• ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN by Shelley Parker-Chan | ARC Review

    19th January 2022
    Cover of She Who Became the Sun (Shelley Parker-Chan)

    SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN (The Radiant Emperor #1) by Shelley Parker-Chan

    The most amazing feat is that I felt like I was reading in Chinese. I especially adore all the cussing (yes), including “turtle egg,” “white-eyed idiot,” “water leaked into brain,” “fuck eighteen generations of that bastard’s dog ancestors,” and other non-vulgar phrases like “blowing up the cow skin” (boasting), “chicken-skin” (goosebumps), “eat tofu” (sexual harassment), etc. The language aspect of the book was wonderful.

    She Who Became the Sun is essentially the genderbent story of Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋), the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1662). The main character Zhu (sapphic), stole the identity of her dead brother Zhu Chongba (朱重八, Zhu “Double Eight”) who was promised a great future. She spent her childhood and early teens at a monastery and subsequently joins the Red Turbans, a band of rebels fighting against the ruling Mongols. One of the Mongols’ general is the eunuch Ouyang (achillean). Despite fighting for the Mongols, Ouyang holds a deep hatred again them because they were the reason his family was slaughtered and he castrated. The complicated relationship between Zhu and Ouyang continues to play out through the story.

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Architects of Memory by Karen Osborne | ARC Review

    8th September 2020
    Cover of Architects of Memory (Karen Osborne)

    Architects of Memory (The Memory War #1) by Karen Osborne

    Indenture Ash knows if Aurora found out about her celestium sickness, she will never become citizen. But priorities change when she stumbles upon a huge corporate conspiracy that contradicts everything she used to know.

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  • Book Reviews,  Fiction

    The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

    1st May 2018
    [Update in 2020: Sanderson might still be homophobic. Please read his works with caution.]
    Cover of the Hero of Ages (Brandon Sanderson)

    The Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3) by Brandon Sanderson

    The final book is a big resolution to the whole trilogy, with many questions answered and confusions cleared up. It is a dark yet exciting book. Definitely satisfying.

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  • Book Reviews,  Fiction

    The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

    30th March 2018
    [Update in 2020: Sanderson might still be homophobic. Please read his works with caution.]
    Cover of The Well of Ascension (Brandon Sanderson)

    The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson

    Lord Ruler, the one whom people in the Final Empire regarded as God, was dead, slain by Mistborn Vin. By overthrowing Lord Ruler, Kelsier’s crew hoped to create a better world for skaas. However, they were troubled by the increasing problem of providing enough food, for the mists were coming out not only at night but also during daylight, and also under siege of three armies. The crew struggled to figure out how to survive their enemies, build a stable empire, and understand legends. With an imposter of a kandra somewhere within them, the story becomes even more complicated.

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  • Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

    23rd March 2018
    [Update in 2020: Sanderson might still be homophobic. Please read his works with caution.]
    Cover of Mistborn (Brandon Sanderson)

    Mistborn (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson

    ‘People are attracted to vision.’ (Kelsier)

    Kelsier, a powerful Mistborn, led a skaa rebellion and with his inane yet clever plan, his crew tried to throw Luthadel into chaos, ultimately hoping to seize the tyrant, Lord Ruler. The book is about their adventure and life leading up to and a little after the event, and therefore jam-packed with action.

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