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Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Racial slurs, Torture, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Genocide, Gore
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual assault
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation
Moderate: Torture, War
Graphic: Death, Racism, Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Torture
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent
Anyone who has read or watched Xianxia or Wuxia would be familiar with the themes in this book. Cultivation, Qi, Gods, Demons, Yin, and Yang.
And even if you are not Amélie Wen Zhao does a wonderful job introducing her world to the reader.
The book is a dual POV Chinese fantasy novel following the journey of Lan and Zen as they traverse the world of the ancient art of practicioning, in a land long stolen by invaders. Lan and Zen have so much heart to them, and their past is as much as a mystery to us as it is to everyone else around them. As we follow along their journey we get bits and pieces of a lost ancient world and a secret dark history locked away.
The characters have so much heart to them and even though we stay with Zen and Lan for the majority of the book, the other characters introduced are just as ✨golden✨.
Zhao has created one of the most beautiful Chinese Fantasy Worlds I have ever seen.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Torture, Violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Me reading any fantasy novel: that ending was too drawn out.
Any way, aside from the ending taking an eternity, this book was wonderful. I loved the magic systems and the deep attention to Chinese lore and myth that went in to developing this world. It also handles the complexity of power with a nuance not often seen in YA. This book reckons not only with the injustices of colonialism, but also the power structures that existed beforehand. It allows it's characters to process their grief, but also to find just retribution; to imagine not only what their lives would have been but also what they will be next.
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture
This is a rich, winding story that had me enthralled. I couldn’t stop reading. Can’t wait for the next book.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail