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A review by tinylove
The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee
3.5
This was a fun read! But it took me a while to get into it. I was basically expecting it to feel like an Avatar episode and was taken aback by how much darker than the original series it was. Like damn!
But still - I appreciated how it delved into the world of Avatar most. It is walking a fine line in that the politics and the worldbuilding feels more complicated and we delve deeper into the nuances of it all, but at the same time the heroes still save the day at the end. The juxtaposition can and does feel a little silly and unserious, but there was a lot to love!! Most importantly, Kyoshi and Rangi and their friendship. The found family was cute and promising but I wish we got more of them - we spend most of the book with the Flying Opera Company, and yet it doesn't feel like enough time to get to know them. Yun and Jianzhu were very interesting characters as well, and Hei Ran personally stole the show for me <333 angry milf who just goes to sleep when she's mad at her murdering companion in Avatar mentorhood and corruption <3 an icon!
It could've been a much better organized story, I gotta say! It was a fun return to the Avatar universe, now from a more mature perspective, and about a very iconic Avatar but as a story it just doesn't do as much as I wish it had! The pacing felt weird, and I wish there was more of a central plot rather than it being kinda all over the place - it felt like tackling too many things at once, Kyoshi's mommy and daddy issues, newfound Avatarhood, Jianzhu as an antagonist, found family with the Flying Opera Company and mentorhood by Lao Ge and the corrupt lords of the Earth Kingdom. It was a lot! I wish parts of the plot had been juggled more efficiently and resolved sooner, or revealed more organically. It felt particularly silly that Kyoshi just had an entire journal passed down to her by her parents that just explained to her all she needed to know. That information could've been revealed to Kyoshi (and the reader!) as we went along in the story.
However, still a fun read if you want to revisit the Avatarverse and a lot of iconic moments!
But still - I appreciated how it delved into the world of Avatar most. It is walking a fine line in that the politics and the worldbuilding feels more complicated and we delve deeper into the nuances of it all, but at the same time the heroes still save the day at the end. The juxtaposition can and does feel a little silly and unserious, but there was a lot to love!! Most importantly, Kyoshi and Rangi and their friendship. The found family was cute and promising but I wish we got more of them - we spend most of the book with the Flying Opera Company, and yet it doesn't feel like enough time to get to know them. Yun and Jianzhu were very interesting characters as well, and Hei Ran personally stole the show for me <333 angry milf who just goes to sleep when she's mad at her murdering companion in Avatar mentorhood and corruption <3 an icon!
It could've been a much better organized story, I gotta say! It was a fun return to the Avatar universe, now from a more mature perspective, and about a very iconic Avatar but as a story it just doesn't do as much as I wish it had! The pacing felt weird, and I wish there was more of a central plot rather than it being kinda all over the place - it felt like tackling too many things at once, Kyoshi's mommy and daddy issues, newfound Avatarhood, Jianzhu as an antagonist, found family with the Flying Opera Company and mentorhood by Lao Ge and the corrupt lords of the Earth Kingdom. It was a lot! I wish parts of the plot had been juggled more efficiently and resolved sooner, or revealed more organically. It felt particularly silly that Kyoshi just had an entire journal passed down to her by her parents that just explained to her all she needed to know. That information could've been revealed to Kyoshi (and the reader!) as we went along in the story.
However, still a fun read if you want to revisit the Avatarverse and a lot of iconic moments!