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emilie_isawesome's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the beginning but the end really dragged on for me. I also just dont understand why there had to be a love triangle. Like why can she just not like Sky. Ugh and the ending just made me so angry bc ofc she j went right back to him
lexib_9's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
historianvik's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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
4.75
Wow my mind is blown. I think this is a book that gets better the more you read it. I already want to reread it bc I know I'm going to see things I didn't the first time. Thought it was a standalone but it does have a To Be Continued at the end which I am happy about given the ending
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and War
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
ee1000's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I heard this is a Mulan retelling with dragons, and yes, it does live up to that! Be warned though that this isn’t your Disney version of Mulan!
I really enjoyed the layered characters in this book. The cast is flawed in so many ways and it really keeps things interesting. You don’t have a single pure person in this book, even our main characters don’t have the best of intentions all of the time.
Even the villains are so well done. Who is good and who is bad is really blurred in this book. I wouldn’t be surprised if things change in the next book!
This book did tear my heart out though. The end will leave you wrecked and desperate for the sequel. Great writing, very interested in seeing where this goes next.
I really enjoyed the layered characters in this book. The cast is flawed in so many ways and it really keeps things interesting. You don’t have a single pure person in this book, even our main characters don’t have the best of intentions all of the time.
Even the villains are so well done. Who is good and who is bad is really blurred in this book. I wouldn’t be surprised if things change in the next book!
This book did tear my heart out though. The end will leave you wrecked and desperate for the sequel. Great writing, very interested in seeing where this goes next.
fyra's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
plottrysts's review against another edition
4.0
In this Mulan-inspired fantasy, Meilin runs away from an arranged marriage to join the army, dressed as a man. Like in Mulan, she trains as a soldier, pushing herself to be one of the best in her company. This is in part to make sure she's not /the worst,/ since she thinks that would bring attention to the fact that she is a woman, but also partly because she has a well of ambition. I mentioned that this is a fantasy, and that's for sure here: Meilin has trained in qi gong and kung fu, and can partially control her qi. She also just might have spirit powers, lixia, that she inherited from her mother.
This is a sweeping fantasy that feels a little YA-inspired, although not YA in scope or feel. For example, Meilin is involved in a love triangle with two different men (who both happen to be princes!), each of whom speaks to a different part of her psyche: Sky is her commanding officer who inspires her patriotism and loyalty, while Lei is a prince of the faction they are fighting, and who speaks to her "unwomanly" ambition. (I have my thoughts about who she will eventually end up picking, and I may be surprising myself with my personal ship...)
There is also a nice critique of gender and gender roles: Meilin never thinks of herself as a man, but she also recognizes that she never wants to go back to living as a woman. Her driving personality traits are, as I mentioned before, "unwomanly": she is ambitious, proud, outspoken, and can be self-centered. At the same time, her greatest blunders are when she trusts the wrong people; and she directly relates this to the way she was raised, as a woman, never to question authority.
Do note that this one ends in a cliffhanger before you dive in! I personally will definitely be picking up the next one in the series.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
This is a sweeping fantasy that feels a little YA-inspired, although not YA in scope or feel. For example, Meilin is involved in a love triangle with two different men (who both happen to be princes!), each of whom speaks to a different part of her psyche: Sky is her commanding officer who inspires her patriotism and loyalty, while Lei is a prince of the faction they are fighting, and who speaks to her "unwomanly" ambition. (I have my thoughts about who she will eventually end up picking, and I may be surprising myself with my personal ship...)
There is also a nice critique of gender and gender roles: Meilin never thinks of herself as a man, but she also recognizes that she never wants to go back to living as a woman. Her driving personality traits are, as I mentioned before, "unwomanly": she is ambitious, proud, outspoken, and can be self-centered. At the same time, her greatest blunders are when she trusts the wrong people; and she directly relates this to the way she was raised, as a woman, never to question authority.
Do note that this one ends in a cliffhanger before you dive in! I personally will definitely be picking up the next one in the series.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
gooseplusmav's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
au_conn1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Torture
Moderate: Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide