zsabella's reviews
88 reviews

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

content warnings:

genocide, mentions of rape/sexual assault (off-page), injury detail/body dismemberment, torture, self-harm (burning), menstruation (period pain), animal death

I feel like I shouldn’t have liked this as much as I did, all triggers and objectionable morals considered. this is one of those series that should be touted as a “revenge” epic and shouldn't be recommended or gifted lightly—let's promise to have some due diligence when researching a new adult historical fantasy to read going forward, please!

the first half is a lot stronger than the last—the academic setting of sinegard is so entertaining and the relationships rin formed there felt natural and built on pretty solid foundations. then the actual war ensues, and I felt some of my good will slipping. there’s a lot of telling via narration/simple dialogue than showing that I couldn’t help notice, but I can’t fault rebecca kuang for trying anyway to write a debut this ambitious.

there are lots of side characters with potential to become big personal faves, but I couldn’t take rin’s idolization of altan seriously. he seemed interesting at first, then came off as an overcompensating cog of a military empire forced to command the most ill-equipped division of nikan—not a “complex martyr”. the idea of a young, broken commander with a survivor complex IS interesting, but the execution was confusing and didn’t feel handled with the best care, so any time spent with altan gave me whiplash. 

I’m conflicted about the ending and whether rin as the amoral lead actually buys into the Great Lie she’s told to live by after her finale moment.

there is a larger discussion that might be due on the use of an alternate history angle of the sino-japanese wars, but I’m neither confident nor have a degree in chinese history like kuang to interpret her literary intentions here. on first pass, historically accurate and graphic details ARE there, but that’s just it—they’re spelled out plainly because the atrocities are too awful to ignore or wave away, but to me weren’t necessarily utilized in a way worth getting fired up about. just because crimes against humanity are depicted on the page of a story doesn’t automatically cheapen the narrative and its overall message. there are other alternate history stories out there that would deserve more time and energy to criticize if that were true.

I sense an impending madness arc (which I’m down for!), and even if rin’s refusal to give any benefit of doubt is giving me whiffs of plot armor I’ll reserve full judgment until I read book two. I don’t think I’ve read the final act of a fantasy novel where I could physically feel my eye twitching, but I’m too curious about rin’s fate and care too much about kitay and jiang to stop here.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories by Ken Liu

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Grief

Moderate: Xenophobia, War, Gun violence, and Death

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

No Longer Human by Junji Ito

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi

challenging dark informative reflective

"Sooner or later, a false belief bumps up against solid reality, usually on a battlefield."
George Orwell

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

funny lighthearted reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert

challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

read chapterhouse if you're wondering how the bene gesserit operate as they’re hunted from planet to planet. or if you’re a dune completionist with a morbid curiosity like me! otherwise, let me specifically point out that this will not be a fun read if you were hoping for an amazing return of sandworms, sheeana, the terraforming of chapterhouse, or miles teg.

avoid chapterhouse if you’re against revisiting the same awful plot device

(sexual assault of a child’s body)

used to recover ghola memories. it should have been retired after heretics but it’s here again. if it was meant to come off as simply a creepy tactic, I’m positive there were less voyeuristic ways to write it. also skip if you're not invested in the honored matres conflict in general.

one of the main arguments that herbert wanted to unpack in his last 2 books—whether love weakens or strengthens humanity—is all well and good. it’s just no one can convince me to take his discussion seriously when these opposing views are associated with two female cults who’s only differences are whether they kill people with their legs and their knowledge of “sexual augmentation”. even murbella

already talks and thinks like a bene gesserit that her choice to assimilate into the sisterhood to gain information (and lose her “love” of duncan)

ends up not that shocking or interesting. herbert may have been decent at writing women of distinct motivations, but his attempt to write them with a straight, sex-positive attitude was poor. the execution of it all feels dated and bogged down by odd, spacey sci-fi elements I wouldn't care to reread about.