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serendipitysbooks'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Infertility and War
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I can see how this wouldn't be the book for everyone. If you wanted to be reductive, the plot is an old woman recounting long-ago events to a cleric and their talking bird. But I kept finding myself getting lulled into the word of the story, the glittering court and the crafty Empress. I understand why this series has gotten so much attention and I'm definitely in it for the long haul.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Trafficking, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility, Blood, Medical content, and War
Passing mention to forced sterilization.hannahhmh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Moderate: Infertility, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
melodyseestrees'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Infertility, Suicide, and Murder
o_romeo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, and War
avacadosocks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Misogyny
Minor: Infertility, Suicide, and War
indeedithappens'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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
kaziaroo'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? No
4.75
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
singlier'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? No
5.0
I read this book on the recommendation of an online friend and was absolutely not disappointed. This book is a quick read, only around 120 pages, but what it manages to do in those pages is astounding. The story follows a young cleric, Chih and their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant as they listen and catalogue the artifacts of Rabbit, a servant who worked for the late Empress In-yo. Over the course of the book, they learn the story of Empress In-yo, a princess from the north entrapped in a political marriage who, after bearing a son for the Emperor, is sent into exile. Years later, In-yo returns to the capital, where she overthrows the Emperor and enshrines her daughter on the throne as the head of a new dynasty.
This books is short but powerful, mixing the catalogue of Chih's findings with the stories Rabbit tells her. It is a story of anger, magic, and retribution, all set in a high fantasy imperial China setting. The cast is small, with most named characters being women. There are two more books in the series, and I can't wait to read them.
Moderate: Infertility, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
fraise's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Sexism, Xenophobia, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Animal death and Slavery