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erebus53'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
3.5
I read this book as part of a book club. It was one the club read before I joined but I am playing catch up.
Set in China in the 1300s this was a welcome departure from the Anglo-centric middle ages stories that I typically read based in that time period.
As a girl growing up in the middle of a famine, the main character learns that if you really have the want, you will survive at all costs. It's an exploration of the idea that desire is the root of suffering, and the main character is set up to be one who wants a lot and is thus likely to suffer a lot... there is a lot going on psychologically and philosophically, but I don't think the story gets bogged down by it.
I found myself really excited by some of the cinematic style happenings. An entire army taken out by cleverness and natural forces was a lot more exciting to me than blow by blow battles. I am constantly left under-enthused by battles in general, and this story doesn't make me wade through them unnecessarily. War is ugly.
The relationships in the tale are really nuanced and interesting. Best friends hide secrets from each other, or keep each other's secrets. Rivals respect each other, or feign being dignified. People feel attached to those who have hurt them. It's all a very human dysfunctional mess of trust, betrayal, love, romance, and misplaced presumptions. There's lesbian sex, and homoerotic sexual tension. Love without sex, sex without love. And there's dysphoria and mutilation...
There is a mystical element to the story. It leaves you to wonder about the Fates of the main characters and whose sides the gods are on. I really wanted to love this book more, but it's long and maybe I was just tired.. but I find it hard to root for a main character who is ambitious for its own sake. It's sort of good to have an unconventional main character who gets to be a Boss by sheer savvy and luck.. but I don't get a sense of rooting for an underdog so much as watching someone destroy a whole heap of things and climb a pile of bodies, like military might is the way to get a high score.
I'll be interested to read the second book when it comes out (later this year), and hopefully I might like it more if I take my time to invest in the characters.
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Cannibalism, and Lesbophobia
wirt'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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, and Alcohol
tjmcharg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Body horror
luhreen'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
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Slavery, Murder, Dysphoria, and War
Moderate: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
thewitchwhoisabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Grief, and Toxic friendship
errie's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
rbeccamaec'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: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Excrement, and Vomit
jodean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Outing, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Excrement and Vomit
chrisljm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This is a story about fate and how the main character seeks greatness with hers. Although an interesting premise, I didn’t really enjoy how the story was told. It’s like the meme about Zuko’s honor except it’s a billion times worse because all the main character talks about is her fate/greatness, it was incredibly excessive (fate was mentioned 145 times, greatness 50 times). I think the main character started off interesting, but something about the way we see her through other POVs made me so unattached to her, and I really didn’t care if she succeeded or failed.
I think maybe a large part of why I didn’t enjoy the book that much is because my beliefs/the way I see the world is so vastly different from the main characters, and so my disappointment might just be a me problem.
But also, the story moves so slowly it’s kind of hard to read in large chunks. A lot happens but it doesn’t feel like it, and I don’t want to say it’s boring, but it was hard not to zone out. There are also times where parts of a scene happen off screen? I don’t know if this is just a writing style or what, but it was confusing because instead of reading what happens, I have to infer for myself because the author likes to describe emotions first and events second.
Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gore, Homophobia, Slavery, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
leonormsousa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism