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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
hopeful
sad
slow-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
Quite a boring read, unfortunately. There are very high moments, specifically on characters' introspection, but they are abused across the whole book and totally off balance compared to the few things going on. There's a revolution after the other but they almost all take place in the background or through badly explained political schemes. The duology could and should have been just one book, probably. The pivotal moments of the story are watered down by so many pages of people's reflections. The writing style is clearly inspired but it should have been cut much shorter.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Pregnancy
Not a single character in here had any morals and that's what I like in a book.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
If you reject the gender binary and the cycle of vengeance, you too can become emperor of all of China (and I do not think that I am spoiling anything since this is based on the life of an actual person). So much of this book deals with violence and just intense ways to survive in a really brutal war environment, but I just thought it was so funny everytime Zhu approached a situation with the attitude of "How could I possibly fail when I am nonbinary?" This is such a serious and hard look at like the cost at creating a better world and a world where you can be yourself, and it is interesting to see that it's a book that's not even particularly interested in "redemption," but more like how can you survive in a world that hates difference and how can you move on. And in addition to being just a really interesting look at the confining nature of gender roles and cycles of revenge, Parker-Chan's prose is really engaging and it's just a great book all-around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
