Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
This book was an enjoyable time. I LOVED the fact that the main character was non-binary and how naturally the author made sure to use they/them pronouns throughout and show how easy it is to write for non-binary characters. The setting of a magical/machinery Asian world was also really intriguing. Gave me similar tastes as the show "Samurai 7" which I loved. I just wish the plot was a bit stronger and more action-packed? There is a lot of daily life happening at Jebi's work and I wish there was just a bit more going on. Perhaps this just wasn't the book for me, but it was a decent read in the end.
Thank you to Netgalley & the Publishers for giving me an ARC to review!
My Booktube
1.5 rounded up to 2.
Mostly a 2 thanks to the worldbuilding, and the acknowledging of everyone that isn't a soldier in war and what their place is in war. Maybe this has to do with the writing style and it just not being for me? Everyone else seems to love it so it might have been a case of good book at the wrong time. I do want to re-read it later, because there were some good parts and maybe my opinion will change. It is also possible that this is part of the trend where books are steering away from more Western story/plot formats, and maybe that messed with my expectation? Idk, but if you liked the premise/synopsis, I definitely recommend you at least try the book once it is out!
Characters as a whole felt very flat and I never felt like I knew these characters more than just a cursory overview of them. Even later when tragedy strikes, it doesn't hit as hard as it should feel because I could just not be attached to them at all since they were only seen once or twice before. Lot of discussion about how badly someone is missed once they're gone, but they weren't even a thought before and we only saw them in one or two scenes. And the romance feels rushed/forced, I felt no chemistry between them at all. The best part was that I liked the idea of who the love interest was, however the reveal about her was great.
The story felt weirdly paced, and this might just be because it is following a non-Western form, so I'm not used to it which is why it feels weird. Even once we cross the 80% mark, things feel way too chill. The big climax doesn't hit as hard as it feels like it should, and it isn't the only event like that. Multiple times we have really big scenes that feel like they should be super impactful, but they just don't feel as big as the story makes them sound like they should be? Really big events get the same coverage/page time as really small ones and it just makes everything feel not important.
The ending stretch was... ok? I didn't feel like it was a strong enough ending. Obviously war isn't over that quickly, which I liked was addressed and how our MC decided they don't want part of the long war effort. And the commentary there about Western countries was also great! But it felt like a weird tone to end the book on when it didn't really feel like we were leading to that at all.
Mostly I'm just underwhelmed I think? I honestly think it is just the writing style not being my cup of tea at all.
My Booktube
1.5 rounded up to 2.
Mostly a 2 thanks to the worldbuilding, and the acknowledging of everyone that isn't a soldier in war and what their place is in war. Maybe this has to do with the writing style and it just not being for me? Everyone else seems to love it so it might have been a case of good book at the wrong time. I do want to re-read it later, because there were some good parts and maybe my opinion will change. It is also possible that this is part of the trend where books are steering away from more Western story/plot formats, and maybe that messed with my expectation? Idk, but if you liked the premise/synopsis, I definitely recommend you at least try the book once it is out!
Characters as a whole felt very flat and I never felt like I knew these characters more than just a cursory overview of them. Even later when tragedy strikes, it doesn't hit as hard as it should feel because I could just not be attached to them at all since they were only seen once or twice before. Lot of discussion about how badly someone is missed once they're gone, but they weren't even a thought before and we only saw them in one or two scenes. And the romance feels rushed/forced, I felt no chemistry between them at all. The best part was that I liked the idea of who the love interest was, however the reveal about her was great.
The story felt weirdly paced, and this might just be because it is following a non-Western form, so I'm not used to it which is why it feels weird. Even once we cross the 80% mark, things feel way too chill. The big climax doesn't hit as hard as it feels like it should, and it isn't the only event like that. Multiple times we have really big scenes that feel like they should be super impactful, but they just don't feel as big as the story makes them sound like they should be? Really big events get the same coverage/page time as really small ones and it just makes everything feel not important.
The ending stretch was... ok? I didn't feel like it was a strong enough ending. Obviously war isn't over that quickly, which I liked was addressed and how our MC decided they don't want part of the long war effort. And the commentary there about Western countries was also great! But it felt like a weird tone to end the book on when it didn't really feel like we were leading to that at all.
Mostly I'm just underwhelmed I think? I honestly think it is just the writing style not being my cup of tea at all.
After reading and quite enjoying the Dragon Pearl, I've been really interested in reading more of Yoon Ha Lee's books. Phoenix Extravagant was a quick and overall enjoyable read for me. I liked the dragon character and the main character the most; it would've been cool to have a POV from the dragon, I think. The setting and the magic system was so cool, and I found myself really enjoying the exposition to the point where I wish there was more in that regard. I can see why some people may feel mixed about this book, but this story was something that I did appreciate and enjoy! I'm very interested to continue reading this author's works like Ninefox Gambit books and the sequel for Dragon Pearl when it comes out. Thank you so much Netgalley and Rebellion for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review!
This story captured my interest from the first scene. I immediately cared about the protagonist, and was rooting for them the entire time. I also love the idea of a magical, mechanical dragon, and the dragon's role in the plot is also wonderful. This book also features a non-Western setting. According to the the author's website, it is set in a magical version of Korea during the Japanese occupation, and the setting was part of what made the story so compelling. The story deals with questions surrounding art and its value, and what to do when an empire has taken over your land. I also appreciated that the protagonist is nonbinary. All in all, a good, solid read.
3.5
Some sparse thoughts about this one:
- I really liked the premise. The book is obviously influenced by the Japanese occupation of Korea even though it’s set in a vaguely described world-kingdom. The nods to that time period and events were obvious and I think they worked well in this context.
- I really liked how the author portrayed the conflicting emotions and relationships between characters and especially the sibling relationship between the mc and their sister.
- as with other Yoon Ha Lee books there’s plenty of diversity and lgbt rep which is always such a great thing.
- I don’t think this book is nearly as strong the machineries of the empire series. It’s a good book (with a rather surprising ending which I liked, but that could potentially be extremely polarising) but it lacks the complexity and subtlety that Ninefox Gambit and its sequels had. I do wonder if this was due to the heavy criticism the series received because of how difficult and intricate it is to get into (if so I’d be incredibly sad, because I loved that series once I went past the initial confusion). This was my main problem with the book, how in your face some elements were and how predictable some plot devices and developments turned out to be.
A strong standalone with some interesting elements, but not my favorite from the author. I’ll totally read whatever comes out next though.
Some sparse thoughts about this one:
- I really liked the premise. The book is obviously influenced by the Japanese occupation of Korea even though it’s set in a vaguely described world-kingdom. The nods to that time period and events were obvious and I think they worked well in this context.
- I really liked how the author portrayed the conflicting emotions and relationships between characters and especially the sibling relationship between the mc and their sister.
- as with other Yoon Ha Lee books there’s plenty of diversity and lgbt rep which is always such a great thing.
- I don’t think this book is nearly as strong the machineries of the empire series. It’s a good book (with a rather surprising ending which I liked, but that could potentially be extremely polarising) but it lacks the complexity and subtlety that Ninefox Gambit and its sequels had. I do wonder if this was due to the heavy criticism the series received because of how difficult and intricate it is to get into (if so I’d be incredibly sad, because I loved that series once I went past the initial confusion). This was my main problem with the book, how in your face some elements were and how predictable some plot devices and developments turned out to be.
A strong standalone with some interesting elements, but not my favorite from the author. I’ll totally read whatever comes out next though.
Giant dragons; moon bunnies; diverse characters; fox people! I wanted more moon bunnies though, I finished this when I should have been going to sleep because I thought we were going to achieve moon bunnies and they didn't happen and I was faintly mad!
.
The world building was excellent, they managed to explain the politics, the mechs and the magic without it seeming forced or taking you out of the story. Arazi, the dragon, was awesome and so much fun and managed to make a giant dragon seem like the cutest, most wholesome, character!
.
Personally I preferred the first 2/3rds of the story when we were just hanging out, mixing paints and making friends. The battle stuff was not for me and I didn't like the bad guys or the characters we met in the resistance. Probably because they all just wanted to murder each other instead of eating snacks and drawing moon bunnies.
.
A fun fantasy/sci-fi read which was easy to read.
.
The world building was excellent, they managed to explain the politics, the mechs and the magic without it seeming forced or taking you out of the story. Arazi, the dragon, was awesome and so much fun and managed to make a giant dragon seem like the cutest, most wholesome, character!
.
Personally I preferred the first 2/3rds of the story when we were just hanging out, mixing paints and making friends. The battle stuff was not for me and I didn't like the bad guys or the characters we met in the resistance. Probably because they all just wanted to murder each other instead of eating snacks and drawing moon bunnies.
.
A fun fantasy/sci-fi read which was easy to read.
I'm a huge fan of Lee's military scifi, but this is excellent fantasy about art, imperialism, loyalty, free will, & the terrible decisions of the heart, with a nonbinary main character! This book makes me hope Lee writes even more fantasy while I'm simultaneously stalking the internet for more of his space opera... (This book is very different from the Machineries of Empire trilogy--which I loved--so if you bounced of that series, you might still want to check this out.)
The cover illustration shows the pacifistic roboter dragon which is animated by magical ingredients, one of them the rare pigment
Main protagonist artist Jebi additionally applied an extremely common pigment "Talkative Cicada" which let the dragon talk. The dragon is in the control of the Ministry of Armor, and broke and jobless Jebi is hired to fix the dragon. The role of the supervisor lies in the hands of the ministry's duelist prime, beautiful and resourceful Vei.
Razanei represents the imperialistic Japan which ruled over Korean, represented by Hwagugin where the novel is set. This defines roughly the epoche in the beginning of the 20th century, just in a magical transformed world.
The author implemented a full bingo with these buzzwords to grab my attention and brought it fully to live. I immensely enjoyed this rich setting full of surprises.
Jebi becomes entangled unwillingly between loyalists of the Razanei imperium, appeasers, and open rebels, blowing with the wind each time a new protagonist comes up. They is clearly the likable hero, although not a very wise one.
Wait, what, "they is the hero"?
Yes, Jebi is non-binary and chose the singular-they as their gender pronoun. This is a premiere for me, as I never before read a full novel with a non-binary main protagonist. I have to confess, that I needed to get used to this uncommon pronoun and would have preferred a softer introduction (maybe similar to the hero's transformation in The House of Styx) than this heavy-handed shock treatment.
THEY. IS. QUEER. The author made a bold statement with this work for the LBGTQ community which I totally respect. It stretched my tolerance, and I read and discussed a lot about it. Insofar, the author reached his goal. Retrospectively, I am willing to tolerate the somewhat degraded readability. There are not so many authors who can believably transport this important topic, and Yon Ha Lee is certainly a prime example. There are so many examples, where male authors write about female in a way that you can only scratch your head. In this novel, Yon Ha Lee did everything right: non-binary protagonist, their female lover and their sister are all strong characters not degraded by their gender.
As a story, it felt strange. Throughout the tension arc, I thought that this would be a perfect first part of a series. It developed very slowly, only to burst out into activity very late, just as you would expect in a series. But I found out that the book is a standalone, which wasn't reflected in the prose.
The second negative point is the strange usage of Chekhov's gun: the celestial court, situated on the Moon, didn't really impact the story. It only gave a nice exotic flavor to the setting. But then, the ending was so strange and over-the-top (or should I say "over-the-Moon"?) that I could only wave it away.
Disregarding those two minor issues, I fully recommend reading this wonderful, exotic story with robot dragons, artists, and a rebellion.
Phoenix Extravagant for destructive power, as befits an engine of war. Blood Circle, for loyalty to the Empire
Main protagonist artist Jebi additionally applied an extremely common pigment "Talkative Cicada" which let the dragon talk. The dragon is in the control of the Ministry of Armor, and broke and jobless Jebi is hired to fix the dragon. The role of the supervisor lies in the hands of the ministry's duelist prime, beautiful and resourceful Vei.
Jebi puzzled over that. How did dueling relate to art? But then, they’d never understood the intricacies of Razanei administration, including the fact that every ministry had a duelist prime to defend its honor. Hwagugin didn’t practice the barbaric art of dueling, given the choice. Of course, sometimes an offended Razanei duelist didn’t give a Hwagugin that choice.
Razanei represents the imperialistic Japan which ruled over Korean, represented by Hwagugin where the novel is set. This defines roughly the epoche in the beginning of the 20th century, just in a magical transformed world.
The author implemented a full bingo with these buzzwords to grab my attention and brought it fully to live. I immensely enjoyed this rich setting full of surprises.
Jebi becomes entangled unwillingly between loyalists of the Razanei imperium, appeasers, and open rebels, blowing with the wind each time a new protagonist comes up. They is clearly the likable hero, although not a very wise one.
Wait, what, "they is the hero"?
Yes, Jebi is non-binary and chose the singular-they as their gender pronoun. This is a premiere for me, as I never before read a full novel with a non-binary main protagonist. I have to confess, that I needed to get used to this uncommon pronoun and would have preferred a softer introduction (maybe similar to the hero's transformation in The House of Styx) than this heavy-handed shock treatment.
THEY. IS. QUEER. The author made a bold statement with this work for the LBGTQ community which I totally respect. It stretched my tolerance, and I read and discussed a lot about it. Insofar, the author reached his goal. Retrospectively, I am willing to tolerate the somewhat degraded readability. There are not so many authors who can believably transport this important topic, and Yon Ha Lee is certainly a prime example. There are so many examples, where male authors write about female in a way that you can only scratch your head. In this novel, Yon Ha Lee did everything right: non-binary protagonist, their female lover and their sister are all strong characters not degraded by their gender.
As a story, it felt strange. Throughout the tension arc, I thought that this would be a perfect first part of a series. It developed very slowly, only to burst out into activity very late, just as you would expect in a series. But I found out that the book is a standalone, which wasn't reflected in the prose.
The second negative point is the strange usage of Chekhov's gun: the celestial court, situated on the Moon, didn't really impact the story. It only gave a nice exotic flavor to the setting. But then, the ending was so strange and over-the-top (or should I say "over-the-Moon"?) that I could only wave it away.
Disregarding those two minor issues, I fully recommend reading this wonderful, exotic story with robot dragons, artists, and a rebellion.
Simon and Schuster was kind enough to pass along an ARC of this. I honestly wasn’t expecting how quickly I tore through this, even with shelter in place in effect here. The pitch is that an artist is “recruited” into collaborating with an occupying government and working on the sigils that animate the government’s secret automata weapon, and the deeper they go, the more they find out about the occupying government’s crimes, and the less they can stay out of politics. So they decide to steal the automata they’re working on. Yeah, it’s a heist book, but it’s also about siblings, and the role of art, and the various ways people choose to survive, and also mechs that become self aware, and war crimes, and identity. This seems like it’s going to be a one shot, but I would love to see more of these characters. Also - enby main and romance! This comes out in June, and I highly recommend picking it up when it does.