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Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Rape
- some parts were inconsistent (is shamanism widely acknowledged or not? I feel like they went back and forth in that one)
- Nezha was written really well ◡̈
- Venka was a wasted character ˙◠˙
- Her relationship with Kesegi was confusing & had no impact I think ˙◠˙ (unless this is addressed in the next books)
- pacing was decent
- most parts were uncomfortable to read & I think that's exactly how it's supposed to feel. (Wrecked me btw)
- The plot with the Empress felt like a missed twist bc it was revealed a bit earlier than expected,, what she (empress) did had no real impact on me at that time
- Overall, a good read
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Colonisation
Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia
I thought the story was really picking up when Rin begins training with one of the wackier and less respected masters, mastering the elements a la The Name of the Wind. At this point a war breaks out that is clearly the 2nd Shino Japanese War, and nearly every description of infant rape, mass murder of families, and creative torture was lifted directly from The Rape of Nanking. That work made some intelligent observations on what prompted men with no violent past to do such horrific things, but this work adds nothing thoughtful. There is no hint of how a nation heals after suffering atrocities like this. It's merely used as a device to add drama. I think sensitive elements in history can be responsibly represented in fantasy, but instead a team of X-Men wander the country wreaking havoc and our MC cries a lot about her abusive and problematic crush. Fantasy can add enough distance to see history clearly, or ask "what if it had happened differently?" I couldn't find either here.
It's possible in the sequel the Taiwanese will be more than a red eyed bloodthirsty race used as bargaining chips in battle, the Japanese will have some context as wealthy oppressors, the Chinese will be more than torture porn, and human experiments like Unit 731 will be treated with more gravity than a device for our heroine to understand her boyfriends drug addiction. But I won't be reading to find out.
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War