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lochnessvhs's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
If you want to read about the intracacies of Chinese pirate politics and war strategy, this is the novel for you!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Misogyny, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Rape, Slavery, and Torture
culpeppper's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The plot of this story is pretty straightforward and simple on the surface: a pirate captain dies, the world is changing due to aggressive colonial actions, and a tired woman is just trying to survive all the shit that happens between it all. There's a lot going on in the in between. Shek Yeung is a complex character, someone who spent most of her younger life isolated, brutalized, and/or controlled by abusers but soon has a chance at a kind of freedom when her first husband dies in the beginning of the book.
Her agency, or lack therof, sticks out to me amongst all the other topics Chang-Eppig covers in the story. Shek Yeung's whole life is controlled by others, their specters hanging over her and shadowing almost every choice she makes. Her husbands, living and dead, give reasoning for her choices she makes. Notably when she makes choices that harm others, she may recall with a pride and maybe a little guilt that she choices she made would have been the same choices her dead husband would have made. It cheapens her actions; just once, I wanted her to say she wasn't making a choice regarding the fleet without checking it against what He would have done.
Her relationship with Yan-Yan feels particularly imbalanced throughout the narrative in a way that isn't really explored.This is solidified at the end when Shek Yeung leaves a now implied to be disabled Yan-Yan to live a life she has expressed she didn't want previous to her doing this. Though she maybe feels conflicted about it, there's no real interrogation of what Shek Yeung (and Dawa but she's hardly a character) is actually doing by choosing this life of motherhood over employment for Yan-Yan, who has little to say after getting injured for the sake of Shek Yeung's child until she is forced into her new life. Kinda weird.
There are a lot of things that I'm just taking as fictionalized elements of historical reality (as I have very little knowledge on this particular part of time and space) but the lack of meaningful interrogation on what it means for Shek Yeung to have this power, and the continued lack of agency, means a lot of the other elements fall a little short of what I think Chang-Eppig was going for.
On the surface, if you don't look too deep, it's a fine book. Pacing can be weird, there's time jumps back and forth, there's some interesting mythical interludes that add a little depth to the world, side characters are all kinda one dimensional, the lines of leading questions made me roll my eyes, and I don't think it dug as deep as it thought it did— but overall, I eventually got invested and liked the attempts at serious conversations, even if I would have liked it do have gone a little deeper.
Her agency, or lack therof, sticks out to me amongst all the other topics Chang-Eppig covers in the story. Shek Yeung's whole life is controlled by others, their specters hanging over her and shadowing almost every choice she makes. Her husbands, living and dead, give reasoning for her choices she makes. Notably when she makes choices that harm others, she may recall with a pride and maybe a little guilt that she choices she made would have been the same choices her dead husband would have made. It cheapens her actions; just once, I wanted her to say she wasn't making a choice regarding the fleet without checking it against what He would have done.
Her relationship with Yan-Yan feels particularly imbalanced throughout the narrative in a way that isn't really explored.
There are a lot of things that I'm just taking as fictionalized elements of historical reality (as I have very little knowledge on this particular part of time and space) but the lack of meaningful interrogation on what it means for Shek Yeung to have this power, and the continued lack of agency, means a lot of the other elements fall a little short of what I think Chang-Eppig was going for.
On the surface, if you don't look too deep, it's a fine book. Pacing can be weird, there's time jumps back and forth, there's some interesting mythical interludes that add a little depth to the world, side characters are all kinda one dimensional, the lines of leading questions made me roll my eyes, and I don't think it dug as deep as it thought it did— but overall, I eventually got invested and liked the attempts at serious conversations, even if I would have liked it do have gone a little deeper.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Toxic relationship, War, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Torture, Grief, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting
Minor: Islamophobia, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Cannibalism
Takes place just prior to the start of the Opium Wars, at the end of the height of piracy. All the topics are what are to be expected, more or less, from reading the inside flap and having a general understanding of how brutal we can be as a species. There are multiple battle scenes, which include blood, injuries, and death. Multiple accounts of sexual violence, including rape, not overly graphic but frequent. Colonization hangs heavy on the narrative. Sexual slavery:szuum's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Classism, Violence, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual violence and Rape
ra22ouille's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As much as these characters weren't "likeable," I did love them—Shek Yeung particularly so. I was greatly moved by the depth and complexity of this book's emotional journey, and I was utterly absorbed and invested in Shek Yeung's trajectory.
The story covers around 2 years in it's actual timeline, and it also recounts time from Shek Yeung's pre-pirating years. Rita-Chang Eppig does a great job with this narrative that jumps into Shek Yeung's past throughout the book, succeeding in weaving everything together into a compelling plot line.
Shek Yeung and Chung Po's relationship had me feeling so many ways. I didn't know what I wanted for them and it seemed like Shek Yeung didn't totally know either. And who knows what Chung Po thought. They were both so smart and so opaque and closed off. Getting to know them both was like being shown a secret. I think their character development was suuuuper. And at times very surprising. I loved hearing Shek Yeung's internal voice that showed her own conflicting feelings about her development as a person. And even though I was inside her head she remained so hidden in lots of ways, which so reflected how she hid parts of herself even from her own eyes.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I didn't love some of the character voices the reader did. But I did like Shek Yeung's voice and how the narration was read. I've also seen some reviews saying that the language was wordy, monologues overdone, etc., and I wonder if listening to it be read helped to immerse me in the writing style. I didn't anticipate that people would have those complaints so 🤷🏻♀️
Reas if you're interested in political adventures, explorations on the effects of power, gender politics, classism, and brutal stories of survival (especially survival as a woman).
The story covers around 2 years in it's actual timeline, and it also recounts time from Shek Yeung's pre-pirating years. Rita-Chang Eppig does a great job with this narrative that jumps into Shek Yeung's past throughout the book, succeeding in weaving everything together into a compelling plot line.
Shek Yeung and Chung Po's relationship had me feeling so many ways. I didn't know what I wanted for them and it seemed like Shek Yeung didn't totally know either. And who knows what Chung Po thought. They were both so smart and so opaque and closed off. Getting to know them both was like being shown a secret. I think their character development was suuuuper. And at times very surprising. I loved hearing Shek Yeung's internal voice that showed her own conflicting feelings about her development as a person. And even though I was inside her head she remained so hidden in lots of ways, which so reflected how she hid parts of herself even from her own eyes.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I didn't love some of the character voices the reader did. But I did like Shek Yeung's voice and how the narration was read. I've also seen some reviews saying that the language was wordy, monologues overdone, etc., and I wonder if listening to it be read helped to immerse me in the writing style. I didn't anticipate that people would have those complaints so 🤷🏻♀️
Reas if you're interested in political adventures, explorations on the effects of power, gender politics, classism, and brutal stories of survival (especially survival as a woman).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, War, Pregnancy, Vomit, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Murder, and Misogyny
poemsandponds's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I felt like I was expecting something different than what I got. I expected a lot more action and adventure in the story, and it was much slower paced and more introspective than I expected. The plot or the characters never fully hooked me. I enjoyed the book, but I never felt a strong connection with where the story was going or with the characters, since the main character has been through so much trauma that she is very numb and closed off to any form of human connection. She can’t feel, so it makes it hard for you to feel too. It was such an awesome premise but I felt like the execution (or at the the way the book was marketed) fell short. It was interesting to learn more about this period in time, about pirates, and to see a women leader’s perspective and experience as a fearsome pirate fighting for survival. Overall, it was ok.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault and Torture
Minor: Abandonment
sydapel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
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
4.0
Less of a fantasy adventure than I was expecting, but deeply interesting all the same. While there's a lot of action in this book, the heart of it focuses on how the main character navigates her leadership position in a deeply misogynistic and dangerous society, trying to hold on to the only power she's ever held while still attempting to do right by her fleet. I was especially impress with how the author presents the grey morality of Shek Yueng decisions - punishment is swift, harsh and often shocking but she's constantly trying to save the most people she can. The story leaves so much open for discussion about femininity, violence, revenge, motherhood, power, etc not just through the lens of these characters and this time, but in ways that are still relevant today.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Misogyny, Murder, Death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Rape
Minor: Terminal illness, Slavery, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse
kindra_demi's review
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
In the end, stories were not, could not be reality. The storyteller decided where to start the story and where to end it, which parts to sink into and which to skim over.
Rita Chang-Eppig truly takes this into her writing style. This is the story of Shek Yeung and her journey to getting and maintaining the status of a pirate queen. Many have said that they aren't as big of a fan of the story because they thought it would be a story of action and adventure, but this isn't one of those stories. Parts are dedicated to the politics of piracy in the Qing dynasty with the Pirate Confederation. You'll get an initial introduction to the Opium Wars as well. But the primary focus of this story is Shek Yeung and her experience rising to her power.
I usually do not gravitate towards historical fiction or stories involving pregnancy, but I'm genuinely in love with this story. The lyrical nature of Chang-Eppig's writing and Shek Yeung is so beyond relatable. There were so many moments where I would pause to soak in how Chang-Eppig wrote a portion of the story.
I started the book as an audiobook (ft. a pterodactyl screech when I saw it was Emily Woo Zeller who narrated it. She was the first narrator I started following their work. If you have yet to listen to an audiobook before but want to get into listening to more, check out Emily Woo Zeller's work). I barely got to ch 4 before I texted my friend who recommended the book, saying I would probably want this as a physical book. I went and got it. Then, I went back and forth between the physical book and the audiobook (I'm impatient, but so is life, so the audiobook came in handy there). Both the physical book and the audiobook are beyond worth it.
Rita Chang-Eppig truly takes this into her writing style. This is the story of Shek Yeung and her journey to getting and maintaining the status of a pirate queen. Many have said that they aren't as big of a fan of the story because they thought it would be a story of action and adventure, but this isn't one of those stories. Parts are dedicated to the politics of piracy in the Qing dynasty with the Pirate Confederation. You'll get an initial introduction to the Opium Wars as well. But the primary focus of this story is Shek Yeung and her experience rising to her power.
I usually do not gravitate towards historical fiction or stories involving pregnancy, but I'm genuinely in love with this story. The lyrical nature of Chang-Eppig's writing and Shek Yeung is so beyond relatable. There were so many moments where I would pause to soak in how Chang-Eppig wrote a portion of the story.
I started the book as an audiobook (ft. a pterodactyl screech when I saw it was Emily Woo Zeller who narrated it. She was the first narrator I started following their work. If you have yet to listen to an audiobook before but want to get into listening to more, check out Emily Woo Zeller's work). I barely got to ch 4 before I texted my friend who recommended the book, saying I would probably want this as a physical book. I went and got it. Then, I went back and forth between the physical book and the audiobook (I'm impatient, but so is life, so the audiobook came in handy there). Both the physical book and the audiobook are beyond worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Grief, Blood, Death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical content, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Rape, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault
elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Rape, and War
Minor: Torture, Colonisation, Drug abuse, and Pregnancy
spacerkip's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a very character-focused novel, with flashbacks and tales of Chinese mythology interspersed throughout the main plot. As a result, the story is slow-building, and it takes a while for the conflict with the emperor's pirate hunter, Pak Ling, to manifest. Even still, the bulk of the novel deals with the politics of commanding a fleet and navigating alliances with other pirate leaders, rather than daring adventures or fearless yarns.
The story's introspection serves well to explore the many themes it introduces. Ambition vs love (romantic, platonic, or maternal). Pragmatism vs cruelty. What it means to take power and control for yourself when the only way is to steal it from those around you.
I'm not entirely sure why it didn't click with me, but there were quite a few things I liked. The setting at sea, for one. My experience with age of sail novels lies almost exclusively with stories about the British navy, so this was a refreshing change of pace, and I eagerly took in all the details about sailing in this part of the world. The historical backdrop was very interesting to me as well. Not only in the events taking place, but in the descriptions of each port Shek Yeung and the other characters visited, from the construction of buildings to the clothing worn to the different religious practices. I also enjoyed the firmly grey morality of the main character, Shek Yeung. She was not shown to be right or wrong or always justified, simply a person who lived (and learned to thrive) in very difficult situations.
If you are interested at all in Chinese piracy, I encourage you to give this a try!
The story's introspection serves well to explore the many themes it introduces. Ambition vs love (romantic, platonic, or maternal). Pragmatism vs cruelty. What it means to take power and control for yourself when the only way is to steal it from those around you.
I'm not entirely sure why it didn't click with me, but there were quite a few things I liked. The setting at sea, for one. My experience with age of sail novels lies almost exclusively with stories about the British navy, so this was a refreshing change of pace, and I eagerly took in all the details about sailing in this part of the world. The historical backdrop was very interesting to me as well. Not only in the events taking place, but in the descriptions of each port Shek Yeung and the other characters visited, from the construction of buildings to the clothing worn to the different religious practices. I also enjoyed the firmly grey morality of the main character, Shek Yeung. She was not shown to be right or wrong or always justified, simply a person who lived (and learned to thrive) in very difficult situations.
If you are interested at all in Chinese piracy, I encourage you to give this a try!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Colonisation, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Slavery, Trafficking, Torture, Classism, Rape, and Sexism
Minor: Drug use and Islamophobia
emzhay's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Trafficking, Death, Pregnancy, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Grief and Rape
Minor: Colonisation