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bookworm513'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Slavery, Grief, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Cannibalism
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Slavery, Suicide, and Cannibalism
briophyta'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Cannibalism
and_opossum'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
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
shermansays'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
4.5
Graphic: War
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Cannibalism, and Alcohol
yourbookishbff'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
Graphic: Child death, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cannibalism
talonsontypewriters'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read this book as part of a book club. It was one the club read before I joined but I am playing catch up.
Set in China in the 1300s this was a welcome departure from the Anglo-centric middle ages stories that I typically read based in that time period.
As a girl growing up in the middle of a famine, the main character learns that if you really have the want, you will survive at all costs. It's an exploration of the idea that desire is the root of suffering, and the main character is set up to be one who wants a lot and is thus likely to suffer a lot... there is a lot going on psychologically and philosophically, but I don't think the story gets bogged down by it.
I found myself really excited by some of the cinematic style happenings. An entire army taken out by cleverness and natural forces was a lot more exciting to me than blow by blow battles. I am constantly left under-enthused by battles in general, and this story doesn't make me wade through them unnecessarily. War is ugly.
The relationships in the tale are really nuanced and interesting. Best friends hide secrets from each other, or keep each other's secrets. Rivals respect each other, or feign being dignified. People feel attached to those who have hurt them. It's all a very human dysfunctional mess of trust, betrayal, love, romance, and misplaced presumptions. There's lesbian sex, and homoerotic sexual tension. Love without sex, sex without love. And there's dysphoria and mutilation...
There is a mystical element to the story. It leaves you to wonder about the Fates of the main characters and whose sides the gods are on. I really wanted to love this book more, but it's long and maybe I was just tired.. but I find it hard to root for a main character who is ambitious for its own sake. It's sort of good to have an unconventional main character who gets to be a Boss by sheer savvy and luck.. but I don't get a sense of rooting for an underdog so much as watching someone destroy a whole heap of things and climb a pile of bodies, like military might is the way to get a high score.
I'll be interested to read the second book when it comes out (later this year), and hopefully I might like it more if I take my time to invest in the characters.
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Cannibalism, and Lesbophobia
meganparfitt'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury
sentcinematic'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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, and Grief
Minor: Misogyny, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury