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challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Colonisation
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
the thoughts keep coming and they don't stop coming
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Suicide
challenging
emotional
slow-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 is how colonialism works. It convinces us that the fallout from resistance is entirely our fault, that the immoral choice is resistance itself rather than the circumstances that demanded it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Gaslighting, Colonisation
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Violence
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was teetering on the fence about giving this book 5 stars or not, but I decided that it rightfully deserves that 5th star.
I love how symbolic the book is, and how soon the events are foreshadowed. This is an incredibly literary book. This book is about language and the nuances between languages and it challenges the space between language so masterfully. This book tackles the art of writing, translation, and the life beneath what is seen. And we haven't even got to the actual plot and story contents.
Each character felt fully fleshed out and incredibly real. Oh my boy Ramy, poor Ramy. Robin, the main character, makes so many mistakes in all the best ways. I love how he overanalyzes every opportunity he's given, weighing the pros and cons only to uncharacteristically act on emotion and impulse, the very thing he's been taught not to do. In a book where words are everything, Robin tends to give himself away in his mind, yet never quite says the words that give away what he truly means. Victoire and Ramy probably had the best setup to be the best revolutionaries. They had their brains and wits about them, and the ability to rally the crowd, but Robin was the best choice they could've made. Robin was the one with the most and least self-control, and they bet on that. Victoire is the moral compass of the group and they all respect that. Ramy a fearless leader. Letty was the unfortunate sacrifice they needed to make. The one who couldn't hear what the world truly looked like, what didn't confirm what she knew about her world. Robin described her best, if she couldn't have the world, no one could have it. To be loved is to be heard, and she was deaf to their pleas.
As for the story, it's very neatly organized and linear, there were the climaxes that have you on the edge of your seat mixed with the wonderful lulls of normality. I felt like I was with them with the way Kuang described their second and third years. It reminded me starkly of my third and fourth years respectively (and the fallout that occurred around that time as well), it's good to know that it's a common experience (minus revolution of course).
My only qualm thus far is that all the villains are white people. We could've realistically had some brown people turn their backs on their own like what happens in real life, and given how realistically based this story is, I'm surprised there were no brown traitors. I guess you could say that Robin filled that role actually, but he came back so?
The Dark Academia I was looking for to satisfy the itch fr.
I love how symbolic the book is, and how soon the events are foreshadowed. This is an incredibly literary book. This book is about language and the nuances between languages and it challenges the space between language so masterfully. This book tackles the art of writing, translation, and the life beneath what is seen. And we haven't even got to the actual plot and story contents.
Each character felt fully fleshed out and incredibly real. Oh my boy Ramy, poor Ramy. Robin, the main character, makes so many mistakes in all the best ways. I love how he overanalyzes every opportunity he's given, weighing the pros and cons only to uncharacteristically act on emotion and impulse, the very thing he's been taught not to do. In a book where words are everything, Robin tends to give himself away in his mind, yet never quite says the words that give away what he truly means. Victoire and Ramy probably had the best setup to be the best revolutionaries. They had their brains and wits about them, and the ability to rally the crowd, but Robin was the best choice they could've made. Robin was the one with the most and least self-control, and they bet on that. Victoire is the moral compass of the group and they all respect that. Ramy a fearless leader. Letty was the unfortunate sacrifice they needed to make. The one who couldn't hear what the world truly looked like, what didn't confirm what she knew about her world. Robin described her best, if she couldn't have the world, no one could have it. To be loved is to be heard, and she was deaf to their pleas.
As for the story, it's very neatly organized and linear, there were the climaxes that have you on the edge of your seat mixed with the wonderful lulls of normality. I felt like I was with them with the way Kuang described their second and third years. It reminded me starkly of my third and fourth years respectively (and the fallout that occurred around that time as well), it's good to know that it's a common experience (minus revolution of course).
My only qualm thus far is that all the villains are white people. We could've realistically had some brown people turn their backs on their own like what happens in real life, and given how realistically based this story is, I'm surprised there were no brown traitors. I guess you could say that Robin filled that role actually, but he came back so?
The Dark Academia I was looking for to satisfy the itch fr.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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:
No
There’s no other rating to give a Kuang book than five stars.
The magic system and environment that Kuang creates is unmatched - completely transformative, no stone left unturned, no detail spared.
The way Kuang breaches racism, colonialism, sexism, and exploitation is horrifyingly accurate. And this book is devastating.
The magic system and environment that Kuang creates is unmatched - completely transformative, no stone left unturned, no detail spared.
The way Kuang breaches racism, colonialism, sexism, and exploitation is horrifyingly accurate. And this book is devastating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Classism
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
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
This should be required reading for everyone! It is fantastic!
And R.F. Kuang’s thoughts on and approaches to the power of language and translation, the difficulties and responsibilities of revolutions, and the contradictions and similarities between life and death feel brand new!
There were moments where it got a smidge slow but it never felt like a struggle to get through. It was always super engaging and thought provoking, whether that was because of a new plot obstacles or because she presented a brand new way of thinking about something.
And R.F. Kuang’s thoughts on and approaches to the power of language and translation, the difficulties and responsibilities of revolutions, and the contradictions and similarities between life and death feel brand new!
There were moments where it got a smidge slow but it never felt like a struggle to get through. It was always super engaging and thought provoking, whether that was because of a new plot obstacles or because she presented a brand new way of thinking about something.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, Classism
Moderate: Suicide, Blood
This book is an exploration and discussion about dismantling a colonial empire that does not shy away from describing the horrors that colonization wrecks on the oppressed people. It is for a mature reader who understands/is ready to confront their biases about colonization and European/white influenced history.