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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
PHEW I am currently catching up on all my reviews on here and this is going to be time consuming.
This was my covid quarantine read. And it was my only companion throughout new years while i was stuck in my room. (That and Okami)
This book still has a GRIP on me.
I am ecstatic to get around to reading the sequel coming out this August. Anyone who hasn't picked it up yet, NOW IS THE TIME.
This book is a great insight of gender between someone who must hide their gender, and another who already lost his own. INTENSE twists and turns that may make you second guess the purity of our character's motives.
(I will likely freshen up this review in july after my reread)
This was my covid quarantine read. And it was my only companion throughout new years while i was stuck in my room. (That and Okami)
This book still has a GRIP on me.
I am ecstatic to get around to reading the sequel coming out this August. Anyone who hasn't picked it up yet, NOW IS THE TIME.
This book is a great insight of gender between someone who must hide their gender, and another who already lost his own. INTENSE twists and turns that may make you second guess the purity of our character's motives.
(I will likely freshen up this review in july after my reread)
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I saw this book on an "best historical fiction" list a few years ago and it was truly well deserved!
I admittedly knew very little about 14th century China, but that didn't hinder my understanding of the book, which I thought was very well set, and very quickly. Right from the start you could almost feel Zhu's despair, hunger and longing.
The second thing that felt really foreign to me was the matter of destiny and how tied to it they are. As soon as she assumes Zhu Chongba's fate, there's no turning back and there's no letting go. It's an unwaveringness that I can't really conceive in my life. I really like the fluidity of trying new things, but at the same time, it's so intrinsically tied to gender and position in society in this case, that it made me reflect on wether I wouldn't feel a similar drive in her shoes.
Which brings me to the last point. The conversation about gender in this book: WOW! My first reflection is: was the original girl gender non-conforming or was Zhu Chongba's fate so tied to his gender that she had to assume that too? I imagine she couldn't even tell, and I that's what's so awesome about this book. How the concept of gender is also tied to societal expectations and norms. Same with Ouyang, who feels so othered and has such shame and anger tied to what he feels he lacks in relation to other man, so much so that he doesn't persue the same "escapes" and autonomy that Zhu does.
I don't really know how to end this, I feel like I could talk about this book for hours, so I'll continue this on my review of the sequel hehehe.
I admittedly knew very little about 14th century China, but that didn't hinder my understanding of the book, which I thought was very well set, and very quickly. Right from the start you could almost feel Zhu's despair, hunger and longing.
The second thing that felt really foreign to me was the matter of destiny and how tied to it they are. As soon as she assumes Zhu Chongba's fate, there's no turning back and there's no letting go. It's an unwaveringness that I can't really conceive in my life. I really like the fluidity of trying new things, but at the same time, it's so intrinsically tied to gender and position in society in this case, that it made me reflect on wether I wouldn't feel a similar drive in her shoes.
Which brings me to the last point. The conversation about gender in this book: WOW! My first reflection is: was the original girl gender non-conforming or was Zhu Chongba's fate so tied to his gender that she had to assume that too? I imagine she couldn't even tell, and I that's what's so awesome about this book. How the concept of gender is also tied to societal expectations and norms. Same with Ouyang, who feels so othered and has such shame and anger tied to what he feels he lacks in relation to other man, so much so that he doesn't persue the same "escapes" and autonomy that Zhu does.
I don't really know how to end this, I feel like I could talk about this book for hours, so I'll continue this on my review of the sequel hehehe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Dysphoria
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
No
here’s the deal: this is the best historical fiction novel i’ve ever read, and the queerness of it all made it that much more enjoyable. unfortunately i am stupid and did not realize this was historical fiction, which is my least favorite genre of all.
tl;dr: amazing, stunning, beautiful, life-changing for people who like historical fiction. also i need to read book blurbs before i buy the books on the “QUEER BOOKS” table in the book shop.
tl;dr: amazing, stunning, beautiful, life-changing for people who like historical fiction. also i need to read book blurbs before i buy the books on the “QUEER BOOKS” table in the book shop.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first in the fantasy Radiant Emperor duology set in ancient China. In 1345, China is ruled by the Mongols. Two children in a poverty stricken village are given their fates - the boy, greatness; the girl, nothingness. When bandits kill their father and the boy succumbs to despair and dies, the girl takes his place and enters the monastery he was destined to enter. Taking her brother's name, Zhu Chongba believes she can take his destiny as well. When a eunuch servant of the Mongols destroys the monastery - Zhu sets out to find greatness. She learns she is capable of more than she ever believed possible. This was an interesting read, but even though I love fantasy, it was just not in my wheelhouse.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
got very bored with the politics and so many figures names to remember. none of it seemed to catch my attention. feel like I learned that political fantasy isn’t as interesting as I wish it was
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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