I have already read another R.F. Kuang book, Babel, which was fantastic. So, I had high expectations coming in. They were met. I wouldn’t say this was the best book I’ve ever read, but it was certainly fantastic.
I really don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll try to be as vague as possible, but there were so many things about this book that I liked. First, the main character didn’t just have everything handed to her. She faced challenges, and overcame them not only through natural talent but through sheer determination. She developed some not so great habits to keep herself awake so she could keep studying, and it worked. But even when she got to the military academy she spent so long working towards getting into, it wasn’t easy. She, as a character, consistently faced challenges, and the solutions to those challenges weren’t simply because she was strong or smart or anything. She had to fight to be considered smart, and still wasn’t by everyone. This was something that I feel the book did really well.
Now, this book was based on World War II era China, and so it has a lot of the very important events in China at the time. This includes the Rape of Nanjing. Kuang does such an amazing horrible job at showing the scene. It was absolutely devastating to read, even knowing the historical context. Remembering that it actually happened was even worse.
This book also really showcases the cyclical nature of history, which I appreciate. This is a book that I would recommend, it was good. The only things against it were just that it was a bit heavy, and some small details.