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beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
hanz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
chrisljm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Sexism, Torture, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Stalking and Pregnancy
hiddeninfantasy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
alanis_thespookyreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
takarakei's review against another edition
- 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
Even though this is a 500 pg book, to me it reads very fast. I think this is accomplished by not spending extraneous time on repetitive day-to-day descriptions of the main characters' lives. The focus stays on the crucial scenes to the storyline. I think this gives a good sense of how the characters (as they are immortal) experience years as if they were days. The action-packed pacing made me not want to put it down! The writing throughout is beautiful and poignant, yet very easy to follow. I found the world to be very unique and lushly described. I actually really enjoyed the love triangle (which I usually don't enjoy reading).
I will say the one concession I have is that this book does not pass the Bechdel test, as Xingyi's one real female friendship does not have a lot of depth, and often they are just gossiping about Xingyi's love interests... I think there might be one very brief, barely conversation where they kind of discuss their families.
I will say this book wraps up fairly nicely, and since this is a duology I am curious where the second book will go... but I am excited to read it!
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexism, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I like the first third and I love the second half, in between those sections the pacing gets a little weird though it’s still pretty good. Mid-book events which in some other story might be a training montage instead are collapsed into a very brief mention as several years are skipped at once. Xingyin ends up in the Celestial palace, surrounded by people who despise her for her class and who would detest her if they knew who her mother really was. After spending several years as the prince’s companion, she tries to make her own way by excelling at arms, becoming a formidable archer. Her goal is to earn a favor from the emperor in order to request her mother’s freedom.
Once place where this excels is in relationships, specifically the way that Xingyin’s relationships with Prince Liwei and Captain Wenzhi change over time. It is a love triangle, but one which at each stage feels like there are good reasons for the choices Xingyin is making. She proceeds as well as she can while figuring out who she wants, if anyone. I love the ending, it pulls things together in a fantastic way and lays the ground for what the sequel might cover while still letting this first book feel complete.
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Torture, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexism, Sexual content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
mpbookreviews's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
literarydumpling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Death, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault, Torture, Death of parent, and War