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moonytoast's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
short but very lovely, a great bite-sized fantasy story about the big and small moments of history and the winding journey of a once-exiled empress from the north to becoming the sole monarch
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, and War
Minor: Pregnancy
loverofeels's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
fascinating story and beautiful writing, but i found it hard to get through for some reason even though it was very short and not particularly dense?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicide, Violence, Pregnancy, and War
thereaderfriend's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Nghi Vo managed to expertly tell a story in a story of a oppressed woman who overthrew a patriarchal empire. Rabbit, a humble handmaiden sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of 5 packets of dye, tells the story of how In-Yo, an exiled princess turned to amazing empress, conquered what saw so little of them, to a servile cleric. Rabbit also gets taken advantage of but is redeemed with a great outcome, as well as In-Yo with her amazing overcoming. Also appreciated how Chih, the cleric, responded to learning this lesson. They were so kind and earnest about how they saw this story and how it would affect Chih's career.
Some fav quotes:
"Accuracy above all things. You will never remember the great if you do not remember the small."
"How do you live with it watching you? .. As you live with anything, I suspect. You bear it, or you end it."
"Time is the thing. I want time to get the words right. To do proper honor to those who died. I don't want them to be ashamed when others speak about them. But I know that there is only so much time left, and it will never be perfect. "
"... if a record cannot be perfect, it should at least be present. Better for it to exist than for it to be perfect and only in your mind."
"Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves."
Some fav quotes:
"Accuracy above all things. You will never remember the great if you do not remember the small."
"How do you live with it watching you? .. As you live with anything, I suspect. You bear it, or you end it."
"Time is the thing. I want time to get the words right. To do proper honor to those who died. I don't want them to be ashamed when others speak about them. But I know that there is only so much time left, and it will never be perfect. "
"... if a record cannot be perfect, it should at least be present. Better for it to exist than for it to be perfect and only in your mind."
"Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and War
Moderate: Grief and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility, Suicide, and Murder
cheye13's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Infertility, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Suicide
aardwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Lovely prose, clever pacing with few pages, lively characters, and awesome worldbuilding, and it all comes together with elegant craft.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, and War
ireadinbed's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was such a refreshing palette cleanser to the kind of super densely set stories I've been reading.
It felt like reading a fairly tale, probably because of the storytelling viewpoint. It took me a while to piece together what the story was about, but once I did it was very satisfying.
It felt as if it was told in glimpses and it was just what I needed on an afternoon home sick and looking for a distraction.
I will definitely continue on with the series.
It felt like reading a fairly tale, probably because of the storytelling viewpoint. It took me a while to piece together what the story was about, but once I did it was very satisfying.
It felt as if it was told in glimpses and it was just what I needed on an afternoon home sick and looking for a distraction.
I will definitely continue on with the series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
hlhayes7's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
arcinzole's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
I was amazed at the character development the author packed into this very small space with a complex plot. Loved the narrative devices used. Good, organic queer representation too.
My one possible complaint with the queer rep was that the one explicitl nonbinary character was portrayed as part of a semi-magical religious order removed so much from the other characters, but that may simply be a result of the very compact story. I am so excited to read more and see more characters. I have a feeling I will find more well handled gender-identity related diversity in her work.
My one possible complaint with the queer rep was that the one explicitl nonbinary character was portrayed as part of a semi-magical religious order removed so much from the other characters, but that may simply be a result of the very compact story. I am so excited to read more and see more characters. I have a feeling I will find more well handled gender-identity related diversity in her work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
sydneybedell's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, and War
jmcampbell57's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Suicide, Murder, and Pregnancy