"The Good:

I did like a few things, e.g. the magical prison (which is taken straight out of ACOTAR, though), the strategy discussions in the beginning, and how the reader was cleverly made to keep empathizing with Rin even when her decisions and actions became increasingly horrifying. I also liked that their horrifying nature was actually addressed and questioned by the characters, and that it was made clear that it had always been a choice, and that she could and should have chosen differently. No excusing atrocities, war crimes, and genocides as "well, they had no choice!" here - that's a plus in my book (although faint praise). Kuang also excels at engaging the reader emotionally.

The Bad:
- Not descriptive enough for my taste: I'm a very visually imaginative reader and like having characters, the world, and details described in an evocative way so that I can visualize them clearly. Not just descriptions are lacking, but the world also seems very jumbled together in a wild mix of real world and fantasy (for more details on this point, check out this other review: )
- I thought these teachers and students are the best minds of the empire, who've trained in clever strategy, finesse, deception and tactics for years and years - so why are all the strategies and tactics they employ in the actual war so dumb?
- Strange pacing: the first school year is described and fleshed out in great detail, and then suddenly whole important years keep being skipped, all the characters switch suddenly, and the entire tone shifts, as well.
- I didn't like how Eastern religions were portrayed/misrepresented in this novel: sure, it's all fantasy, but when real-life people, terms and practices are used that are specific to particular real-life religions, then I think it's fair to want them to be authentic. It felt as if some of the outer trappings and jargon of those traditions had been thrown over an entirely different kind of beast.
- Sometimes it suffered from the kind of bombastic, over-dramatic prose that lends itself marvelously to impressive book quotes, but actually tends to feel a bit weird when you're reading it in the middle of a story: it's just 100% intensity and edginess, and 'taking-oneself-extremely-seriously' that often seems to appeal more to younger than older or more mellow readers. It makes sense for these characters because this raging intensity, hatred and edginess is exactly the character flaw that drags them down their respective paths of fate, and the story goes to SUCH dark places that any kind of humor would feel misplaced. I guess it's just a matter of taste: I can see how this could be something one really enjoys, it's just not for me.

That said, I adored Kuang's recent short story Nine Curves River, read beautifully by Levar Burton here: and I'm looking forward to what she will do next.

Trigger warnings for... everything. If you have any kind of trigger, this book will find it!"