Scan barcode
bookishfaye's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Blood, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
poetry_shaman's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, War, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Blood, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Miscarriage
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
it's also a phenomenal character study whose main character and her struggles--as a woman, a mother, a lover, a wife--are rarely seen in fiction, let alone in the traditionally male-dominated domain of fantasy. misaki is unto herself, but is also a symbol for countless women even in modern times; her struggles once again remind me of the repressive, stifling, soul-crushing impact of the patriarchy and sexism. and in the greatest reversal of my feelings towards a fictional character, takeru def takes the cake; how wang made me come to like an alpha male--the very paragon of the patriarchy--who i profoundly loathed and wanted to throttle for at least 60% of the book is beyond me. a miraculous feat, rly, and a testament to the author's ability to fully render her characters as complex, multidimensional humans w/ backstory and fears.
now, despite the myriad of the book's awesomeness, my absolute fav thing abt it is how emotionally charged it is w/o ever veering into being overdramatic. the post-battle misaki-mamoru and duel scenes are one-of-a-kind, id never read anything like them, and they tore at me, and i loved it. the last chapter is also a revelation; robin and misaki's relationship--w/ its fraught history and all things unspoken yet known--is bittersweet, w/ the taste of life, w/ the complexity of the world and its reality, and how, despite not being textbook HEA, we can still be ok, to care and to be hopeful. also highly relate to and appreciate the book's msg of not letting regret overtake us, to instead do our best and appreciate everyday bc we can truly never know when it will be our last this is one of my top reads ever; i just cant stop gushing abt this book and it's honestly a crime more ppl havent read it!!!
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Misogyny, Grief, Rape, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Racism, and Toxic relationship