Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

287 reviews

marsh_mall0w's review against another edition

adventurous 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, War, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, and Misogyny

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Alcohol, Bullying, and Torture

khaleesiofthegreatwhitenorth's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Dysphoria

Minor: Child death

talonsontypewriters'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Death, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexism, Murder, Grief, Classism, and Gore

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Torture, Slavery, Sexual content, Child death, Ableism, Racism, and Xenophobia

Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, Excrement, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Cannibalism

cmbohn's review against another edition

adventurous 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and War

Moderate: Sexism, Torture, Death of parent, and Violence

augustar14's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense 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

3.5

This book had been on my tbr list for a while before I read it. While I had high hopes for it, it ultimately didn't live up to them.
It's difficult for a book this long not to feel slow paced. There was plenty of action that got me through, but it still overall felt a little slow.
I also struggle with the main character and her actions/choices at times. I understand her motivations and that her situation is complex, difficult, and influenced by significantly different cultural beliefs. And, at the same time, it is painful to see her grow into the person she becomes. The parallels with the eunuch general are fascinating, and I do plan to at least try to read to sequel to see where that thread goes. His story and decisions are painful to follow, though, too. Overall, it is a difficult read, one that offers little reward for the suffering and pain it puts the reader through. It is not a happily ever after story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Death, Infertility, Torture, Blood, Abandonment, Murder, Homophobia, Bullying, Child death, Xenophobia, War, Child abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Medical content and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Vomit and Excrement

megb64's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, Vomit, and War

Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, Grief, Death of parent, Gore, and Sexism

stephanieheld's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny

Moderate: Gore, Blood, Murder, Slavery, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

alyxinthestars's review against another edition

reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Child abuse and Xenophobia

Minor: Child death and Islamophobia

mirandyli's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective slow-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? No

3.0

I became interested in reading this book after reading a review describing it as a mix between Mulan and The Song of Achilles. Boy did it live up to that. It's slow at times, but still a good read.

This book is a beautifully written historical fantasy that puts a twist on traditional gender roles and sexuality. Zhu Chongba was an actual Chinese emporer who was really married to Ma Xiuying. This book puts a spin on this, where Zhu Chongba is actually his sister pretending to be him, after she stole his identity as a child after he died. She almost gets caught a bunch of times, but her determination to reach her destiny overcomes.

Also, do you want to read about the disgusting bathing, pissing, and shitting habits of ancient Chinese monks? If not, skip the first quarter of the book. The book transports you to ancient China and spares no detail.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, War, Child death, Colonisation, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Death, and Murder

cardanrry's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and War

Moderate: Sexual content and Ableism

Minor: Death of parent and Slavery