⚠️CW: (this may not be an exhaustive list) chapter 21 in it’s entirety contains almost all of the following and others are spread throughout the book: self-harm, suicide, vomit, racism, violent rape including rape of minors, sexual assault, murder, slavery, genocide, massacres, torture, mutilation, brutalization, drug abuse/addiction, religious bigotry, emotional abuse, animal death, infertility, physical abuse, relationship abuse, infanticide, medical trauma, human experimentation.

i feel like it was incredibly important that i start this off with my list of content warnings, especially for chapter 21. i have seen far to many reviews for this book gloss over this chapter, have few warnings or none at all. this is deeply unacceptable for all books containing potentially triggering content but especially for one based on historical events depicting the violence of war and genocide. so please, take them seriously. if you want to read this book and want to skip chapter 21, i have a good summary from another reviewer available i can send that is still graphic but much less descriptive.

all of that to say, this is truly a fantastic novel and my favorite so far of the year. Kuang has MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies and her knowledge of Chinese history is what creates the very real atmosphere of the book (as well as the violence depicted). from plotting military strategy, descriptions of war torn lands, lessons students are taught from the Art of Warfare by Sunzi and what one would learn in a military academy – her brilliance in writing and knowledge of history shines.

we follow our main character Rin, an ambitious war orphan with hopes of serving the empire of Nikara. we watch a girl who is considered by others to be “too dark” and poor to be taken seriously still study tirelessly and make her way into the most elite military school, Sinegard. we witness as she struggles and rises, defies the odds and finds magic in herself she never knew existed – magic she also fears and with good reason, for they are the powers of a shaman. Rin tries to learn and harness this power just as war comes to the schools doorstep and she is thrown into battle. but hardly ever does she waiver in her confidence or ambition, she knows from the start what she wants to achieve and refuses to let anyone stop her. Rin is a force to be reckoned with and though her drive may lead her to questionable decisions, she always does what she feels is right and necessary to protect the people of Nikara.

the mixture of Chinese folklore and depiction of historical events (taken from the Second Sino-Japanese war and the Nanjing Massacre) in this impressively built fantasy world are woven beautifully and terrifyingly. the cast of characters surrounding Rin range from human, monster to god and more that are all written with purpose and with a story of their own. there are 3 separate and distinct settings we move through while reading – Rin’s time studying at Sinegard, when she begins in the military, and then in the throes of war. i could rate each section alone, but i’ll instead do it as a whole. i’ve never read a book quite like this and doubt i ever will, but i suppose i’ll revisit that statement when i read the next two books. thrilled to say this is my first 5 star read of this year.