Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Dysphoria
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Rape, Torture, War
Minor: Body shaming, Infertility, Sexual content, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Pregnancy, Outing, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Please, let me give this book more than 5 stars! Its rare that I find a book that reaches into me and absolutely rips out my heart. This is the series where I would give anything to read it again for the first time. It's a slow start but I promise its worth it.
5⭐️ an intricate plot, complex characters and scene descriptions that made you feel like you were there - what a book! I will admit it took me a few chapters to get into it but only because it had been a while since I read She Who Became The Sun and I needed to familiarise myself with characters and world building again. I found myself easily lost in this book and truly enjoyed it as much as the first. a wonderful and highly recommended read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
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
I think the ending broke me. In like. A good way. Took a while for things to really grab me, but I knew it'd be worth it and it was.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Transphobia
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the conclusion to the sweeping imaginary retelling of China's transition from the Mongolian Yuan dynasty to the Ming (or "Radiant") dynasty. The scope doesn't disappoint: from commanding pirate ships to cleaning chamber pots, Zhu Yuanzhang never lets go of their call to greatness and changing the shape of the world that currently does not have a space for them.
Familiar characters return: the honor-bound eunuch Ouyang, the clever survivalist Madame Zhang, the deviously intelligent Wang Boaxiang, and of course the destiny-bound Zhu Yuanzhang whose entourage includes innocent Ma Yingzi, ever-faithful General Xu Da, and exuberant young Yuchun. However, the stories of the these many characters share the spotlight with their political maneuvering, strategies, and inner turmoil. For this reason, it lacks some of the romance and, I believe, reader-character connection that was in <i>She Who Became the Sun</i>.
At its heart, this novel shows the extreme sacrifices and callous decisions (often made at the expense of others) that those in pursuit and clutching power must make. Their calculations of loss and acquisition of wealth appear superhuman beside the "expendable lives" of the farmers, soldiers, and slaves who make up most of the population. Even as the driven characters barrel forward towards their goal, their own self-hatred—or at least self-repression—grows, and many called by destiny will question if the exchange is worth it. Still, Parker-Shelley's genius is that the reader can relate to, or at least sympathize with, these larger-than-life players.
Familiar characters return: the honor-bound eunuch Ouyang, the clever survivalist Madame Zhang, the deviously intelligent Wang Boaxiang, and of course the destiny-bound Zhu Yuanzhang whose entourage includes innocent Ma Yingzi, ever-faithful General Xu Da, and exuberant young Yuchun. However, the stories of the these many characters share the spotlight with their political maneuvering, strategies, and inner turmoil. For this reason, it lacks some of the romance and, I believe, reader-character connection that was in <i>She Who Became the Sun</i>.
At its heart, this novel shows the extreme sacrifices and callous decisions (often made at the expense of others) that those in pursuit and clutching power must make. Their calculations of loss and acquisition of wealth appear superhuman beside the "expendable lives" of the farmers, soldiers, and slaves who make up most of the population. Even as the driven characters barrel forward towards their goal, their own self-hatred—or at least self-repression—grows, and many called by destiny will question if the exchange is worth it. Still, Parker-Shelley's genius is that the reader can relate to, or at least sympathize with, these larger-than-life players.
Na de schrijfstijl in het eerste boek niet helemaal mijn ding te hebben gevonden, besloot ik dit tweede boek te luisteren i.p.v. lezen. Het plot van de boeken en de inclusiviteit vind ik namelijk wel erg tof, dus ik wilde graag weten hoe het verder ging.
Ik ben blij met de keuze om het te hebben geluisterd, want ik gok dat ik anders was afgehaakt. Het verhaal is namelijk regelmatig wat traag, maar heeft vervolgens wel weer toffe wendingen.
Uiteindelijk was het niet mijn serie, maar ben ik toch blij dat ik hem heb gelezen/geluisterd. (En de Illumicrate special editions staan prachtig in mijn kast)
Ik ben blij met de keuze om het te hebben geluisterd, want ik gok dat ik anders was afgehaakt. Het verhaal is namelijk regelmatig wat traag, maar heeft vervolgens wel weer toffe wendingen.
Uiteindelijk was het niet mijn serie, maar ben ik toch blij dat ik hem heb gelezen/geluisterd. (En de Illumicrate special editions staan prachtig in mijn kast)