You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
This has broken me. In multiple ways… the only reason this book is not 5 stars is because I almost gave up just ten chapters to the end. I love the pace of Kuang, but sometimes there’s just one too many battles to keep me going. But god I am so glad I kept going, because that ending was both perfect and horrendous. Beautiful.
I am so freaking bogged down by how deeply upsetting this whole experience was that I am not even 100% sure what to say. The tragedy seeps out between the lines of this book in a way that’s all consuming. the ending is heartbreaking, but also the only way it was going to end. Rin, you are evil & also so real. I don’t agree with you, but I understand your decisions. isn’t that the most painful reality of all?
RF Kuang, you are a magician with words. I am so grateful you exist & share your beautiful mind with us.
RF Kuang, you are a magician with words. I am so grateful you exist & share your beautiful mind with us.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
emotional
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
This was what the whole trilogy was written for. THIS BOOK.
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
best thing i ever read but also WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE ENDING
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
This series has plenty of flaws, but none of them detract it from being a perfect series, in terms of what the author is trying to convey to its audience.
A mix of history (the brutal, unforgiving period of the Second Sino-Japanese War) set in a fantasy land where gods rule in the background -- amazing setting.
Rin's journey from an orphan nearly sold into marriage into an aspiring student, then a doubtful monk, relentless soldier, vessel of an ancient god, general, liberator, emperor, and everything in between. Not all of these transitions are done flawlessly, but they don't need to be -- it's about the overall journey.
The brutality (oh god the brutality) in this one is divisive. It's probably the most brutal set of books I've read, trumping most horror and definitely all other fantasy series. While it fits the grim backdrop of the era -- highlighting atrocities in WWII -- it probably still feels excessive for a lot of people, particularly the individual, casual way brutality is interwoven into the story. It did help pack a punch to the most impactful moments in the book. Most of it didn't feel out of place for me, though this is the most contentious part for me.
This book, as the final of the trilogy, was as good as it could get, considering how fucked up their situation was. It showed how horribly divisive a civil war will always be. Our heroes, even with their god-summoning magic, can't win against the tide of technology, supply, and logistics. Particularly the last hundred or so pages stood out for me. How phyrric a victory could be.
The ending felt inevitable, and a fitting end to this amazing series.
If anything, this author brings something extremely unique and this trilogy will be a standout for me for a while yet.
A mix of history (the brutal, unforgiving period of the Second Sino-Japanese War) set in a fantasy land where gods rule in the background -- amazing setting.
Rin's journey from an orphan nearly sold into marriage into an aspiring student, then a doubtful monk, relentless soldier, vessel of an ancient god, general, liberator, emperor, and everything in between. Not all of these transitions are done flawlessly, but they don't need to be -- it's about the overall journey.
The brutality (oh god the brutality) in this one is divisive. It's probably the most brutal set of books I've read, trumping most horror and definitely all other fantasy series. While it fits the grim backdrop of the era -- highlighting atrocities in WWII -- it probably still feels excessive for a lot of people, particularly the individual, casual way brutality is interwoven into the story. It did help pack a punch to the most impactful moments in the book. Most of it didn't feel out of place for me, though this is the most contentious part for me.
This book, as the final of the trilogy, was as good as it could get, considering how fucked up their situation was. It showed how horribly divisive a civil war will always be. Our heroes, even with their god-summoning magic, can't win against the tide of technology, supply, and logistics. Particularly the last hundred or so pages stood out for me. How phyrric a victory could be.
The ending felt inevitable, and a fitting end to this amazing series.
If anything, this author brings something extremely unique and this trilogy will be a standout for me for a while yet.