Scan barcode
A review by kaciscott
Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
3.0
Where can I even start with this book?
I decided to surprise myself and take on a whole new type of genre.
With so much hype surrounding this book, I was desperate to see what the fuss was about and whether or not this could possibly be a new author for me. Plus that cover - stunning!
I took this fantasy location as based upon Eastern civilisation under occupation by a foreign government.
We follow Jebi, a non-binary artist (the use of pro-nouns to describe the character was fantastic and very much inclusive) and I enjoyed the fact that this was an ordinary person who simply found that they’d jumped a little too deep and were in other their head - something we don’t see that often in fantasy as the MC is usually magical or sting.
I found Jebi hard to connect with and even coming to the end of the book, I still never had a huge connection with them.
There was an ugly side to the book in regards to oppression but that seems to be normal trend in today’s real world so I can fully understand why it was there. It really makes you stop and think, not about the fantasy in the book but about our own reality.
There wasn’t much in a way of building the magic system and I’d have loved to have spent more time getting to understand the sigils which could bring objects to life.
For the first third of the book, I was nervous as I didn’t know where the plot was going or if there even was much of a plot there. But hang in there - it does get better. I guess I’m just used to being thrown into the deep end.
I would put a trigger warning on the book though due to some very extreme scenes involving death, torture etc.
However, let’s get to the best part - the dragon!! It literally took over the whole book for me and I found it to be the saving grace of this book.
Overall, I found it to be ok.
Would I read Yoon Ha Lee again? Probably.
But this book just wasn’t for me and that’s ok. The world would be a boring place if we all liked the same books.
*Arc supplied thanks to Rebellion Publishing*
Please note that these are only my personal opinions and are not a reflection on the author or anyone who loves this book.
I decided to surprise myself and take on a whole new type of genre.
With so much hype surrounding this book, I was desperate to see what the fuss was about and whether or not this could possibly be a new author for me. Plus that cover - stunning!
I took this fantasy location as based upon Eastern civilisation under occupation by a foreign government.
We follow Jebi, a non-binary artist (the use of pro-nouns to describe the character was fantastic and very much inclusive) and I enjoyed the fact that this was an ordinary person who simply found that they’d jumped a little too deep and were in other their head - something we don’t see that often in fantasy as the MC is usually magical or sting.
I found Jebi hard to connect with and even coming to the end of the book, I still never had a huge connection with them.
There was an ugly side to the book in regards to oppression but that seems to be normal trend in today’s real world so I can fully understand why it was there. It really makes you stop and think, not about the fantasy in the book but about our own reality.
There wasn’t much in a way of building the magic system and I’d have loved to have spent more time getting to understand the sigils which could bring objects to life.
For the first third of the book, I was nervous as I didn’t know where the plot was going or if there even was much of a plot there. But hang in there - it does get better. I guess I’m just used to being thrown into the deep end.
I would put a trigger warning on the book though due to some very extreme scenes involving death, torture etc.
However, let’s get to the best part - the dragon!! It literally took over the whole book for me and I found it to be the saving grace of this book.
Overall, I found it to be ok.
Would I read Yoon Ha Lee again? Probably.
But this book just wasn’t for me and that’s ok. The world would be a boring place if we all liked the same books.
*Arc supplied thanks to Rebellion Publishing*
Please note that these are only my personal opinions and are not a reflection on the author or anyone who loves this book.