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book_loser's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and War
Moderate: Violence and Dysphoria
Minor: Child death
cemeterygay's review against another edition
fast-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
5.0
I adored this book but the best part of the book by far is the worldbuilding.
Yang managed to build a very intriguing world that is very different from the fantasy worlds we typically see in a lot of mainstream fantasy. I love the way Yang explores and integrates gender into the world and how they manage to blend so many different cultural elements together seamlessly. I just wish we had more time to explore the magic system and to learn way more about the training.
I did really enjoy Mokoya and Akeha's relationship as siblings, I just wish we got more time between the two of them, especially with Mokoya. I do think the author does an amazing job at quickly establishing the personalities of each character, even though not all of the established characters are that multi-dimensional. What other characters lack though Akeha, especially, and Mokoya more than make up for.
I think my biggest problem was that I just wanted more of the book. While I do believe that Yang did an amazing job with the space they had, I just wish the time jumps weren't as sudden or extreme.
Beyond that I absolutely adored this book and would absolutely recommend it.
Yang managed to build a very intriguing world that is very different from the fantasy worlds we typically see in a lot of mainstream fantasy. I love the way Yang explores and integrates gender into the world and how they manage to blend so many different cultural elements together seamlessly. I just wish we had more time to explore the magic system and to learn way more about the training.
I did really enjoy Mokoya and Akeha's relationship as siblings, I just wish we got more time between the two of them, especially with Mokoya. I do think the author does an amazing job at quickly establishing the personalities of each character, even though not all of the established characters are that multi-dimensional. What other characters lack though Akeha, especially, and Mokoya more than make up for.
I think my biggest problem was that I just wanted more of the book. While I do believe that Yang did an amazing job with the space they had, I just wish the time jumps weren't as sudden or extreme.
Beyond that I absolutely adored this book and would absolutely recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Gore, and War
sapphic_in_the_stacks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Twin children of the Protector, Mokoya and Akeha, have always been treated more like pawns than people by their mother. The Protector governs half the world and rules with an iron fist. Mokoya has prophetic powers and is kept under tight watch by her mother, while Akeha has stronger control than most over elemental forces in the Slack. As they grow older, Akeha escapes the capital city, leaving Mokoya behind in the process.
This book was a pleasant, if rushed, reading experience. Yang manages to cram an incredibly well developed story and unique world into a short novella. My one criticism is that, due to it's shorter length, some of the relationships development and emotional ties between the characters suffers. Though it's clear based on the timeline proposed that these characters have developed relationships over decades, we don't see enough of that relationship building and formation to create strong emotional attachments to the characters. This story could have easily doubled in length and still had plenty of material, but I did appreciate the writing and story as it was presented. Definitely looking forward to further installations.
This book was a pleasant, if rushed, reading experience. Yang manages to cram an incredibly well developed story and unique world into a short novella. My one criticism is that, due to it's shorter length, some of the relationships development and emotional ties between the characters suffers. Though it's clear based on the timeline proposed that these characters have developed relationships over decades, we don't see enough of that relationship building and formation to create strong emotional attachments to the characters. This story could have easily doubled in length and still had plenty of material, but I did appreciate the writing and story as it was presented. Definitely looking forward to further installations.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War
jayceejarvis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Short dense fantasy novel, written with spare searing prose. Elegant world building, fantastic characterization and a deft touch with hard hitting themes make this a story I'll be thinking about long after reading the last page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Child death
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