that was most central to the action at each given time, the narrative always felt lively and urgent. It took some time to build that pace, but once it hit its stride about a quarter of the way in, it was impossible to put it down. And although there are definitely some loose ends left, such as Kurihara's ambitions for more violence in the name of patriotism, it felt like a self-contained story, which I appreciate because my reading list is out of control. That said, I will definitely pick up any future books by this author, because I always need more thoughtful, creative, inclusive fantasy like this.
Too visually detailed for me, doesn't mix well with aphantasia.
This book kept me up until four in the morning reading, I couldn't put it down. It was so well plotted. The characters were great, I loved the world-building, and it ended satisfyingly.
I agree that if you like ATLA you'll like this, but I wouldn't compare this to Avatar. They're very different stories within the medieval Asian inspired fantasy / aftermath of a great war genres.
It took me a bit to get into it but honestly all my complaints (the writing style is a bit simplistic and feels more suited for YA, there's a lot of cursing which I never love, and I felt the Tala & Jimuro chapters were significantly stronger than the Lee & Xiulan chapters) evaporated by the end. The last two thirds of this book were so good and I will forgive most things if an author manages to really stick the landing.
I was a also a bit surprised when I realized the author was a man, just because the women were so well written. I never once had a 'this was clearly written by a straight dude' moment the way I do in other multi-POV books.
This book gets my highest compliment: I got it from the library, and I liked it so much I went out and bought a copy after reading.
I agree that if you like ATLA you'll like this, but I wouldn't compare this to Avatar. They're very different stories within the medieval Asian inspired fantasy / aftermath of a great war genres.
It took me a bit to get into it but honestly all my complaints (the writing style is a bit simplistic and feels more suited for YA, there's a lot of cursing which I never love, and I felt the Tala & Jimuro chapters were significantly stronger than the Lee & Xiulan chapters) evaporated by the end. The last two thirds of this book were so good and I will forgive most things if an author manages to really stick the landing.
I was a also a bit surprised when I realized the author was a man, just because the women were so well written. I never once had a 'this was clearly written by a straight dude' moment the way I do in other multi-POV books.
This book gets my highest compliment: I got it from the library, and I liked it so much I went out and bought a copy after reading.
At first I really struggled to keep reading this book - not because it was bad, but because mentally I couldn’t quite connect and that was reflection of me and the world right now. I tried twice and was about to put aside for later (definitely not a dnf!) when a friend mentioned reading it on audio. So I thought I’d try that, and I’m really glad I did.
While it does take a while to get going, I loved the characters throughout, and especially liked how the relationships progressed through the story. Nothing is simple and clear cut, and there is insta-like but time is needed for feelings to develop.
You also get a beautifully complicated political world, from Xiulan and her family, to the iron prince and his throne. Jimuro really grew on me, and at the end he is really strong despite wavering in places through the book. I loved Lee, and her history and her flirting. Tala (and Mang!) is fantastic and probably goes through the most - certainly her storyline made me full on sob at one point. And Xiulan is probably my favourite, just for her reliance on her detective stories and her formalities. I loved them.
I also loved that there were multiple magic systems in place, and it was an evolving world - certainly seeing that start to happen politically was incredibly satisfying.
This sits brilliantly on its own, and it’s so satisfying to jump into a stand-alone novel that is as well done as this one. While I’d love to read more snippets from this universe, I think the ending perfectly wraps everything up while leaving enough room for hope and the future. An easy 4.5 star read.
While it does take a while to get going, I loved the characters throughout, and especially liked how the relationships progressed through the story. Nothing is simple and clear cut, and there is insta-like but time is needed for feelings to develop.
You also get a beautifully complicated political world, from Xiulan and her family, to the iron prince and his throne. Jimuro really grew on me, and at the end he is really strong despite wavering in places through the book. I loved Lee, and her history and her flirting. Tala (and Mang!) is fantastic and probably goes through the most - certainly her storyline made me full on sob at one point. And Xiulan is probably my favourite, just for her reliance on her detective stories and her formalities. I loved them.
I also loved that there were multiple magic systems in place, and it was an evolving world - certainly seeing that start to happen politically was incredibly satisfying.
This sits brilliantly on its own, and it’s so satisfying to jump into a stand-alone novel that is as well done as this one. While I’d love to read more snippets from this universe, I think the ending perfectly wraps everything up while leaving enough room for hope and the future. An easy 4.5 star read.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If I could sum this book up in one sentence, it would be A novel that shows what truly happens after the war has ended.
I was given the opportunity to provide my honest review on this post-war fantasy novel. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for giving me a copy to read.
Okay, this book starts off pretty slow as we follow Lee and Tala, who are two very different people with different morals and background. Then it starts to pick up when we meet Jimuro and Xiulan a princess who is nerdy and curious. Lee is a thief awaiting execution, Xiulan is an Inspector looking for Steel Prince, Jimuro is a prince who the entire world wants dead, and last but not least, Tala is a special forces soldier. All three are victims of the war and have different outlooks on one another's countries. The first thing I thought while I was reading from Tala's perspective, was that she reminds me of an anime character in specific scenes. She reminds me of Edward The Full Metal Alchemist" Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. Tala's character with a very touching connection to family and military prowess makes her the character you look forward to reading about. Out of all of them, she is my second favorite. While Lee is very straightforward, morally grey character, you can not help but love. She is the comic relief within the story and gives that outside looking in perspective in scenes that are slow and dark. These four individuals are living in a post-war society where they are trying to come back after the war with the Iron Lords has come to an end.
The story pacing has some slow parts and parts that are a bit too drawn out. The multi-perspectives in one chapter were confusing towards the end. However, overall, the politics and historical back story made me invest emotionally with story, plot, and characters. The magic system using pact systems as a method for magic is explained and presented in evenly paced scenes. Lee is hilarious, Tala is stubborn, Xiulan is wonderfully naive, and Jimuro is prejudice, but the character arc for each character was outstanding! The ending was terrific, and I think everyone should read this book. My favorite scene, by far is the rooster scene!!
I was given the opportunity to provide my honest review on this post-war fantasy novel. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for giving me a copy to read.
Okay, this book starts off pretty slow as we follow Lee and Tala, who are two very different people with different morals and background. Then it starts to pick up when we meet Jimuro and Xiulan a princess who is nerdy and curious. Lee is a thief awaiting execution, Xiulan is an Inspector looking for Steel Prince, Jimuro is a prince who the entire world wants dead, and last but not least, Tala is a special forces soldier. All three are victims of the war and have different outlooks on one another's countries. The first thing I thought while I was reading from Tala's perspective, was that she reminds me of an anime character in specific scenes. She reminds me of Edward The Full Metal Alchemist" Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. Tala's character with a very touching connection to family and military prowess makes her the character you look forward to reading about. Out of all of them, she is my second favorite. While Lee is very straightforward, morally grey character, you can not help but love. She is the comic relief within the story and gives that outside looking in perspective in scenes that are slow and dark. These four individuals are living in a post-war society where they are trying to come back after the war with the Iron Lords has come to an end.
The story pacing has some slow parts and parts that are a bit too drawn out. The multi-perspectives in one chapter were confusing towards the end. However, overall, the politics and historical back story made me invest emotionally with story, plot, and characters. The magic system using pact systems as a method for magic is explained and presented in evenly paced scenes. Lee is hilarious, Tala is stubborn, Xiulan is wonderfully naive, and Jimuro is prejudice, but the character arc for each character was outstanding! The ending was terrific, and I think everyone should read this book. My favorite scene, by far is the rooster scene!!
If I could sum this book up in one sentence, it would be A novel that shows what truly happens after the war has ended.
I was given the opportunity to provide my honest review on this post-war fantasy novel. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for giving me a copy to read.
Okay, this book starts off pretty slow as we follow Lee and Tala, who are two very different people with different morals and background. Then it starts to pick up when we meet Jimuro and Xiulan a princess who is nerdy and curious. Lee is a thief awaiting execution, Xiulan is an Inspector looking for Steel Prince, Jimuro is a prince who the entire world wants dead, and last but not least, Tala is a special forces soldier. All three are victims of the war and have different outlooks on one another's countries. The first thing I thought while I was reading from Tala's perspective, was that she reminds me of an anime character in specific scenes. She reminds me of Edward The Full Metal Alchemist" Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. Tala's character with a very touching connection to family and military prowess makes her the character you look forward to reading about. Out of all of them, she is my second favorite. While Lee is very straightforward, morally grey character, you can not help but love. She is the comic relief within the story and gives that outside looking in perspective in scenes that are slow and dark. These four individuals are living in a post-war society where they are trying to come back after the war with the Iron Lords has come to an end.
The story pacing has some slow parts and parts that are a bit too drawn out. The multi-perspectives in one chapter were confusing towards the end. However, overall, the politics and historical back story made me invest emotionally with story, plot, and characters. The magic system using pact systems as a method for magic is explained and presented in evenly paced scenes. Lee is hilarious, Tala is stubborn, Xiulan is wonderfully naive, and Jimuro is prejudice, but the character arc for each character was outstanding! The ending was terrific, and I think everyone should read this book. My favorite scene, by far is the rooster scene!!
I was given the opportunity to provide my honest review on this post-war fantasy novel. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for giving me a copy to read.
Okay, this book starts off pretty slow as we follow Lee and Tala, who are two very different people with different morals and background. Then it starts to pick up when we meet Jimuro and Xiulan a princess who is nerdy and curious. Lee is a thief awaiting execution, Xiulan is an Inspector looking for Steel Prince, Jimuro is a prince who the entire world wants dead, and last but not least, Tala is a special forces soldier. All three are victims of the war and have different outlooks on one another's countries. The first thing I thought while I was reading from Tala's perspective, was that she reminds me of an anime character in specific scenes. She reminds me of Edward The Full Metal Alchemist" Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. Tala's character with a very touching connection to family and military prowess makes her the character you look forward to reading about. Out of all of them, she is my second favorite. While Lee is very straightforward, morally grey character, you can not help but love. She is the comic relief within the story and gives that outside looking in perspective in scenes that are slow and dark. These four individuals are living in a post-war society where they are trying to come back after the war with the Iron Lords has come to an end.
The story pacing has some slow parts and parts that are a bit too drawn out. The multi-perspectives in one chapter were confusing towards the end. However, overall, the politics and historical back story made me invest emotionally with story, plot, and characters. The magic system using pact systems as a method for magic is explained and presented in evenly paced scenes. Lee is hilarious, Tala is stubborn, Xiulan is wonderfully naive, and Jimuro is prejudice, but the character arc for each character was outstanding! The ending was terrific, and I think everyone should read this book. My favorite scene, by far is the rooster scene!!
queer characters! siblings! anti-colonial POV! dogs! need I say more?
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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