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anna_hepworth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
In long: I've heard a lot of good things about this series, but none of them prepared me for how much I was going to love this story, how invested I was going to be in how the complex strands of politics and warfare across time and space are woven together.
While the plot is good, and the characterisation is impressive, what held me in this story was the world-building, and the way that the writing slowly exposes it. Yoon Ha Lee has developed a mathematics and a magic that are one and the same, and that influence everything that happens in the story.
Difficult parts of the story: The sheer numbers of sacrificial deaths, and the fact that just to maintain the government system, torture is a necessity. Fortunately the torture is only referenced, but the sheer numbers of senseless deaths do happen as necessary parts of the story.
If you are someone who usually doesn't like complex political shenanigans and the logistics of war, it may still be worth reading this.
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and War
Minor: Torture
Details on the body horror:bluejay21's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and War
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
natcat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is a pretty grim book, in a lot of ways - the universe it takes place in is a dark one, in which lives are incredibly disposable, and a lot of people die in this book, many of them from the actions of our main characters - and it doesn’t shy away from that, but it’s not depressing, either. The characters might exist in a universe where lines of morality are drawn differently, but their emotions and motivations are not alien and are very compelling and are very much looking at those moral lines.
The way the story unfolds is fascinating, and I was very impressed with how the author started weaving in short segments from a wide variety of characters in the second half of the book - some of them were very short, but each character felt different and fully realized. I really liked our main perspective character, Kel Cheris, and her relationship - the central relationship of the book - with Shuos Jedao is fascinating, and I think would be very rewarding on a reread.
I also really liked the casual way sexuality and gender and queerness worked in this book - several of the characters have same-sex relationships, and the way this is portrayed feels very convincingly like all the people involved haven’t grown up in our societies, with our hang ups and perceptions of ‘normal’, all of which was really lovely to read.
Inventive, emotionally compelling, and entirely engrossing - I highly recommend this book!
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
lucystolethesky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, and War
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
reebeee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The side characters are vivid and interesting, but ultimately don’t play large or long-lasting roles in the narrative
I enjoyed this book's premise and characters, and I'll probably end up reading the sequels, but in the end, Ninefox's potential was more promising than its actuality.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal death
hauntedtesty'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
3.75
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, and War
Moderate: Rape
intoblossom'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
3.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Genocide and Torture
Minor: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Transphobia
confusedmuse'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: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Dysphoria
Minor: Confinement, Self harm, Torture, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation
ailsaod'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, and War
Moderate: Body horror, Genocide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, and Dysphoria
cerilouisereads'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
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Body horror and Dysphoria