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adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
"I bet you thought you held all your tiles... Funny thing about that. Once you play your tiles, you no longer hold them." p.285
4.5 stars
This was not the story I expected but one that I'm incredibly glad to have gotten. Yangchen is a surprising change of pace from other Avatars that we've encountered. More proactive, more conniving, more political. Still an airbender at her core, naturally, but so very different not only from Aang but also from Korra and Kyoshi. This Team Avatar is also markedly different from others in the past. We spend a lot of time from Kavik's perspective too, but I found him to be a really fun character to follow as well, with a separate background that had me interested from the get-go.
In many ways, Yee had a fun task here, getting to write about an avatar whom we previously knew so little about, set in a time that we also hadn't yet experienced. As a whole, I'm such a fan of his writing. I said this when I read the Kyoshi novels last year, but he's the absolutely perfect person to expand this incredibly series into a book format. These books have all captured the emotional range of the original series, and similarly are able to tackle complex plot lines and mature themes.
For a bit here I felt like Yee got carried away with 'gotcha-ing' the readers, but I do think it fits the general mood of the book. Both Yangchen and Kavik are quick-witted and cunning, and their plays to one-up each other throughout the course of the book were reflected in Yee's delivery methods. Their relationship is one of the most interesting I've encountered in this universe (which is saying a lot) and I'm especially interested to see where it goes in the next book.
And, I have to say. With every new installment in the Avatar universe I find myself more and more dismayed at how dirty The Legend of Korra did The White Lotus.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I usually don't start reading a series I know is unfinished, but I love these books so much I had to make an exception. There are a lot of loose ends for the second Yangchen book to play with and I'm excited to see how everything turns out. I'm especially interested to hear more about Yangchen's unusual connection to her past lives, which seens analogous to some kind of neurological or psychological condition. You'd think all these Avatar reincarnations would be similar enough that it would feel repetitive, but the opposite is true. Another great feature of the writing in this book and the Kyoshi books is how they manage to hold suspense and weight even though you more or less know how things turn out, based on their depictions in other Avatar works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder
Not exactly police, but...
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-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:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence
adventurous
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Classism
Minor: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Torture
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Dawn of Yangchen, in many ways, was not the read I expected. If you’re into stories surrounding more espionage or political intrigue, you’re going to enjoy it. The world building is amazing. But as someone who gets frustrated with more slow-moving books, in my opinion both the plot and the characters fell flat.
I genuinely think Yee’s world building was the best pet of the book. We finally get an up-close look at the Air Nation pre-war, and it’s the first time we’ve been able to really compare two avatars of the same element. Yee shows off the ways different nations interact when they’re sharing the same city, building onto what we’ve seen of Republic City in Legend of Korra. With the introduction of Kavik, we see more of the Northern Water Tribe’s culture as well. And in the book’s climax, we’re re-introduced to two bending concepts that the sequel may finally give us some answers about.
By contrast, the characters were a mixed bag. We’ve gotten hints since The Last Airbender that Yangchen’s venerable reputation isn’t entirely correct, and seeing just how incorrect it is was interesting. I’m excited to see how the Yangchen in the book grows into the Yangchen we’ve seen in previous installments. The issue is that Yangchen’s development doesn’t feel like the main focus of the book- Kavik’s does. An entirely new character, Kavik dances on the line of being a friend and ally to Yangchen, a potential companion. He certainly goes through a developmental journey in the book, but it just wasn’t interesting. The final reveal in his storyline wasn’t the “gotcha” moment I think Yee intended it to be. For me, it was an eye-roll moment. Kavik’s character had sympathetic aspects, and I hope he becomes more lovable in the next installment. But I hope more that the focus centers on Yangchen.
If you love the Avatar-verse, I think you should read this book. It genuinely isn’t bad, and I’m still excited for the next installment. But I won’t lie and say I liked it. I’ve seen a lot of people compare it to Yee’s Kyoshi novels, and I think there’s a good dichotomy there. Kyoshi was fast-paced and adventurous, whereas Yangchen is more political and introspective. I think there will definitely be people who find Yangchen more exciting, but it’s not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Still a nice look into the world of ATLA, it is more stale than The Rise of Kyoshi and The Shadow of Kyoshi. Don't look for layered side characters or a well-rounded storyline in this third installment of the ATLA novels. So far the only promise this era has is deepening for the Kyoshi books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Grief, Dysphoria, Classism
Minor: Chronic illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail