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adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Torture, Violence, War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Colonisation
There’s one section towards the middle that gets fairly graphic in its description of the aftermath of a violent battle at the capital. Most of the book is not that graphic.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First, before I get into my review, I do want to provide a list of content warnings, as my ebook copy did not include them. I am not sure who is responsible for this omission, but this book, which starts out as a military-focused dark academia story, absolutely should have a comprehensive list of warnings, despite being classified as grimdark.
• War and Violence
• Genocide and War Crimes
• Sexual Assault
• Torture and Abuse
• Drug Use and Addiction
• Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation
• Racism and Xenophobia (Depictions of ethnic discrimination and xenophobia.)
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Child Abuse, Infanticide, and Child Death
• Mentions of Cannibalism, Mental Illness & Trauma, Religious Trauma, PTSD
The book has a very interesting world, an incredibly cool magic system, and its (anti) heroine is no princess in need but a girl who has flaws and issues and is portrayed as a character that must go through atrocious things that indeed shape her character. This is refreshing. This is something more authors should do. I am tired of books and stories where trauma doesn't change how a character sees the world around them and just goes on like before. That being said, I can sympathize with Rin, but I do not necessarily like her. That I kept on reading is something I applaud Kuang for because I usually struggle with books where I do not like the protagonist. Rin is awful. But she had no other choice than to become an awful person. I personally can't imagine what war must feel like, let alone how being nearly a child must feel fighting in a war. And Kuang displayed it beautifully with all the downsides there are. You do not need to like Rin. You need to feel what she went through. And that is perfectly written.
That said, I want to acknowledge the strong points of this book. The pacing and world-building are incredibly well done, and the story is undeniably gripping. I love the aspects from Chinese mythology that are so beautifully woven into the story. All the way from the naming of places to the gods and the magic system. And that is the book's strength as well as its biggest issue—real life plays a part in it. It draws heavily on real-life tragic events, which gives me mixed feelings. That’s why I’d give it 4 stars instead of 5.
While the characters feel believable—especially given that they are essentially children thrown from a military academy into a brutal war—the events of the war are unmistakably inspired by horrific real-life atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre and the experiments conducted by Unit 731. I found it uncomfortable how the immense suffering inflicted by Rin’s enemies—and later, by Rin herself—is largely justified under the banner of “that’s just how war is.” Only one character in the story meaningfully questions this justification, which makes it feel as though these moments of horror are used more for shock value than for meaningful reflection.
I sincerely hope that the second book in the series (I haven’t looked into reviews yet) takes a deeper, more nuanced approach to this, rather than simply leaning on shock factor. I believe Kuang has the academic background to do better than that. And that is why I can't give this book the 5 stars it otherwise deserved in my opinion.
• War and Violence
• Genocide and War Crimes
• Sexual Assault
• Torture and Abuse
• Drug Use and Addiction
• Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation
• Racism and Xenophobia (Depictions of ethnic discrimination and xenophobia.)
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Child Abuse, Infanticide, and Child Death
• Mentions of Cannibalism, Mental Illness & Trauma, Religious Trauma, PTSD
The book has a very interesting world, an incredibly cool magic system, and its (anti) heroine is no princess in need but a girl who has flaws and issues and is portrayed as a character that must go through atrocious things that indeed shape her character. This is refreshing. This is something more authors should do. I am tired of books and stories where trauma doesn't change how a character sees the world around them and just goes on like before. That being said, I can sympathize with Rin, but I do not necessarily like her. That I kept on reading is something I applaud Kuang for because I usually struggle with books where I do not like the protagonist. Rin is awful. But she had no other choice than to become an awful person. I personally can't imagine what war must feel like, let alone how being nearly a child must feel fighting in a war. And Kuang displayed it beautifully with all the downsides there are. You do not need to like Rin. You need to feel what she went through. And that is perfectly written.
That said, I want to acknowledge the strong points of this book. The pacing and world-building are incredibly well done, and the story is undeniably gripping. I love the aspects from Chinese mythology that are so beautifully woven into the story. All the way from the naming of places to the gods and the magic system. And that is the book's strength as well as its biggest issue—real life plays a part in it. It draws heavily on real-life tragic events, which gives me mixed feelings. That’s why I’d give it 4 stars instead of 5.
While the characters feel believable—especially given that they are essentially children thrown from a military academy into a brutal war—the events of the war are unmistakably inspired by horrific real-life atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre and the experiments conducted by Unit 731. I found it uncomfortable how the immense suffering inflicted by Rin’s enemies—and later, by Rin herself—is largely justified under the banner of “that’s just how war is.” Only one character in the story meaningfully questions this justification, which makes it feel as though these moments of horror are used more for shock value than for meaningful reflection.
I sincerely hope that the second book in the series (I haven’t looked into reviews yet) takes a deeper, more nuanced approach to this, rather than simply leaning on shock factor. I believe Kuang has the academic background to do better than that. And that is why I can't give this book the 5 stars it otherwise deserved in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow! Kind of at a loss for words. I heard lots of praise for this book before I read it and it does live up to the hype. Devastating, brutal depictions of the travesties of war reminiscent of brutalities and atrocities committed during WWII. Many scenes were extremely hard to get through. Morally grey characters who you can’t hate or love. Excited to read the next book after a brain break to let my cortisol levels drop lol.
My only gripe is with the decisions that Rin makes multiple times throughout the book, though I realize this is probably attributed to her age and characterization. We’re spectators of a Greek tragedy, the Chorus, conscious of the protagonist’s inevitable demise seeing things at play they cannot. Like watching a train wreck. I thoroughly enjoyed!
My only gripe is with the decisions that Rin makes multiple times throughout the book, though I realize this is probably attributed to her age and characterization. We’re spectators of a Greek tragedy, the Chorus, conscious of the protagonist’s inevitable demise seeing things at play they cannot. Like watching a train wreck. I thoroughly enjoyed!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Phew... this was a long and heavy read for me. Be warned of all the different types of violence, war, and genocide.
It is with no doubt that R.F. Kuang is one of the most talented writers I've seen in some time. Her ability to entrap you with her writing is incredible.
I will say, I feel that the first half of the book is a completely different book from the latter half. The first half felt extremely slow for me, but if you're into academia, young age/finding yourself stories, you'll enjoy it. The latter half, full of armies, war, and genocide, was much darker, but way more fast paced.
I feel conflicted at the end of this book. I really want to continue reading to see what happens later in the series (especially since I heard Book 2 is amazing), but I'm distraught by all the violence we experienced throughout the novel. However, perhaps that is Kuang's goal - to make you uncomfortable and remind you that it is humans, and humans alone, that can cause such horrible things to the world around us. Kitay specifically was our grounding force throughout Book 1, reminding us of what is morally right.
I definitely need a palate cleanser book ASAP!
It is with no doubt that R.F. Kuang is one of the most talented writers I've seen in some time. Her ability to entrap you with her writing is incredible.
I will say, I feel that the first half of the book is a completely different book from the latter half. The first half felt extremely slow for me, but if you're into academia, young age/finding yourself stories, you'll enjoy it. The latter half, full of armies, war, and genocide, was much darker, but way more fast paced.
I feel conflicted at the end of this book. I really want to continue reading to see what happens later in the series (especially since I heard Book 2 is amazing), but I'm distraught by all the violence we experienced throughout the novel. However, perhaps that is Kuang's goal - to make you uncomfortable and remind you that it is humans, and humans alone, that can cause such horrible things to the world around us. Kitay specifically was our grounding force throughout Book 1, reminding us of what is morally right.
I definitely need a palate cleanser book ASAP!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm so torn on what to rate this book. The writing is incredible and fantastically intricate. The world building is very clear and well developed. It is undeniably a *great* book.
However...
There are scenes in this that are *incredibly* graphic and not for the faint of heart... and I might be faint of heart. Especially when I thought about the fact that the atrocities committed by the enemy in this are likely based on what the Japanese army did in WWII (I literally went to the WWII Museum in New Orleans the day after I started this book, so it was fresh in my mind). The writing of those scenes is absolutely effective... but to the point where I had trouble sleeping. So... check your trigger warnings and maybe skip chapter 21 if you have a weak stomach like me.
Also I feel like Rin is a really difficult character to like or root for. Every time she is faced with a decision, it seems like she chooses the wrong option. She somewhat acknowledges this about herself in the end, but... not really? But I do feel like it leaves room for some serious character development throughout the next two books. So that isn't necessarily a complaint because it doesn't seem like the author is necessarily advocating for the choices Rin makes. But it does make the reading experience a little frustrating.
Despite all that, this is truly a fantastic book with an vastly complex world, fascinating characters and a plethora of intriguing ethical dilemmas. I will probably not be able to stop thinking about it for a long time and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
However...
There are scenes in this that are *incredibly* graphic and not for the faint of heart... and I might be faint of heart. Especially when I thought about the fact that the atrocities committed by the enemy in this are likely based on what the Japanese army did in WWII (I literally went to the WWII Museum in New Orleans the day after I started this book, so it was fresh in my mind). The writing of those scenes is absolutely effective... but to the point where I had trouble sleeping. So... check your trigger warnings and maybe skip chapter 21 if you have a weak stomach like me.
Also I feel like Rin is a really difficult character to like or root for. Every time she is faced with a decision, it seems like she chooses the wrong option. She somewhat acknowledges this about herself in the end, but... not really? But I do feel like it leaves room for some serious character development throughout the next two books. So that isn't necessarily a complaint because it doesn't seem like the author is necessarily advocating for the choices Rin makes. But it does make the reading experience a little frustrating.
Despite all that, this is truly a fantastic book with an vastly complex world, fascinating characters and a plethora of intriguing ethical dilemmas. I will probably not be able to stop thinking about it for a long time and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Sexual violence, Torture, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Classism
Minor: Infertility
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, War
Moderate: Rape, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction, Colonisation
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. I read Kuang's Babel first so it's not surprising that the way the book went did go the way it did, but man. It was hard to read at times. Definitely read the content warnings first before this book so you know what you're getting into. It's a sad and emotionally challenging book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Colonisation