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crystalsbookshelf'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: Addiction, Death, Genocide, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
mysamcatfan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Chinga tu madre Rebeca Kuang (affectionate)
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Vomit
entityj'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
4.25
Graphic: Drug use, Gore, Rape, Murder, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Slavery, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
laurenbaggy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
patdrilon'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
4.25
Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, and War
emmacharlotte96'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
4.0
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Racism and Rape
m_egg_o's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Vomit
Minor: Misogyny
clight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore and War
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
chloe_601's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have so many mixed feelings about the main character, Rin. In the first book, she wanted to get out of her rural village and attend Sinegard, the foremost military academy in the Empire. Her ability to push her mind and body to its limits scared me, and it was foreshadowing for the amount of grief and anger she felt, and ultimately for the war crimes she committed.
This book explores a bit more of the mythology of the world, and how shamans call upon the gods to access their power, but the gods are chaotic and view this world as a plaything. Any mortal who calls on them knows that it only ends in their death or in their body becoming a vessel of chaos. Rin was still reeling from her choice at the end of the previous book, and turned to smoking opium every day just to function and not burn everyone around her with the phoenix god’s destructive will.
I really like how the story weaves a fantasy world full of shamans and chaotic neutral gods with the history of 20th century China. The wars happening in the empire are also treated as a curiosity by the Hesperians, who are a stand-in for western allied powers in world war 2. Their treatment of the main characters as savages who need salvation was angering and sickening, but it also parallels what happened in real life. I’m excited and utterly terrified to read the final book.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Violence, and War
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
imds'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Abortion and Suicide attempt