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chickenmidwife'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: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Rape
camryngrace'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: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
saturnsheart'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Rape, Violence, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Self harm
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Infertility, Vomit, and Pregnancy
dazzlingreader_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
jackiepaigecat's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Rape, and Self harm
xelasrecords'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
I have become something wonderful, she thought. I have become something terrible.
Was she now a goddess or a monster?
Perhaps neither. Perhaps both.
I went into this knowing that this is inspired by the second Sino-Japanese war and Rin is by Mao Zedong, so I was curious to see how she would go from a countryside girl who wants to protect herself and her country to a controversial figure with one of the highest death tolls in modern history. And I was not disappointed. This book was such a page-turner that the grotesque war crimes did not deter me from reading while eating and R.F. Kuang is good at writing memorable characters too. With only one scene of Rin interacting with Nezha, Venka, Niang, and Kitay separately, I could already remember all of their personalities.
A minor gripe I have is the way Speer is depicted. The way the narrative lumps a whole race into violent, primitive beasts incapable of being negotiated with feels racist. There's also a scene where a character thinks they understand another Speerly inside out simply because they're Speerlies. The generalisation doesn't sit right with me.
My spoiler-free summary for each part of the book:
Part 1: Military academia instead of getting married! Feat. student rivalry with the most beautiful guy in class, served with a side of shamanism.
Part 2: Mugen brings war to Nikan. Battles and found family and supernatural abilities. Actually it drags a bit in some parts, but who cares when Nezha exists? Not me.
Part 3: Mmm she the devil, she a bad lil' bitch, she a rebel.
The amount of gore and expletives they allow in YA though. I was amazed.
❗SPOILERS❗
I like how Rin's corruption arc was handled. The Phoenix had told her that it wasn't her destiny, contrary to her belief. She'd made every single choice that led her to this state. Before Altan died, she'd thought he should've been locked up in Chuluu Korikh, but she actually became worse than him. Kitay was there in the last chapters as the sound of reason, the juxtaposition of good and evil. Rin might have done a terrible thing, but it was hard to justify it when it was for her own bloodlust and vengeance, not love for anyone, not even her people/country. Those were all her excuse to avoid remorse. Now, she's about to wage a war against the Empress, so I guess the Chinese civil war adjacent will start in the next book.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and War
nameitshan'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and War
hayreading'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: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
amberinbookland's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail
runealin'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: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death