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r1vana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: War, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Death
kumquats87's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Grief, Classism, Confinement, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty
marleywrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book made me want to sing and cry at the same time.
This story is now a forever favorite. The character arcs. The thrilling plot. The symbolism. The fantastic prose.
If Sue Lynn Tan writes it, I’m gonna read it.
Graphic: Death, Child death, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: War and Blood
Minor: Infidelity, Murder, and Death of parent
The angst is heavy in this one.lanid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Violence, War, Confinement, Death, Body horror, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Grief
kirstym25'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
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Child death
calicat42's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Child death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
leweylibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First off, I want to get some ending spoilers out of my brain:
A lot of the things that I said about the first book also apply to this one in terms of a review. I think that the love triangle is definitely more present in this one, but, like I said for the first one, it really doesn't detract from the story. It feels mature and it makes sense and it doesn't seem petty or silly or anything like that. There's lots of action and twists and surprising things that whenever it started to feel like maybe there was a lull forming, bam! Something would happen that would make me literally sit up in my seat and be like "excuse me what??" There was also more at stake in this one, and there were bigger losses which hurt but definitely added to the story. There were a lot more places where I noted quotes that stuck with me, and I think that was because this is the book where everything starts to come together and we start seeing the big overarching themes laid out more clearly and explicitly of what this book is really all about. About. And I think that is love. Love is strength and power and it can conquer truly terrible things, even when it causes great pain. And it's worth it. It's definitely worth it.
Quotes:
- Perhaps all such unions were doomed a tragedy, for what future could a mortal and immortal have when death divided them? (30)
- Peace does not flow in your veins. (114)
- So much in life was left a chance. Some had to curve and twist to get ahead, forced to bend with the wind to remain standing, suffering storms that left others unscathed. Yet we could not blame faith for the choices we made-- the rewards were ours to reap, as were the consequences are to bear. Formed who we were... what we would become. (294)
- Trust, once broken, was impossible to restore; the cracks remained even when glazed anew. (312)
- Some years swept by, leaving little mark on our lives while a single moment suffice to upend them. (323)
- If only I could shut out our past, our doubts and regrets. The troubles that bore down upon me, the searing heat from the Sacred Flame Feather Even now burning its way through the enchantments woven around it. A constant struggle to keep it whole, to keep it from destroying me. (350)
- Perhaps, at its core, heroism was a less pretty tale. Words like honor and valor, gilded over necessity and the harsh truth--that there was no choice. (370)
- He looked just as he did when we first met by the river. So much a change since then, and yet he was still the young man brimming with compassion as I was the girl with fire in her heart. Although this time, the blaze might consume me. (372)
- Wielding the bow had made me feel special. Powerful. Strong. He had a did not need it to be those things. (387)
- " For the fools, do not fear the odds, the reckless do not care--and only the truly brave proceed regardless." (391)
- I close my eyes, fighting for calm. Images of my parents slid into my mind, along with Liwei and Wenzhi, of Shuxiao, Prince Yanming, and Ping'er. Something hardened along my spine, a warmth spreading over me. / Those truly powerful have no need for love. It was what Wugang had said to me before, when we stood in this very place. / You are wrong, I told him in the silence of my mind. Love is what gives me the strength to do this. To stop you. (401)
- A frightening thing to surrender a future, to plunge alone into the unknown. But this was my life, and I would claim it... the darkness, hurt, and all. Once you would look to death in the face, every moment after was a victory--a new hope, a new beginning. And I was no longer afraid. (426)
- These wounds and scars would not break me again. I would honor those I had lost by keeping them alive in my heart, not by casting joy for my life, not by refusing to live. No longer would I shut love from my life, and all it's wondrous yet devastating manifestations--the greatest power in the world, capable of moving the hearts of mortals and gods to both evil and good. For we were complex creatures of shades of gray, capable of wonderful and terrible things...of change, because our natures were not fixed like the stars in the sky but flowing is the river toward an unknown horizon. (455)
Moderate: Violence and War
leaflit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, War, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent
LGBTQ+ side characteraexileigh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Violence, War, Child death, Murder, Death, and Grief
chena_reads_romance's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The only reason that I'm not rating it 5 stars is because I wish Xingyin had ended up with a different character lol. I was rooting for someone else the whole time and after what I thought to be the loose ends getting tied up with this character and moving toward better things, she still ended up with him.
Not that I hate him or their relationship, it's just not my taste I suppose. Other than that, this book is flawless!
Graphic: Violence