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Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, War
Minor: Body shaming, Death, Miscarriage, Abortion, Dysphoria
The book has a bit of a slow start admittedly. It's tough to follow up the ending of the first book and the crazy choices the characters made. But give it a little bit of time to get reinvested in the world and characters and you'll find that Parker-Chan did an incredible job of building off of where she left off. There are more POVs than before, but I didn't mind the inclusions at all. In fact, this book made me truly appreciate Ouyang's character and his downward spiral. All of the different narrators gave such depth to the main themes of loss, ambition, and what it means to be yourself.
We see all these become more and more hyperfocused on their "fates", losing themselves and who they used to be in the process. In some ways, their fervent pursuit of the future is just an extension of their fixation on the past that they can't let go. I was fascinated and horrified with the choices these characters made, that simultaneously a character can be cruel and yet undeserving of the cruelty thrust upon them. Madam Zhang, General Ouyang, Wang Baoxiang, and even our original main character, Zhu Yuanzhang all suffer from the same oppressive forces in society and fight back in their own ways, but more often than not end up working with the society that hurt them as they try to defy it.
If you enjoy character deconstructions, character's descent into self-destruction, and examining the way that a society can hurt different people in the same way, for not belonging or acting within the expectations thrust upon them, this is the book for you.
I also just have to add that my favorite parts were when Ouyang and Zhu interacted, they ended up accidentally being a hilarious comedy duo that really lightened the darker mood of the book haha.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Vomit, Pregnancy, Outing
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Violence, War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content
Minor: Miscarriage
It was also so brutal. Whoooo. Definitely be aware of the trigger warnings. There are so, so many. I don't have a strong stomach and I made it, but I was prepared for this one to be more violent.
Still, I flew through this beast in like 2.5 days, and there were several moments where I literally gasped out loud. It was a wild ride, you guys. The ending was also pretty satisfying.
I can see myself reading first book again, but the sheer amount of gruesome suffering in this one probably won't compell me to pick it up again.
Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Slavery
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Dysphoria
Minor: Incest, Miscarriage, Suicide, Vomit, Abortion
Much more gory tho
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism
Minor: Miscarriage, Torture, Pregnancy
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, War
Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts
Before reading, I thought maybe watching Zhu triumph and their buoyant nature would get boring in this book but the character growth and strength of plot meant that, it was nowhere near an option. I loved the first one and I'm so glad this one didn't dissapoint.
Though generally, it is very dark, so be prepared. There are a sea of content warnings. Generally handled pretty well but the self-harm and assisted self-harm is quite intense.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Kidnapping, Abortion
Minor: Domestic abuse, Incest, Infertility, Vomit, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
We have characters we love (hate? love to hate?) returning and some new perspectives too. I loved how we got to see Zhu and Ouyang together in this one – their complex and charged connection is everything I wanted it to be. Other character highlights were Ma (oh Ma) and Madam Zhang. I loved how, despite these women not being ‘allowed’ to have power like the men, they wielded what they did have in clever ways.
I also knew that Ouyang would break my heart but I did not expect how it happened. I am not one to cry at books at all, but I definitely felt my eyes prickle!
And Wang Baoxiang… goodness me. If you think someone is nasty, put him next to them and they’ll probably look like an angel.
The thing about all these characters and the way Shelley has written them though, is that even though you know they are all terrible people, you cannot help but be sucked in to their machinations. You need to keep reading, to follow them on their journeys because they are so compelling.
Shelley Parker-Chan’s prose is, as it was in the first book, outstanding. It’s brutal, lush and textured and I drank it all up.
As with the first book we have the exploration of gender and the breaking of gender norms at the heart of the tale. In a world where being other than male or female can bring shame and even death, it was fantastic to witness characters blazing their own paths while defying these rules.
This story is dark and heavy all of the time, the pain and sufferings of the characters unrelenting as we move through the pages. They all strive to be great, and all have to face the consequences of that quest. There is so much plotting, more betrayal and many twists and turns all bringing these character threads to a truly epic conclusion.
The Radiant Emperor Duology is nothing short of a masterpiece, and it will sit on my favourites shelf forever.
Content warnings galore for this one – please check them!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an e-arc of this book in exchange for review.
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Grief
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage