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sisa_moyo's reviews
195 reviews
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The story continues onto volume three and I also loved this volume and the arcs we got into.
It was an emotional volume especially compared to the previous three for me, touching on themes of family and sacrifice and familial love.
But also on revenge and soul crushing grief and selflessness despite everything.
This is the volume for people who love the Jiang and wwx bond and also the Wen Clan arc. It was so emotionally written and the conflict and journey that wwx goes through is so compelling and masterfully crafted.
It also interesting to see the stark comparison of how people treated WWX as they faced the Wen Clan and he goes down the alternate path (especially LWJ) vs how they treat him now when his identity is revealed and someone is capitalising on that revelation.
However, in all honesty - timeline and time jumps especially in this volume are so confusing and a lot of mental gymnastics is needed to place whatever flashback is presented into its chronological timeline. I think if you havent engaged with the Live action or the other adaptations the time skips will be even more confusing over these 3 volumes so far but especially in this volume.
It was an emotional volume especially compared to the previous three for me, touching on themes of family and sacrifice and familial love.
But also on revenge and soul crushing grief and selflessness despite everything.
This is the volume for people who love the Jiang and wwx bond and also the Wen Clan arc. It was so emotionally written and the conflict and journey that wwx goes through is so compelling and masterfully crafted.
It also interesting to see the stark comparison of how people treated WWX as they faced the Wen Clan and he goes down the alternate path (especially LWJ) vs how they treat him now when his identity is revealed and someone is capitalising on that revelation.
However, in all honesty - timeline and time jumps especially in this volume are so confusing and a lot of mental gymnastics is needed to place whatever flashback is presented into its chronological timeline. I think if you havent engaged with the Live action or the other adaptations the time skips will be even more confusing over these 3 volumes so far but especially in this volume.
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
loved this volume so much. It includes the Yi City are which is one of my favorite arcs. So emotionally devastating and the mystery and plots twists left me with a ball of anxiety in my throat the entire time (even as some one who's seen the show).
We solve the mystery of Yi City with our favorite Clan youths and also progress in the overall mystery running through the book.
We solve the mystery of Yi City with our favorite Clan youths and also progress in the overall mystery running through the book.
I Met Loh Kiwan by Haejin Cho
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
I came to this book with the understanding that it was about the experience of Loh Kiwan as a refugee leaving North Korea and making his way to and around Belgium. However, the book was about much more than that. And I, to be frank, wish it wasnt.
I enjoyed the exploration of Loh's journey, anxieties, tribulations and guilt around leaving his home and coming to a foreign country whose language he doesn't know. This was interesting for me to read as a person interested in North Korean studies (and given that for the most part for what I've seen this has been marketed in academic spaces on political refugees).
The novel also focuses on the narrator who goes on a parallel journey in to understand Loh's life in Belgium which was an interesting narrative choice that I enjoyed and found so interesting, added an empathetic reading of the story.
However, it also focuses on other characters: the narrator's life back in Seoul and the people there, the details of the doctor's life etc. and I personally was not interested in those storylines. While I understood their themes upon reading the Afterword, I felt that in reading, they were jarring in the story of Loh's life in Belgium. I therefore could not get well into the story and felt frustrated when the story switched to those issues.
Overall, it would be interesting for those who want a glimpse into the anxieties of North Korean refugees leaving their home especially in early 2007 a few years after the Arduous March. It would also be interesting for those interested in themes of guilt, compassion and empathy.
I enjoyed the exploration of Loh's journey, anxieties, tribulations and guilt around leaving his home and coming to a foreign country whose language he doesn't know. This was interesting for me to read as a person interested in North Korean studies (and given that for the most part for what I've seen this has been marketed in academic spaces on political refugees).
The novel also focuses on the narrator who goes on a parallel journey in to understand Loh's life in Belgium which was an interesting narrative choice that I enjoyed and found so interesting, added an empathetic reading of the story.
However, it also focuses on other characters: the narrator's life back in Seoul and the people there, the details of the doctor's life etc. and I personally was not interested in those storylines. While I understood their themes upon reading the Afterword, I felt that in reading, they were jarring in the story of Loh's life in Belgium. I therefore could not get well into the story and felt frustrated when the story switched to those issues.
Overall, it would be interesting for those who want a glimpse into the anxieties of North Korean refugees leaving their home especially in early 2007 a few years after the Arduous March. It would also be interesting for those interested in themes of guilt, compassion and empathy.
Spy x Family, Vol. 9 by Tatsuya Endo
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Really fun and lighthearted but overall, not my favourite of the bunch
The lil plot with Becky trying to woo Loid just frankly gave me the ick thank you very much
Spy x Family, Vol. 8 by Tatsuya Endo
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
Yor’s on a ‘work trip’ on a cruise. And Loid and Anya are vacationing there too.
This series is always a 1000/10 comfort series.
This series is always a 1000/10 comfort series.
Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This is the author’s account and experience as a child in communist China under Mao’s cultural revolution.
It was gripping and informative and read very easily from the perspective and voice of a 12 year old during the revolution. It reflects the innocence of the children during the time but also the inner turmoil the narrator faces; as a child of Chairman Mao raised and indoctrinated into the red ideologies but also as a descendent of a grandfather who was a landlord.
Jiang delves into detail of what this means for her family, with a grandfather who was the epitome of class that the revolution was against.
An interesting and informative read for anyone who wants to learn about the daily lives of those under Mao’s cultural revolution.
It was gripping and informative and read very easily from the perspective and voice of a 12 year old during the revolution. It reflects the innocence of the children during the time but also the inner turmoil the narrator faces; as a child of Chairman Mao raised and indoctrinated into the red ideologies but also as a descendent of a grandfather who was a landlord.
Jiang delves into detail of what this means for her family, with a grandfather who was the epitome of class that the revolution was against.
An interesting and informative read for anyone who wants to learn about the daily lives of those under Mao’s cultural revolution.
The Red Palace by June Hur
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
I really quite enjoyed this book. It was so engaging and for the most part the mystery was so enthralling that I couldn’t put it down.
It’s a faced paced tale of deadly palace secrets, gruesome revenge, familial ties and a little romance.
I did think that the last act was a bit oddly paced in my opinion, like we were on this big journey to blow the case open in a potentially high action was but that all got detoured and resolved almost by a conversation.
However I loved all the characters, I listened to the audiobook and the characters really came to life for me. It was also very informative on Korean history and the Joseon period. The characters felt well fleshed out and the plot was equally complex and engaging for the most part.
I love historical fiction that isn’t a copy paste/ paraphrase of history but takes creative liberties so good that you’re inspired to go and read up on the history yourself - and the red palace by June Hur does just that.
Overall a new favourite mystery with high stakes and loveable characters.
It’s a faced paced tale of deadly palace secrets, gruesome revenge, familial ties and a little romance.
I did think that the last act was a bit oddly paced in my opinion,
However I loved all the characters, I listened to the audiobook and the characters really came to life for me. It was also very informative on Korean history and the Joseon period. The characters felt well fleshed out and the plot was equally complex and engaging for the most part.
I love historical fiction that isn’t a copy paste/ paraphrase of history but takes creative liberties so good that you’re inspired to go and read up on the history yourself - and the red palace by June Hur does just that.
Overall a new favourite mystery with high stakes and loveable characters.
North Korea: Another Country by Bruce Cumings
informative
In North Korea: Another Country, Cumings takes us into a new understanding of North Korea as he pulls away the curtain of US-North Korean relations and history from the end of Japanese occupation to the leadership of Kim Jong Il.
Cumings, without becoming an apologist of the North Korean regime, provides a new, nuanced narrative and understanding of North Korea to counter the often exaggerated and dodgy narratives from the US leadership and media. As he argues, one must look beyond US media to discover North Korea and on doing that one will realise that North Korea is not really a difficult country to know, it is not an alien country with this axis of evil leadership but that most of its actions have a rationale and are informed by a burning memory of the interactions it has had with the US since the split of the peninsula.
Using historical research and declassified documents, he delves into various aspects of North Korea, from its war experiences, to its nuclear crises, its leadership and daily life inside the country.
However, I do think he went on some tangents and diatribes that were superfluous, as the author would include things that did not fit into themes of the given subheading. Some personal anecdotes, comments and little stories felt detached and on the whole irrelevant, which stunted the flow of reading the text. You would get to the end of one of these tangents and be left asking how they linked back to the chapter’s theme.
Overall, this was an interesting and engaging read as someone who is academically interested in North Korea and it provides a different, new perspective on writing on and viewing the country other than the dominant mainstream view of North Korea as the axis of evil entirely of its own making.
Cumings, without becoming an apologist of the North Korean regime, provides a new, nuanced narrative and understanding of North Korea to counter the often exaggerated and dodgy narratives from the US leadership and media. As he argues, one must look beyond US media to discover North Korea and on doing that one will realise that North Korea is not really a difficult country to know, it is not an alien country with this axis of evil leadership but that most of its actions have a rationale and are informed by a burning memory of the interactions it has had with the US since the split of the peninsula.
Using historical research and declassified documents, he delves into various aspects of North Korea, from its war experiences, to its nuclear crises, its leadership and daily life inside the country.
However, I do think he went on some tangents and diatribes that were superfluous, as the author would include things that did not fit into themes of the given subheading. Some personal anecdotes, comments and little stories felt detached and on the whole irrelevant, which stunted the flow of reading the text. You would get to the end of one of these tangents and be left asking how they linked back to the chapter’s theme.
Overall, this was an interesting and engaging read as someone who is academically interested in North Korea and it provides a different, new perspective on writing on and viewing the country other than the dominant mainstream view of North Korea as the axis of evil entirely of its own making.
The Invisible Hotel by Yeji Y. Ham
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
For the most of the book I didn’t quite understand the exact symbolism of the hotel but all I know is that I enjoyed every page of this book despite that. I loved the writing style, I can’t explain why, it wasn’t lyrical in any way but to me felt down to earth and realistic like you’re in someone’s thoughts but not in a stream of consciousness way that I really liked.
This focuses on themes of war, and how wars are remembered and specific to the Korean War and the always looming danger of a war that has not been formally ended. It focuses on being stuck in a place, both physically and in life and how to leave. And grief, from death and the constant mourning from a war of decades past and intergenerational trauma.
Loved this, I would recommend people who love horror elements in their books and dream sequences, who are okay with not completely getting the symbolisms present and those interested in the effects of the Korean War.
This focuses on themes of war, and how wars are remembered and specific to the Korean War and the always looming danger of a war that has not been formally ended. It focuses on being stuck in a place, both physically and in life and how to leave. And grief, from death and the constant mourning from a war of decades past and intergenerational trauma.
Loved this, I would recommend people who love horror elements in their books and dream sequences, who are okay with not completely getting the symbolisms present and those interested in the effects of the Korean War.
The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
Chang in excrutiating and haunting detail delves into the Nanking Massacre, one of the most atrocious acts of violence during World War and how it became "a forgotten holocaust."
This is a tough read therefore one must read the trigger warnings before delving into this work.
Chang in haunting detail and using diverse sources of material recounts the Rape of Nanking, how it was orchestrated, the extent of the violence and inhumanity of the Imperial Japanese army in China. I was aware of the Nanking Massacre through an East Asian Studies course, but you never know the extent, the harrowing details, the lengths to which human cruelty can stretch until you read an account such as this one.
Chang touches on themes of historical memory, reparations, and compensation as she recounts how not only the Japanese, but the US worked against the victims of Imperial Japan's atrocious rule to systematically deny the atrocities and erase the events from history and from memory. Chang shows how this serves a grave injustice for the victims and also for the Japanese people and its leaders who exhibit a selective forgetfulness of Imperial Japanese atrocities.
In comparing this event to the Nazi's holocaust of the Jews, she highlights the differing ways in which genocides are remembered. But in all that, she also explores the humanity at the time, the unexpected heroes who worked to create a safety zone for the Chinese victims and saved countless life for sure death at the hands of the Japanese.
Chang explores how those who had the power to intervene stood by and watched a massacre that was publicised around the world, even in US papers. It draws a stark parallel to the current state of the world, as the same powers watch and fund another televised genocide.
This is a tough read therefore one must read the trigger warnings before delving into this work.
Chang in haunting detail and using diverse sources of material recounts the Rape of Nanking, how it was orchestrated, the extent of the violence and inhumanity of the Imperial Japanese army in China. I was aware of the Nanking Massacre through an East Asian Studies course, but you never know the extent, the harrowing details, the lengths to which human cruelty can stretch until you read an account such as this one.
Chang touches on themes of historical memory, reparations, and compensation as she recounts how not only the Japanese, but the US worked against the victims of Imperial Japan's atrocious rule to systematically deny the atrocities and erase the events from history and from memory. Chang shows how this serves a grave injustice for the victims and also for the Japanese people and its leaders who exhibit a selective forgetfulness of Imperial Japanese atrocities.
In comparing this event to the Nazi's holocaust of the Jews, she highlights the differing ways in which genocides are remembered. But in all that, she also explores the humanity at the time, the unexpected heroes who worked to create a safety zone for the Chinese victims and saved countless life for sure death at the hands of the Japanese.
Chang explores how those who had the power to intervene stood by and watched a massacre that was publicised around the world, even in US papers. It draws a stark parallel to the current state of the world, as the same powers watch and fund another televised genocide.