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emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The issue with this novella is that it tries to achieve too much for a work of short fiction. We start out following a servant of an empire, and finish with the final battle in the rebellion against that empire, all within 44-odd pages. If Yang had confined the scope to a portion of that story, or written a full-length novel, it would have worked a lot better. As such, everything (plot, character, theme) felt rushed, despite being really interesting.
I’ve already pretty much covered what went wrong with the plot: there was too much of it. In terms of characters, I think the retrospective introspection highlighting the MC’s past was effective in giving explanation for her current actions. But I wish we had gotten a better feel for her overall. The LI was, unfortunately, a shadow of a character. Consequently, the romance felt hollow. I actually thought this might have been intentional, as the MC seems to get passionate about her lovers really quickly, then quickly moves on.
I love the theme Yang chose to explore here, which was empires and expendability; how people are expendable to empires, how they’re treated as resources instead of human beings. Again, I just wish it had had more room within the narrative.
The world-building was the one aspect that really stood out to me. There were so many cool elements, like shapeshifting magic, light as a tangible force, and singing to open portals across space. I also really liked the use of the 2nd person.
I did enjoy my time with this novella despite my qualms. It was a quick, fast-paced read that kept me hooked. Again, I just wish it had been longer or had had a narrower scope.
Rep: sapphic Chinese (?) MC, lesbian (word not used) Chinese LI
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Gun violence, Gore, and Body horror
Minor: Addiction, Blood, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Grief, and Vomit
Major: capital punishment Moderate: forced separation from a loved one Minor: gamblingbooksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Violence, Death, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content and Gun violence
f18's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Torture
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
rattification's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This was beautiful. The author drops you right into a complex world, but the lost feeling dissipates quickly. Absolutely worth the read!
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Minor: Death, Grief, Sexual content, and Violence
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