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bobbyeight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual violence
takarakei'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
- Warring mafia/mob families
- Political intrigue to the max
- Kung fu/martial arts inspired
- Complex lovable characters
- Multiple POV
I struggled in parts of this book because of the amount of political intrigue related to the clans/families was a lot and I'm not really interested in mafias in general. But those parts were also the typical sorts of things I figure you'd find in books about a mob family and being used as a kind of structure/base (I haven't read any others, so I personally don't have anything to compare it to besides The Sopranos). However the things that make this book unique, mainly the jade and THE CHARACTERS which are all so complex and interesting, were thoroughly enjoyable. I found myself towards the end really getting invested because I loved these characters so much.
Since this is the first book in a series it did feel like it was a lot of set up for the subsequent books, but I am interested to keep reading and see where things go from here.
Also I drew a lot of parallels between this book and The Poppy War, even though they are VERY different series. But interestingly the first books were published a year apart, so I wonder if Fonda Lee and R.F. Kuang have any similar influences.
3/5 🌶️ (there is explicit sex but it’s very sporadic)
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, and Dementia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, and Colonisation
jessiereads98's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Gore, and Dementia
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
bearystarry's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, and Pedophilia
maregred'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
szuum'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Dementia
Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Death of parent
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, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Animal death and Torture
amanduhhhpls's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Every single one of these characters is so interesting and the way they interplay together with the politics of the clans is even more interesting. This was the kind of story I'm so glad was written for adults because the depth of the darkness and violence only added to the stakes of the story.
The magic system and the way the jade and its synthetic counterpart, shine, function is so fascinating and unique. There are hard limits to the power of jade and it makes the struggle for power all the more interesting. I also love how isolated this war is in the grander fantasy world created here. This is ultimately about power, honor, loyalty, and above all, family, and I ate up every second of it.
This book is worth every single ounce of hype it's been given.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Violence
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, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Drug abuse, Gore, Xenophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Mass/school shootings, War, and Classism
horizonous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Death, Infidelity, and Suicide
â—¦ Death (minor) = Parentâ—¦ Death (moderate) = Sibling
â—¦ Terminal illness = Dementia