Scan barcode
cozyscones's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Murder, Classism, and Panic attacks/disorders
geekreate's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, and Death
Moderate: Murder and Stalking
Minor: Violence
716a_m's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Violence
jiwiz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A really cool addition to the Avatar universe! I really love the traits F.C. Yee gave Yangchen to expand her character from the myth we know. It really meshes well the Yangchen from the Kyoshi novels and the Yangchen who spoke to Aang. One thing I'd criticise is that I couldn't really connect to the rest of Yangchen's 'Team Avatar' beyond Kavik.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
haleybre's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Classism, Murder, Death, Blood, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Violence, and Vomit
doodeedoda's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Minor: Grief
astropova's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, Violence, and Death
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
parenthesis_enjoyer's review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Classism
Minor: Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit
cherryboo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Racism, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
ekari's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
lots to say.
first of all, prior to reading this book, i had read some reviews acknowledging yangchen's lack of presence in her own book, and i wasn't able to empathize with these sentiments until i read it for myself. it turns out that she does not, in fact, feel like the main character in her own story. this is the dawn of *yangchen*, not the dawn of kavik. kavik, as much as i liked him, took up the majority of the story's viewpoint, which i didn't appreciate. now, im a sucker for switching perspectives in storytelling, but shouldn't avatar yangchen's perspective be the dominant one, seeing as this is *her* life story? this certainly didn't make this book a bad book, but i do desperately wish there was more of her to witness, because the world that existed during her era was truly phenomenal. the worldbuilding in this book was so rich, well-thought out, and nuanced that it answered many questions ATLA had left a mystery. but that's the thing: TDOY focused so much on building the world around the characters that it forgot to build on raw emotions and reader-to-character connections.
despite that, despite yangchen's lack of "main-character-ness," i still, predictably, admired her as a character and an avatar. yangchen's remarkable gift of accessing her past lives' memories paves a gateway to unique struggles and possibilities for the young avatar. she's far too young to be handling the responsibilities she is faced within the book, but far too accomplished by this age to back down. that's what i love about her. she understands the greater picture of her role as "the bridge between spirits and humans," and is willing to pursue sacrifices for the sake of the greater good. yangchen is an avatar first before she is an air nomad, a friend, or a sister.
this is the primary difference between aang and yangchen as air nomad-born avatars. aang is joyous and a pacifist at heart, and still has that child-like flare to his character. drastically, yangchen is deceptive, manipulative, and controlling, and understands that, sometimes, hurt must come before healing. all the things aang is not willing to do, yangchen pursues. (to further elaborate on this distinction, TDOY explores many more mature themes than was allowed in ATLA. it was still just as politically involved, but less apprehensive about displaying darker nuances.)
to clarify, yangchen is not evil. she is empathetic, selfless, and altruistic, but when faced with drastic means, she has the will to resort to drastic measures. (her very words to aang being "this isn't about you, this is about the world.") she understands that being the avatar is about sacrifices. it's about giving up your own morals and spiritual needs to devote yourself to maintaining the balance of the world. in the end, she is only a young teen forced to fulfill her fate as a sacred bringer of peace, a burden she never asked to inherit.
for yangchen, her destiny is both a blessing and a curse.
first of all, prior to reading this book, i had read some reviews acknowledging yangchen's lack of presence in her own book, and i wasn't able to empathize with these sentiments until i read it for myself. it turns out that she does not, in fact, feel like the main character in her own story. this is the dawn of *yangchen*, not the dawn of kavik. kavik, as much as i liked him, took up the majority of the story's viewpoint, which i didn't appreciate. now, im a sucker for switching perspectives in storytelling, but shouldn't avatar yangchen's perspective be the dominant one, seeing as this is *her* life story? this certainly didn't make this book a bad book, but i do desperately wish there was more of her to witness, because the world that existed during her era was truly phenomenal. the worldbuilding in this book was so rich, well-thought out, and nuanced that it answered many questions ATLA had left a mystery. but that's the thing: TDOY focused so much on building the world around the characters that it forgot to build on raw emotions and reader-to-character connections.
despite that, despite yangchen's lack of "main-character-ness," i still, predictably, admired her as a character and an avatar. yangchen's remarkable gift of accessing her past lives' memories paves a gateway to unique struggles and possibilities for the young avatar. she's far too young to be handling the responsibilities she is faced within the book, but far too accomplished by this age to back down. that's what i love about her. she understands the greater picture of her role as "the bridge between spirits and humans," and is willing to pursue sacrifices for the sake of the greater good. yangchen is an avatar first before she is an air nomad, a friend, or a sister.
this is the primary difference between aang and yangchen as air nomad-born avatars. aang is joyous and a pacifist at heart, and still has that child-like flare to his character. drastically, yangchen is deceptive, manipulative, and controlling, and understands that, sometimes, hurt must come before healing. all the things aang is not willing to do, yangchen pursues. (to further elaborate on this distinction, TDOY explores many more mature themes than was allowed in ATLA. it was still just as politically involved, but less apprehensive about displaying darker nuances.)
to clarify, yangchen is not evil. she is empathetic, selfless, and altruistic, but when faced with drastic means, she has the will to resort to drastic measures. (her very words to aang being "this isn't about you, this is about the world.") she understands that being the avatar is about sacrifices. it's about giving up your own morals and spiritual needs to devote yourself to maintaining the balance of the world. in the end, she is only a young teen forced to fulfill her fate as a sacred bringer of peace, a burden she never asked to inherit.
for yangchen, her destiny is both a blessing and a curse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, and Murder