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hanrutous's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Moderate: Self harm and Abortion
carebearnecessities's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Self harm and Suicide attempt
entityj's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Drug use, Gore, Rape, Murder, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Slavery, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
_marycappiello3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
felixliest's review against another edition
- 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: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and War
EVEN better than the first Book in this series. Can't wait for the conclusion!kitten_nugget's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Abortion
noura's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and War
Moderate: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts
chloe_601's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have so many mixed feelings about the main character, Rin. In the first book, she wanted to get out of her rural village and attend Sinegard, the foremost military academy in the Empire. Her ability to push her mind and body to its limits scared me, and it was foreshadowing for the amount of grief and anger she felt, and ultimately for the war crimes she committed.
This book explores a bit more of the mythology of the world, and how shamans call upon the gods to access their power, but the gods are chaotic and view this world as a plaything. Any mortal who calls on them knows that it only ends in their death or in their body becoming a vessel of chaos. Rin was still reeling from her choice at the end of the previous book, and turned to smoking opium every day just to function and not burn everyone around her with the phoenix god’s destructive will.
I really like how the story weaves a fantasy world full of shamans and chaotic neutral gods with the history of 20th century China. The wars happening in the empire are also treated as a curiosity by the Hesperians, who are a stand-in for western allied powers in world war 2. Their treatment of the main characters as savages who need salvation was angering and sickening, but it also parallels what happened in real life. I’m excited and utterly terrified to read the final book.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Violence, and War
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
imds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Abortion and Suicide attempt
psitstorrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Blood, Murder, War, and Classism