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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great sequel in my opinion. While there were characters I’d like to have seen more of, I could understand their lack of occurrence due to needing to move the plot forwards.
Kyoshi has always been a much loved Avatar, and I loved getting to learn more about her early history. I kind of wish the epilogue had been a time skip to let us see her in her later life, but I’m still happy with what we got.
Kyoshi has always been a much loved Avatar, and I loved getting to learn more about her early history. I kind of wish the epilogue had been a time skip to let us see her in her later life, but I’m still happy with what we got.
If this review doesn’t make sense, I blame two concussions mixed with COVID.
While not having the life-changing aspects that were so intense to read in the beginning of the first book I found I liked this one better. I felt like it worked better with the absence of The Flying Opera company; it wasn’t as bogged down. I really liked this version of Yun though I feel bad for the boy he was and the man he could have become. What I like is this book is so much more about fixing the tragedy of the past than the first one was, but it makes sense since Jianzhu is dead, and Kyoshi can see past it to what else is left: Yun. There’s a lot more than pain in her in this book, and it added a whole lot of emotional color that I enjoyed. They paired well with the intense politics of The Fire Nation. This also wrapped up wonderfully, and I love the epilogue.
While not having the life-changing aspects that were so intense to read in the beginning of the first book I found I liked this one better. I felt like it worked better with the absence of The Flying Opera company; it wasn’t as bogged down. I really liked this version of Yun though I feel bad for the boy he was and the man he could have become. What I like is this book is so much more about fixing the tragedy of the past than the first one was, but it makes sense since Jianzhu is dead, and Kyoshi can see past it to what else is left: Yun. There’s a lot more than pain in her in this book, and it added a whole lot of emotional color that I enjoyed. They paired well with the intense politics of The Fire Nation. This also wrapped up wonderfully, and I love the epilogue.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
Ugh, that was so good. I cried at the ending and wish we could see more of these characters, but I'm excited to see what Yee has in store for us with Yangchen's story. So good. Bye, Kyoshi :(
I'm an ATLA girlie and I loved Kyoshi in the show but I could not finish this book. The Kyoshi novels were so disappointing me I'm sorry :(
I loved this book, obviously. I ended up preferring the first one more thought and I unfortunately knew I would half way through the book. Personally when I read a book with a certain character in the title I expect most of it to be about that one character- and while, yes, this was more about Kyoshi than anyone else I felt it was too much Yun and too much Kuruk. She felt much more present to me in the first book than here to me. Same thing with Rangi, she's right there in the cover and somehow it felt like she was in very few scenes.
Nevertheless I did enjoy this book a lot and any excuse to further explore the atla world to me is a Win™. Unfortunately, can't give it 5 starts like the first book.
Nevertheless I did enjoy this book a lot and any excuse to further explore the atla world to me is a Win™. Unfortunately, can't give it 5 starts like the first book.
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
is good
An amazing, heart-wrenching conclusion to both the tragic events of Kyoshi's early life and the tragedy of Avatar Kuruk. There's WAYYY too much for one review, but suffice to say, the Kyoshi novels are some of the BEST Avatar content we've ever gotten (and that's saying a lot)!
The real highlight of the book for me is that we fiiiinally learn the truth behind Kuruk's life, as well as insights into the lives of Yangchen and her predecessor. It's made all the more poignant by the fact that this whole episode of world history, from the actions of Yangchen, leading through Kuruk into the life of Kyoshi, can only be described as tragic, and is done so well.
However, the first book is IMO the stronger of the two. This one is around 100 pages shorter, and we really could have done with those to further flesh out some characters and plot points. Like the first book, I felt that some of the supporting cast could have done with more characterisation. Plus, two of the things we were sold on with this book were 'Rangi backstory' and 'Kyoshi's animal guide', neither of which we really got to any great extent. And we didn't get the further development of Kirima and Wong that I really felt they needed from the first book, and was relal hoping for here (in fact we barely saw them at all). Plus I felt the side plot of Fire Nation politics was quite slow, and as a result dragged a bit in the middle.
Still, I really enjoyed this book and the heart-wrenching conclusion it gave to these stories and characters. Knocked down to 4 stars for the flaws I've outlined, but still really strong. To my mind these books are basically the third series!
Second reading, Aug-Sep 2021, via audio: A fantastic follow-up, perhaps made easier this time by listening to the audio version, which allowed me to speed through some of the slower parts. The undisputed highlight was again all the backstory and payoff we finally got; learning the truth behind Kuruk, and how his story was so (masterfully) intertwined with Yangchen, Glowworm, Yun, and Kyoshi. I say it again, but it is quite masterful. It so perfectly ties together thematically and character-wise for Kyoshi (especially the way in which each Avatar's decisions and failures have knock-on effects to the next, all the way down the line), and I can't gush about it enough. Again, it's something I hope to be able to replicate in future! Speaking of gushing, I was able to really appreciate Yun more this time around, and the tragedy of his fall. One thing I can't get enough of is the However, I do agree with many people's assessments that the book is missing a few chapters towards the end - those extra 100 pages; Rangi's story was never really closed off (or at least was done so off-screen) and Kyoshi never speaks to Nyahitha or, hell, Hei-ran about the revelations about Kuruk. Hei-ran's reactions to finally learning the truth about her friend would have been so amazing and heartwarming to see (and might allow her and Nyahitha to reconcile). So on a second read this loss does feel a bit jarring. Which is why I'm a bit torn for a final score... had these conversations been included this book would be a straight 5/5 up there with RoK. But in it's present form... in the end I've decided to give it 5 stars anyway - though a lower 5 than RoK - for the sheer brilliance of the masterfully intertwined Yangchen-Kuruk-Glowworm-Yun-Jianzhu-Kyoshi story. That's something I'll always love these books for. As I've often said, after AtLA and LoK, these books are the third pillar of Avatar, and they thoroughly deserve it.
The real highlight of the book for me is that we fiiiinally learn the truth behind Kuruk's life, as well as insights into the lives of Yangchen and her predecessor. It's made all the more poignant by the fact that this whole episode of world history, from the actions of Yangchen, leading through Kuruk into the life of Kyoshi, can only be described as tragic, and is done so well.
However, the first book is IMO the stronger of the two. This one is around 100 pages shorter, and we really could have done with those to further flesh out some characters and plot points. Like the first book, I felt that some of the supporting cast could have done with more characterisation. Plus, two of the things we were sold on with this book were 'Rangi backstory' and 'Kyoshi's animal guide', neither of which we really got to any great extent. And we didn't get the further development of Kirima and Wong that I really felt they needed from the first book, and was relal hoping for here (in fact we barely saw them at all). Plus I felt the side plot of Fire Nation politics was quite slow, and as a result dragged a bit in the middle.
Still, I really enjoyed this book and the heart-wrenching conclusion it gave to these stories and characters. Knocked down to 4 stars for the flaws I've outlined, but still really strong. To my mind these books are basically the third series!
Second reading, Aug-Sep 2021, via audio: A fantastic follow-up, perhaps made easier this time by listening to the audio version, which allowed me to speed through some of the slower parts. The undisputed highlight was again all the backstory and payoff we finally got; learning the truth behind Kuruk, and how his story was so (masterfully) intertwined with Yangchen, Glowworm, Yun, and Kyoshi. I say it again, but it is quite masterful. It so perfectly ties together thematically and character-wise for Kyoshi (especially the way in which each Avatar's decisions and failures have knock-on effects to the next, all the way down the line), and I can't gush about it enough. Again, it's something I hope to be able to replicate in future! Speaking of gushing, I was able to really appreciate Yun more this time around, and the tragedy of his fall. One thing I can't get enough of is the
Spoiler
symbolism behind his death; he died of a frozen heart. He'd fallen so far that his once great, warm heart that had refused to leave any of Tagaka's prisoners behind, had now gone cold and solid. I love that, and it just adds to the tragedy of his story.
Much better than the first book, if only the main villain hadn't dropped the ball in terms of character arc.