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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
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:
No
I enjoyed the first half of this book, which really sets up its world and its characters well. I really liked the idea of art as a powerful, magical force, and the book has a nice allegory for the power of destroying art as a way of subjugating conquered cultures. That said, the historical parallels are so thinly veiled it's hard to tell at times whether this is supposed to be a fantastical world or an alternate version of Earth with fantasy elements - but perhaps that's the point! The book plays very coy with its fantasy, though, and the second half becomes a fairly dull and rushed rebellion and war storyline in which one of the standout features of the book - the fact that one of the main characters is a huge mechanical dragon driven by magical programming - completely stops developing, and that character becomes just another soldier/weapon. Likewise, we're teased with talk of 'celestials' and civilisation on the moon which we never actually see, and at least two interesting characters are hurriedly despatched after varying levels of character development.
What I really did appreciate is how humane the book is; the main character is deeply affected by the deaths they see (and, sometimes, cause), even when their actions are in self-defense. Although the reader is clearly supposed to pick a side in the conflict, we get to see the views of both and especially the people caught just trying to stay alive somewhere in the middle.
Overall, then, I found this well-written and initially a lot of fun, but felt the second half didn't live up to the potential of the ideas in the first half.
What I really did appreciate is how humane the book is; the main character is deeply affected by the deaths they see (and, sometimes, cause), even when their actions are in self-defense. Although the reader is clearly supposed to pick a side in the conflict, we get to see the views of both and especially the people caught just trying to stay alive somewhere in the middle.
Overall, then, I found this well-written and initially a lot of fun, but felt the second half didn't live up to the potential of the ideas in the first half.
I loved Machineries of Empire So Much, so I had high hopes for this one, but it didn't quite deliver. It's a good story, in a super original setting (fantasy Japanese-Korean War), with compelling characters (including a non binary protagonist and a magical mechanical dragon!) and a truly interesting and, for once, nuanced exploration of the choices people make wrt occupation, war, resistance and revolution. But, with all those interesting elements, this book really wanted to be two books. Things just went too fast, and the narrative didn't dwell enough on many important aspects. Jebi's moral journey is too abrupt, like a flipped switch; their enemies to lovers romance with Vei is not given the proper time to develop (and god knows i love a queer enemies to lovers story) and the emotional impact of Vei killing two important people in Jebi's life is also under-explored; Jebi's sister goes from self-sacrificing and overprotective to "I will sacrifice you to the greater good" real fast; and Jebi's feelings about the war, about the tragedies around them and the ones they have a hand in, are glossed over too fast, which imo hurts their characterisation. This is still a good, solid book, with elements of originality and true societal questions that lift it far above most "average" fantasy books, but I'm used to more from Yoon Ha Lee and I really wish this had been two books so the story's impact could have been delivered the way it deserved to be.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked a lot about this book - character, most of the world, the pigments, the dragon!!) - but there's other parts I was less of a fan of - the rest of the world, characters, the ending.
Really, the plot of this book is Jebi just wants to do art and the world keeps stopping them. Most things happen to Jebi verus Jebi happening to things, and it occasionally slowed down the book. That would have been fine, but then the ending happened, and while 80% of it made sense, there is one logic loop I can't get past.
I would have rated this book higher, but then they went to the moon. And I don't get it.
Really, the plot of this book is Jebi just wants to do art and the world keeps stopping them. Most things happen to Jebi verus Jebi happening to things, and it occasionally slowed down the book. That would have been fine, but then the ending happened, and while 80% of it made sense, there is one logic loop I can't get past.
There were so many aspects of this that I loved, but they only added up into a book I really liked rather than one I loved.
I loved Arazi (I now have SO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT CUTE DRAGON ROBOTS), I loved Jebi's and Vei's enemies to lovers dynamic, I loved Hak and her friendship with Jebi, I loved Jebi's prickly but loving relationship with their sister, I loved all of the complicated moral choices re: existing in a colonized/occupied country, I loved the canon throuple, and I loved loved loved all of Jebi's thoughts about art.
However, halfway through, I felt like the book developed WAY TOO MUCH PLOT, WAY TOO SUDDENLY and made certain things WAY TOO CONVENIENT. I wasn't a fan of the Bongsunga reveal (which made everything a bit too easy), and I felt like the new applications of Phoenix Extravagant were too sudden. All of the complicated, thorny relationships I loved in the first half had a lot of their complexity handwaved away in service of telling a much more straightforward rebellion story, in which all of our characters played roles of great importance. And while those are always cool, I was really enjoying the story I thought we were getting about ordinary people trying to be true to themselves and contribute (or not) to said rebellion in smaller ways.
I loved Arazi (I now have SO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT CUTE DRAGON ROBOTS), I loved Jebi's and Vei's enemies to lovers dynamic, I loved Hak and her friendship with Jebi, I loved Jebi's prickly but loving relationship with their sister, I loved all of the complicated moral choices re: existing in a colonized/occupied country, I loved the canon throuple, and I loved loved loved all of Jebi's thoughts about art.
However, halfway through, I felt like the book developed WAY TOO MUCH PLOT, WAY TOO SUDDENLY and made certain things WAY TOO CONVENIENT. I wasn't a fan of the Bongsunga reveal (which made everything a bit too easy), and I felt like the new applications of Phoenix Extravagant were too sudden. All of the complicated, thorny relationships I loved in the first half had a lot of their complexity handwaved away in service of telling a much more straightforward rebellion story, in which all of our characters played roles of great importance. And while those are always cool, I was really enjoying the story I thought we were getting about ordinary people trying to be true to themselves and contribute (or not) to said rebellion in smaller ways.
O.O that ending
Anyone who's read my blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Yoon Ha Lee's work. From the Machineries of the Empire trilogy to his short story collections, I've read and loved them all. As such, when I saw word that a new book was being written, I knew I had to get my hands on it as soon as possible. Ironically, I was telling myself I wouldn't request any more titles until I cleared my backlog, but I just couldn't resist. And I was certainly not let down. A huge thanks to Rebellion/Solaris for approving this title on NetGalley for me, despite requesting it so late in the review cycle.
From the first chapter, it's clear that this world is heavily inspired by the Japanese (the Razanei) occupation of Korea (the Hwaguk) in the 20th century. A major theme in this book is colonialism. Namely, this book hits two major points, the first being the response of the colonized people. Through different characters, Lee shows responses ranging from open resistance (Bongsunga), reluctant integration (Jebi), to open assimilation (Hak). Pheonix Extravagent also explores the behavior of the colonizers and the discrimination faced by the Hwaguk. As the summary implies, much of this commentary is done through the lens of art, in the perceived value of art styles from different nationalities, art theft, and art destruction.
For fans of the Machineries of the Empire trilogy, the worldbuilding and the magic system will seem the most familiar. The Razanei rely heavily on their automata, automated machines that can obey basic commands, tireless and un-swayed by human emotion. These automata are brought to life by special pigments, made from the destroyed works of dead Hwaguk artists, are used to form glyphs that command the automata. From having read some of Lee's short stories, this is a concept Lee's explored before. However, Phoenix Extravagant has really expanded that concept with the horrifying background of the pigments and made it truly fascinating to read.
Of the characters, Jebi, our non-binary, pacifist, "I just want to paint" artist was my favorite. From their introduction, it's clear that Jebi just wants to paint, and if it has to be for the Razanei government and he has to adopt a Razanei name, so be it. Unfortunately for Jebi, making a living as an artist is difficult and instead of working as a typical salaried artist, they get dragged into a secret military project, the dragon automata Arazi. Naturally, having met Arazi and realizing this dragon is sapient, they hatch a plan to break him out. One of my favorite aspects about Jebi it's very obvious they have no idea what they're doing. Every plan, every action, is tinged with a sense of 'oh fuck I hope this works' and 'holy shit that worked?'. Lee captures the extremely erratic behaviour of artists extremely well, from the 2AM bouts of inspiration to the hours upon hours of staring at a blank sheet of paper. There are some hilarious scenes where Jebi uses this to convince the Ministry guards to let them into places 'because artist things, y'know?'. And the Ministry guards, apparently used to this behavior, just rolls with it. Jebi embodies peak Chaotic Dumbass Energy and I love them.
Aside from Jebi, there are Vei, the Ministry of Armor's Duelist prime, Jebi's project manager and later lover, Bongsunga, Jebi's older sister, and Arazi, the dragon automata. I enjoyed Vei's character as the rational one of the pairing. Jebi's unabashed pining for her was extremely cute to read. However, as the two of them got closer, I felt like there was a lack of chemistry. I think this is largely due to a lack of Vei ever really showing affection for Jebi beyond dialogue. Bongsunga took longer to warm up to and early on I just thought she was a hardass. However, we get more of her backstory and her activities in the second half of the book and I found myself appreciating her pragmatism and dedication to her people, even if it meant going beyond her personal stakes. Arazi, was, as expected, extremely lovable. Arazi comes off as a young sheltered, though mature child, constantly asking Jebi to explain sensations that he cannot experience. And also he's a dragon. What more can a reader want?
Besides the lack of chemistry, one minor point I had issue with was the more fantastical elements. For a book so mired in practicality, the more fantasy elements like the Celestials just chilling out on the Moon or the Razenai trying to build something to travel to the moon seemed almost out of place.
Overall, I rate this book a 45. Yoon Ha Lee brings together a stark and fascinating world inspired by the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 20th century. The characters, Jebi, Vei, Bongsunga, and Arazi are all extremely lovable, though I had issues with Jebi and Vei's chemistry. I will have to say, that ending was, uh, unexpected.
Anyone who's read my blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Yoon Ha Lee's work. From the Machineries of the Empire trilogy to his short story collections, I've read and loved them all. As such, when I saw word that a new book was being written, I knew I had to get my hands on it as soon as possible. Ironically, I was telling myself I wouldn't request any more titles until I cleared my backlog, but I just couldn't resist. And I was certainly not let down. A huge thanks to Rebellion/Solaris for approving this title on NetGalley for me, despite requesting it so late in the review cycle.
From the first chapter, it's clear that this world is heavily inspired by the Japanese (the Razanei) occupation of Korea (the Hwaguk) in the 20th century. A major theme in this book is colonialism. Namely, this book hits two major points, the first being the response of the colonized people. Through different characters, Lee shows responses ranging from open resistance (Bongsunga), reluctant integration (Jebi), to open assimilation (Hak). Pheonix Extravagent also explores the behavior of the colonizers and the discrimination faced by the Hwaguk. As the summary implies, much of this commentary is done through the lens of art, in the perceived value of art styles from different nationalities, art theft, and art destruction.
For fans of the Machineries of the Empire trilogy, the worldbuilding and the magic system will seem the most familiar. The Razanei rely heavily on their automata, automated machines that can obey basic commands, tireless and un-swayed by human emotion. These automata are brought to life by special pigments, made from the destroyed works of dead Hwaguk artists, are used to form glyphs that command the automata. From having read some of Lee's short stories, this is a concept Lee's explored before. However, Phoenix Extravagant has really expanded that concept with the horrifying background of the pigments and made it truly fascinating to read.
Of the characters, Jebi, our non-binary, pacifist, "I just want to paint" artist was my favorite. From their introduction, it's clear that Jebi just wants to paint, and if it has to be for the Razanei government and he has to adopt a Razanei name, so be it. Unfortunately for Jebi, making a living as an artist is difficult and instead of working as a typical salaried artist, they get dragged into a secret military project, the dragon automata Arazi. Naturally, having met Arazi and realizing this dragon is sapient, they hatch a plan to break him out. One of my favorite aspects about Jebi it's very obvious they have no idea what they're doing. Every plan, every action, is tinged with a sense of 'oh fuck I hope this works' and 'holy shit that worked?'. Lee captures the extremely erratic behaviour of artists extremely well, from the 2AM bouts of inspiration to the hours upon hours of staring at a blank sheet of paper. There are some hilarious scenes where Jebi uses this to convince the Ministry guards to let them into places 'because artist things, y'know?'. And the Ministry guards, apparently used to this behavior, just rolls with it. Jebi embodies peak Chaotic Dumbass Energy and I love them.
Aside from Jebi, there are Vei, the Ministry of Armor's Duelist prime, Jebi's project manager and later lover, Bongsunga, Jebi's older sister, and Arazi, the dragon automata. I enjoyed Vei's character as the rational one of the pairing. Jebi's unabashed pining for her was extremely cute to read. However, as the two of them got closer, I felt like there was a lack of chemistry. I think this is largely due to a lack of Vei ever really showing affection for Jebi beyond dialogue. Bongsunga took longer to warm up to and early on I just thought she was a hardass. However, we get more of her backstory and her activities in the second half of the book and I found myself appreciating her pragmatism and dedication to her people, even if it meant going beyond her personal stakes. Arazi, was, as expected, extremely lovable. Arazi comes off as a young sheltered, though mature child, constantly asking Jebi to explain sensations that he cannot experience. And also he's a dragon. What more can a reader want?
Besides the lack of chemistry, one minor point I had issue with was the more fantastical elements. For a book so mired in practicality, the more fantasy elements like the Celestials just chilling out on the Moon or the Razenai trying to build something to travel to the moon seemed almost out of place.
Overall, I rate this book a 45. Yoon Ha Lee brings together a stark and fascinating world inspired by the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 20th century. The characters, Jebi, Vei, Bongsunga, and Arazi are all extremely lovable, though I had issues with Jebi and Vei's chemistry. I will have to say, that ending was, uh, unexpected.
I enjoyed this! I do feel that the blurb for this book is pretty off. Like they aren't even ever searching for Phoenix Extravagant, why is that in the blurb? Maybe something more accurate would be - An artist who is just trying to make a living gets swept up into a world of magical pigments, living automata, and secret rebellion. They must decide for themselves how far they will go for family and for their country.
Some reviewers seem to think the beginning of the book is boring, or that it's only interesting once the dragon shows up, but that wasn't my experience. While the dragon, Arazi, is an excellent character, I was engaged in the story from the outset. Jebi and Arazi's friendship really is a wonderful part of the book. When all their other relationships seem uncertain, Arazi is there for them.
As an artist with genderqueer and pacifist leanings, I identify with the main character, Jebi, a lot. I like the way they look at the world. I could relate to seeing to the world in terms on an artistic composition at both momentous times and inappropriate ones lol
There's great queer representation. The main character is genderqueer and uses they/them pronouns and being genderqueer is a normal thing in their society. Same gender relationships and marriages are also common. There's even a poly triad that shows up, although that's a more unusual arrangement for the culture. But the fact that it's a mixed culture relationship is seen as more scandalous than that there's three of them.
Things do get a little intense and violent during a torture scene and once the characters are in the middle of a war, but I never found it too overwhelming. I had to take a couple breaks during those scenes, but the need to know what happened next had me quickly diving back in.
The book generally wraps up a story arc, but leaves plenty of room for a sequel.
Content Notes: Torture, Beheading
Some reviewers seem to think the beginning of the book is boring, or that it's only interesting once the dragon shows up, but that wasn't my experience. While the dragon, Arazi, is an excellent character, I was engaged in the story from the outset. Jebi and Arazi's friendship really is a wonderful part of the book. When all their other relationships seem uncertain, Arazi is there for them.
As an artist with genderqueer and pacifist leanings, I identify with the main character, Jebi, a lot. I like the way they look at the world. I could relate to seeing to the world in terms on an artistic composition at both momentous times and inappropriate ones lol
There's great queer representation. The main character is genderqueer and uses they/them pronouns and being genderqueer is a normal thing in their society. Same gender relationships and marriages are also common. There's even a poly triad that shows up, although that's a more unusual arrangement for the culture. But the fact that it's a mixed culture relationship is seen as more scandalous than that there's three of them.
Things do get a little intense and violent during a torture scene and once the characters are in the middle of a war, but I never found it too overwhelming. I had to take a couple breaks during those scenes, but the need to know what happened next had me quickly diving back in.
The book generally wraps up a story arc, but leaves plenty of room for a sequel.
Content Notes: Torture, Beheading
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
Very LGBTQ+ friendly - has a nonbinary protagonist and other nonbinary characters who are part of the world, non-hetero relationships are accepted, polyamorous relationships are accepted
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia
Minor: Grief
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Really enjoyed this book. It is incresibly easy to love Jebi and root for them, and it's refreshing to have a tale of rebellion through the eyes of an artist who really does not stomach the violence well. I wish we'd had more Arazi cause I ADORE the dragon, and the moment it really enters the story is the moment it flipped from good to excellent for me. Also loved the complicated siblings dynamic between Jebi and their sister. This book had a lot for me in it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
I was disappointed with this one - I really loved the Machinareis of the Empire: I thought it was very complex and deep. I did think that the context of PE was complex but the reactions of the characters to plot points were not so. Without spoiling things, one of the main conflicts between Jebi and their sister has basically a very flat resolution and their sister is implied to have moved on so it's less important for her than it would have been - this is very cryptic but what I'm trying to say is that I didn't feel as connected to what was happening, emotionally, because the characters didn't feel very reactive either. If I didn't know better I'd have thought this was the author's first novel and not The Ninefox Gambit.
The cover is really amazing, though.
The cover is really amazing, though.