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hnagarne's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Classism, Torture, Suicide, Violence, Death, Misogyny, Addiction, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Racism, Slavery, and War
jo_brekker's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, War, Violence, Classism, Murder, Grief, Gore, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, and Blood
Moderate: Torture, Mass/school shootings, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Islamophobia
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Police brutality
jenmcreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I am so glad I read this. I think Kuang has masterfully woven in her critiques of colonialism, academia, and academia's service to Empire. The messaging is not subtle, but these are some of the major wrongs of our society, so in terms of scale that did not bother me. I was very impressed by the pacing of this book, which managed to sweep through time when it needed to, but lingered sufficiently to build depth and attachment to the characters. The exploration of intersectionality was nuanced, and I felt Kuang was very honest and rigorous in her exploration of the different experiences these four characters would go through facing the same events. Kuang's ability to distill the essence of complex global challenges into a view concise and moving paragraphs is astonishing at times. I am not typically an annotator but found myself on more than one occasion reaching for a pen.
The messaging is important, of course, but this is a 500+ page tome, and the message wouldn't get to nearly as many people if the story weren't compelling. The plot is well structured, tense, and exciting throughout (arguable the first half is a bit slow at times, but to me you can always feel the build).
And then for me, there is the translation based magic system. I loved this, I loved the etymologies (that take is not for everyone I know, but it delighted me). Kuang is clearly a remarkable mind and the level of research here is awe-inspiring.
I don't feel I am able to do justice to my thoughts on this book, but in three words, it is a masterpiece.
Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Classism, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Slavery
nsaphra's review against another edition
- 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
My biggest complaint is actually about the anachronistic dialog, which in a book ABOUT language I’d expect to be more carefully considered. I was repeatedly taken out of the story by characters in 1850 using phrases like “capitalism” and “systemic injustice”. If this turns into a series, I really hope Kuang becomes more committed to historical linguistic accuracy. They don’t have to talk totally Victorian! Just don’t use all these terms that described concepts that hadn’t even been formalized in political writing.
Graphic: Grief, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Child abuse, Bullying, Classism, Drug use, Suicide, Torture, War, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Alcohol, Colonisation, Confinement, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Slavery
some_random_person_hi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Classism, Suicide, Grief, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Drug use, Physical abuse, War, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual assault, Ableism, Alcohol, and Deportation