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jinmichae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It's really well written, and an interesting story of the main character warring with her identity and what she's become. But it just wasn't for me. I'm too much of a romantic who wants happy endings after succeeding against the odds, and this is a tale of how cruel reality can be. There isn't always a happy ending, and sometimes the sum of all your scheming is just emptiness and a polite defeat.
My main problem I should have seen coming: it's hard to feel sympathy for or connected with a main character who's a fairly ruthless pirate, even if she internally struggles with her actions, or isn't as terrible as others she nonetheless allies with. She wants to fight against the emperor's stranglehold on the country, but what does that mean to the individual peasants? They either die of the emperor's famine, or the ones caused by her raids.
I guess that's part of the book's message about the cruelty of society and fate, so go into the book expecting such. It was my own hope for something more like Robin Hood that disappointed me, not the actual story.
My main problem I should have seen coming: it's hard to feel sympathy for or connected with a main character who's a fairly ruthless pirate, even if she internally struggles with her actions, or isn't as terrible as others she nonetheless allies with. She wants to fight against the emperor's stranglehold on the country, but what does that mean to the individual peasants? They either die of the emperor's famine, or the ones caused by her raids.
I guess that's part of the book's message about the cruelty of society and fate, so go into the book expecting such. It was my own hope for something more like Robin Hood that disappointed me, not the actual story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexism, and Trafficking
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Vomit, Abortion, and Alcohol
ra22ouille's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As much as these characters weren't "likeable," I did love them—Shek Yeung particularly so. I was greatly moved by the depth and complexity of this book's emotional journey, and I was utterly absorbed and invested in Shek Yeung's trajectory.
The story covers around 2 years in it's actual timeline, and it also recounts time from Shek Yeung's pre-pirating years. Rita-Chang Eppig does a great job with this narrative that jumps into Shek Yeung's past throughout the book, succeeding in weaving everything together into a compelling plot line.
Shek Yeung and Chung Po's relationship had me feeling so many ways. I didn't know what I wanted for them and it seemed like Shek Yeung didn't totally know either. And who knows what Chung Po thought. They were both so smart and so opaque and closed off. Getting to know them both was like being shown a secret. I think their character development was suuuuper. And at times very surprising. I loved hearing Shek Yeung's internal voice that showed her own conflicting feelings about her development as a person. And even though I was inside her head she remained so hidden in lots of ways, which so reflected how she hid parts of herself even from her own eyes.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I didn't love some of the character voices the reader did. But I did like Shek Yeung's voice and how the narration was read. I've also seen some reviews saying that the language was wordy, monologues overdone, etc., and I wonder if listening to it be read helped to immerse me in the writing style. I didn't anticipate that people would have those complaints so 🤷🏻♀️
Reas if you're interested in political adventures, explorations on the effects of power, gender politics, classism, and brutal stories of survival (especially survival as a woman).
The story covers around 2 years in it's actual timeline, and it also recounts time from Shek Yeung's pre-pirating years. Rita-Chang Eppig does a great job with this narrative that jumps into Shek Yeung's past throughout the book, succeeding in weaving everything together into a compelling plot line.
Shek Yeung and Chung Po's relationship had me feeling so many ways. I didn't know what I wanted for them and it seemed like Shek Yeung didn't totally know either. And who knows what Chung Po thought. They were both so smart and so opaque and closed off. Getting to know them both was like being shown a secret. I think their character development was suuuuper. And at times very surprising. I loved hearing Shek Yeung's internal voice that showed her own conflicting feelings about her development as a person. And even though I was inside her head she remained so hidden in lots of ways, which so reflected how she hid parts of herself even from her own eyes.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I didn't love some of the character voices the reader did. But I did like Shek Yeung's voice and how the narration was read. I've also seen some reviews saying that the language was wordy, monologues overdone, etc., and I wonder if listening to it be read helped to immerse me in the writing style. I didn't anticipate that people would have those complaints so 🤷🏻♀️
Reas if you're interested in political adventures, explorations on the effects of power, gender politics, classism, and brutal stories of survival (especially survival as a woman).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Classism