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legs_n_chins's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think I’m just not a fan of war stories lol. Through most of the middle sections I found myself less absorbed than the beginning, and I thought it was a little meandering at times. Ironically, as I’ve just said that I don’t like war stories, I thought the battle scenes were really strong. Chen does a fantastic job laying out just how bloody battles are and describing the chaos and fear on a battlefield. The atmosphere she’s able to create is very effective in these parts. But beyond that, I struggled to decide what I did or did not really like about the book.
What struck me most was the final meeting with Joan, the Queen, and Yolande. This is where I really felt the roots of feminism in the story, when they were saying that Joan had so much further to fall. That she’s been reduced back to a woman and that’s all. Joan really reconciling that the stakes have always been so much higher for her. The last part of the book was probably the strongest for me because I did find it more interesting when Joan faced defeat and those interpersonal and existential conflicts. It was great when she won, when we celebrated with her and saw her getting deserved praise, but I ended up feeling just slightly more detached from her then. Maybe because Joan wasn’t meant to be in court like that and Chen really effectively conveyed that between the lines. Or maybe just because I like seeing the characters I love suffer a little.
I did waver around those parts with the feeling of “strong female character can punch good.” When Joan grew and was demonstratively good with weapons with little training. I was perfectly willing to suspend disbelief, I did want to see her succeed in these things and I was pretty thrilled when she loosed that first arrow, but it was dulled by, admittedly, my own cynicism. I understand why Chen had Joan be this physically imposing person and the ways she reflected masculinity in her dress and company, and I don’t think this falls under the trope of making a strong female character only physically strong ultimately. It’s just what was on my mind, which dampened some of my enjoyment.
I did like Joan overall, and she made for a very good protagonist. The voice Chen chose for her felt absolutely spot on and I liked her being a strategist and so determined and goal oriented. That felt very relatable (and as such I also am going to personally claim her as an aroace queen) and I liked the way the character was developed. That said, I wish we’d gotten a little more from the other characters. The King is fleshed out pretty well, Catherine and Jacques and Laxart work, but even some of Joan’s friends I just didn’t feel like we really knew them. Even at the end, when Jean pledged his allegiance to Joan, I found it very touching but I realized that beyond his position in her household and these moments of loyalty and affection, he essentially had no character at all. Which I found a little sad because I would’ve liked more of him. (If I consider it in a meta sense I wonder if Chen purposefully left many of the men as somewhat two dimensional because of how often women are left unexplored in so many stories. And I like that even if I wanted to get a little more out of the side characters lol.)
I think Chen’s writing style bumped this up at least a half star for me. There’s something very lyrical I found, but not teetering into overly poetic. It’s really flowing and beautiful. As I mentioned previously, she creates atmosphere so well and I really appreciate how she can set a scene. I liked reading this book because every word was such a pleasure to absorb. A lot of what kept me turning to the next page even way after my bedtime was Chen’s writing. Just wanting to know how she would hook me with the first sentence of a new chapter, or how she was describe a place, or what little detail she would throw in to really ground the moment and solidify the picture. I definitely would read more of her work for the writing style alone.
Overall, I like her version of Joan d’Arc and I think she paints a very compelling portrait of her life. Her strength of will, her resilience, and above all, her kindness and belief in the human spirit.
What struck me most was the final meeting with Joan, the Queen, and Yolande. This is where I really felt the roots of feminism in the story, when they were saying that Joan had so much further to fall. That she’s been reduced back to a woman and that’s all. Joan really reconciling that the stakes have always been so much higher for her. The last part of the book was probably the strongest for me because I did find it more interesting when Joan faced defeat and those interpersonal and existential conflicts. It was great when she won, when we celebrated with her and saw her getting deserved praise, but I ended up feeling just slightly more detached from her then. Maybe because Joan wasn’t meant to be in court like that and Chen really effectively conveyed that between the lines. Or maybe just because I like seeing the characters I love suffer a little.
I did waver around those parts with the feeling of “strong female character can punch good.” When Joan grew and was demonstratively good with weapons with little training. I was perfectly willing to suspend disbelief, I did want to see her succeed in these things and I was pretty thrilled when she loosed that first arrow, but it was dulled by, admittedly, my own cynicism. I understand why Chen had Joan be this physically imposing person and the ways she reflected masculinity in her dress and company, and I don’t think this falls under the trope of making a strong female character only physically strong ultimately. It’s just what was on my mind, which dampened some of my enjoyment.
I did like Joan overall, and she made for a very good protagonist. The voice Chen chose for her felt absolutely spot on and I liked her being a strategist and so determined and goal oriented. That felt very relatable (and as such I also am going to personally claim her as an aroace queen) and I liked the way the character was developed. That said, I wish we’d gotten a little more from the other characters. The King is fleshed out pretty well, Catherine and Jacques and Laxart work, but even some of Joan’s friends I just didn’t feel like we really knew them. Even at the end, when Jean pledged his allegiance to Joan, I found it very touching but I realized that beyond his position in her household and these moments of loyalty and affection, he essentially had no character at all. Which I found a little sad because I would’ve liked more of him. (If I consider it in a meta sense I wonder if Chen purposefully left many of the men as somewhat two dimensional because of how often women are left unexplored in so many stories. And I like that even if I wanted to get a little more out of the side characters lol.)
I think Chen’s writing style bumped this up at least a half star for me. There’s something very lyrical I found, but not teetering into overly poetic. It’s really flowing and beautiful. As I mentioned previously, she creates atmosphere so well and I really appreciate how she can set a scene. I liked reading this book because every word was such a pleasure to absorb. A lot of what kept me turning to the next page even way after my bedtime was Chen’s writing. Just wanting to know how she would hook me with the first sentence of a new chapter, or how she was describe a place, or what little detail she would throw in to really ground the moment and solidify the picture. I definitely would read more of her work for the writing style alone.
Overall, I like her version of Joan d’Arc and I think she paints a very compelling portrait of her life. Her strength of will, her resilience, and above all, her kindness and belief in the human spirit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Child death
withlivjones's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Some books are sprints, and you can power through at least 100 pages a day. Some books are marathons. This is one such book. It took me nearly three months to get through it, when it would usually take me less than a week to read another book of the same length. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is often very good, particularly the sections where the narration goes into Joan’s internal monologue and she thinks an entire speech that she can’t say out loud because she’s a woman. But the book is so incredibly slow-paced and dense that it takes an awful lot of brain power to take in the prose. It got interesting around two thirds in, but it shouldn’t take two thirds of a book for it to get interesting. It’s a good book, but I would have definitely rated it higher had it been about 100 pages shorter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, War, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Suicide, Rape, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault
joanasimao's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Sexism, Rape, Misogyny, Animal death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and War
erinj_96's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was hoping this would be the ‘Song of Achilles’ for feminist rage and unfortunately it was not. There are many good passages about being a girl and a strong woman and how men view that and those were very real and evocative. Catherine’s story is heartbreaking. I think this Joan, while completely unrealistic physically, is very realistic internally. Many women are angry and want to avenge the people who have hurt them and their loved ones. I think the relationship between her and God is also good as she questions why things have happened the way they have. The writing style was a bit dense and it felt like it took a long time for the book to get going. I wish it was a little more concise and action packed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Violence
careinthelibrary's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Joan is a stunning piece of writing. This character study is nearly unparalleled. Full of grim violence and dirt. But also, the aroma of luxurious cinnamon.
I suppose I should give a disclaimer that I've always loved Jeanne d'Arc and this version is the best I've ever encountered. This Joan is transgressive, and Chen has done away with the 'religious fervour' narrative for the better. Yes, she's a historical figure but there's scarce information that's reliably true and relatively unbiased about her and much is apocryphal. This version of Joan of Arc resonated most with my atheist nonbinary self. She is whole here. She's a literary and folkloric figure as well as a historical person.
This novel was perfect. I think of it (a month later) still so often. The memory evokes a tightness in my chest. It's special.
Highly recommend for fans of Wolf Hall and books that take political figures and make them personal and intimate.
Below are quotes that I transposed which reading because they captured the tone, voice, and emotion of the book. Potential spoilers below.
"She lays her hand on her sister's head, the movement like a blessing. What need do we have for holy women, Joan wonders, when we have sisters like Catherine? The saint for whom Catherine is named was a virgin of exceptional beauty, a scholar who spent the duration of her short, martyred life in the city of Alexandira, in the land of Egypt. But, Joan thinks, my sister must be more beautiful than even this saint, and I would climb the highest pole to heaven to dress her in the jewels she deserves, though my hands should be rubbed raw, though every finger of mine should bleed."
"She kneels, takes Catherine's hand, and presses it flat to the space over her heart. If you die, she thinks, all of my goodness dies with you, and this, here, this heart will become as hard as stone. I am afraid of what I will become. You hold my heart in your hand."
"He turns from her, chewing on that wafer. It is his last lesson to Joan: how you should approach life when its fists are pummeling you. Head up. Shoulders back. Your heart may be breaking, but you don't let it show, not on your face or in your eyes. You walk with a spring in your step toward a destination yet unknown. And your next warm meal may be hours or days away, your next bed in an inn or in a wet ditch, but in your mouth is the taste of cinnamon. The past is the past, and the dead, buried in their shrouds, must always be left behind."
"She thinks, I have become more than just myself. I am here, in this cage. But I have another body, which is unseen. I am the battle cry, the roar of spears, pikes, and poleaxes rattling. I am the sound of a hundred horses thundering down a hill and the wind that ripples through banners, the swing of a catapult, the deafening blast and explosion of cannonry. Every soldier, young and old, who goes to war shall think of me and carry me in his soul. A hundred years from now, the sound of name will still make the English shake, though my own people will look upon me tenderly, with pride and with love. Before each battle, the foot soldiers, artillerymen, and sappers will bend their heads and call my name. They will say, Joan, give me strength and courage, and I shall hear them, wherever I am. I can never die. Here is God, in the sky and the rosy mist, ready to strike a bargain. In the roar of the waves she hears the cheers of the people — her people. She hears her sister's laughter and knows it comes from Paradise. God is listening. Into His ear, she prays. That is, she tells him: I, Joan, will return. All prayers are wishes, but this is not a wish. It is a promise."
I suppose I should give a disclaimer that I've always loved Jeanne d'Arc and this version is the best I've ever encountered. This Joan is transgressive, and Chen has done away with the 'religious fervour' narrative for the better. Yes, she's a historical figure but there's scarce information that's reliably true and relatively unbiased about her and much is apocryphal. This version of Joan of Arc resonated most with my atheist nonbinary self. She is whole here. She's a literary and folkloric figure as well as a historical person.
This novel was perfect. I think of it (a month later) still so often. The memory evokes a tightness in my chest. It's special.
Highly recommend for fans of Wolf Hall and books that take political figures and make them personal and intimate.
Below are quotes that I transposed which reading because they captured the tone, voice, and emotion of the book. Potential spoilers below.
"She lays her hand on her sister's head, the movement like a blessing. What need do we have for holy women, Joan wonders, when we have sisters like Catherine? The saint for whom Catherine is named was a virgin of exceptional beauty, a scholar who spent the duration of her short, martyred life in the city of Alexandira, in the land of Egypt. But, Joan thinks, my sister must be more beautiful than even this saint, and I would climb the highest pole to heaven to dress her in the jewels she deserves, though my hands should be rubbed raw, though every finger of mine should bleed."
"She kneels, takes Catherine's hand, and presses it flat to the space over her heart. If you die, she thinks, all of my goodness dies with you, and this, here, this heart will become as hard as stone. I am afraid of what I will become. You hold my heart in your hand."
"He turns from her, chewing on that wafer. It is his last lesson to Joan: how you should approach life when its fists are pummeling you. Head up. Shoulders back. Your heart may be breaking, but you don't let it show, not on your face or in your eyes. You walk with a spring in your step toward a destination yet unknown. And your next warm meal may be hours or days away, your next bed in an inn or in a wet ditch, but in your mouth is the taste of cinnamon. The past is the past, and the dead, buried in their shrouds, must always be left behind."
"She thinks, I have become more than just myself. I am here, in this cage. But I have another body, which is unseen. I am the battle cry, the roar of spears, pikes, and poleaxes rattling. I am the sound of a hundred horses thundering down a hill and the wind that ripples through banners, the swing of a catapult, the deafening blast and explosion of cannonry. Every soldier, young and old, who goes to war shall think of me and carry me in his soul. A hundred years from now, the sound of name will still make the English shake, though my own people will look upon me tenderly, with pride and with love. Before each battle, the foot soldiers, artillerymen, and sappers will bend their heads and call my name. They will say, Joan, give me strength and courage, and I shall hear them, wherever I am. I can never die. Here is God, in the sky and the rosy mist, ready to strike a bargain. In the roar of the waves she hears the cheers of the people — her people. She hears her sister's laughter and knows it comes from Paradise. God is listening. Into His ear, she prays. That is, she tells him: I, Joan, will return. All prayers are wishes, but this is not a wish. It is a promise."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Grief, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, War, and Death
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Graphic scene of an animal tortured/killed, unwanted pregnancy via sexual assault
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