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c_dmckinney's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, Abandonment, and Classism
twistedflower2357's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was really impressed with this book and I honestly think it’s the best Avatar-related media to come out since the original cartoon. The written medium lets us dig even deeper into the worldbuilding and the constant spying around that our characters do lends itself very well to the political intrigue aspect of the story. FC Yee has a lovely writing style, rich with in-universe idioms and simple-but-poignant description. Overall this is a really fun and worthwhile addition to the Avatar universe.
The two main characters, Yangchen and Kavik, are the book’s greatest strength. They’re both quite beautifully written, and even though they only have a few scenes together to really bond, the trust that grows between the two feels very believable and compelling (
One small issue I had with the book was that the story felt a little decentralized—it takes a while to get started and is interrupted in the middle to address some of the background introduced the Gene Yang comics. This detour is undeniably one of the most emotionally powerful parts of the book, but in the context of the rest of the story, it comes out of nowhere. There are also some moments where events are told out of order and story beats are withheld from the audience until later. This isn’t necessarily bad, but I think it detracts from a certain character beat near the end.
Regardless, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Avatar spin-off content. It accomplishes everything you might want in a prequel spin-off and then some, and Yangchen’s compassion and surprising methodology is guaranteed to draw you in. I’ve already got the next book and I’m excited to read it.
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Grief
Minor: Child death and Vomit
haleybre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
doodeedoda's review
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Death and Violence
Minor: Grief
scarlettskyes's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
reclusivebookslug's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder
Not exactly police, but...toffishay's review
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Torture, Blood, Vomit, and Deportation
theuncannydani's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Grief, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Chronic illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail