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planetarypluto'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
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Medical trauma, Murder, Xenophobia, Animal death, Blood, Addiction, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Child abuse, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Rape, Death, Genocide, Drug use, Racism, and War
rilakkumas'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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, Slavery, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Blood, Body horror, Medical trauma, Rape, Addiction, Torture, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Gore, Animal death, Hate crime, Violence, and War
grandiose_r'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
5.0
On a different note, I loved the novel's approach to drugs and gods and hope it's explored further in the following parts of the series.
R.F. Kuang did an amazing job with this debut novel and I will definitely be returning to this series, but I'm gonna have to take a break from this kind of war literature that hits a bit too close to home for a while.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Torture, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Drug use, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Vomit, Violence, Addiction, Child death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, War, Death, Genocide, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Infertility, Excrement, and Confinement
xx_salem'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Genocide, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Addiction, Animal death, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder, Body shaming, Colonisation, Self harm, Mental illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Torture, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Animal cruelty, Grief, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Vomit, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and War
3hdragon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Kidnapping, Racism, Bullying, Child abuse, Murder, War, Gore, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Grief, Body horror, Child death, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Cursing, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Genocide, and Classism
thelilithjames'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: Murder, Drug use, Emotional abuse, War, Gore, Death, Classism, Torture, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Body horror, Blood, Rape, and Physical abuse
pagesofpins's review against another edition
2.0
I thought the story was really picking up when Rin begins training with one of the wackier and less respected masters, mastering the elements a la The Name of the Wind. At this point a war breaks out that is clearly the 2nd Shino Japanese War, and nearly every description of infant rape, mass murder of families, and creative torture was lifted directly from The Rape of Nanking. That work made some intelligent observations on what prompted men with no violent past to do such horrific things, but this work adds nothing thoughtful. There is no hint of how a nation heals after suffering atrocities like this. It's merely used as a device to add drama. I think sensitive elements in history can be responsibly represented in fantasy, but instead a team of X-Men wander the country wreaking havoc and our MC cries a lot about her abusive and problematic crush. Fantasy can add enough distance to see history clearly, or ask "what if it had happened differently?" I couldn't find either here.
It's possible in the sequel the Taiwanese will be more than a red eyed bloodthirsty race used as bargaining chips in battle, the Japanese will have some context as wealthy oppressors, the Chinese will be more than torture porn, and human experiments like Unit 731 will be treated with more gravity than a device for our heroine to understand her boyfriends drug addiction. But I won't be reading to find out.
Graphic: Sexual content, War, Torture, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Child death, Colonisation, Cursing, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Incest, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, Genocide, Medical trauma, Gore, Racism, and Rape
hyithia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- captivating plot but with one hole
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- excellent world building
- meticulous fictitious history
- reminded me of shadow & bone, similar heroine trope, but executed miles better here
- pacing was jarring, felt like the book suddenly skipped ahead
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Graphic: Infertility, Death, Racism, Addiction, Genocide, Gore, Medical content, Violence, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and War
ashlyn922'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Abortion, Violence, Animal death, Addiction, Self harm, Body horror, War, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Toxic friendship, Torture, Child death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Rape, Genocide, Classism, Infertility, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Gore, Grief, Blood, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Vomit, Abandonment, Slavery, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
10stormlight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Rape, War, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Self harm