Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Self harm, Excrement, Police brutality, Trafficking, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Classism
Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Alcohol
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, 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
I’ve never read anything quite like this book. The characters are both extremely easy to attach to and so deeply flawed that it makes you question yourself and your morals.
This book does not sugarcoat war, nor does it shelter its characters from real tragedy and trauma or death. Some of the depictions of war are so gruesome I found myself flinching. While I wasn’t expecting that, it only added to my reading experience and connection to/understanding of Rin, Atlan, and the others.
On top of all of that, the world building was *chef’s kiss*. The writing style was teetering towards YA, which I really enjoyed.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Excrement, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, Classism
Moderate: Bullying
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Genocide, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
As someone who has gotten into no less than three verbal altercations over the uselessness and disastrous nature of the military and war, this book was a really interesting reading experience. I was able to perceive the nuance the author put into the book that critiqued the nature of war, the military, and indoctrination into nationalism that I know I wouldn't have understood without that added perspective. R. F. Kuang doesn't pull punches when it comes to how war harms innocents on both sides of a conflict and how people are responsible for their actions and complicity within the state of war even if those actions were carried out in the name of "king and country," especially so in fact.
The whole cast of characters are incredibly fascinating and despite finding a lot of them annoying with their pro war rhetoric, I was able to appreciate their arcs and their losses throughout the book. Ryn's story is so incredibly compelling. It's an amalgamation of chosen one YET being one of millions to get indoctrinated and fight for a purpose that wasn't freely chosen. I don't want to mention any other characters because anything I say might give away what happens to them and I don't want that.
I was really entertained by how much the book packed into one, the school/dark academia setting, the high fantasy travel aspects, the international political intrigue within the world, and the magical world building. Everything was so seamlessly blended together yet it definitely felt like the book was like twelve stories packed in one. Not complaining but OOOF. I can't imagine what the rest of the books are going to follow up with.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Abortion
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Excrement, Abortion, Death of parent, Alcohol
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Abandonment