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pepper_mind's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Rape, and Sexual assault
chaun_sox's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
ian_ramos's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
chelsea_meadow's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
boo_bee's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
the sfx quite on the back cover reads, “liu seamlessly blends philosophy and politics with tense battles and compelling action” — this is entirely true and is the perfect summary of what this book does.
the world building is lush and intricate, the technological involvement is unique and damn cool, the strategical manoeuvres are incredible. but so far with both of the dandelion dynasty books i’ve read, i don’t connect until around the 70% mark of each book. considering these books are HEFTY that’s a lot to get through to find that spark of real enjoyment.
i think this is mostly due to the fact that my enjoyment stems from characters first, where as this series focuses on the complexity of the world, the tech, the politics, the plot and the philosophy. it’s so wonderfully crafted but it’s not quite scratching the itch of my personal preference.
ghostscissoring's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
the way Ken Liu builds tension - between characters and factions and time itself - is so masterfully done. i found myself constantly surprised by the turns the story was taking, not in that it felt out of character or completely out of left field, but more so in a way that expanded my understanding of this place and the people in it, the possibilities present that i hadn't yet seen. the final battle was so intense, saying goodbye to gin mazoti and dafiro miro and kuni and so many other characters who we had spent so much time with was devastating, but their deaths were also powerful. while Liu's prose is pretty sparse, he really makes every word count, and i was in tears throughout that last battle. i'm terrified and excited to start the next book and see what awaits the people of Dara!
bgil789's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
rbaron11's review against another edition
adventurous
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
kennyo's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
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? No
4.0