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Something I didn't know until shortly after I started reading was that this uses the Sino-Japanese war around the WW2 era as its basis. Something I didn't know until I was most of the way through was how much of that war is replayed in this story. Check the content warnings for this book if there are topics you might be worried about, because that war covered a lot of bases.
My main issue with this book is that sometimes the cliches smack you right in the face. There's some rough whiplash between a fresh fantasy story based on Chinese history, explicitly not shying from the hard parts, and a generic story about a peasant girl being a genius and finding she has powers and stuff. Rin herself tries to shirk these cliches with an at-times terrifying personality, but they're still pretty much front and centre in the way the plot progresses.
Still, really good book. Definitely going to pick up the next one.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Torture, Toxic friendship
Minor: Confinement, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Sexual violence
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent
This book is absolutely EPIC. We follow Rin through her journey from war orphan to an aspiring soldier in Nikan. R. F. Kuang has masterfully woven together a fantastical world with the reality of militaristic Japan and its 20th century relations with China. The threads of history work so beautifully with those of Kuang's fantasy, and that may be the best part of this book. War, sacrifice, revenge, culture, it's all so well done. The first part, Rin's experience at Sinegard, was definitely my favorite, because we got to know Rin so well as a character. But the others were captivating in their craziness; while I feel like we skipped out on some important scenes
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Miscarriage, Sexism
Minor: Slavery, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy
I'd rate Part II 2.5 stars
I'd rate Part III 4 stars
This was a really good book, then it shifted genres unexpectedly (to me), then got me into the genre. Honestly, Part I was amazing, super unexpected in an author's first book. Looking forward to Book 2!
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation
Minor: Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder
These are the things I reacted to during my read/listen to this book, but there are more trigger warnings!
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Kidnapping