rrio's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Body horror, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, War, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Death, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Sexual assault
shalladin'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
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Murder, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Violence, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, War, and Torture
stitchof'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
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Abortion, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Hate crime, Medical content, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Drug use, Mental illness, Murder, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, War, Deadnaming, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Xenophobia
moonymars'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
5.0
Spoiler
The one scene where she kills the Hesperian soldier filled me with so many emotions that I could write an entire 10 page essay about.
Venka siding with them at the end made me cry a river. Kitay and Venka my beloveds.
AND if all of that wasn't ENOUGH.
I haven't been so touched by characters dying for a LONG time now. I loved the Cike so much, especially Ramsa, I was one of my favs and now he's FUCKING DECEASED ??? How am I supposed to live without scenes like the ones where Changhan makes Kitay drink horse piss as a joke??
One of my favorite books of all time tho.
Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Abortion, Addiction, Blood, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Vomit, and War
moonystar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Racism, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Abortion
greatlibraryofalexandra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think I'm always going to love how Kuang just refuses to make anything morally easy. I'm also delighted by how much Rin reminds me of Katniss Everdeen in that she is so frequently a petulant, somewhat selfish, blunt-minded heroin who constantly needs to be guided by people who actually are smarter/better positioned than her. She's frustrating when she refuses to listen, but the lesson is in the learning.
This is five stars for me. I love the breadth of it, the messiness of it, and how it utilizes good tropes in personalized ways. It's searing and brutal. On to The Burning God.
-----
Nitpicks:
I can't believe I'm saying this, but one weird issue I had with this book was how often Rin & others gave emotional "Fuck off" or "Fuck yous" to people - it was so casual and so flippant that at the points when these words should have carried real emotional eight, they just...didn't. In other words...I felt like in an effort to consistently make this work YA, but dark as hell, Kuang wasn't utilizing her swear words with the best emotional thrust.
I also note that the constant use of Venka as nothing more than a mouthpiece for female rape trauma was annoying. Towards the end, when Venka began to have real use to the story, this was less bothersome, but I mention it because if Kuang was male, I'd be ripping this plot device to apart as trauma porn.
Given that the "prologue" -ish chapter of this book included Nezha's POV, I think the book as a whole suffers from not continuing to include his POV. I see him similarly to how I saw Letty in "Babel" - I'm not sure Kuang sent enough time in his character to then write some of what he did convincingly for me. But I'm also excited t osee how it all unfolds.
Spoiler
Nezha, Nezha, Nezha...here is to hoping you are a Lando Calrissian, but I don't think you are.Graphic: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Xenophobia, Torture, Addiction, Colonisation, Cursing, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, War, Violence, Gore, Death, Sexual violence, Blood, and Body horror
hailsatan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Child death, Gun violence, Incest, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Ableism, Abortion, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Cursing, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
praaliine'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
5.0
A fantastic read, as expected.
P.S. watch out for chapter 28 (graphic SA towards the end of the chapter)
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Physical abuse, Rape, Vomit, Addiction, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Colonisation, Gaslighting, and Animal death
tinyjude's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Also the huge and constant roasting to white colonizers. Get them!! I am with Rin all the way down through her desire to burn everything down.
Venka, Kitay and Ramsa, my beloveds.
Graphic: Classism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, War, Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Rape, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Death, Gun violence, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Torture, Child death, Colonisation, and Slavery
Moderate: Abortion
shaunaxx'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: Sexism, Sexual violence, Classism, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Kidnapping, War, Vomit, Colonisation, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Alcohol, Death, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Genocide, Addiction, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Violence, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Ableism and Cannibalism
Minor: Abortion