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A review by careinthelibrary
Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
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? No
4.0
Come for the worldbuilding, stay for the soul-crushing conclusion.
This was epic, expansive, yet somehow it remained so intimate and almost claustrophobic being in this one character's mind trying to interpret the grand scale of this novel. Fantastical and imaginative. I loved that our protagonist was not a warrior, not a hero (in the traditional sense). They are an artist who isn't that invested in politics and activism yet gets drawn into war.
The last couple of chapters sold me on this novel, the last two sentences crushed me into tiny, sad pieces. It was a pleasure to read.
This was epic, expansive, yet somehow it remained so intimate and almost claustrophobic being in this one character's mind trying to interpret the grand scale of this novel. Fantastical and imaginative. I loved that our protagonist was not a warrior, not a hero (in the traditional sense). They are an artist who isn't that invested in politics and activism yet gets drawn into war.
The last couple of chapters sold me on this novel, the last two sentences crushed me into tiny, sad pieces. It was a pleasure to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Colonisation, War, Racism, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol