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adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Brilliant, emotionally rich, a bit precious sometimes, but consistently engrossing. I loved this book. I felt real heartache for Kuang's characters (the ones who deserved it anyway); the setting was vivid; the message was uncompromising and necessary; it was dense with historical and linguistic detail without once feeling slow or bogged down.
I have two complaints: (1) this is a novel full of the results of meticulous research, to the point where it sometimes feels like (excellent and compelling) didactic nonfiction, and it weaves research in with fantasy worldbuilding so skillfully that there are moments where it's hard to tell which is which. This is impressive, but also frustrating -- I kept wanting to know what was real! (Relatedly, there are also moments where the author uses footnotes for asides about character/other pure narrative commentary, which i found annoying.)
Second complaint: the magic system just didn't feel "true" to me. It seemed a little contrived, and metaphorically on-the-nose, and like a (very well-built) vehicle for poetic truths and cool language facts. I liked reading about it, though -- it was just not super convincing as fantasy magicks go.
I have two complaints: (1) this is a novel full of the results of meticulous research, to the point where it sometimes feels like (excellent and compelling) didactic nonfiction, and it weaves research in with fantasy worldbuilding so skillfully that there are moments where it's hard to tell which is which. This is impressive, but also frustrating -- I kept wanting to know what was real! (Relatedly, there are also moments where the author uses footnotes for asides about character/other pure narrative commentary, which i found annoying.)
Second complaint: the magic system just didn't feel "true" to me. It seemed a little contrived, and metaphorically on-the-nose, and like a (very well-built) vehicle for poetic truths and cool language facts. I liked reading about it, though -- it was just not super convincing as fantasy magicks go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Slavery