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onthesamepage'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
Let them think of us as dirt, Rin thought. She was dirt. Her army was dirt. But dirt was common, ubiquitous, patient, and necessary. The soil gave life to the country. And the earth always reclaimed what it was owed.
I don't know what it is about Kuang's writing, but she makes books of 600+ pages just fly by. I had a really hard time putting this down, and it's not because it was particularly fast-paced. I just really love Kuang's writing that much, and I will honestly read anything she publishes in the future.
I'm going to structure this a bit differently, because there are a couple of specific things I want to talk about.
Rin & Kitay
She no longer fought from pure rage. She fought to protect him—and that, she had discovered, changed everything.
I already loved their dynamic in The Dragon Republic, but The Burning God was even better. Their friendship is everything. The love they have for each other, the way they care, the way Kitay is Rin's anchor in every sense of the word and not just to help her access the Phoenix.
"I don't mean to call you stupid, because I love you, but that plan is so stupid."
Nezha
"You can't do this for me," he said. "I won't let you."
"It's not for you. It's not a favor. It's the cruelest thing I could do."
What I was hoping for didn't happen, because this is R.F. Kuang, so of course it didn't, and what we did get makes a lot more sense anyway—the kind of betrayal that Nezha committed against Rin isn't something you just forgive and forget. Because everything is from Rin's perspective, Nezha's motivations remain opaque, which makes some of his contrary behaviour hard to understand. But it also adds a complexity to his relationship with Rin & Kitay—more than once, he says something that clearly expresses that he never wanted their trio to break the way it did. But even though he has a tactical mind, there's a naivety to his interactions with Rin, especially when they have a chance to actually talk. He expects (or rather, wishes) her to act in a way that doesn't align with who Rin is as a person. But I can't really blame him—I had naïve wishes going in, too.
The plot
The book spends a lot of time on armies travelling, political backstabbing, developing strategies, and, of course, the battles themselves. I thought it made for a cohesive story, but I can understand that people might be bored by the cycle Rin falls into. The Trifecta was definitely one of the more interesting parts, but I was disappointed by how that plotline ended because it felt too easy considering all the build-up.
That said, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect for the series, and it's exactly what I would expect from this author.
Graphic: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Cannibalism, Suicide, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Rape
kaylynnlock'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
4.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Slavery, Sexual assault, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Murder, Suicide, War, Addiction, Child death, Classism, and Racism
isaaceelliot'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: Genocide, Suicide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, War, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cannibalism, Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Racism, Self harm, and Torture
min_grachi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, War, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Hate crime, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Racism, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Addiction, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Colonisation, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Drug abuse, Misogyny, and Violence
nicoles_reading_corner's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, War, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Drug use, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Cannibalism, Torture, and Sexual assault
odditiex's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, War, and Gore
Moderate: Cannibalism
lizziaha's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: War, Religious bigotry, Violence, Blood, Xenophobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abortion and Death of parent
kirsten1999'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: Drug abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gaslighting, Drug use, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, War, Physical abuse, Grief, and Gore
Minor: Abandonment
brynalexa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Gore, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Body horror, Cannibalism, Drug use, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Confinement, Death, Racism, Xenophobia, Animal death, Child death, Grief, Hate crime, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic friendship, War, Abortion, Addiction, Classism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Torture, and Violence
louiserj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: War, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Violence, Addiction, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Cannibalism and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcoholism