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cmaree88'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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Body shaming and Death of parent
leonoor'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
The book explores some very complex themes that aren't often discussed in books, such as the dark side of ambition, self-loathing, the relationship with one's body after a medical procedure, and figuring out gender issues. The queer relationships added extra suspense to the story.
Zhu is an intriguing protagonist, and a bit of an anti-hero. While it's clear that she won't let anything or anyone stop her on her quest for greatness, she still manages to be quite likeable. I enjoy the parallel with Ouyang, who is dealing with similar issues but lacks Zhu's optimism and charm. I'm glad the story switches from Zhu's point of view to that of others regularly, since it adds more depth to the story.
Graphic: Ableism and Body shaming
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism
bookworm513'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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Slavery, Grief, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Cannibalism
kouya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Child death, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, and Death
leannanecdote'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery
jess_always_reading'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? N/A
5.0
The queer themes added a wonderful complexity to the storylines. Parker-Chan treats the queerness of their characters as an added dimension rather than a heavy-handed all-encompassing character trait. Though there's a place for that too, I really appreciated the way they crafted those parts of the story. It fit well and felt realistic.
The story does depect violence, death, and dark themes but not in a gratuitous way.
10/10 would recommend!
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Sexism, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Vomit, and Grief
offthecarousel_'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? It's complicated
4.5
The way Zhu and Ouyang's arcs seemed like each others' road not taken, and yet each of their fates inevitable, fascinates me. In some cases they mirrored each other and others they were completely opposite. Zhu craved the gender she was perceived as while Ouyang was so repulsed by it he rejected all things feminine.
My only critiques are that the pacing felt a bit fast and loose, and the first switch to the new perspective was a bit jarring after several chapters of just one perspective.
Edit: I forgot! The fantasy element, at least in this first book, was either subtle or underdeveloped, depending on how generouly you want to look at it. I'm curious if that will come in more in the sequel, but if you're hoping for a book with a lot of fantasy, this is not the one.
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and War
The fisting (sex) scene took me a bit by surprise I have to say.galexy_brain'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Dysphoria
lis4so'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
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, and Classism
4m0r's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I read this book because people recommend it for the ones who were still grieving the poppy war, so I couldn't help but compare the two all the time. Surprisingly, this book stood as its own, but Zhu and Rin really were the same but different at the same time. Their determination was the same but it felt like Zhu's greed was trying to be excused whereas Rin 's was just embraced.
I believe it would have been better had it been a duel pov: Ouyang and Zhu 1st person each. Because the way povs are writing in this books are really weird, you won't know who pov you're reading until like the character is addressed, and there were so many unnecessary povs, like esen, baoxiamg and even ma (Although I know people might disagree I feel like if Zhu comprehend her so well her body language would have told the same through Zhu's eyes). It was kind of confusing.
I don't remember a lot of this book, only the big points like the monastery or the confrontations but if you ask me about any other thing I won't be able to answer because there was too many useless information around. If it had been more plot driven I think it would have been better because trying to depict so many characters didn't work at all
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Death of parent