A review by billyjepma
The Legacy of Yangchen by F.C. Yee

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • 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

3.75

A very solid step-up from the first book. It takes the relatively lacking stakes and character dynamics of the last one and successfully elevates them to the level of the thematic and narrative material around them. I love how these books are leaning even harder into the political undertones of the animated series by prominently featuring marginalized characters in leading roles, avoiding easy cliches, and consistently casting the government, authorities, and the rich as antagonists. And they’re not shallow antagonists, either. The villains aren’t as compelling as in the Kyoshi books, but they’re still effective and have complicated believable motivations. I also like how the conflict requires intellectual fortitude over “let’s see who the better fighter is.” I’ll continue to read as many of these as they put out. 
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