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fatheraki's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
5.0
Perfect, beautiful, stunning, every childhood dream come true
madecel's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
antivancrowe's review against another edition
3.75
Character 3.5| Setting 5| Plot 3.5| Writing 3| Enjoyability 3.5
Overall Rating: 3.7
Kyoshi was an avatar I was always interested in seeing as when Aang spoke to her asking if she murdered this dude she was like, yeah i killed him and I would do it again.
I loved how she starts off hating daofei and then becomes one, in essence Kyoshi becomes be gay do crime. Thank I loved it. Give me more of this kind of content.
I feel like where this book loses me is that it is dry for a major part of the book. Like at least 30% of the book is a slog to get through. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy any of that content that was in the first 30%, but most of it kind of was boring. I get it we need to know who Kyoshi is. It's just a little too dry in the beginning.
Once the wheels start rolling it gets more enjoyable as the story goes on. I do plan on continuing this duology and curious how the story finishes.
Overall Rating: 3.7
Kyoshi was an avatar I was always interested in seeing as when Aang spoke to her asking if she murdered this dude she was like, yeah i killed him and I would do it again.
I loved how she starts off hating daofei and then becomes one, in essence Kyoshi becomes be gay do crime. Thank I loved it. Give me more of this kind of content.
I feel like where this book loses me is that it is dry for a major part of the book. Like at least 30% of the book is a slog to get through. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy any of that content that was in the first 30%, but most of it kind of was boring. I get it we need to know who Kyoshi is. It's just a little too dry in the beginning.
Once the wheels start rolling it gets more enjoyable as the story goes on. I do plan on continuing this duology and curious how the story finishes.
tinylove's review against another edition
3.5
This was a fun read! But it took me a while to get into it. I was basically expecting it to feel like an Avatar episode and was taken aback by how much darker than the original series it was. Like damn!
But still - I appreciated how it delved into the world of Avatar most. It is walking a fine line in that the politics and the worldbuilding feels more complicated and we delve deeper into the nuances of it all, but at the same time the heroes still save the day at the end. The juxtaposition can and does feel a little silly and unserious, but there was a lot to love!! Most importantly, Kyoshi and Rangi and their friendship. The found family was cute and promising but I wish we got more of them - we spend most of the book with the Flying Opera Company, and yet it doesn't feel like enough time to get to know them. Yun and Jianzhu were very interesting characters as well, and Hei Ran personally stole the show for me <333 angry milf who just goes to sleep when she's mad at her murdering companion in Avatar mentorhood and corruption <3 an icon!
It could've been a much better organized story, I gotta say! It was a fun return to the Avatar universe, now from a more mature perspective, and about a very iconic Avatar but as a story it just doesn't do as much as I wish it had! The pacing felt weird, and I wish there was more of a central plot rather than it being kinda all over the place - it felt like tackling too many things at once, Kyoshi's mommy and daddy issues, newfound Avatarhood, Jianzhu as an antagonist, found family with the Flying Opera Company and mentorhood by Lao Ge and the corrupt lords of the Earth Kingdom. It was a lot! I wish parts of the plot had been juggled more efficiently and resolved sooner, or revealed more organically. It felt particularly silly that Kyoshi just had an entire journal passed down to her by her parents that just explained to her all she needed to know. That information could've been revealed to Kyoshi (and the reader!) as we went along in the story.
However, still a fun read if you want to revisit the Avatarverse and a lot of iconic moments!
But still - I appreciated how it delved into the world of Avatar most. It is walking a fine line in that the politics and the worldbuilding feels more complicated and we delve deeper into the nuances of it all, but at the same time the heroes still save the day at the end. The juxtaposition can and does feel a little silly and unserious, but there was a lot to love!! Most importantly, Kyoshi and Rangi and their friendship. The found family was cute and promising but I wish we got more of them - we spend most of the book with the Flying Opera Company, and yet it doesn't feel like enough time to get to know them. Yun and Jianzhu were very interesting characters as well, and Hei Ran personally stole the show for me <333 angry milf who just goes to sleep when she's mad at her murdering companion in Avatar mentorhood and corruption <3 an icon!
It could've been a much better organized story, I gotta say! It was a fun return to the Avatar universe, now from a more mature perspective, and about a very iconic Avatar but as a story it just doesn't do as much as I wish it had! The pacing felt weird, and I wish there was more of a central plot rather than it being kinda all over the place - it felt like tackling too many things at once, Kyoshi's mommy and daddy issues, newfound Avatarhood, Jianzhu as an antagonist, found family with the Flying Opera Company and mentorhood by Lao Ge and the corrupt lords of the Earth Kingdom. It was a lot! I wish parts of the plot had been juggled more efficiently and resolved sooner, or revealed more organically. It felt particularly silly that Kyoshi just had an entire journal passed down to her by her parents that just explained to her all she needed to know. That information could've been revealed to Kyoshi (and the reader!) as we went along in the story.
However, still a fun read if you want to revisit the Avatarverse and a lot of iconic moments!
ldpt14's review against another edition
5.0
Such a fantastic return (or prequel I suppose!) to the Avatar universe. Kyoshi is thrilling protagonist, with an exploration of morals, ethics and the world of Avatar as a whole. Great new characters and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
halthemonarch's review against another edition
4.0
I love the Avatar universe. Never have I fell in love with a prequel quicker or harder. Kyoshi doesn’t play games, but she didn’t start out that way! I was curious in the beginning, exactly when I was going to get sucked in. Jianzhu was boring, Kyoshi’s life was boring, and her friends were kind of stuck up— but then slowly, I loved them. And then I hated Jianzhu! And then I worried for Kyoshi and Rangi, and felt suspicious of the Flying Opera— before I knew it I was swept into the story. I was reading another book at the time and for the life of me I couldn’t retain a thing from it because I was so obsessed with this one.
I loved how big the world seemed, and how vast the Avatar legacy was; yet how small and familiar some of the references were and how human Kyoshi was, despite being essentially a cosmic conduit. There were subtle details in there that made me fall deeper for the world; Jianzhu’s joke about shirshu’s being cuddly, the fact that Jianzhu is a Gan Jin, the folk origins of lightning bending, and the telltale ambiguity that comes along with people who studies Guru Lahima like Kelsang and Lao Ge. I liked how as the characters were described and introduced; I got their impressions loud and clear and the story wove around Kyoshi in a way. She was always being pushed and pulled, but jealousy or anger or love, fear or the overwhelming need to do what’s right impacted her decisions. The people around her impacted her decisions, and they were all bright fixtures that I could see in my minds eye as easily as if I were reading one of the comics.
And of course I would be remiss not to mention my new favorite Avatar Universe couple, Rangi and Kyoshi. I adored their story— built on mutual trust, friendship, and love, pining while stressed and sparked under pressure. I loved the dynamic. I loved how Kyoshi just could not get enough of Rangi, and then they were together and it was lovely and amazing—and there were also bigger fish to fry.
I love how the gang was with them too. I wondered if this Team Avatar was the real deal because a) Kyoshi lives for over 200 years (which is :( when you think about it because all of her loved ones are most certainly dead many times over by the time she dies) and b) this book is DARK. There’s death around every corner and the dangers of bending are illuminated through the text. I knew some, perhaps most of them would die along the way once I got to the halfway point. I’ll say I’m sad for the deaths that did occur, Still, I can’t wait until I can get my hands on the next in the series!
I loved how big the world seemed, and how vast the Avatar legacy was; yet how small and familiar some of the references were and how human Kyoshi was, despite being essentially a cosmic conduit. There were subtle details in there that made me fall deeper for the world; Jianzhu’s joke about shirshu’s being cuddly, the fact that Jianzhu is a Gan Jin, the folk origins of lightning bending, and the telltale ambiguity that comes along with people who studies Guru Lahima like Kelsang and Lao Ge. I liked how as the characters were described and introduced; I got their impressions loud and clear and the story wove around Kyoshi in a way. She was always being pushed and pulled, but jealousy or anger or love, fear or the overwhelming need to do what’s right impacted her decisions. The people around her impacted her decisions, and they were all bright fixtures that I could see in my minds eye as easily as if I were reading one of the comics.
And of course I would be remiss not to mention my new favorite Avatar Universe couple, Rangi and Kyoshi. I adored their story— built on mutual trust, friendship, and love, pining while stressed and sparked under pressure. I loved the dynamic. I loved how Kyoshi just could not get enough of Rangi, and then they were together and it was lovely and amazing—and there were also bigger fish to fry.
I love how the gang was with them too. I wondered if this Team Avatar was the real deal because a) Kyoshi lives for over 200 years (which is :( when you think about it because all of her loved ones are most certainly dead many times over by the time she dies) and b) this book is DARK. There’s death around every corner and the dangers of bending are illuminated through the text. I knew some, perhaps most of them would die along the way once I got to the halfway point. I’ll say I’m sad for the deaths that did occur,
Spoiler
even Jianzhu’s to a lesser degree. I was not expecting Lek to die, especially in such a devastating fashion, and then for the vacuum of his death to be swallowed by vengeance against his killer so quickly.ccantthinkofsmth's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
d_liountris's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
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
4.25
flowerhatprincess's review against another edition
4.0
!!!!!Only read this after finishing the book!!!!!
Unlike many other people, I loved the opening set up of the world. It was actually where the 'plot' starts to take off around the 35% mark that I found myself loosing interest and forcing myself to keep giving it a chance, and I'm glad I did. It's just, the story line went off the walls after that, and it did take me by complete surprise multiple times. But I didn't like how quickly this author introduces a character and then quickly kills them off, a sweet or compelling moment and then death. I think Kelsang and Yun could have added so much to this story. I would have liked for them to have been the Avatar's companions. Also killing Yun off so quickly made the little love triangle fall flat on its face and immediately revealed who Kyoshi was going to end up with. I thought that Kyoshi's interest in Rangi seemed real, but not really the other way around. Rangi is frustrated and fighting with Kyoshi the entire time, for like 100 pages, and then all of a sudden they're... sleeping... under the stars together? Yeah they exchanged some nice words, but I was really expecting for Rangi to reject the advances of Kyoshi because... she didn't really seem interested in her romantically... more like she was mostly there just to protect and serve the avatar.
And to be honest, I really didn't like that Jianhzu wound up being the antagonist. It just felt like a revenge on your Dad plot. To see him turn that cold, calculating, and deadly after spending years developing Yun as the avatar and then murder him and his best friend in cold blood... it just seemed at least like a bad move on Jianhzu's part. Why would he kill off two extremely skilled allies, a pupil who could take over your trade, and a best friend who could help you teach the newly discovered avatar. It just seemed like the author just wanted Jianhzu to be evil so he'd have an excuse to kill off those two characters, get Kyoshi to leave Yokoya, and have her end up with Rangi.
Jianzhu did wind up being a compelling antaganist, juggling an innocent persona and a downright evil one at the same time. He was tactical plotter and smarter than every one around him. He was easily able to avoid any suspicion from Hei-Ran... even though he was sneaking off into God knows where in the Earth Kingdom all the time, he even got away with poisoning her, his staff, and several other Earth Kingdom officials and seemingly managed to pin it all on Kyoshi. But all of his positives doesn't mean that he was kind of an absent antagonist. Only being in a handful of chapters in the book, he always felt there... but far in the background... like that mountain over there kind of way. With Kyoshi's skill level at the ending of the book, I wasn't expecting it to end with them facing off. After all the anxiety and dread Kyoshi and her team go through during the book, the fight wasn't even a fight at all. It was quick, but it was also tense, if it wasn't for the surprise that Yun was alive, or at least a spirit of some sort, it would have been a let down. It wasn't a good or a bad fight, it just felt misplaced, too sudden, and over too quick. I did like that Yun sent Lek's rock through Jianzhu's chest, that part was absolutely my favorite part of the fight.
I won't lie, I was expecting something more on par with the television show; lighthearted with a tight knit circle of friends to rely on, namely Kelsing, Yun, and Rangi. Not something so dark, violent, but more geared towards middle schoolers instead of high school or college students. The vocabulary was intense, there were several words throughout the book that I had to look up. It was well written, well described, and if you've just finished watching The Last Airbender like I had, it's full of fun references and recalls from the show. The author did an amazing job researching the show and story line and tying Kyoshi's into that already established world.
The first 35% of the book made me envision something completely different from what we ended up with. All my questions and negatives being said, I still came out of this book really enjoying it. It certainly wasn't what I had expected but it had a good pace, great writing and descriptions, a good story line, good character building. I wasn't expecting Kyoshi to be as morally gray as she is, or for her life to be so difficult even starting out. I was completely shocked by the revelation of her parents heritage, and that she even gets involved with a crime syndacate. It was interesting and kept me going, especially after the initial disappointed that the people she loved died and that Keeling, Yun, and Rangi weren't all going to be 'Team Avatar.'
I know I've done a lot of ranting/questioning in this review, but I wanted to express some thoughts and opinions that I hadn't seen in many other reviews to be heard. Regardless of how negative my review sounds, I really enjoyed the book over all. It kept me interested, entertained/surprised, and it pulled on my heart-strings. It's not very often a book makes me cry.
There were a lot of things I liked and disliked about this book, but overall it was a good read and I will continue on in the series to see what other fun adventures lay in store for Kyoshi and Yangchen later on.
Ps. I didn’t like how FC Yee skipped 9 years into the future
Unlike many other people, I loved the opening set up of the world. It was actually where the 'plot' starts to take off around the 35% mark that I found myself loosing interest and forcing myself to keep giving it a chance, and I'm glad I did. It's just, the story line went off the walls after that, and it did take me by complete surprise multiple times. But I didn't like how quickly this author introduces a character and then quickly kills them off, a sweet or compelling moment and then death. I think Kelsang and Yun could have added so much to this story. I would have liked for them to have been the Avatar's companions. Also killing Yun off so quickly made the little love triangle fall flat on its face and immediately revealed who Kyoshi was going to end up with. I thought that Kyoshi's interest in Rangi seemed real, but not really the other way around. Rangi is frustrated and fighting with Kyoshi the entire time, for like 100 pages, and then all of a sudden they're... sleeping... under the stars together? Yeah they exchanged some nice words, but I was really expecting for Rangi to reject the advances of Kyoshi because... she didn't really seem interested in her romantically... more like she was mostly there just to protect and serve the avatar.
And to be honest, I really didn't like that Jianhzu wound up being the antagonist. It just felt like a revenge on your Dad plot. To see him turn that cold, calculating, and deadly after spending years developing Yun as the avatar and then murder him and his best friend in cold blood... it just seemed at least like a bad move on Jianhzu's part. Why would he kill off two extremely skilled allies, a pupil who could take over your trade, and a best friend who could help you teach the newly discovered avatar. It just seemed like the author just wanted Jianhzu to be evil so he'd have an excuse to kill off those two characters, get Kyoshi to leave Yokoya, and have her end up with Rangi.
Jianzhu did wind up being a compelling antaganist, juggling an innocent persona and a downright evil one at the same time. He was tactical plotter and smarter than every one around him. He was easily able to avoid any suspicion from Hei-Ran... even though he was sneaking off into God knows where in the Earth Kingdom all the time, he even got away with poisoning her, his staff, and several other Earth Kingdom officials and seemingly managed to pin it all on Kyoshi. But all of his positives doesn't mean that he was kind of an absent antagonist. Only being in a handful of chapters in the book, he always felt there... but far in the background... like that mountain over there kind of way. With Kyoshi's skill level at the ending of the book, I wasn't expecting it to end with them facing off. After all the anxiety and dread Kyoshi and her team go through during the book, the fight wasn't even a fight at all. It was quick, but it was also tense, if it wasn't for the surprise that Yun was alive, or at least a spirit of some sort, it would have been a let down. It wasn't a good or a bad fight, it just felt misplaced, too sudden, and over too quick. I did like that Yun sent Lek's rock through Jianzhu's chest, that part was absolutely my favorite part of the fight.
I won't lie, I was expecting something more on par with the television show; lighthearted with a tight knit circle of friends to rely on, namely Kelsing, Yun, and Rangi. Not something so dark, violent, but more geared towards middle schoolers instead of high school or college students. The vocabulary was intense, there were several words throughout the book that I had to look up. It was well written, well described, and if you've just finished watching The Last Airbender like I had, it's full of fun references and recalls from the show. The author did an amazing job researching the show and story line and tying Kyoshi's into that already established world.
The first 35% of the book made me envision something completely different from what we ended up with. All my questions and negatives being said, I still came out of this book really enjoying it. It certainly wasn't what I had expected but it had a good pace, great writing and descriptions, a good story line, good character building. I wasn't expecting Kyoshi to be as morally gray as she is, or for her life to be so difficult even starting out. I was completely shocked by the revelation of her parents heritage, and that she even gets involved with a crime syndacate. It was interesting and kept me going, especially after the initial disappointed that the people she loved died and that Keeling, Yun, and Rangi weren't all going to be 'Team Avatar.'
I know I've done a lot of ranting/questioning in this review, but I wanted to express some thoughts and opinions that I hadn't seen in many other reviews to be heard. Regardless of how negative my review sounds, I really enjoyed the book over all. It kept me interested, entertained/surprised, and it pulled on my heart-strings. It's not very often a book makes me cry.
There were a lot of things I liked and disliked about this book, but overall it was a good read and I will continue on in the series to see what other fun adventures lay in store for Kyoshi and Yangchen later on.
Ps. I didn’t like how FC Yee skipped 9 years into the future
purplelohse's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5