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A review by meemzter
Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
5.0
This is Emily reporting LIVE that there is a new standalone fantasy novel by actual King™: Yoon Ha Lee set in a thinly veiled Japanese-Occupied Korea with magic and dragons. We are living in a golden age.
Phoenix Extravagant is... fun. It's so much fun. It is full of intrigue! It is about art and revolution! It is about love and adventure! It has a dragon on a cover! What could be more fun?!
Not to dismiss the very heavy themes of colonization and oppression and war - this book takes them all quite seriously - but in general this book acknowledges these horrors, but does not linger in them. It shines a light on tragedy, but lives in hope.
Jebi is a wonderful protagonist! They are sweet, funny, relatable, and of course - heroic. They are accompanied by a memorable cast of characters, with relationships that will make you swoon and cry and ache and smile.
I pre-ordered this book with no idea what the plot was about (yeah me and Yoon Ha Lee are on that level) so it was a delightful surprise to read a story set in Korea (oh I mean Hwaguk) with such a rich portrait of Korean (Hwagugin) culture. There is a ton of Korean language up in here, so if you have Korean 101 in your back pocket, you will definitely nerd out!
For anyone who knows Lee's work, it should come as no surprise that this book features casual queerness and a non-binary protagonist, but if you didn't know... now you know.
If you have tried Ninefox Gambit and found it utterly impenetrable, never fear. This is easily Lee's most accessible work yet. In fact I would say that this book isn't a difficult read like... at all.
For some reason this book reminds me of Provenance by Ann Leckie. Why, you ask? I have no idea. They could not be more different. But there it is. I love both of these whimsical standalones and their soft protagonists.
I had a great time. Yoon Ha Lee, thank you for writing books.
Phoenix Extravagant is... fun. It's so much fun. It is full of intrigue! It is about art and revolution! It is about love and adventure! It has a dragon on a cover! What could be more fun?!
Not to dismiss the very heavy themes of colonization and oppression and war - this book takes them all quite seriously - but in general this book acknowledges these horrors, but does not linger in them. It shines a light on tragedy, but lives in hope.
Jebi is a wonderful protagonist! They are sweet, funny, relatable, and of course - heroic. They are accompanied by a memorable cast of characters, with relationships that will make you swoon and cry and ache and smile.
I pre-ordered this book with no idea what the plot was about (yeah me and Yoon Ha Lee are on that level) so it was a delightful surprise to read a story set in Korea (oh I mean Hwaguk) with such a rich portrait of Korean (Hwagugin) culture. There is a ton of Korean language up in here, so if you have Korean 101 in your back pocket, you will definitely nerd out!
For anyone who knows Lee's work, it should come as no surprise that this book features casual queerness and a non-binary protagonist, but if you didn't know... now you know.
If you have tried Ninefox Gambit and found it utterly impenetrable, never fear. This is easily Lee's most accessible work yet. In fact I would say that this book isn't a difficult read like... at all.
For some reason this book reminds me of Provenance by Ann Leckie. Why, you ask? I have no idea. They could not be more different. But there it is. I love both of these whimsical standalones and their soft protagonists.
Spoiler
The one thing I am sitting here confused about is the ending. It really seemed like it was setting Vei and Jebi up for a Happily Ever After and then we see the truth, that WWII is ending and an American occupation is coming. However, I think I struggled to understand the message. Is this an indictment of Jebi and Vei leaving? A reminder that there is no happily ever after when war and occupation are involved? Or merely an answer to the question of what comes next? I think I like the ending, in that it is making me sit here and contemplate the purpose of the entire novel, but it definitely left me with so many questions.I had a great time. Yoon Ha Lee, thank you for writing books.