Take a photo of a barcode or cover
I was an uneducated reader going into this- I had no idea that it was based on the Second Sino Chinese War and the Rape of Nanjing. I didn't understand a lot of the cultural nuance and historical perspective that was placed into this book. I liked the heroine, sure, and I liked how she's an antihero. But now, knowing what I do about the cultural depth and the nuance and references, how can I not give this book five stars? How can I not be horrified and in awe of this book (and series) as a whole?!
This should be a required read for all fantasy readers. It's not pretty. It's not nice. But it is absolutely astounding.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
and i don't trust Chaghan, i hope he doesn't have ill intentions. and Su Daji can suck my fucking dick, i've never trusted her. i hope Kitay doesn't turn his back on her forever; their friendship genuinely gives me so much happiness bc i feel like he's the first person that Rin has trusted/viewed as a true friend. I love Ramsa he's so adorable. and JIANG ZIYA IF YOU DONT COME BACK ISTG I WILL RAIN HELLFIRE ON YOU. and by the end, i understand why (because she felt like she was backed into a corner and there was literally nothing she could do to save Nikara from Mugen) but Rin was getting on my nerves. but i suppose that's what it means to grow into your own person, and not simple follow the formula of Sinegard's training (or just in general). and i feel like that's part of what Jiang taught Rin, even if it wasn't active teaching, but a passive learning that Rin adopted by observing him. and idk she went in the opposite direction of everything he taught her, but i feel like it's something that he simultaneously taught her too.
sorry for the rant, i've never really reviewed/commented on something online, and none of my friends read *skull emoji* so i just had a field day of all the thoughts and theories running through my head :)
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, War
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Trafficking, Kidnapping
Minor: Infertility, Pregnancy
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Genocide, Murder, War
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual violence, Violence, War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Body horror
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Minor: Pedophilia, Trafficking
Felt like the worldbuilding was just straight up bad, but it had some good ideas (mostly the way the pantheon was handled), so it wasn't a total wash.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism