Gyen Jebi lives in a country that lost a war and has been colonised by the winners six years previous. Because of this, there are careful decisions to be made about names, food, clothing, where to live, and so on, which displays either your obedience to the new laws and leaders or your defiance and thus, apparently, the need to be watched to ensure you’re not a troublemaker.

Money is tight though, so Jebi obtains a new name in line with what the colonisers like to see, and attempts to pass the Ministry of Art examinations in order to obtain a decent job, to get the money needed for the various debts they and their sister have endured.

Jebi’s sister, Bongsunga, is furious when she finds out. She hates the Razanei – the conquers – and the fact that Jebi is not only bowing and impersonating them but the insult that it brings to her deceased wife, Jia, who died in the very war against the Razanei six years ago. So much so that she throws Jebi out of their home.

And that’s the set up. Jebi is an interesting and complex protagonist. They are non-binary and it’s refreshing to see such flawless and easy representation – nothing is made of it at any stage. Nor in the other characters, such as Jebi’s sister having a wife, or another character being in a polyamory relationship, and this being shown in various mentions of dress, haircuts, and in a very deliberate way a sex scene is written that is respectful yet quite romantic and sensual. It’s good to see this being treated like a norm, and not something that makes Jebi or the other characters as distinctively other.

As the tale progresses we find Jebi backed into a corner, trapped by poverty and their respect and the honour they owe to their sister, even with the tiny thoughts of how if she threw them out do they really owe them this after all (the answer is always yes). Jebi finds themselves working for the Ministry of Armor of all places, as an artist, at least, but in something truly terrible. Practically a prisoner they live underground working on a weapon and are only allowed back to the surface with a guard for company. From there they discover even more terrible and interesting things, gain friends and meet other curious characters, and throughout the notions of polite and guarded speech are shown throughout to denote hierarchy and so forth as demanded by age and experience and so forth.

The worldbuilding is effortless, which is making this hard to review. There’s so much going on and so much shown in so few words that it’s difficult to get across just what everything means, from the wanton destruction of artefacts from the country’s past by the Razanei, to the philosophy throughout, to how otherwise fluffy this can sometimes be… and then there’s the dragon, too, of course.

Overall this was an excellent tale that I devoured in two sittings and only because one was on a lunch break which I couldn’t really ignore, otherwise I’m sure I just would have kept reading – work be damned. I look forward to reading more of the author’s work in future.

I got an ARC of this book.

This was my first Yoon Ha Lee book, but it is not my first time reading Lee. The other was in a collaborative piece, where I really liked the idea, but the execution was off. I blamed that for all my issues, yet here I am disappointed in a book.

From other reviews I have found that the first bit dragged for others and the last chunk was the chunk everyone liked. I am the exact opposite. I loved the first 30-35%, after that it felt like it moved too fast to really care about anyone of any thing. The last 70% or so was all action which isn’t something I enjoy. I need a bit more than just constant moving. If the whole book had been constant moving, then I probably would have enjoyed it more overall.

The character development was really lacking. There was no growth and no emotions. I couldn’t even start to ship the characters. I had just started to really be interested in Vei when the action started, then it was all action. There was the one character that was said to be a fox of some sort, but it was not evident that she wasn’t just acting cute until later. I didn’t care when her plot came to an end, because I was never allowed to really get to know her. There was just so much that could have been more.

The twists and turns weren’t all that shocking. The action and twists happening so fast didn’t build up enough depth for me to really be excited. Some of the twists weren’t even fully investigated. The parents? There was a lot that wasn’t said. Vei’s ending? Seemed out of nowhere since it wasn’t really worked up to. It felt thrown on.

I think my main issue is pacing. The first chunk is slow and steady and the last bit is so fast that everything seemed dimmer. The writing wasn’t bad, the plot was mostly fun, the characters were interesting, just all of that went out the window when the pacing sped up. Overall, it was a miss for me. It wasn’t bad, but I was expecting a lot more from this author. If the first 30% was a five star, why couldn’t the rest of the book keep up?

This was a wild ride and I enjoyed it very much! The story takes place in a made up world full of automata and a punch of magic! A perfect SFF story, diverse and queer.

The mc is Jebi, non-binary unwilling hero of the story. They are looking for a job to pay off debts and find themselves in the heart of the enemies base, finding out their secrets and their evil plans. Jebi is a painter and they form a bond with an automata DRAGON after they painted a new mask for it. Masks give the automata life, in a way. I loved the dragon, Arazi, so much. I want one, too!!

The world building is excellent and the story flows easily with many details that make you understand better the situation our mc is going through and exactly what they need to do to get out of it.

It gets both raw and a bit bloody, but not too much as to be excessive.

Beautiful cover and beautiful book. Highly recommended!

Hey book lovers! After loving Dragon Pearl, I snatched up an e-arc of Phoenix Extravagant, a standalone fantasy novel about a nonbinary main character who teams up with a magic mechanical dragon and a trained super fighter to take on an evil empire. Due to the pandemic, the original release date for June 2020 was pushed to October 20, 2020.
Publisher: Solaris

Suggested Reader Age: 16+

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, LGBT,

Rep: nonbinary, polyamory, homosexual, East Indian inspired, bisexual

Triggers: sex, foul language, animal cruelty, abuse, death, violence, war.

› Gyen Jebi is an almost twenty-six-year-old nonbinary painter who can give objects abilities using special paint made from rare pigments, one of those pigments is called "Phoenix Extravagant". Hwaguk is a Korean-inspired land that has been conquered by the Razanei Empire. Jebi and their sister, Bongsunga, have had a hard life. Their parents died of a disease when they were young and Bongsunga was left to raise Jebi, and then Bongsunga lost her wife in the Razan war six years ago.

› Jebi and Bongsunga are low on money and owe a moneylender a large sum of money. The Razanei deputy minister of Armor agrees to pay that debt in exchange for Jebi to become an employee.

› Jebi reluctantly accepts the job as a painter for the army and that's when they meet Arazi. A dragon. An advanced war engine. We know something horrible happened when the Armor tried to use the mechanical dragon in battle, and so it needs an experienced painter to find the right pigments and symbols to fix it, give it the necessary abilities to be used in war. Jebi also meets Vei - a tall woman with brown skin, tattoos and long hair. The Armor's duelist prime - an expert in sword fighting (who reminded me of Legolas from Lord of the Rings).

› They didn't know exactly what happened at the massacre with Arazi. Jebi figures there's no one better to ask than the dragon - so using the pigments and symbols they gave Arazi telepathy. This is when things get really weird. Jebi and Arazi regularly speak to each other in their minds for the rest of the story and I'm sorry it just felt really strange and childish. If this were a middle grade book then yeah, that would have been cool, but as a mature young adult novel it just didn't work for me.

› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 9

› Atmosphere: 7

› Writing Style: 8

› Plot: 5

› Intrigue: 7

› Logic: 6

› Enjoyment: 8

Average 7.1

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• With a diverse cast and imaginative setting, Phoenix Extravagant is a story about family, war, rebellion, and loyalty that reminded me of The Hunger Games.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.


*Quotes taken from an ARC copy and subject to change*

This was my first ever book by Yoon Ha Lee and now I’m wondering why I’ve never read anything before , I was blown away. The writing is fantastic, the world building epic, full of representation (that is normalised and not highlighted, it’s just part of the world and I love it, because it’s how it should be)and it’s just, I’m overwhelmed how much I loved this. The characters, the story, just everything was fantastic, one of my favourite reads this year. Fantasy at its best and purest form

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I've been meaning to read some of Yoon Ha Lee's work (e.g. Ninefox Gambit) for quite a while now, so when this new title appeared on Netgalley I jumped at the chance. Apparently it's not too similar to the better-known work, but it was still thoroughly enjoyable.

Jebi is an artist in a fantasy version of Korea, during the occupation by the Japanese. Only in this reality the invaders won with the use of automatons, 'robots' brought to life with intricate symbols painted on their masks as commands. Jebi needs work and doesn't see why they shouldn't take money from the enemy, but things spiral out of control far quicker than they're prepared for.

And then there's the dragon automaton...

Despite the automatons, I'd put this in the fantasy genre, and it's always welcome to see something that feels very different from Tolkien and elves. Like most Western readers, I don't know much about the history used as background here, but it works so very well.

Between the themes and Jebi's profession, this is such a visual book - I would have loved to see some of the art being discussed on the page. But, how could you portray the magical pigments that trick the eye, with such fabulous names as the 'Phoenix Extravagant' of the title?

I'd also have loved more of the dragon. It takes a bit less than half the book to really introduce them as a character, and they are wonderful! Jebi is a good main character - and if you think otherwise, I'm sure you'll get your head around the non-binary pronouns quickly enough - and I really liked the Duel Master, Vei, albeit not with a huge role, but hey - dragon! :) Philosopher, cat-like, curious dragon at that. Wonderful!

The story seemed to go from world building to action pretty quickly, and I was almost surprised by how fast the tale sped past. If I have one complaint, though, it's that the ended felt quite truncating. I haven't seen anything to suggest this is the first in a series, but if not then things do seem to end a bit abruptly.

Still. For painting really wonderful pictures in your head, this is recommended!

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

I read this because mechanical dragon and Yoon Ha Lee.  While I loved the dragon and the art magic, I didn't really find meself enthralled with the story itself.  I am not sure why.  The book was well-written but I didn't get the sense of magic that I received from his other works even when they made me noggin ache.  I liked the main character Jebi but think I would have preferred a story that dealt more with the art magic and dragon determining what it wanted out of life and less with colonization and lust/angst of Jebi.  I am glad I read it but wish the plot would have went into a different direction.  Arrrr!

This tale of a reluctant revolutionary, unsuited for rebellion but burdened by guilty debts and a compassionate heart, is unexpectedly wholesome for a book about overthrowing a repressive government. A secondary-world fantasy, Phoenix Extravagant is inspired by the Japanese occupation of Korea, but with 100% more mechanical dragons and a delightfully queer society that includes a non-binary protagonist, non-heterosexual on-page relationships and an adorable poly family.

The highlight is Arazi the dragon automaton, all insatiable curiosity and unexpected compassion, and protagonist Jebi's rare consideration of the automata as people, deserving of care and free will.

Being Yoon Ha Lee, there are dark undertones to the drama, which deals with colonial attitudes and the cultural erasure through the destruction of art, but this remains far lighter stuff than Machineries of Empire (and much easier to absorb). Consequently, it will likely suit YA and NA audiences as well as adult readers looking for a fluffier fantasy read.

Full review on my blog November 5th.

Trigger Warnings: colonialisation, invasion and occupation, oppression, destruction of art and suppression of indigenous cultures, blackmail, earthquakes, violence, death, war, imprisonment, torture, fatphobia, non-explicit sex, grief.

My favourite thing about Phoenix Extravagant was Jebi themself. As a main character they were engaging and loveable. It was refreshing to read about a protagonist who wasn't interested in fighting and rebellion. Instead they want to paint. They're an artist, and that's all they want to do. I'm so used to warrior characters that I immediately fell in love with Jebi and wanted to wrap them in cotton wool and tuck them away somewhere safe. And then there's Arazi! My baby! The very focal dragon from the cover! Arazi is an absolute delight. It took about 40% of the book for it to show up, but once it did it stole literally every scene it was in. Not to imply that the book was slow in the lead up to Arazi. I was engaged in Phoenix Extravagant from the first page, it was the kind of book that one chapter in I just *knew* it was going to be an incredible book. And I was right!

The worldbuilding was unbelievably good. I loved the settings and the magical aspects of the story. The way that the pigments were created (being intentionally vague here) was both terrible and incredible. Using art and paint to power automatons is a really interesting intersect of art and science and magic, and made for a unique magic system I hadn't seen before. I'm a sucker for automaton stories because I think they're cool as hell, and this did not disappoint on that. Phoenix Extravagant had a fascinating perspective on the invader versus rebellion story because the protagonist is so pacifistic. Most of the characters were morally grey and I really liked that. No matter which 'side' the characters were on, they had positive traits and negative traits and both sides had done great and terrible things. The only thing that didn't work for me personally was the Jebi and Vei thing. They were so cute, yes, but I could not move past the Jia thing.

Absolutely loved this concept, even if I wans't fully taken by all the characters. The worldbuilding is excellent as always. I truly enjoy how Yoon Ha Lee incorporates queerness into the worlds as normal and expected, rather than a plot point.

<I>Thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

While I'm glad to see that many people loved this book, it may be my most disappointing read this year. While the varying levels of queer representation in this book are fantastically well done, that aspect doesn't make up for everything else that is severely lacking in the story.

While initially I was pretty intrigued by the world and characters, at almost 60% of the way through the book I found myself wondering what the point of the book actually was and where this story was even going - if it was going anywhere. At more than halfway done I should have had some idea. At the 80% mark I finally had to admit that I was bored and had been for much of the book. By the time any action actually happens, it felt too little too late.

Further, the dragon - which should have been the most interesting part of this story - felt constantly like an afterthought. The dragon is off stage throughout most of the book and feels like its just a decoration for the main character. Speaking of which, Jebi spends the majority of their time not wanting to do anything that they are doing and boy, will they not let you forget it for a second. Their thought process became so increasingly repetitive throughout the book that I started skimming their exposition near the end.

The end, which I had some serious problems with and what ultimately made be take this from a 3 star to 2 star review. The final destination decision for the characters makes absolutely no sense in the context of the rest of the book and was not explained how it was even a possible or realistic choice. The book also just stops rather than actually ends with an unacceptable amount of loose ends for a stand alone novel. The "ending" is in fact so open that I had to double check that this was not the first in a series upon finishing it.

I have quite liked Yoon Ha Lee's writing prior to this book and was not expecting a story and characters that ultimately just felt flat with relationships that only work if the characters (and readers) agree to completely gloss over the nasty things people do their "loved" ones.

Having enjoyed Yoon Ha Lee’s science fiction immensely in the past, I was immediately invested when I heard he was writing an adult fantasy novel. After finishing, Phoenix Extravagant is one of my favourites of 2020 and stands out as a memorable, unique standalone novel with realistically flawed (and loveable) characters and a well-developed setting that appears to draw inspiration from the Japanese occupation of Korea.

I absolutely adored the main character, Gyen Jebi, for several reasons, the first of which is that they are a nonbinary person who uses they/them pronouns; this novel is the first adult SFF novel I’ve read where the central protagonist has this identity. Another positive for me was that Jebi is very much an artist, NOT a fighter, and while the synopsis starts out saying exactly that, it was a pleasure to watch it play out in the novel. Most fantasy protagonists are proficient in some type of combat and fighting, so to follow the journey of someone who most definitely is it was an engaging experience.

The queernorm universe (a designation for people who choose not to live as man or woman, evidence for queer marriages, and a side polyamorous relationship) was also a delight to me, as were the more developed side characters in the novel. And of course, there is a giant mecha dragon that serves as a focal point in the story, which is what I signed up for and I delighted in every second.

Overall, if the idea of a fantasy novel in a non-Western setting that deftly handles themes of identity, revolution, art, and loyalty appeals to you—with the addition of a diverse and three dimensional cast—I can’t recommend Phoenix Extravagant enough. This one will be getting a permanent home on my bookshelf and a fond place in my heart.

Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Yoon Ha Lee is a science fiction writer with a penchant for the strange and the imaginative. His Machineries of Empire series came out of nowhere a few years ago and wowed the pants off of myself and many other reviews. His work has a tendency to be surreal and confusing but with clever guardrails built in to get the reader invested long enough to understand what is going on. Since finishing his first trilogy, he has been a part of a number of different projects, one of which is a brand new stand-alone novel called Phoenix Extravagant. But while the premise of the story initially felt extremely strong, the book’s lack of substance eventually turned me off.

Phoenix Extravagant tells the story of Gyen Jebi, a young person in Razanei who is studying to become a painter. Normally this would be an admirable pursuit on its own, but in Razanei painting is a form of magic. Seals, enchantments, and simulacrums can all be created with the stroke of a brush. Jebi hopes to score well on the national placement exam and test into a strong government position to set them and their family up for life. This causes friction with their family as they are a part of a native ethnicity that has been oppressed and subjugated by the Razanei. However, as long as Jebi can earn a living and survive, they are happy to do whatever the Razanei asks of them. That is until Jebi catches the eye of an experimental division of the government. The group kidnaps their family as hostages and forces Jebi to work on a weapon of mass destruction (a fully animated dragon). Jebi must wrestle with their loyalties, discover what is important to them, and find a way to escape this predicament.

This premise has legs. I really liked the idea of exploring painting as a medium for magic. The first part of the book, which focuses on Jebi studying for and taking the placement exam, is great. The stakes are clear, the objective is relatable, and the painting is fascinating. Where the book starts to fall apart is after Jebi is kidnapped to work on the weapon. I just feel like nothing really happens. There is an interesting subplot between a growing relationship between Jebi and a soldier assigned to monitor them – but the majority of the book felt slow and directionless. The dragon simulacrum is exciting at first, but the plot line doesn’t really feel like it goes anywhere. Phoenix Extravagant feels like it is trying to do too many things at the same time and only manages to half-ass most of them.

Jebi is also just a boring character. They have no real personality or identity that I could find, and their actions are mostly dictated by dealing with what is directly in front of them. Their importance to the story feels unearned, and the book’s tendency to continually reveal that Jebi is even more special than originally thought feels cliché and boring. The supporting cast isn’t much better. We spend a ton of time trapped in small rooms with individuals who are uninteresting, so I never really got a good feel for the culture – let alone the differences between the groups at odds. The people and places were generally just unengaging.

I was pretty disappointed with Phoenix Extravagant and have a hard time finding many redeemable features other than its clever premise. After reading a number of Lee’s other works I have the distinct feeling that he could do better than this. If you are desperate for a fantasy book with a mechanical dragon and a focus on art, you might enjoy this – but I honestly think there are better pieces out there for even this niche combination. I, unfortunately, do not recommend Phoenix Extravagant.

Rating: Phoenix Extravagant – 4.0/10
-Andrew

I was really enjoying this for most of the book. I LOVED having a nonbinary artist POV - especially one where their gender isn't an issue and it's their bumbling inability to focus on anything that isn't art that gets them in trouble. Jebi is so relatable. The novel is dense enough that I had to be in a quiet place to focus on it, but it's so fascinating.

Some of my favorite things about it:
1 - casual unremarkable nonbinary characters, LGBT+ relationships, and polyamory THAT DON'T DRIVE THE STORY.
2 - The magical paints. Also the process by which they're created made me cringe, as an artist.
3 - Giant metal war machine dragon that's actually a pacifist and more of a philosopher than anything? Heck yeah.
4 - bumbling artist attempts to find a job as an artist and ends up working for the war department of their conquerors? oops.

What even was up with that ending though??? It really threw me. The pacing is off for the last 20% or so as well, the combination of which knocked a star off my rating.

I discovered Yoon Ha Lee, as many people did, with Ninefox Gambit. That book hit me like a freight train - there was so much happening, and I didn’t know if I understood half of it, it what I did get, I loved. I devoured the Machineries of Empire series and have been saving the short stories, reading them slowly, because I don’t want them to end. Last year, I read his YA novel, Dragon Pearl, which I frankly did not love. I’m not sure if I just found the plot too haphazard, or if the YA tone didn’t work for me, or if I didn’t enjoy the Space Fantasy aspects, but when I read it, I kept thinking two things: this protagonist is making all of the wrong choices, and the writing style is too simplistic and is turning me off.

When I found out Yoon Ha Lee had another book coming out, I was excited, but a tad hesitant after Dragon Pearl. Phoenix Extravagant was billed as a straight fantasy (which it certainly is!) and I usually prefer science fiction, but I was happy to read it when I got an eARC from NetGalley. I enjoyed it much more than Dragon Pearl, but still not nearly as much as the Machineries of Empire series.

In Phoenix Extravagant, the protagonist is an out of work artist who goes to work for the occupying government without realizing what they are getting into. Like thr protagonist in dragon pearl, I was irritated at the naïveté of the protagonist in this volume. I just felt like they were far stupider than I thought they should be and that made the book less enjoyable for me to read. I understand that the protagonist needed to learn valuable lessons about the world in which they lived, but that didn’t make it fun for me to have to go on the journey with them. Furthermore, I didn’t feel that the romance in this book was earned. The love interest seems so awful early in the book that I could not get over the initial characterization and therefore could not except the relationship. I might’ve enjoyed it more if I could have gotten the point of you of the love interest, but the book kept the perspective strictly on the protagonist, which I felt was to its detriment.

On the other hand, there is a fascinating artificial intelligence in this novel. I won’t spoil what it is or how it comes about, but it was far and away my favorite character in the entire book. I realized, while reading this volume, that my favorite part of the author’s previous trilogy was the robot characters. I would love to read more books by Yoon Ha Lee from a robotic character’s perspective. This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy this novel; I did like it and would recommend it. I just think it suffers in comparison to the author’s earlier work.

Poor Jebi. They tried so hard to get along as an artist, one of a conquered people in a recently conquered land, without being political. They very quickly find themselves in over their head in situations where they have no choice but to be political.

Phoenix Extravagant is a stand alone silkpunk novel set in fantasy version of Korea under Japanese rule. Magic is real and automata – machines powered by magic patrol the streets for the Razanei. Jebi isn’t a chosen one, or the best or bravest, they are trying to get along in a difficult world. The choices that they make put them on the path to being a pawn, and then deciding whether or not to stay a pawn.

Jebi is geu-ae, non-binary. They live with their older sister, Bongsunga, whose wife was a soldier killed during the Razanei invasion six years earlier. As an artist not affiliated with the conqueror’s government, they have been dependent on their sister for food and shelter and want to be able to contribute financially. When the book opens, Jebi has acquired a Razanei name and is taking the Ministry of Art’s exam hoping to get a job. The Razanei like order and cleanliness and they pay on time.

Eventually they are coerced into a job with the Ministry of Armor where they are the artist in charge of Arazi – an experimental war machine in the shape of a dragon. Jebi is placed under the supervision of Vei, a Razanei woman who is the Prime Duelist (something like a Samurai) for the ministry. As awful as an experimental war machine in the shape of a dragon sounds, it is so much worse.

Phoenix Extravagant was a gripping read. Since our point of view comes from Jebi, there’s a constant feeling that more is happening than we understand. It’s like a puzzle that the reader has to put together from pieces that aren’t obvious and many are not what they appear. The world building is great and once the story gets going I couldn’t put it down. As much as I’d like to think I would be one of the heroic characters who rushes into danger on principle, I know I’d be more like Jebi, just wanting to survive without being hassled. Arazi is wonderful and will be a reader favorite.

Phoenix Extravagant is out October 20. I received this as an arc from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee is a story that instantly jumped out at me. Set in a fantasy land inspired by Korea under Japanese occupation, a mixture of magic and technology, and it has a giant mechanical dragon on the front cover. I mean, what's not exciting about that set up?


The story follows Jebi, a non-binary artist who lives in Hwaguk, a country that is living under the occupation of Razanei, a neighbouring nation who defeated their forces a decade before. Jebi has been living with their older sister, trying to find steady work as an artist, but failing despite their skills. Jebi isn't a prodigy by any means, but still competent enough that they feel they can make a living from their craft. When Jebi discovers that the Ministry of Armour is looking for artists they find themselves recruited to help the forces occupying their nation.

Jebi thinks that they're being recruited to help paint the magical symbols onto automata, artificial soldiers that patrol the city and guard Razanei facilities. However, they discover that they've been recruited to work on one very particular automata, a ferocious new war machine in the shape of a dragon.

One of the things that made Phoenix Extravagant interesting was the fact that unlike other lead characters Jebi isn't a fighter. They're not a rebel, standing against an oppressive regime and fighting to free their home. They've accepted that this is the way things are now. They've begun to assimilate, even having adopted a second, Razanei name, to help with their art. Jebi is very much being swept into a story they don't want to be a part of. They're an ordinary person out of their depth, and this doesn't really change much over the course of the story, and the moments where they're forced to take action it's very clear that they're not equipped for this, and they're sometimes a little useless.

Thankfully, there are a few other characters around Jebi who do know what they're doing, and they're great. Vei is initially introduced as the a potential foe, a duellist working for the Razanei forces assigned to watch over Jebi. Deadly in ways that Jebi could never hope to emulate, the romance that begins to blossom between the two of them is one of the more interesting parts of the book. Whilst it's not quite a enemies to lovers narrative, their opposing political standings make it a romance that definitely has its issues, and holds more risks than just a broken heart.

One of the best characters, however, is Arazi, the mechanical dragon. I won't say much about them so as not to spoil the story, but they're more than I first expected, and their journey through the novel was just as engaging as any of the human characters. They're not just a machine, despite their origins, and are a being with its own thoughts and feelings, ones that I always wanted to learn more about.

Whilst Arazi is brilliant, they're also one of the downsides of the book, or rather the lack of time we spend with them is. Jebi is the central character, and we spend so much time with them, and by the end of the book I had a good grasp of who they are and their personality, but I wanted more with Arazi. I wanted Jebi to just sit down and talk with Arazi, to have a whole chapter of the two of them just engaging so we could learn more about this amazing creation.

This would be something that I would hope for in a sequel, but it's not clear by the end of the book if this is something that we might ever get. The book ends with the words 'The End', so it seems like this is it for this world and these characters, but it feels like there's so much more left to tell. Yoon Ha Lee has left enough story threads dangling that they could easily return to this world, and I really hope that they do, because I wanted more.

Despite being left wanting more I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The setting and story felt new and unique, and I adored the amount of queer representation it had. Not only was the lead character non-binary, but we had same sex relationships, families where people had three parents in a polyamarous relationship, and none of these things were commented on as out of the ordinary or strange. It was a world where people didn't get hung up on gender or sexuality, and it was amazing.

If you're looking for an engaging fantasy story that isn't just going to give you the kind of things you've read before this is a definite must read.

This is the first book I've read by Yoon Ha Lee and now I've got to check out his other books sometime because this was so good!

The story takes place in a fantasy version of Korea during Japanese occupation. We follow Jebi, a nonbinary unemployed painter who really needs a job. While looking for work, Jebi is, without much say in the matter, recruited to work in the occupying Razanei government's Ministry of Armor. And they're tasked with using magical paints to help Armor enhance their automaton soldiers. Jebi starts out the story only really thinking about painting and having just the smallest qualms about the Razanei (unlike their potentially revolutionary sister), but as they're thrust into the heart of what's going on in Armor, they suddenly find they can't afford to NOT pay attention to politics and might have to take some action of their own.

This story's got fantasy, a dragon, struggle against colonialism (both on the personal and greater levels, but mostly the personal), a world where queerness is just part of the norm, and a really engaging narrative. I really enjoyed that the story was from Jebi's perspective because their voice is so fun to read. I thought Lee wove humor into the story effortlessly. I've only really talked about Jebi, but the other characters that are fleshed out in this story are interesting as well. I enjoyed learning about all of them. The end of this story makes me wish it wasn't a standalone!

I would say this is mostly a story exploring how people respond to, deal with, think about etc. colonialism and also how colonization and war harm so many.

Thank you to Netgalley and Solaris Books for providing me with a free eARC to review.

I'm not really sure how to start this review. This book has so many elements that I love about it: mainly queer cast, a dragon, high fantasy, concerns rebellion and insurgence. But it really fell flat for me.
I think I just expected more from it? The book is over 500 pages (or that's what my arc said) and didn't really begin to have a greater plot until about 40% of the way through. And while that doesn't have to be a hindrance to a reader, the book should then have some other fascinating aspect - characters, setting, mythology, ect. This book didn't. The elements all stood their ground, sure, but none of them really lifted the book up into the 'favourites' category.
However, I believe (or at least I hope) this book will help to revolutionise the fantasy genre, specifically in the area of trans* characters. Forcing fantasy readers out of their comfort zones, especially adult fantasy readers, where the genre is mainly cishet white characters, is incredibly important. And while this book doesn't have any sort of 'struggle' that the main character Jebi has to go through to have their pronouns respected, they shouldn't need to. This world accommodates THEM, instead of the other way around, and that's beautiful. Books like these need to become more plentiful in the world in general, but particularly in the fantasy (and adult fantasy) areas.
So I didn't love this book. The plot seemed to spring up out of nowhere instead of developing throughout the course of the novel, and the characters didn't seem to change. And maybe all of these things I'm saying are complete BS and I have no idea what I'm talking about, but that's my honest review for y'all. Take it or leave it.

Thank you kindly to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc. This was not my cup of tea though, I DNF-ed this at 60%

<b>Stort review</b>: I think there's a bit of a disconnect between expectations and reality. There's a big red mechanical dragon on the cover and buzzwords like "magic" and "automatons" are used, which intrigued me greatly.  Having read over 60%, I can assure you this is not an action packed adventure, but a quiet, personal battle against colonialism.

<b>Long review:</b>

In this story we follow one person, Jebi, an artist in a Korean-inspired land under Japanese-inspired occupation. We follow their every days as they struggle to find work until their situation drastically changes and they find themselves working for the government of the people that conquered Jebi's country.

<b>Worldbuilding and magic/tech</b>: To be honest this for me was the case of brilliant idea, not great execution.  There are some small reveals about both countries' traditions and history, but not much. We don't understand how the magic works per say( something about pigments but also language but also beads?) I'm fine with vague magic systems, but this book made it a point to spend several chapters with Jebi "training" and I have no clue still.

Since I only got to 60% maybe there is more, but not enough so far as to keep my SFF-loving brain engaged.

<b>Characters:</b>

Jebi identifies as both male and female, and goes by the pronoun "they". I've read this type of story before and it was easy to follow.  In this case it was quite confusing as the narrator swaps "jebi" and "they" 4 times per paragraph making me think there were multiple people taking action and having to reread passages multiple times.

Jebi is an interesting and complex person, we're following their struggle to work within this gov, having feelings for an enemy  and still try to be true to their roots.

The other characters unfortunately aren't well developed, feeling like they orbit Jebi.

I loved the dragon and his personality, unfortunately to this point we barely spent time with him. I picked this up for the roaring dragon on the cover...

Overall, for a story with automatons and dragons and magic in a faraway land, surprising little happened. It's a quiet, personal journey. The name of the book and cover are at this point wildly misleading. It reads more like literary fiction.

If more raving reviews pop up later this year, I might continue it.

Actual rating: 2.5