rheagoveas's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
jadziaaudrey's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Classism, and Death
breakery's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Death
Minor: Child death
lukests's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Death
Minor: Animal cruelty
starship_olympus's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
I could’ve spent 100 more years with this book. I think on a re-read I’ll give it 5 stars. I wish I had been able to read it in one sitting, the pacing is quick and the writing style is beautiful. It’s a book to be savored or devoured - as long as it is with love and with intention.
I’m excited to read more of Neon Yang’s work!
————
OKAY I JUST LOOKED UP NEON YANGS DISCOGRAPHY THERE ARE MORE OMG OMG OMG
I’m excited to read more of Neon Yang’s work!
————
OKAY I JUST LOOKED UP NEON YANGS DISCOGRAPHY THERE ARE MORE OMG OMG OMG
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Child death, Grief, and Murder
sara_littlebookdragon's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Violence, and Death
lain_darko's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder, Child death, War, and Blood
Minor: Medical content and Racism
kylieqrada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
4.5 ⭐️s. This one took a sec to get into, just because the writing is so next level. But once I got on a roll with it, it really shone. Gorgeous world-building, amazing characters, interesting gender dynamics. I felt like the pacing was spot on with this one as well. Will definitely be picking up the next one.
Read for Beautifully Bookish Bethany's Tordotcomathon 2022
Read for Beautifully Bookish Bethany's Tordotcomathon 2022
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Gore, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy, Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury
adoto's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I loved the world and lore in this book but I felt like I read a prologue rather than a complete story and had no opportunity to get invested. I wish I liked this enough to seek out the second book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death, Gore, Child death, and Blood
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
The book itself is not xenophobic, but there are clear real-world xenophobic parallels that I feel are worth mentioning, especially if you are South Asian or Middle-Eastern (I'm Indian myself). The book's treatment of these characters and these issues is absolutely fine. I had no problems reading it; just putting it out there in case someone might. The blood and gore mentions are very brief, contained within a few sentences, but occur multiple times during the book and are described graphically. Blood/gore invoke physical reactions in me and I was definitely affected by those parts in this book so be warned!cemeterygay's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I adored this book but the best part of the book by far is the worldbuilding.
Yang managed to build a very intriguing world that is very different from the fantasy worlds we typically see in a lot of mainstream fantasy. I love the way Yang explores and integrates gender into the world and how they manage to blend so many different cultural elements together seamlessly. I just wish we had more time to explore the magic system and to learn way more about the training.
I did really enjoy Mokoya and Akeha's relationship as siblings, I just wish we got more time between the two of them, especially with Mokoya. I do think the author does an amazing job at quickly establishing the personalities of each character, even though not all of the established characters are that multi-dimensional. What other characters lack though Akeha, especially, and Mokoya more than make up for.
I think my biggest problem was that I just wanted more of the book. While I do believe that Yang did an amazing job with the space they had, I just wish the time jumps weren't as sudden or extreme.
Beyond that I absolutely adored this book and would absolutely recommend it.
Yang managed to build a very intriguing world that is very different from the fantasy worlds we typically see in a lot of mainstream fantasy. I love the way Yang explores and integrates gender into the world and how they manage to blend so many different cultural elements together seamlessly. I just wish we had more time to explore the magic system and to learn way more about the training.
I did really enjoy Mokoya and Akeha's relationship as siblings, I just wish we got more time between the two of them, especially with Mokoya. I do think the author does an amazing job at quickly establishing the personalities of each character, even though not all of the established characters are that multi-dimensional. What other characters lack though Akeha, especially, and Mokoya more than make up for.
I think my biggest problem was that I just wanted more of the book. While I do believe that Yang did an amazing job with the space they had, I just wish the time jumps weren't as sudden or extreme.
Beyond that I absolutely adored this book and would absolutely recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Gore, and War