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jayisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
I didn’t find this novel particularly memorable, but I didn’t think it was a mediocre read either. Looking into the life of one of the most well-known female pirates in history, Shek Yeung (which I discovered was a name variant of Ching Shih), Chang-Eppig delivers a somewhat tepid story that lacked a lot of excitement a reader might expect from a novel about pirates. It wasn’t to say that the novel was completely devoid of action, but I found that it didn’t meet my expectations for something especially adventurous, as the blurb led me on to believe. I did find it interesting that Chang-Eppig had Shek Yeung contend with the struggles and wonders of womanhood and femininity, especially how she gestured toward the heavy influences of Confucianism in shaping the pirate’s understanding of her unique position. However, I think Chang-Eppig’s desire to draw out these ideas in detail affected the overall plot and pacing.
I think there’s something in this novel that will appeal to some readers, but it didn’t quite do enough for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Pregnancy, and Death
Moderate: Rape
jinmichae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It's really well written, and an interesting story of the main character warring with her identity and what she's become. But it just wasn't for me. I'm too much of a romantic who wants happy endings after succeeding against the odds, and this is a tale of how cruel reality can be. There isn't always a happy ending, and sometimes the sum of all your scheming is just emptiness and a polite defeat.
My main problem I should have seen coming: it's hard to feel sympathy for or connected with a main character who's a fairly ruthless pirate, even if she internally struggles with her actions, or isn't as terrible as others she nonetheless allies with. She wants to fight against the emperor's stranglehold on the country, but what does that mean to the individual peasants? They either die of the emperor's famine, or the ones caused by her raids.
I guess that's part of the book's message about the cruelty of society and fate, so go into the book expecting such. It was my own hope for something more like Robin Hood that disappointed me, not the actual story.
My main problem I should have seen coming: it's hard to feel sympathy for or connected with a main character who's a fairly ruthless pirate, even if she internally struggles with her actions, or isn't as terrible as others she nonetheless allies with. She wants to fight against the emperor's stranglehold on the country, but what does that mean to the individual peasants? They either die of the emperor's famine, or the ones caused by her raids.
I guess that's part of the book's message about the cruelty of society and fate, so go into the book expecting such. It was my own hope for something more like Robin Hood that disappointed me, not the actual story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Blood, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Torture, Violence, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexism, and Trafficking
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Suicide, Alcohol, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Vomit
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
vonya45's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm glad I got this as an audiobook instead of reading it. I might have gotten bogged down in trying to keep track of the quick action scenes or understanding the military maneuvers and pirate politics. Instead I was able to catch glimpses of bloody battles and complicated strategems, and see past them into what the story was really about.
The view into the mind of a pirate queen is a striking one. How does a intelligent but regular girl become a master tactician and a cold blooded killer? The author did a marvelous job at answering this question without making the main character into a caricature of a murderous pirate, or on the other end of the spectrum, a one-dimensional "strong female character" with no flaws who is somehow always morally upstanding despite being a dangerous warlord. Shek Yeung enjoys killing those she believes deserves it, in the midst of battle or otherwise. When she slits the throat of suspected spies, she never gets confirmation on those suspicions, and neither does the audience. She makes choices based on what is best for her and what keeps or gains her power. She even becomes a wife and mother in order to keep that power. Yet she still has relateable feelings about her motherhood, wanting what's best for her children and feeling inadequate to care for them. She shows tenderness and care towards her husband despite their marriage being a strategic decision. She is a strong and powerful figure, but still shows empathy and compassion toward strangers. She is looking out for her best interests but she cares about her friends. She uses the patriarchal system to her advantage but her reflections on womanhood are incredibly impactful feminist perspectives.
The book does not give easy answers on any of its themes, but its deep dive into the main character's psyche is to be admired. I gave it a 3.5 because it is not really my kind of book, I am not a fan of having this much darkness or callousness in a story, and I don't like pregnancy/motherhood themes. Yet the book was well written and an enjoyable listen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Gore, Pregnancy, and Torture
Moderate: Classism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Colonisation, Addiction, Child abuse, Grief, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
cheye13's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is a wonderful historical fiction story. I'm unfortunately not the biggest fan of the genre.
I had two main problems with this book as a whole. First, I don't know how it's getting a fantasy billing. It grazes magical realism at best, but ultimately, it's a spiritualism apropo to the time/setting. Maybe I missed something huge, but this isn't a fantasy story. Second, I've found I do enjoy political historicals, but this only just scratched the surface. Limited to Shek Yeung's perspective, the reader has to guess along with her at enemies' motives. Either broadening to an ensemble cast to explore every political angle or diving deeper into the emotional character would've fit my personal historical tastes.
That being said, this is excellently written and researched. I would absolutely read more from this author, even about this same topic. The main character is complex, complete, and real. Following her life and thoughts is fascinating and compelling. I just personally wanted more from the narrative.
I had two main problems with this book as a whole. First, I don't know how it's getting a fantasy billing. It grazes magical realism at best, but ultimately, it's a spiritualism apropo to the time/setting. Maybe I missed something huge, but this isn't a fantasy story. Second, I've found I do enjoy political historicals, but this only just scratched the surface. Limited to Shek Yeung's perspective, the reader has to guess along with her at enemies' motives. Either broadening to an ensemble cast to explore every political angle or diving deeper into the emotional character would've fit my personal historical tastes.
That being said, this is excellently written and researched. I would absolutely read more from this author, even about this same topic. The main character is complex, complete, and real. Following her life and thoughts is fascinating and compelling. I just personally wanted more from the narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Moderate: Grief and Colonisation
Minor: Rape
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
starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A slow-paced, thoughtful portrait that gives a legendary Chinese pirate real dimension & humanity.
After Shek Yeung witnesses the death of her ferocious pirate husband, she steps into his place and fights to maintain her power. But the seas are unforgiving, and the larger world is cracking down on piracy. She has to lead through shaky alliances, a clever nobleman purging pirates on behalf of the Chinese Emperor, and European enemies planning something terrible.
Shek Yeung is a real person, and in Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, Rita Chang-Eppig pulls apart legendary feats and hyperbolic statements to show a thoughtful portrait of a leader. She’s clever, and she makes mistakes. She uses her power to alter the world, and she abuses her power in times of fear. She’s intent on forging a different path than the ones before her, but their ghosts haunt her.
I’m bummed that this book has been mismarketed - for instance, “riveting, roaring adventure novel” from the blurb isn’t quite accurate. There’s some action, and definitely tension, but this is not a fast-paced swashbuckling adventure. It’s a slow and sometimes-dense portrait.
Shek Yeung’s story is quite captivating. She’s ripped from her family and powerless at the beginning, and absorbs different styles of leadership as she grows up and takes control over her life back bit by bit. And when she has opportunities for freedom - she can’t quite give up all the power she has fought so desperately to have.
Chang-Eppig explores suffocating gender roles & societal expectations, love & family, leadership, and so much more. And that underneath legends - there are simply humans.
CW: murder, death, blood, violence, pregnancy, rape, trafficking, sexism, colonization, slavery, addiction, torture, war, grief
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Rape, Sexism, Murder, Slavery, Addiction, Blood, War, Grief, Colonisation, and Torture
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC
I had expectations for this book, unfortunately Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a disappointment. One would expect a novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen to be quite explosive or at least have some thrilling action - as touted by its blurb - but that is in fact hard to find here, and it has been a while since I have felt so distanced from a story and its characters.
I love the novel's concept and premise, but in Chang-Eppig's hands, the story flounders dully and never really finds its footing: the writing truly more of a 'telling not showing' and scenes are rarely given proper room to breathe, the book so focused on Shek Yeung's character study it renders everything that makes her a pirate - the action and emotional impact most readers expect going in - almost inconsequential. And while the themes of power and being female in a patriarchal society are valid and very much relevant, they are hammered in so constantly while offering nothing new, and there is annoyingly little character development.
My biggest peeve about the book, however, is how distant the story and characters feel to the reader. For a book so focused on a main character, it is alarming how indifferent I feel to Shek Yeung despite knowing her backstory and both internal and external struggles. I declined to indicate here on The Storygraph whether I find the characters loveable, as after some deliberation, I realized it was neither yes nor no because I am wholly indifferent to them. Reading this book was not an immersive experience, so removed I felt from the action, development and characters, and as I am someone who highly values emotional impact in my reading, this greatly hinders my enjoyment of the novel.
To sum up, this book has a great premise that is unfortunately hampered by its execution, making it unable to fully reach its full potential.
I had expectations for this book, unfortunately Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a disappointment. One would expect a novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen to be quite explosive or at least have some thrilling action - as touted by its blurb - but that is in fact hard to find here, and it has been a while since I have felt so distanced from a story and its characters.
I love the novel's concept and premise, but in Chang-Eppig's hands, the story flounders dully and never really finds its footing: the writing truly more of a 'telling not showing' and scenes are rarely given proper room to breathe, the book so focused on Shek Yeung's character study it renders everything that makes her a pirate - the action and emotional impact most readers expect going in - almost inconsequential. And while the themes of power and being female in a patriarchal society are valid and very much relevant, they are hammered in so constantly while offering nothing new, and there is annoyingly little character development.
My biggest peeve about the book, however, is how distant the story and characters feel to the reader. For a book so focused on a main character, it is alarming how indifferent I feel to Shek Yeung despite knowing her backstory and both internal and external struggles. I declined to indicate here on The Storygraph whether I find the characters loveable, as after some deliberation, I realized it was neither yes nor no because I am wholly indifferent to them. Reading this book was not an immersive experience, so removed I felt from the action, development and characters, and as I am someone who highly values emotional impact in my reading, this greatly hinders my enjoyment of the novel.
To sum up, this book has a great premise that is unfortunately hampered by its execution, making it unable to fully reach its full potential.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Pregnancy, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, and Pedophilia
anna_m_k's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is historical fiction about Shek Yeung, the Pirate Queen of China. The novel focuses on a roughly two-year span of her life as she tries to hold onto the power she cultivated alongside her first husband as China’s political landscape rapidly shifts into something completely new. Naval battles, political intrigue among pirates and nations, and complex relationships feature throughout the character study of this complex figure. Both the legendary woman and the historical period she existed in are richly realized with beautiful, examining prose.
Shek Yeung is a fascinating figure to follow throughout the novel as it examines her identity as a social outcast, her hunger for power, her trauma, and her relationships. Though the numerous issues tackled in the novel could become overwhelming, the author does a spectacular job of grounding it all with Shek Yeung and her relationships. Themes of womanhood; the role of women and mothers; social outcasts due to religion, profession, and sexuality; sexual violence; criminality, violence and power; poverty and trauma are all given their due.
Overall, it is a riveting and intimate study of a complicated figure and the issues of her time that shaped and influenced Shek Yeung.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Colonisation, and Sexism
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