“But if you were determined to want the impossible, there was a better way to get it. Zhu thought with amused defiance: Change the world, and make it possible.”

This was rough.

I've been trying to think of how to review this and I don't think I can? My thoughts/feelings are incredibly conflicted and I'm not entirely sure how to corral them into something coherent, much less a concise review. This is one of those three star reads that could have earned a different rating at any point of my reading experience.

Attempting brevity, this was - in many ways - a really good sequel. The writing style and Shelley Parker-Chan's grasp on character work remain phenomenal. As with book 1, there were moments - specific lines, thoughts, dialogue - that felt like a kick to the gut in the best way possibly. So much of this book focuses on the way societal expectations/prejudice harms the society overall and I thought these aspects were handled really well.

At the same time? I really struggled reading this. I kept finding myself checking to see how much I had left of the book, which was something I never worried about with book 1. Part of that is because (tonally) this book is really heavy. There is almost no levity between the moments of darkness and devastation. The other thing is that this book (particular in the middle) started to feel really repetitive.

I saw other reviewers criticizing just how many sexual scenes there were in this book and the fact almost none of them were healthy experiences. I agree, but only up to a certain point. The sexual scenes were not wasted or included merely for shock value. Every single scene had a purpose, even just revealing the POV characters mentality/view of the world.

With that being said, there was a point where it started feeling like too much. I'm not criticizing the author for including the scenes. As I said, I believe they were (mostly) important. However, I do think it bears mentioning if you're someone that prefers to stay away from books with explicit content.

I want to be clear: (in my opinion) none of the sexual scenes in this book constitute as spice/steam. They all happen for a myriad of reasons, between a myriad of people. A lot of these scenes/experiences operate as conduits for an examination of the society or the characters' relationships with themselves. Much of this book revolves around internalized shame or women having no option in society that doesn't include wielding sex as a weapon; subjects that are extremely important but can be difficult to read, especially when you're in the mind of the person having the negative thoughts.

Similarly, the self harm in this book is almost romanticized (though I don't believe that's the intention) as it is the only way for a particular character to feel as though they can function in their body. This is an adult book and I'm not worried about people being influenced, but I do believe it could be triggering for someone that has struggled with S/H before.

Beyond that, I did struggle with a lot of the events that took place in this book. Some things happened a bit too conveniently or felt included just for the sake of including them. I can't say much without spoilers, but I guess I just wanted Zhu particularly to develop a bit more than the narrative/plot allowed her. She almost felt... larger than life in this book, even in her own perspective.

Overall, I do think this is a well-crafted book. I know the majority of this review focused on my critiques and that makes it sound like I had a bad time, but I didn't. There were parts where this was a difficult read, but for the most part it was intensely readable. I did care for the characters, even at their most twisted and dark, even when every time I thought they wouldn't go lower, they found a new low lol.

If you're someone that can handle the intense subject matter, I do recommend this duology. Shelley Parker-Chan is an incredibly gifted author and I can't wait to read whatever they write in the future - especially if it's anywhere near as impactful as even a few of the lines in this series.

This may have fallen a bit flat for me, but I still consider this a really good duology and I know I'll think about it for a long time.