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A review by boodschappenlijst
The Shadow of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
With these books, Yee set a new standard for extensions of the Avatar universe. Through his stories he shows himself capable of mixing worldbuilding, characterisation, and plots of intrigue into an existing framework without it feeling out of place. Reading the duology gives you a complete sense of the world that Kyoshi is currently in and lets you contextualise the things that appear in the universe later on. Considering the mixed reception of both Legend of Korra and the ATLA comics, this is not an easy feat to achieve.
The second installment in this duology follows a single larger plotline that simultaneously ties together remnant mysteries from before. The initial insurgence serves merely as an introduction to a deeper grievance the Avatar must deal with. Through this, the book naturally leads to answers to questions the previous books left us with. This, along with Kyoshi's victory and peacemaking with who she is, makes for a satisfying conclusion to her arc.
That said, this book misses the exploration present in the previous book, which was a major strength. It seems that with urgent matters there was little time for the party to be idle, but I would say those "idle" moments of travelling around the world were the best way to develop the world of Avatar. With how well-written the rest of the book is, this grievance is only minor.
The second installment in this duology follows a single larger plotline that simultaneously ties together remnant mysteries from before. The initial insurgence serves merely as an introduction to a deeper grievance the Avatar must deal with. Through this, the book naturally leads to answers to questions the previous books left us with. This, along with Kyoshi's victory and peacemaking with who she is, makes for a satisfying conclusion to her arc.
That said, this book misses the exploration present in the previous book, which was a major strength. It seems that with urgent matters there was little time for the party to be idle, but I would say those "idle" moments of travelling around the world were the best way to develop the world of Avatar. With how well-written the rest of the book is, this grievance is only minor.