Scan barcode
kbowles24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism
abby_can_read'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? Yes
4.0
I had a wonderful time with this book. I liked the pacing and I liked the plot. The characters were fun and I liked their various relationships. Though I didn't care for the love triangle.
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Blood, and War
Minor: Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
bree_h_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Stalking and Fire/Fire injury
boodles100'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
awkwardimagination's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Torture
major character deathclairew97's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
emolr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity
marleywrites's review against another edition
- 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
This book made me want to sing and cry at the same time.
This story is now a forever favorite. The character arcs. The thrilling plot. The symbolism. The fantastic prose.
If Sue Lynn Tan writes it, I’m gonna read it.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Blood and War
Minor: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Murder
The angst is heavy in this one.sketchydelusion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity and Death of parent
lastblossom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, a strong follow-up to the previous book. Romantic endgame might be divisive.
About
After winning the Celestial Emperor's pardon (although not his favor), Xingyin thought she'd be returning to her quiet life on the moon with her mother. But political turmoil rages in the Celestial Kingdom, churned on by her previous actions. With her home on the moon threatened by old enemies and new magic, Xingyin must once again take up her bow and fight for the ones she loves. And maybe even the ones she thought she gave up loving.
Thoughts
The first book of this series was largely an adventure punctuated with romance. This one is definitely a romance punctuated with adventure. Xingyin is already an accomplished fighter, and so we see very little by way of her development in that area, with more time spent on her growing emotionally and learning how to process different kinds of grief. There's a lot more at stake here, with several deaths, and the loss of potential lives lived, with no one coming out entirely faultless in the process. The moral depth and complexity definitely outshines the first book in this space. The romantic triangle from the first book takes front and center here, with Wenzhi, Liwei, and eventually Xingyin all being way more honest about their feelings than the first go-around. There's a clear endgame this time around, and your enjoyment will probably hang entirely on who you cheered for in the first book. Action scenes move quickly, with fewer "epic" set pieces and more subdued fights (on average). There's also more time spent on Chinese lore, which I really enjoyed. Overall, I feel like it's a really good conclusion to the previous book, and it ties up all the loose ends really well.
Also, I am aware there wasn't really time for it, but I am devastated that
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Classism
Minor: Deadnaming and Death of parent