fkshg8465's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
3.5
One of the main characters is missing in the epilogue. So I don’t know if the author is intending on a third book or if this is it and we never get closure on him or hours relationship with his family. The book feels incomplete. If we could do half stars, I’d make this 3.5. Really confused…enjoyable otherwise and so other I’s dotted and T’s crossed.
xingqiu's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.5
bananenbrot's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Ok maybe this is because I just finished this book and it's almost 1 am, but I feel like this is one of the books I had the most fun reading and one of the books I have the most love for. I already really enjoyed the first book but this one is somehow even better. I love the characters, the setting, the worldbuilding, the trope and the writing style. And I am no expert in this and I read books purely to let them bring me all the emotions, so I can't really tell if this book is like actually "good", but I can tell that I absolutely love this book. And that's the only thing I care about.
risten's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Stalking, Murder, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Death, Blood, and Alcohol
anarchivs's review against another edition
5.0
all i wanna say is: we need book 3 for Tsuko’s story. you can’t close the door to Rebel Seoul universe like that and have one of your complex written characters not have his own story. but in truth, i just want to see Alex and Tsuko’s sibling relationship and yea.. i’m interested to see who Tsuko’s romantic partner might be. The way Rogue Heart ended felt like the series was really meant to be a trilogy, intending the 3rd and final book for Tsuko because there were still some loose ends, or maybe i’m just imagining it? anyways, no matter how long it’ll take I do hope Axie Oh comes back to writing in the Rebel Seoul universe to give us a Tsuko story.
yejidereadsthings's review
After the Battle of Seoul, Ama, an enhanced super-soldier from the war, hides out in obscurity in Neo Beijing as a bakery worker and lounge singer. Thinking she's done with the war and fighting, a rebel group PHNX recruits her to help save girls like her and take down the alliance. Thrust into a world where she assists the rebels using her telekinetic powers and must spy on her enemies and former allies. When she finds out Alex, the boy she used to love, is a top commander in the war, her unit is thrown beside. With the final battle looming, Ama struggles to reign in her feelings and fulfil her duties.
I read Rebel Seoul a year ago, and it was good for me, however, it wasn't my favourite book. However, this book stole my wig right from me because OH MY GOSH! I read this book pretty quickly (for my standards least) and I could not put it down!
The plot hooked me in every single chapter and I always was itching to know more. The pressure of a looming war, the struggle of unrequited (?) love, and different alliances all made for a complex and developed storyline. I wish we got to see more of the war and the complexities that created all the suspense because we heard a lot about it, but we didn't see it. 3.5 stars.
Ama was an amazingly written character and was so three-dimensional. I liked how identity was a core part of her character and how in order to find herself; she had to lose herself. I liked Ama in the first book and to see her having her own book is (chefs kiss). Her siblings' relationships with Tera and Tsuko were both very complex and showed the nuances of loving someone who might now see the world in the same way as you. Speaking of Tsuko, I am patiently hoping for a companion novel of his own. (Please [author:Axie Oh|15243084], take my money). I liked how everyone was kind of morally grey and had the potential to be villains, but made their own archetypes. (does that make sense?). Each character enriched the story in the way they could. I wish we got to see more of the villains and their side. I'm also an Alex stan/simp now. In fact, I simp for every character. 4 stars.
I'm a sucker for worldbuilding, and when it's futuristic and cyberpunk, then I pretty much throw my money at it. Axie Oh created such a detailed and descriptive world and I desperately wanted to visit it (minus the war). The futuristic details and landscape were wonderfully described, and it didn't feel superficial or tried too hard to be ominous. My one complaint was that it felt a little too "modern", meaning that the futuristic details stood out but didn't feel like they matched the time it was supposed to be set in. So for that, one star knocked off. 4 stars for worldbuilding.
Read this book if you like: Cyberpunk/futurism, spinoff novels, side characters of original series, wars, mecha, unrequited love, dystopian rebellions, and East Asian characters.
Anyway gotta blast,
- Yejide
I read Rebel Seoul a year ago, and it was good for me, however, it wasn't my favourite book. However, this book stole my wig right from me because OH MY GOSH! I read this book pretty quickly (for my standards least) and I could not put it down!
The plot hooked me in every single chapter and I always was itching to know more. The pressure of a looming war, the struggle of unrequited (?) love, and different alliances all made for a complex and developed storyline. I wish we got to see more of the war and the complexities that created all the suspense because we heard a lot about it, but we didn't see it. 3.5 stars.
Ama was an amazingly written character and was so three-dimensional. I liked how identity was a core part of her character and how in order to find herself; she had to lose herself. I liked Ama in the first book and to see her having her own book is (chefs kiss). Her siblings' relationships with Tera and Tsuko were both very complex and showed the nuances of loving someone who might now see the world in the same way as you. Speaking of Tsuko, I am patiently hoping for a companion novel of his own. (Please [author:Axie Oh|15243084], take my money). I liked how everyone was kind of morally grey and had the potential to be villains, but made their own archetypes. (does that make sense?). Each character enriched the story in the way they could. I wish we got to see more of the villains and their side. I'm also an Alex stan/simp now. In fact, I simp for every character. 4 stars.
I'm a sucker for worldbuilding, and when it's futuristic and cyberpunk, then I pretty much throw my money at it. Axie Oh created such a detailed and descriptive world and I desperately wanted to visit it (minus the war). The futuristic details and landscape were wonderfully described, and it didn't feel superficial or tried too hard to be ominous. My one complaint was that it felt a little too "modern", meaning that the futuristic details stood out but didn't feel like they matched the time it was supposed to be set in. So for that, one star knocked off. 4 stars for worldbuilding.
Read this book if you like: Cyberpunk/futurism, spinoff novels, side characters of original series, wars, mecha, unrequited love, dystopian rebellions, and East Asian characters.
Anyway gotta blast,
- Yejide
cellyphane's review against another edition
3.0
Despite not being fully satisfied by the first book, I wanted to explore this world a little more. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed this book more than the first book, mostly because we got to explore the next few years from Ama's perspective. I enjoyed her perspective a lot more because compared to the previous protagonist, she is far more compelling, or perhaps that's just because she's written with more dimension.
The writing has greatly improved overall, which is one of the issues I previously had with Rebel Seoul. The prose in Rogue Heart had me clutching my heart several times. There were so many incredible quotes, and I have to commend Oh's ability to craft such unforgettably heart-wrenching sentences.
However, like Rebel Seoul, I had trouble remaining fully immersed due to the lack of worldbuilding, especially when it comes to the technology. While there are a few other minor things, that was one of the main issues for me because the technology is such a huge part of the storyline, yet we don't really get in-depth descriptions.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this book. I'm sure that those who enjoyed Rebel Seoul will love reading this, as well as those who enjoy k-dramas with sci-fi elements. There's plenty of juicy and exciting moments for readers to enjoy.
The writing has greatly improved overall, which is one of the issues I previously had with Rebel Seoul. The prose in Rogue Heart had me clutching my heart several times. There were so many incredible quotes, and I have to commend Oh's ability to craft such unforgettably heart-wrenching sentences.
However, like Rebel Seoul, I had trouble remaining fully immersed due to the lack of worldbuilding, especially when it comes to the technology. While there are a few other minor things, that was one of the main issues for me because the technology is such a huge part of the storyline, yet we don't really get in-depth descriptions.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this book. I'm sure that those who enjoyed Rebel Seoul will love reading this, as well as those who enjoy k-dramas with sci-fi elements. There's plenty of juicy and exciting moments for readers to enjoy.