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Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Classism
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
1.)
The depth of world-building and unending, but never boring explanation of the hard-magic / science system in place for this novel is astounding. It never manages to fall into the trap of info-dumping on the reader, staying crisp and detailed but not overbearing as we move through the story.
It drip feeds what information is necessary at the time it’s needed, fleshing out our understanding of Bright Haven; the clans, the politics, the religion and the biases as we encounter them.
2.)
The characters themselves are intrinsically human; chaotic and difficult, at times so detestably hard to like, shining a light on our own privileges and pitfalls. Each person we encounter gives us a window into societal oppression, and how it manifests.
Sciona, The morally ambiguous FMC is at odds with the most commonly seen female heroines of fantasy: She’s ego driven and inscrutable, logical to the point of delusion. A cold hearted scientist with limited social skills, navigating the most difficult social situations the writer can think up whilst pressing her will against an empire that would squash her like a bug.
3.)
This is an intricate critique of power-structures that holds up a mirror to our own world and the hypocrisy and fallacy’s within our own (present/ and) history. It is not so heavy handed that the points made feel didactic, nor is it so subtle as to lack substance.
Wang injects irony, levity, and moments of softness with a grace that buffs up against the brutality and the grotesque examples of sexism, racism and religious zealotry that make this a more advanced and darker read than other books coming out at the same time.
4.)
Read this book if you want a dark academic fantasy that challenges and provokes with wit, wonder, a touch of body horror and a healthy heaping of emotional sabotage.
5.)
In short, a masterpiece of contemporary fiction.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexism, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood
Minor: Child death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Sexual assault, Blood, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Infertility, Sexual assault
Graphic: Hate crime, Sexism, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Violence, Mass/school shootings
Minor: Body horror, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Cannibalism, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism