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Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, Cultural appropriation
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
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Wanted to absolutely hit someone with their sexism and racism, and I loved her rants to
Kind of sad
Would recommend to people
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
I think everyone should read this book. It is excellent commentary on so many real-world issues told through a riveting story of flawed, raw characters that you want to root for. Wang tackles racism—specifically against indigenous people—, colonization, collective liberation, hypocrisy in religion, corruption in government, "benevolent" complicity, white guilt/tears, and so much more with such finesse. She asks us all to grapple with the questions: what is the cost of our comforts, and what is the effect on our humanity of the denial of those costs?
The story is a page-turner the whole way through, and hooked me within the first chapter. The magic system is extremely unique and interesting, and the world-building is so well-done. Both are intricate without being hard to understand (plus a handy pocket guide is included in the back!). The series of events is realistic as it pertains to the world/characters and the IRL issues the story seeks to tackle.
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation
Moderate: Body horror, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Suicide, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War
Sciona is an interesting character -- prickly and determined and talented and thoroughly wrapped in privilege that she can't see until something shocks her awareness loose, and even then, she struggles to reframe her worldview. It's very real. She's torn between her selfishness and an inherent sense of right and wrong. She remains selfish throughout, concerned with her legacy and her place in history -- but that's not entirely incompatible with taking action to challenge and upend an oppressive system. The book explores intersectionality through her lens: racially privileged, working class (but not totally impoverished), highly educated (thanks to family support and outside patronage), religious minority (but not apostate or, at first, heretical), and the victim of sexism. Two things can be true: She can be oppressed and an oppressor at the same time (and in that lens, her character is a not-at-all-subtle allegory for and indictment of white feminism). Watching Sciona negotiate that as she tries to find a way to make things better is intriguing because it spotlights how difficult the system makes change: Sciona doesn't know what she doesn't know; she doesn't have the experience to take other perspectives into account; she's benefitted from the system and could keep doing so even after she realizes what a trap that is.
I wish we spent more time in Tomil's POV. I was hoping for more of a back-and-forth, but instead he stays engimatic through most of the book.
The intersectional explorations are all worth chewing on, particularly for anyone who may be new to these concepts, but some of the discussions do go on for too long, retreading the same ground. This book probably could have been a bit tighter and shorter. The plot points are very spread out, separated by long philosophical discussions. If that's not your cup of tea, you may find that this book drags in places.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Colonisation
Minor: Animal death
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism
Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation
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