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bluejayreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a hard book to review. Not because it was bad, or even because I'm ambivalent about it - on the contrary, it was spectacular and I loved it. Even having read the first book nearly two years ago, it didn't take me long to get back into the story. It kept me engaged throughout and even got my heart speeding up in a few particularly tense scenes. It was, above all, astonishingly good.
And I think that's a large part of what makes it hard to review. I can't share all the emotions it made me feel by writing *about* it. To get the full experience, you have to read it yourself. It's vivid and intense and full of twists I didn't see coming but probably should have and the kind of book that leaves you completely exhausted at the end because you've been feeling so much along the way.
Another part of what makes this hard to review is how utterly dark it is. The first book was dark, too, don't get me wrong. Zhu is not a good person. She is ruthless and ambitious and claims she is willing to sacrifice anything to reach her goal, and this book puts that to the test. This is also a book where Zhu starts to challenge the bounds of a likeable character. In the first book, she was ruthless and ambitious and violent and did a lot of really horrible things. But in the context of a world that would rather let her starve than inconvenience a man, it didn't seem unreasonable. In this book, she had reached some measure of security - though still under threat, she was one of the four dominant military and political powers of the area. But her ambition to be the *greatest* kept her pushing onwards, even as she destroyed others in the process. She was still a dynamic, compelling character and I never really stopped rooting for her, but as the book progressed I found myself repeatedly confronting the reality of her actions and not really being sure how to feel about them. In some ways, it feels weird to even apply moral judgements here, though I can't fully explain why. But eventually both I and Zhu were looking at the consequences of her ambitions and wondering if it was really worth all that.
(Yet another thing I appreciate about this series: None of the women in these books - whether or not you want to count Zhu and her ambiguous gender identity as a woman - are shamed for their ambition or treated any worse than the men for their crimes. The society is blatantly misogynistic, but the narrative refuses to be.)
General Ouyang was a major player in the last book, and he still is in this one, but to a lesser degree. Some of that is because of his arc. Following on the events from the climax of book one, his is an equal but opposite story to Zhu. While Zhu's ambitions propelled her to further heights, Ouyang's relentless pursuit of revenge drove him to further lows. Zhu's resolve clarified as Ouyang's mind descended into chaos. I found myself mainly feeling compassion as he destroyed himself on the teeth of his own self-loathing. I wish he could have had a better ending, but he was so far gone that I think he got the best he could.
This book, being the last in the series, was an ending for every character, though not all of them died. Writing-wise, their endings made sense, fit with their arcs, and felt narratively satisfying. On a personal level, so many of them deserved better. Xu Da deserved better. Ma deserved better. Ouyang deserved better. Even Baoxiang deserved better (he deserved better last book, and even before - he is yet another case of an antagonist who I really just feel bad for).
And this brings me to the final reason this book is so hard to review: There is just too much to say. I haven't said anything about Baoxiang's story, even though he was a point of view narrator. I haven't talked about the gender politics involved in this story, or the absolutely spot-on depictions of that very specific and hard-to-define type of sexual trauma where you have sex when you really don't want to or with someone you don't want to have sex with as a means to get something else, or the theme of being seen in a gendered body (and, to a lesser extent, a visibly disabled body), or how it's paced so well that it feels like so much is happening without ever feeling rushed or monotonous, or the really awesome historical setting, or the ghosts.
If I talked about every amazing thing in this book, I could go on forever. But I've focused this review mainly on the characters, because despite all the action and adventure and ghosts and politics and invasions, this is a story about these characters and how their actions, good, bad, or otherwise, shape (and often end) the lives of the people around them and, ultimately, the course of history. This feels like a book (and, honestly, a series) that you could keep re-reading and discover something new every time. (It helps that these books are *long*.) So few sequels live up to their predecessor, but this one does - but it's also unique to the point where I can't say whether *She Who Became the Sun* or *He Who Drowned the World* is better because they're both so good for different reasons and in different ways.
I'm running out of eloquent ways to say "this is an amazing book, you should read the whole series," so there you go. This is an amazing book. So was the first one. You should read both - especially if you like stories that show your emotions no mercy.
And I think that's a large part of what makes it hard to review. I can't share all the emotions it made me feel by writing *about* it. To get the full experience, you have to read it yourself. It's vivid and intense and full of twists I didn't see coming but probably should have and the kind of book that leaves you completely exhausted at the end because you've been feeling so much along the way.
Another part of what makes this hard to review is how utterly dark it is. The first book was dark, too, don't get me wrong. Zhu is not a good person. She is ruthless and ambitious and claims she is willing to sacrifice anything to reach her goal, and this book puts that to the test. This is also a book where Zhu starts to challenge the bounds of a likeable character. In the first book, she was ruthless and ambitious and violent and did a lot of really horrible things. But in the context of a world that would rather let her starve than inconvenience a man, it didn't seem unreasonable. In this book, she had reached some measure of security - though still under threat, she was one of the four dominant military and political powers of the area. But her ambition to be the *greatest* kept her pushing onwards, even as she destroyed others in the process. She was still a dynamic, compelling character and I never really stopped rooting for her, but as the book progressed I found myself repeatedly confronting the reality of her actions and not really being sure how to feel about them. In some ways, it feels weird to even apply moral judgements here, though I can't fully explain why. But eventually both I and Zhu were looking at the consequences of her ambitions and wondering if it was really worth all that.
(Yet another thing I appreciate about this series: None of the women in these books - whether or not you want to count Zhu and her ambiguous gender identity as a woman - are shamed for their ambition or treated any worse than the men for their crimes. The society is blatantly misogynistic, but the narrative refuses to be.)
General Ouyang was a major player in the last book, and he still is in this one, but to a lesser degree. Some of that is because of his arc. Following on the events from the climax of book one, his is an equal but opposite story to Zhu. While Zhu's ambitions propelled her to further heights, Ouyang's relentless pursuit of revenge drove him to further lows. Zhu's resolve clarified as Ouyang's mind descended into chaos. I found myself mainly feeling compassion as he destroyed himself on the teeth of his own self-loathing. I wish he could have had a better ending, but he was so far gone that I think he got the best he could.
This book, being the last in the series, was an ending for every character, though not all of them died. Writing-wise, their endings made sense, fit with their arcs, and felt narratively satisfying. On a personal level, so many of them deserved better. Xu Da deserved better. Ma deserved better. Ouyang deserved better. Even Baoxiang deserved better (he deserved better last book, and even before - he is yet another case of an antagonist who I really just feel bad for).
And this brings me to the final reason this book is so hard to review: There is just too much to say. I haven't said anything about Baoxiang's story, even though he was a point of view narrator. I haven't talked about the gender politics involved in this story, or the absolutely spot-on depictions of that very specific and hard-to-define type of sexual trauma where you have sex when you really don't want to or with someone you don't want to have sex with as a means to get something else, or the theme of being seen in a gendered body (and, to a lesser extent, a visibly disabled body), or how it's paced so well that it feels like so much is happening without ever feeling rushed or monotonous, or the really awesome historical setting, or the ghosts.
If I talked about every amazing thing in this book, I could go on forever. But I've focused this review mainly on the characters, because despite all the action and adventure and ghosts and politics and invasions, this is a story about these characters and how their actions, good, bad, or otherwise, shape (and often end) the lives of the people around them and, ultimately, the course of history. This feels like a book (and, honestly, a series) that you could keep re-reading and discover something new every time. (It helps that these books are *long*.) So few sequels live up to their predecessor, but this one does - but it's also unique to the point where I can't say whether *She Who Became the Sun* or *He Who Drowned the World* is better because they're both so good for different reasons and in different ways.
I'm running out of eloquent ways to say "this is an amazing book, you should read the whole series," so there you go. This is an amazing book. So was the first one. You should read both - especially if you like stories that show your emotions no mercy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage and Death of parent
Body dysmorphia, that complicated sexual trauma where you have sex when you don't really want to as a means to get something elsedisplacedcactus's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Given the high rating this book has here on SG (4.49 at the time I'm writing this) it has clearly found its audience. That audience does not, unfortunately, include me.
I'll admit that of the Sapphic Saffron Trifecta, I found She Who Became the Sun to be my least favorite. As such, I was really on the fence as to whether to read this one, but I figured hey, it's a duology, I might as well see things through to the end!
This started out as kind of a mid read for me, but I felt like it could get better. The thing is, I do like Zhu as a character. Yes, she does terrible things. But I found her drive and her absolute joy and confidence in her drive to be refreshing. Too often, we have characters who have to be forced to take action, who constantly whine and complain about it...
Like every single other character in this book. Ok, I exaggerate, but I got tired of the constant moping of Ouyang and Wang. Oh, woe is me, life is pain and darkness, I will make the world hate me as much as I hate it, etc etc etc. On and on and on. There were far too few Zhu chapters to make up for it.
At its heart, this is a story about how messed up toxic masculinity is and how people who fail to live up to a culture's idea of manly virtue can be used, abused, despised, and pigeon-holed.
At its heart it's also a book that is just absolutely chock-full of degrading sex, sado-masochism, torturous death, and long internal monologues about anger and self-hatred.
If you like to watch characters suffer, you will enjoy the heck out of this book. The pages are absolutely soaked with suffering. Personally, I just found it exhausting.
I'll admit that of the Sapphic Saffron Trifecta, I found She Who Became the Sun to be my least favorite. As such, I was really on the fence as to whether to read this one, but I figured hey, it's a duology, I might as well see things through to the end!
This started out as kind of a mid read for me, but I felt like it could get better. The thing is, I do like Zhu as a character. Yes, she does terrible things. But I found her drive and her absolute joy and confidence in her drive to be refreshing. Too often, we have characters who have to be forced to take action, who constantly whine and complain about it...
Like every single other character in this book. Ok, I exaggerate, but I got tired of the constant moping of Ouyang and Wang. Oh, woe is me, life is pain and darkness, I will make the world hate me as much as I hate it, etc etc etc. On and on and on. There were far too few Zhu chapters to make up for it.
At its heart, this is a story about how messed up toxic masculinity is and how people who fail to live up to a culture's idea of manly virtue can be used, abused, despised, and pigeon-holed.
At its heart it's also a book that is just absolutely chock-full of degrading sex, sado-masochism, torturous death, and long internal monologues about anger and self-hatred.
If you like to watch characters suffer, you will enjoy the heck out of this book. The pages are absolutely soaked with suffering. Personally, I just found it exhausting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death
leweylibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
4.75
The deduction is for the slowness which did drag on a little bit in spots, not as much as the first one, but honestly I liked this one so much more than the first one! It's such a good compliment to the first one, it really rounds out a lot of stuff that's set in motion in the first one in such a great way.
I love seeing how the characters have developed and continue to develop, especially Zhu and Ouyung. I love the symbolism with the Mandate of Heaven and it's light and the drowning, and I love how the book approaches and discusses gender identity and expression throughout.
This one was also definitely much more exciting with the big battles and crazy scenes (I'm NEVER going to forgot those pickled hands or Zhu convincing her army to drown itself and be resurrected to get through the ghosts to Chu's army . They really helped keep up the pace of the book overall. Also Ouyung's ending is so freaking shocking and sad, holy f. He didn't deserve that. But I think it makes sense for the story, like it does really shake Zhu to hear about it and to realize that she could meet a similar fate in not making her own fate come to fruition. </Spoiler>
I love seeing how the characters have developed and continue to develop, especially Zhu and Ouyung. I love the symbolism with the Mandate of Heaven and it's light and the drowning, and I love how the book approaches and discusses gender identity and expression throughout.
This one was also definitely much more exciting with the big battles and crazy scenes (I'm NEVER going to forgot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Outing, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sovner736's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Violence, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Miscarriage
warlocksarecool21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
He Who Drowned the World was a stunning conclusion to the Radiant Emperor duology. Shelley Parker-Chan’s writing is beautiful and captivating. I think she does excellent character work, I was fascinated by the major characters even if I didn’t like them. Having the four main perspectives be the four people vying for the throne was such a cool juxtaposition because they all had the same-ish goal but you really got to analyze all their differing motivations. I also really loved that the book explores how a patriarchal society can really fuck somebody up, including how it manifests in misogynistic and homophobic beliefs/practices that infests everything and everyone. It was really interesting to see that on a deeper level when we were presented with our main characters. They all experience the effects of the patriarchal society they live in differently. I especially adore the way the author explores gender in this series, how it’s not a neatly defined thing, but rather a uniquely complex experience. I thought each character’s development over the course of the story was well done, and I liked that for some, their development was a downward spiral.
I have ✨thoughts✨ about each character that I must share so here they are:
-Baoxiang was such a fascinating character bc he had such a different skill set than Zhu and Ouyang and it was interesting to see the political maneuvering of what he was doing.
Watching him grapple with his gender expression and sexuality was very interesting to read, even if it was uncomfortable at times. I thought the shift of his personality from being sharp and cunning to spiraling into grief and desperation was so chilling to read. <Spoiler>I loved how in the last section he realized that his anger and revenge did nothing to change the past, that all it was hurting was himself.
-I’m going to talk about Zhu and Ouyang at the same time bc they had such a strong connection in the book. I was obsessed with their dichotomy of how they are the same kind of person but they both make choices that alter their destiny. The idea that they were running the same parallel course but they ultimately went different ways. Ouyang’s journey broke my heart, because all he needed was for someone to show him understanding and love, that he wasn’t broken. He kind of got that with Zhu but he was so far gone that he couldn’t accept that he was deserving of those things. That in order to fulfill his revenge he also had to suffer. And Zhu, who had that same driving ambition to defeat the Khan, but instead of believing that her path was finished beyond that, she took the world and made it her own. At the end, when she made the choice that the world does not need to be harsh and unforgiving, that she could move into the future without causing anymore pain was so good, I loved that that was her conclusion. After all she went through I’m glad she decided that violence and anger could be things of the past.
I have one thing to say about Madame Zhang: her character was so excellent, I hated her like actually despised but I still felt so bad for her. she was so strong in a society that was brutal towards women and I really liked the exploration of feminine rage and the performance that women have to put on to survive in a society like this.
In regards to the plot, I thought it was really cohesive, all the different sections and viewpoints really worked to bring about the end. There were certain chapters that I thought could’ve been condensed but I still think it worked. I did think that when Ouyang killed the Khan and Baoxiang came out and revealed he was controlling everything and that Ouyang’s sacrifice was for nothing was a little underdeveloped. Like I fully believe that Baoxiang was responsible for manipulating all this and I knew that he was moving all the pieces together, but I wish we got more in his pov about this specific reveal.
While I was really happy to see that Ma had such a vital role in helping Zhu become emperor at the end, I was a little sad she wasn’t as important in the rest of the book. I really like her and how strong she is in her convictions about life and if she was involved from the start she would’ve had everyone in line 😂. And I adore her relationship with Zhu they deserved more moments together.
If you read all of this, then congratulations 😂. This duology was really well done and is definitely worth a read (it’s really brutal though so watch out).
If you read all of this, then congratulations 😂. This duology was really well done and is definitely worth a read (it’s really brutal though so watch out).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
jayisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Just when you thought the stakes couldn't get higher, Parker-Chan raised them with more political intrigue and a surprising amount of darkness that will have you on the edge of your seat. There are more perspectives we're getting in this sequel to really reveal the complex web that the author crafted. Parker-Chan seized this opportunity and did a phenomenal job fleshing out fascinating, morally grey characters, many of them changing a fair bit compared to She Who Became the Sun.
Once again, Parker-Chan dives deep into gender and sexuality, though I felt there was more discussion on femininity in the sequel than in the first book, which was refreshing. I think more could have been done on this front, especially considering that we got more of Ma's and Madam Zhang's perspectives on ongoing politics and scheming, though I didn't think it was unsatisfying either— I absolutely loved that the author continued to explore (toxic) masculinity. I was especially invested in Baoxiang's perspective and the way he negotiated with his own sexuality.
In the first novel, I didn't feel the fantastical elements worked particularly well. I think this was attended to rather well in the sequel, and the ghostly elements really did add a lot to the story (particularly towards the end).
Parker-Chan did a fantastic job wrapping up a strong duology. Despite the significant losses and violence in He Who Drowned the World, it all played out well like a high stakes chess game that you can't help but feel invested in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Ableism and Homophobia
gracewiley's review against another edition
dark
sad
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
bonriki's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Mild spoilers included:
This is the grim follow-up to She Who Became the Sun. The main POV cast is expanded to four people: Zhu, Oyuang, Baoxiang, and Madam Zhang. Oyuang and Baoxiang were the characters I found to be the most compelling from the first book (I love those tragic, self-hating, revenge-seeking dangerous characters) so I really enjoyed them having a larger part of the narrative.
One of the things I really appreciate is how very queer this book is, Zhu is an asexual nonbinary person. Oyuang is a (possibly gay) cis man considered by others to be Not A Man because he’s a eunuch. Baoxiang is a flamboyant cishet man who nevertheless regularly sleeps with a man to further his goals. It a messy sort of queer rep that doesn’t fit into the neat boxes I’m used to seeing in other books.
On the other hand, just like in the first book, I found Zhu to be something of a weak point. The way she views the world as though success is a forgone conclusion, her optimism, her blind determination just isn’t particularly interesting, it often feels one-note. The far more angsty, sacrificing, and self-destructive paths that Oyuang and Baoxiang take is really what I most enjoy about this series. It looked like Zhu was going to become a clear villain type character at the end of the first book but she took on more of an anti-hero role in this book which I felt was a bit of a letdown. In contrast, Oyuang really stole the show, he’s at his best when he’s being his worst and I loved every scene he was in.
Overall I did enjoy this more than the first book, it’s an Everybody Makes Bad Choices type book. Sometimes it’s fun just to watch bad people do bad things. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook ARC.
This is the grim follow-up to She Who Became the Sun. The main POV cast is expanded to four people: Zhu, Oyuang, Baoxiang, and Madam Zhang. Oyuang and Baoxiang were the characters I found to be the most compelling from the first book (I love those tragic, self-hating, revenge-seeking dangerous characters) so I really enjoyed them having a larger part of the narrative.
One of the things I really appreciate is how very queer this book is, Zhu is an asexual nonbinary person. Oyuang is a (possibly gay) cis man considered by others to be Not A Man because he’s a eunuch. Baoxiang is a flamboyant cishet man who nevertheless regularly sleeps with a man to further his goals. It a messy sort of queer rep that doesn’t fit into the neat boxes I’m used to seeing in other books.
On the other hand, just like in the first book, I found Zhu to be something of a weak point. The way she views the world as though success is a forgone conclusion, her optimism, her blind determination just isn’t particularly interesting, it often feels one-note. The far more angsty, sacrificing, and self-destructive paths that Oyuang and Baoxiang take is really what I most enjoy about this series. It looked like Zhu was going to become a clear villain type character at the end of the first book but she took on more of an anti-hero role in this book which I felt was a bit of a letdown. In contrast, Oyuang really stole the show, he’s at his best when he’s being his worst and I loved every scene he was in.
Overall I did enjoy this more than the first book, it’s an Everybody Makes Bad Choices type book. Sometimes it’s fun just to watch bad people do bad things. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy
aidareads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I've been thinking about writing a proper review for this one because it's been a while and this book, quite honestly, deserves the effort. Prepare for a long ass ranting, though.
First of all, the writing style was so, so captivating. I remember heavily highlighting the first book, but I still feel like Shelley Parker-San has improved a lot as an author, not only in their writing style, but also in their technique. Humor, for instance, worked better for me here than it did in the first book. Also, the way Parker-San intertwines characters and their fates is mesmerizing. The way they write characters in itself is so compelling and masterful. I love morally grey characters, and all the people involved in this story are so fleshed out; they feel so real. Ouyang specifically was very challenging for me because of his trauma and his issues and I bet it was hard to write as well, and I think the author did a fantastic job.
However, I must admit that triggering content is medium to heavy in this one, at least for me, especially because self-harm is so frequently brought up, explored, and graphically described. The same goes for sexual abuse/rape, among others. However, regardless of my subjective reaction to these topics, I still believe they were dealt with very well, and I don't think they were included for shock value at all - they are, in each and every scene they appear, relevant and highly meaningful for both the plot and the characters.
I also really, really loved the third part of the book, as well as how it ended. I personally value the overall experience when I read a book, but a great ending is definitely a huge part of the rating for me, and this one was fantastic.
Lastly, please check all the trigger warnings before reading this book. Take care, and sorry for the rant.
psa: i started this review with a 4.5 star rating, but after reading what i've just said, i don't think i have any reasons not to give this a solid 5 stars. i genuinely don't have anything negative to say about this. i'm not a fan of historical fiction myself, and i thoroughly enjoyed it (although the reiterative queerness definitely helps lmao) <3
First of all, the writing style was so, so captivating. I remember heavily highlighting the first book, but I still feel like Shelley Parker-San has improved a lot as an author, not only in their writing style, but also in their technique. Humor, for instance, worked better for me here than it did in the first book. Also, the way Parker-San intertwines characters and their fates is mesmerizing. The way they write characters in itself is so compelling and masterful. I love morally grey characters, and all the people involved in this story are so fleshed out; they feel so real. Ouyang specifically was very challenging for me because of his trauma and his issues and I bet it was hard to write as well, and I think the author did a fantastic job.
However, I must admit that triggering content is medium to heavy in this one, at least for me, especially because self-harm is so frequently brought up, explored, and graphically described. The same goes for sexual abuse/rape, among others. However, regardless of my subjective reaction to these topics, I still believe they were dealt with very well, and I don't think they were included for shock value at all - they are, in each and every scene they appear, relevant and highly meaningful for both the plot and the characters.
I also really, really loved the third part of the book, as well as how it ended. I personally value the overall experience when I read a book, but a great ending is definitely a huge part of the rating for me, and this one was fantastic.
Lastly, please check all the trigger warnings before reading this book. Take care, and sorry for the rant.
psa: i started this review with a 4.5 star rating, but after reading what i've just said, i don't think i have any reasons not to give this a solid 5 stars. i genuinely don't have anything negative to say about this. i'm not a fan of historical fiction myself, and i thoroughly enjoyed it (although the reiterative queerness definitely helps lmao) <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Blood, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Vomit
Minor: Slavery
sarasreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
4.0
This was very good, though not as compelling to me as the first book, possibly because the focus is only partly on Zhu.
It was also so brutal. Whoooo. Definitely be aware of the trigger warnings. There are so, so many. I don't have a strong stomach and I made it, but I was prepared for this one to be more violent.
Still, I flew through this beast in like 2.5 days, and there were several moments where I literally gasped out loud. It was a wild ride, you guys. The ending was also pretty satisfying.
I can see myself reading first book again, but the sheer amount of gruesome suffering in this one probably won't compell me to pick it up again.
It was also so brutal. Whoooo. Definitely be aware of the trigger warnings. There are so, so many. I don't have a strong stomach and I made it, but I was prepared for this one to be more violent.
Still, I flew through this beast in like 2.5 days, and there were several moments where I literally gasped out loud. It was a wild ride, you guys. The ending was also pretty satisfying.
I can see myself reading first book again, but the sheer amount of gruesome suffering in this one probably won't compell me to pick it up again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Slavery