bearystarry's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spoiler
I cried multiple times at Lan's death and how people mourned him afterward as well. Oof. Honestly stunning emotional writing in that sense.Graphic: Dementia, Drug use, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, Death, Injury/injury detail, War, Mental illness, Murder, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, and Gun violence
Moderate: Pedophilia, Fatphobia, and Ableism
cardanrry's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Gun violence, War, Death, Kidnapping, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Torture, Grief, Sexual content, and Self harm
lanid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Sexism, Torture, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Injury/injury detail, Violence, War, Addiction, Body horror, Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Gun violence, and Xenophobia
lainiereads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Drug use, War, Grief, Violence, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Gun violence, and Injury/injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Torture
theespressoedition's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There is a lot to follow in this book and I worried about losing track of the many characters or their importance to the story. Sometimes, there are full chapters that are told from the perspective of a side character. Initially, I was confused by this. Why would there be a heavy focus on such random, seemingly unimportant people? But I'm glad I didn't give up on trying to understand what was happening. Every single chapter makes a difference. Every single character furthers the story, no matter how small their role is.
I'm currently under the assumption that the only reason I don't fully understand the jade magic is because this was only the first book and it's meant to come into play later on. However, I would have liked just a little more explanation of that and even the way the shine drug affected those who used it. There were moments that helped me understand bits and pieces, but certain deaths left me reeling because I had no clue what the true cause was.
The political intrigue was what, shockingly, kept my attention the most. I was fascinated by the gang war and what was happening on either side to induce further violence and panic. The ranks of the Green Bones was also really interesting to me and the almost "heirarchy" within each group was equally intriguing. I even enjoyed the chapters with the lore behind the Green Bones and why certain people fell into certain roles - even down to how they approached death or destruction.
While I definitely believe this is the kind of book to read only when you're in the mood for a "thinker," I highly recommend it. I greatly look forward to seeing what comes next!
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Medical trauma, Torture, Addiction, Blood, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and Gun violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, War, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
thewrongalice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Death, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping
narsere'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Animal death and Torture
aargot1's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Medical trauma, Torture, Self harm, Suicide, Abandonment, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, War, and Mental illness
sarah984'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
This book really just blew me away. It's a family saga, and a gangster novel, and a story about a formerly isolated nation forced to confront the wider world and figure out how to live alongside it. The world (especially the advantages and drawbacks of jade magic and how that is integrated) is fascinating, and all of the characters feel like real people. This book is long but not a single word feels wasted - everything that comes up even once matters.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Animal death, Medical content, Murder, Xenophobia, Addiction, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: War, Bullying, Homophobia, Slavery, Ableism, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicide, and Torture
talonsontypewriters'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Injury/injury detail, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, Racism, Misogyny, Sexism, Kidnapping, Self harm, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Medical content, Dementia, Torture, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Suicide, Infidelity, Homophobia, Rape, and Colonisation