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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: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Grief, Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Infertility, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Cannibalism, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Deportation
i absolutely flew through this book.
and i really liked the bluntness of it.
my main critizism is the limitations and faults in the worldbuilding.
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Classism
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Xenophobia, Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, Religious bigotry
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Infertility, Suicidal thoughts
But it was just fine.
The writing felt juvenile, and ultimately like it should have been marketed as a YA. Wang is not subtle with her points at all, and I felt patronised whilst reading this book. Not to mention the plot was so incredibly predictable and the characters felt exaggerated.
Our MC Sciona is meant to be incredibly smart, strong and talented and I appreciate many of her quirks and actions are a direct result of the oppressive society in which she lives. But she relies purely on Thomil - her subservient assistant - to put the dots together for her and teach her how to be considerate to others, and at times he really has to spell this out for her. If that cliche isn't bad enough for you, the journey she goes through is that of a teenager, not of the 27yo grown adult she is. I have a lot of issues with a number of the other characters too, it seems like no one - not even the mages - has a mind of their own, and that's something I can't quite wrap my head around. Typically those in power in impressive systems use tools like religion to oppress others, but it feels like the mages genuinely believed the stuff they were shouting and somehow Sciona was the ONLY one in hundreds of years to ever question this?
In addition to the standard "enslaved person teaches MC empathy" trope, Thomil is used as a vehicle to teach the reader about the magic system. The magic system is complex, and interesting, and integral to the plotline, so I understand why much of it needs to be told and now shown. But the fact that his intellectual inferiority is regularly brought up just felt a bit ham fisted, and added to the feeling that Wang didn't trust her readers to make their own deductions.
So much of the book could have been cut down and the message wouldn't have been muddied. Instead Wang could have taken opportunities to expand on other characters. Maybe, even the Kwen, their tribes, history and own magic. This for me, would have made a much more impactful story.
But I will say I loved the setting, I enjoyed the magic system and the story kept my interest piqued just enough to get me through to what I considered a perfect ending - if not as heart wrenching as everyone else thought.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Xenophobia, Police brutality
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent
Beyond everything, I found it boring.
It started super stong and the magic system y original and interesting.
However, explanations and conversations become repetitive and redundant after the first couple of chapters, and the resolution to the plot is pretty easy to guess.
I appreciated the violence against sexist religious fanatics tho.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, 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
There was only one point in the book where the conversation between the main characters dragged on for a bit too long.
I did love the addition of small excerpts from the "sacred texts" at the start of each chapter, even though they made my physically repulsed (more so because I know there are many real people who believe this exact same crap).
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Infertility, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation