Scan barcode
laguerrelewis's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Rape, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Confinement, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Torture, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and War
judythedreamer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Self harm, Infertility, Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Violence, Classism, Bullying, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Ableism, Abortion, Body horror, Emotional abuse, and Sexual violence
themdash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infertility, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Ableism, Blood, Sexual assault, War, Death, Body shaming, Sexism, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Colonisation, and Violence
sofipitch'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
5.0
Graphic: Dysphoria, Misogyny, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Grief, Homophobia, Outing, Vomit, and Rape
Moderate: War and Miscarriage
forgottenwitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Grief, Rape, and Self harm
sabrinz's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Honestly, there was so much going on in this book - not necessarily plot-wise, we still follow Zhu and her quest to become the Great Khan to remake the world, but for each individual character who's POV we see or may see as part of another character's POV.
The focus of the book shifts slightly to Wang Baoxiang and his machinations, but we still get a lot of page time from Zhu and Ouyang as well as Madam Zhang - all of them striving for power in different and yet so similar ways. The amount of mirroring and contrasts is amazing in this book.
It's a lot to take in and while it does get dark at times there is still hope, and that hope is also there at the end so that you close the book (still slightly reeling from Part 3) with a positive feeling.
This book is really worth the read - just like the first one - and such an excellent take on what is gender if not what we make of it.
Graphic: Classism, War, Grief, Violence, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Suicide, Slavery, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, and Body shaming
Minor: Abortion
justinekorson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexism, Violence, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Grief, Body shaming, Gore, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Sexual content, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Slavery, Toxic friendship, and War
waqupi's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Rape, Self harm, Ableism, and War
Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, and Homophobia
Minor: Pregnancy and Miscarriage
ka_cam'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Abortion, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Grief, Sexual content, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Blood, Misogyny, Violence, War, Murder, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Torture
throwback682's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
That being said, I couldn’t put it down. I finished this one much more quickly than the first. It was very gripping. The reason I gave it 1/2 star less than its predecessor is just because of the r*pe scenes honestly.
Re: the title
The backstabbing really gets kicked up a notch in this book too.
I kind of thought at one point that the book was getting a bit predictable/tired and then OPE THERE’S A TWIST and then WHOOPS ANOTHER ONE. Hang in there.
The protagonist of the first book continues to beat the odds in unexpected ways as she did before and again it’s spectacular. Also as before, I found myself rooting for and even loving really cruel, dark, awful characters. The author has a talent for coaxing out empathy for the worst baddies.
Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Grief, Slavery, Sexual content, Ableism, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Self harm, War, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Abortion, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Torture, Animal death, Body shaming, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Confinement
Minor: Vomit
There is a lot more triggering content in this book than in the first installment of the duology, She Who Became the Sun. Specifically there are multiple rape scenes: - one is marital