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chasinggrace's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
The culture that the author creates is masterful and the world is lush. If you take the time to understand the intricacies of this land and its people, you’ll be transported.
However, it’s clear that this book is to be seen as a tool for world-building. While the pacing isn’t bad, the middle of the novel is bogged down with details - names, battles, animals, locations, places, gods, etc - that slow down the plot. I found this book difficult to want to pick up at times, because it isn’t something to be consumed lightly. There is a need to constantly remind myself of who is who, where everyone is, which god rules which state, what city is where, etc. Many characters are introduced just to be killed, but such is the matter of war.
Overall, I’m interested to see where this story goes, but I hope the next books are more intriguing than a war & peace play-by-play. I hope to feel more attached to the characters, hopefully through more intricate relationships. This was a slow-burn labor of love to read.
Favorite characters I hope to see explored in the following books: Jia, Gin, Kuni
Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Colonisation, Gore, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Blood, Pregnancy, Self harm, War, Death, Animal death, Grief, Murder, Misogyny, and Suicide
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Misogyny, Infidelity, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Drug use, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Slavery, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Trafficking, and Kidnapping
Minor: Infertility, Cannibalism, Excrement, and Colonisation
There is lots of talk of forcing women into sexual slavery. Eye injuries.albernikolauras's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Violence, Grief, War, and Sexism
sabrinz's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
For everyone wanting to read this, this book is best suited when you have time to read for longer periods of time. If you read it chapter by chapter with even some days between chapters, you might lose some of the connections that are woven in the different chapters and that tie the different characters together.
It's a brilliant book about friendship and how things are perceived, but also how you go about doing things.
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, War, and Violence
mandkips's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Torture
Moderate: Suicide and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Grief, and Infidelity
catapocalypse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This first entry in the Dandelion Dynasty is like a prologue for the rest of the series, in that it focuses on the events that first unify Dara and deals with the generation prior to the central characters of the rest of the books. I don't consider this a weakness; it's an adventurous read as we follow the mighty warrior Mata Zyndu and the cunning gangster-turned-government official-turned-rebel Kuni Garu, and the rise and fall and rebirth of empire. It's an epic fantasy and silkpunk treatment of events in Chinese history leading to the rise of the Han Dynasty, and it's a whole lot of fun.
There's valid criticism about the women and lack thereof in much of the book, which is essentially what prevents it from a full 5 stars for me. I love Gin Mazoti, like Risana and Mira a lot (but they could have had more "screen time!"), but something about Jia is still off, for me. I'm not entirely sure how to articulate it; maybe it's that she becomes too reactive after starting out so strong and proactive?
I look forward to rereading the next installment, and then finishing the series.
Moderate: Death, Violence, War, and Suicide
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Grief
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence