Spoiler alert: I loved his novel wholeheartedly, I hear the next books only get better. Still on the first few pages of the second book, i just needed to get this down. Rin’s story is captivating and grueling. Rooted in so much history and struggle; it’s easy to see where the historical influence came in during the creation of the story. The disturbing details and descriptions of a relentless war against a major enemy reflect the horrors of the Japanese occupation during WW2. This story is told in such a morbid and beautiful manner that it’s hard to look away. All the tiny flaws can be overlooked in favor of the marvelous characterization. Altan and Rin felt so genuinely passionate as characters, i felt myself feeling the anger they felt. By the end of the book you’ll realize what war and desperation do to a young fragile mind. Rin can be argued to be a fragile person at heart, doing drastic things just to put an end to her suffering. Her final act in this novel only serves to prove this point. It is because of her actions that I truly fell in love with this character. Not that I agree with her, but that through RFKuang’s writing, I could empathize with someone who had destroyed an entire country of innocent people. In the midst of tragedy and war, would you still be compassionate?

This is the first fantasy book to have me hooked from the first chapter, I loved this book so much. I was so fascinated with the main character Rin and her story. I was definitely emotional during some parts for sure! It gets dark and very real towards the end which just adds to the intensity of the story. I loved it so much and I’m excited to read book 2.

Regardless of your beliefs in eastern or western culture - the discussion on free will is on fascinating display with some fun personalities and strong heroin at the center.

loved this book and was captivated throughout its entirety :) there were some slight issues with pacing that other reviews talk about as well, but that shouldn’t deter you from reading this book because it’s genuinely amazing. The violent scenes that come in the later chapters were not there solely for shock factor or anything either, as they were all portrayals of real war crimes that occurred in China during the Second Sino-Japanese war. There were also a lot of cultural “Easter eggs” that I loved (as a Chinese person) coming across as I read, since I understood their origin :)

The story of Rin and how great the author enchants you with her story is an amazing book you will not be able to stop reading!

Read the first in series and can’t wait to read Book 2 and 3! It’s GOOD.

Couldn’t stop reading. It’s fun and exciting and very easy to get lost in. Highly recommend. Gruesome and violent but in a way that makes you feel proud and you really get a deep understanding of the characters.

She isn’t like a normal character in any other book. She is herself and makes very unpredictable, sometimes selfish decisions. It makes for an amazing book! When you yell at the main character because you are forced to hold her accountable, you know you have found something truly great. She is equally unpredictable as she is core to her beliefs. She is a mess, I love it.

Very well written book, there are some issues with pacing in the story as a couple of thing happen to suddenly but its not as if they happen in a manner that is ridiculous its just a matter of person preference particularly around finale and the whole phoenix thing that happens its a bit to fast for the pacing there. Same with the school arc but overall its not something worth knocking the book for because its extremely well written and was an excellent book so much so that I’ve order a physical copy as well.

Great Read