theespressoedition's review against another edition
3.5
What use were adventures when there was no one to share them with?
Today, I had finally dared to gaze at the sun, allowing its radiance to blaze through me unhindered, spilling through my veins until I was aglow. Never did I imagine such luminous joy existed, and never again would I be content to remain in the shadows. and never again would I be content to remain in the shadows.
kings were not always as just as in the stories, and the mercy of gods was sometimes flawed.
Not everyone’s past was a path through sunlit fields. We each had our own corners that we preferred to leave in the shadows.
Graphic: Death, Torture, Blood, Gore, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual harassment
clairew97's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Misogyny, Animal death, Blood, Medical content, Slavery, War, Alcohol, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Violence
solarel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved the world, though. It was fun and I found it immersive. It felt rich and saturated, though at times repetitive.
What bumped it up to 3 stars for me was a twist that I had misread the signs for as overused tropes. I was delighted about this turn in the plot and it was a lot of fun to see it play out.
Overall I think this book is very charming and worth a read. Parts of the plot felt like they floated by without enough weight, and others felt as if they were drawn out far too long. I’m looking forward to the second one.
Graphic: Body horror, Classism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Murder, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity
gen_wolfhailstorm's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was so behind on the buddy read, with no pressure other than my own, that I decided to download the ebook for my travels. I then found the audiobook on YouTube, from Harper Collins, with a narrator with a mesmerising voice, which really helped me properly ground myself back into the story from chapter 4 and was super helpful in the pronunciation of our character names.
I loved Xingyin and all that she stood for. She did come across as very stubborn and prideful, that some may not get on with, but for me, I interpreted her pride as a strong sense of self and resilience and I feel like her competitive nature and determination to prove herself, time and time again, came from her isolation in a very tight family home up until this point.
I felt like her abundance of pride was more to do with Xingyin never having to face such critique before and has had to face a sharp humbling by going into servitude to get established in the Imortal Realm.
I struggled with the time jumps. This is something I tend to struggle with most times. It just feels cloudy to me, and I lose sense of time and place. I couldn't comprehend how many achievements had been made in such quick succession because I couldn't grapple with how much time was supposed to have passed. I think the only solid acknowledgement of it was a passing "2 years" mentioned, but other than that, I found it hard to feel grounded, was disorientated in that earlier portion after the flee, and a lot felt told rather than shown during these speed through the years. I felt like I needed a more cultivated balance of not showing us everything, but showing us enough that it made sense that a substantial amount of time has past... but also... immortals... so time is a construct.
I had so many conflicting emotions when it came to Liwei and Wenzhi. I loved them. I hated them... I think I was just team Xingyin all the way because I just felt for her through everything, but the heartbreak I felt was probably more than she had!
I enjoyed that although this was fantasy, it had a lot of militant themes too. I don't typically read lots of military fantasy, or fantasy where it's a larger portion of the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially seeing all the different parts of the Celestial Kingdoms, who sided with who, political intrigue, etc.
Overall, this was a fantastic start to the Celestial Kingdom duology and an even better debut.
Graphic: Torture, Self harm, War, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Bullying
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I like the first third and I love the second half, in between those sections the pacing gets a little weird though it’s still pretty good. Mid-book events which in some other story might be a training montage instead are collapsed into a very brief mention as several years are skipped at once. Xingyin ends up in the Celestial palace, surrounded by people who despise her for her class and who would detest her if they knew who her mother really was. After spending several years as the prince’s companion, she tries to make her own way by excelling at arms, becoming a formidable archer. Her goal is to earn a favor from the emperor in order to request her mother’s freedom.
Once place where this excels is in relationships, specifically the way that Xingyin’s relationships with Prince Liwei and Captain Wenzhi change over time. It is a love triangle, but one which at each stage feels like there are good reasons for the choices Xingyin is making. She proceeds as well as she can while figuring out who she wants, if anyone. I love the ending, it pulls things together in a fantastic way and lays the ground for what the sequel might cover while still letting this first book feel complete.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Confinement, Blood, Animal death, Violence, Death, Toxic friendship, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Vomit, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Alcohol, Grief, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy
troldmand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Torture, War, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
kels_18's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Violence, War, and Torture
Minor: Sexual assault
rnbhargava's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Vomit
There is violence throughout this story but the characters are immortals so that can undercut some of the tension a tiny bit. The author specifically has to write in that something is limiting their natural resilience but then there are healing magics to help characters recover. It leads to more emotional tension when paired with the action. I quite liked this novel and will read the follow up. That said the protagonist’s plot armor is abundant and strong. If that bothers you perhaps stay away. It’s a fun mythological adventure otherwisest61826's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Blood, War, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault
rensreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
i really adored these characters. something about
Spoiler
wenzhiSpoiler
liweiSpoiler
wenzhiSpoiler
and i just knew™️xingyin and liwei’s relationship really sold the deal for me. whether as friends or lovers, i adored them together. they would give up life and limb for one another bc they truly love each other. a kind of love where they give and do not expect anything back in return. when you’re both givers, taking also comes along for the ride which balances the relationship out. they absolutely are not a perfect couple but that’s exactly why i liked them so much. they were friends first
Spoiler
(though im of the opinion that liwei was taken with xingyin from the moment they met)Spoiler
liwei’s engagement to a princess and xingyin doing her best to forget they were lovers,Spoiler
their friendship was still intimate enough to raise brows. their chemistry was undeniable and the care they have for each other is heartwarming as well. i really hope they get their HEA once this duology is finished.the descriptions were to die for. the plot was well thought out with only a few hiccups here and there. the characterization was a bit lacking, especially concerning xingyin, but it wasn’t horrendous either. she felt a bit like a mary sue, but not in a bad way, just a “gee-i-wish-she-didnt-have-an-unknown-hidden-talent” kind of way. she definitely struggled to make her way in certain areas but in others it just felt a bit too easy. tan’s voice was also constant throughout the novel with only a few instances where things felt off or bland for whatever reason. it’s very clear that tan spent a lot of time and effort on this novel and i truly cannot fault her in any way for that.
this novel wasnt perfect but i love it so much that i’ll give it it’s well deserved 4.5 stars anyway (:
Graphic: Classism, Death, Violence, War, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Grief, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy, Infertility, and Vomit
the sexual assault is attempted in part three and never explicitly stated the assaulter had that intention, so it’s all in the context clues. the infertility concerns