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earl_grey_without_lemon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really like this sort of detective cat and mouse chase thriller! The back of the book says it started as an online series, and it definitely reminds me of other East Asian media pertaining to death games. I think you do have to hand wave away Pei (one of the main characters) having “guy who’s just so observant” syndrome, and the book itself is translated, so I don’t know if it reads the same in Chinese. I think the translation was pretty good, but it definitely has translator voice, in my opinion. It is extremely fast paced and moves mostly linearly with multiple perspectives and occasional time jumps, and there are some really gruesome images in there. Overall an enjoyable book that I read in two sittings and a good thriller! I’m tempted to read the next book because the mystery isn’t completely unraveled in this book (it is part of a trilogy).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism, Suicide, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Abortion, and Pregnancy
valkyriecain82's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It's a decent murder mystery overall, but I have issue with some of the convoluted chinks in the criminal cases that progress the story.
Also, the author seems to pick and choose which technological developments are present in the story (set in 2002) regardless of whether they existed at the time or not in real life. Definitely pulled me out of the story.
Also, the author seems to pick and choose which technological developments are present in the story (set in 2002) regardless of whether they existed at the time or not in real life. Definitely pulled me out of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide and Abortion
gilnean's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
ruyanda's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Minor: Rape and Abortion
prlprl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
For a crime novel, I have to give it 5 stars. From the pacing to the structure, the book is executed excellently. Zhou’s creative use of narrative and perspective keeps the core cast of characters compelling and mysterious, and skilfully chooses to draw focus to the peripheries of desperate situations. The patchwork creature of this narrative is stitched together like pieces of evidence along a red yarn, with a sublime balance of suggestion, subversion, enigma, and desolating reveal. A redefining of “classic” investigative procedural, Zhou’s novel is well translated by Haluza, with intriguing use of borrowed language, idiolects, and direct translation contributing to a compelling read.
The theme of justice in the novel is deliciously explored - the figure of Eumenides immediately grabbed my attention, and reading the text in translation only fed my burning intrigue in this intersection between classical punishment in the form of divine judgement, and contemporary Chinese criminal investigation. The tone and characterisation of the shadowy Eumenides is reminiscent of an even more egregious Anonymous, and the interwoven commentary on the very fabric of democracy and justice makes this novel a wonderful read for those new to the genre, with or without a background knowledge of Aeschylus’ mastery of chorus, stage, and social mores.
The ending is at once unthinkably and wholly satisfying; the kind of twists that makes you skeptical the author can pull off a solution, only to reveal - of course - that’s how it’s possible. I can’t wait to see how the trilogy unfolds.
Perhaps for someone seeking a strong protagonist or character-driven plot, you won’t find this novel the triumph it is in regards to deconstructing the crime genre and human error. For me, the plot was enticing enough that the characterisations of the cast were sufficiently streamlined for the narrative. The introduction of the core cast was expertly handled, without any fumbling or bombardment with names. The opening was fantastic. Captain Hao’s corruption and the reveal that Huang is Yuan Zhibang was for me the unthinkable yet utterly logical twist that made me give this book five stars. I only wish that some more vignettes characterising Pei Tao’s relationship with his best friend were peppered in, as with Xiong and Liu , as it would have made later events even more compelling. This however would have perhaps created too much foreshadowing. The true main character in the story is meant to be the justice system, itself standing trial through its agents, and that, the novel does flawlessly.
The theme of justice in the novel is deliciously explored - the figure of Eumenides immediately grabbed my attention, and reading the text in translation only fed my burning intrigue in this intersection between classical punishment in the form of divine judgement, and contemporary Chinese criminal investigation. The tone and characterisation of the shadowy Eumenides is reminiscent of an even more egregious Anonymous, and the interwoven commentary on the very fabric of democracy and justice makes this novel a wonderful read for those new to the genre, with or without a background knowledge of Aeschylus’ mastery of chorus, stage, and social mores.
The ending is at once unthinkably and wholly satisfying; the kind of twists that makes you skeptical the author can pull off a solution, only to reveal - of course - that’s how it’s possible. I can’t wait to see how the trilogy unfolds.
Perhaps for someone seeking a strong protagonist or character-driven plot, you won’t find this novel the triumph it is in regards to deconstructing the crime genre and human error. For me, the plot was enticing enough that the characterisations of the cast were sufficiently streamlined for the narrative. The introduction of the core cast was expertly handled, without any fumbling or bombardment with names. The opening was fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexism, Suicide, Grief, and Abortion