Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - The Dawn of Yangchen

I was sadly disappointed by this book! I loved the first two books in the Chronicles of the Avatar series, so I went in to this with high expectations. <SPOILER> There is way too much Kavik in this book, like it starts with him and so much of the drama and the action is tied to him, that I think you could easily forget that this is Yangchen's story. I really wanted to see more of her. They reference her battle with Old Iron and I know that this battle is already an established piece of ATLA lore, so I maybe get why they didn't tell that story, but I would have liked to see it lol! I think what I ultimately enjoyed about this story is what I enjoy about the world of ATLA, the struggle of a young Avatar trying to come into their own and fighting against the bonds of a world that wants to shape them to their own needs. That story has just been told better and in a more flushed out way by the other Avatar's who we have gotten to know...<END SPOILER> The writing is still well-done and I did not feel lost in the story, although at times, I felt that my hand was being held a bit too much.

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kitkatkick's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

The Dawn of Yangchen, in many ways, was not the read I expected. If you’re into stories surrounding more espionage or political intrigue, you’re going to enjoy it. The world building is amazing. But as someone who gets frustrated with more slow-moving books, in my opinion both the plot and the characters fell flat.

I genuinely think Yee’s world building was the best pet of the book. We finally get an up-close look at the Air Nation pre-war, and it’s the first time we’ve been able to really compare two avatars of the same element. Yee shows off the ways different nations interact when they’re sharing the same city, building onto what we’ve seen of Republic City in Legend of Korra. With the introduction of Kavik, we see more of the Northern Water Tribe’s culture as well. And in the book’s climax, we’re re-introduced to two bending concepts that the sequel may finally give us some answers about.

By contrast, the characters were a mixed bag. We’ve gotten hints since The Last Airbender that Yangchen’s venerable reputation isn’t entirely correct, and seeing just how incorrect it is was interesting. I’m excited to see how the Yangchen in the book grows into the Yangchen we’ve seen in previous installments. The issue is that Yangchen’s development doesn’t feel like the main focus of the book- Kavik’s does. An entirely new character, Kavik dances on the line of being a friend and ally to Yangchen, a potential companion. He certainly goes through a developmental journey in the book, but it just wasn’t interesting. The final reveal in his storyline wasn’t the “gotcha” moment I think Yee intended it to be. For me, it was an eye-roll moment. Kavik’s character had sympathetic aspects, and I hope he becomes more lovable in the next installment. But I hope more that the focus centers on Yangchen.

If you love the Avatar-verse, I think you should read this book. It genuinely isn’t bad, and I’m still excited for the next installment. But I won’t lie and say I liked it. I’ve seen a lot of people compare it to Yee’s Kyoshi novels, and I think there’s a good dichotomy there. Kyoshi was fast-paced and adventurous, whereas Yangchen is more political and introspective. I think there will definitely be people who find Yangchen more exciting, but it’s not for me.

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theuncannydani's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Still a nice look into the world of ATLA, it is more stale than The Rise of Kyoshi and The Shadow of Kyoshi. Don't look for layered side characters or a well-rounded storyline in this third installment of the ATLA novels. So far the only promise this era has is deepening for the Kyoshi books.

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