Unfortunately I ended up dnfing this book at 21%, I tried a few times to get into it but I just couldn't. I struggled with the writing style and that ultimately made me DNF.
This doesn't reflect on the story as I didn't get far enough in. This may be the perfect read for somebody else but did not work for me.

Yoon Ha Lee is better known for writing stories in space than fantasy, but based on his blending of space and mythology in his middle grade novel, The Dragon Pearl, I’d been looking to his first fantasy novel. I was not disappointed. Phoenix Extravagant follows Jebi, a non-binary painter trying to succeed in an occupied nation; when trying to assimilate gets them thrown out of their house by their sister, and fails to get them a well-paying job they’d applied for, Jebi’s at a loss. Jebi has no desire to work at the Ministry of Armor, aiding the war effort that continues to oppress their people by painting the magical commands for automata. But the Minister leaves Jebi no choice: join, or their sister—who, unknown to Jebi, is a revolutionary—will pay the price.

Jebi’s gift for painting allows them to communicate with a dragon automata, who was painted with pacifist instructions, and the two make plans to escape the conflict all together. Lee’s story tackles themes comparable to Peter Tieryas’s “United States of Japan” trilogy and Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire, especially in the way both of those series look at ideas of assimilation and the justice—or injustice—of dues one pays to their government. Lee gives no clear moral answers in the tale—Jebi’s sister seems to prioritize revolution over family, Jebi’s lover has killed people Jebi cares about, and the antagonist may have valid reasons for his evil plots—and that’s part of what makes the story so compelling to navigate. The novel is planned as a standalone, but I’d love to read more set in this world.

This is such a fantastic read, and the trans rep (having a non-binary MC) is fantastic to see.

Phoenix extravagant is a great look at a character growing from someone focussed on their own art and interests to realising the injustice that surrounds them to finally standing up to fight for what's right. It's a heartening story, these days! I loved so many of the characters, but Arazi the mechanical dragon really stole the show for me.

Summary:

Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive, they just want to paint. Jobless and desperate they find themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers. The very government that years before had invaded their homeland and has assimilated into just another piece of the growing empire. When Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use—they find they can no longer stay out of politics.

This book blew me away, easily my favorite fantasy that I’ve read in months. The world building was fantastic, the characters compelling, and the pace keeps you engaged from start to finish.

I totally live for queer-norm universes and this book pulled it off so well. Jebi, the protagonist, is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns throughout. I thought it was done really well and I cant wait to read more fantasy with non-binary characters.

Jebi was also so relatable as a person that really wasnt remarkable but got shoved into remarkable situations and had to do their best. I really felt for them

I think this comfortably falls in the SilkPunk which is a new fave of mine this year. Its a genre that mixes elements of scifi and fantasy and draws heavily on east asian history/culture. Generally also featuring themes of rebellion, resistance, and defiance of authority (the punk part!).

I loved that the book felt specifically Korean, it really informs the worldbuilding in interesting ways as its caught between the imperialism of other asian nations and the looming threat of the west. I loved the magic system, it was both super creative and a great metaphor for imperialism. I have all sorts of thoughts and feelings about it but spoilers.

Dragons. Art. Revolution.

Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint.

One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.

But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use—they find they can no longer stay out of politics.

What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight…

This week’s review is the new fantasy novel Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee.

In many respects the novel’s main protagonist, Gyen Jebi, is an innocent. They are so caught up in their desire to create, they are oblivious to the political upheaval going on all around them. Circumstance leads Jebi to find a new job in a government ministry. They meet a strange woman called Dzuge Vei. The intense relationship that develops between them changes them both at a fundamental level.

Politics plays an important part in the novel’s narrative. The story chronicles events unfolding in a country under occupation. The Razanei forces are keen to subjugate the Hwagugin population wherever they can. The authorities are driven to destroy native culture and Jebi, at least initially, is almost accepting of that. As long as they can still create their own art Jebi is willing to remain blissfully ignorant of anything else. Its only when Jebi is directly affected by Razanei’s plans that they realise the desperate need for change.

While reading Phoenix Extravagant I was reminded of books like 1984, and movies like Brazil. I’ll admit I am mildly obsessed about the idea that a single person can rage against the political machine. It fills me with a sense of hope that I find comforting; that idea that everyone has a breaking point where they change from being a follower to a leader. The moment when Jebi is forced to confront their own failings and prejudices is transformative. They have to commit to having an opinion about societal issues, their ignorance can no longer be considered a valid excuse. I’ll be honest, this has led to a certain amount of introspection on my part. How would I fair, forced into a similar situation? I love it when books challenge me to engage the old grey matter and really think about their subject matter. Yoon Ha Lee gives us lots of themes to unpack and explore. Politics, identity, the place of art in society are all examined.

I’m a firm believer that books arrive exactly when they are supposed to. Currently in the United Kingdom, it feels like there is a war brewing against culture and the arts. Government ministers have gone as far as making the horrific suggestion that those working in creative industries should consider learning a new vocation in order to be more productive in society. Phoenix Extravagant shows us how that attitude is inherently wrong. Art is valuable work, it is a genuine expression of our emotions. Art is the reason why many of us are able to survive the daily grind. We are moved by music, touched by the emotion displayed on a canvas, captivated by images on a screen. I get up in the morning knowing there is writing out there for me to devour and it makes me endlessly happy. I don’t live to work, I work to live. Artistic endeavour does nothing but enhance that life.

Art is how we decorate space, and music is how we decorate time. – Jean-Michel Basquiat

I don’t often mention cover design in reviews, but I would be remiss not to touch upon it briefly in this case. Especially when the subject matter of the book is so intrinsically linked with art. Kudos is due to Dominic Forbes and Ronan Le Fur for their work. The design is visually striking. It’s what drew me to the novel in the first place. As soon I saw the cover image, I was keen to know more. For those amongst who have an interest in such things I stumbled upon a fascinating article on the publisher’s website where they discuss the process creating the cover in a bit more depth.

I’ve realised that I’ve nearly reached the end of my review and I’ve not even mentioned the fact there is a mechanical dragon in the novel. How could I have forgotten that? Arazi is the cherry atop the icing of this literary cake. I’ll say no more, I’ll let you discover this character yourself. There is a whole thread of the narrative dealing with the magical elements that Jebi works with. The whole premise of using differing pigments of ink to imbue automatons, like Arazi, with various abilities is a brilliant idea.

There is a thoughtful quality to the writing in Phoenix Extravagant that I really enjoyed. Jebi’s complicated feelings towards Vei are a good example. The conflicting tumult of emotions is perfectly captured. Jebi becomes the focus of profound events and we get the opportunity to watch as they navigate the fallout of their own actions. The author has clearly spent time crafting his characters, understanding their interactions and placing all this within the confines of a well-defined world. If you are looking for a fantasy novel that delves into the intricacies of human relationships and how our actions can come to define us, you need look no further. I can guarantee you are going to love this.

Phoenix Extravagant is published by Solaris and is available now. Highly recommended.

My musical recommendation to accompany this novel is the soundtrack to video game Abzu by Austin Wintory. The tracks on the album provide a contemplative atmosphere that dovetails nicely with the writing.

Hwaguk has been occupied for years after losing the war against the powerful Empire of Razan. Now, it is just another province of the empire.

Gyen Jebi, a non-binary Hwagugin artist, is a pacifist and they have no intention of fighting for or against the Razanei, they just want to paint in peace. However, life as an artist isn’t always easy and, when their application to work for the Ministry of Art is rejected, Jebi find themselves in dire need of money. When they are offered a position as an artist for the Ministry of Armor, they are unable to pass up the opportunity.

Jebi soon realizes that the Razanei need them to create automatons that will have the power to destroy all the enemies of the Empire – including Hwagugin rebels such as Jebi’s own sister, Bonsunga. Jebi the pacifist is now forced to make a choice. Will they continue painting for the enemy or will they fight for their country?

When I first heard about Phoenix Extravagant, a fantasy book inspired by the Japanese occupation of Korea, I was definitely excited to read it. Firstly, because I want to read everything Yoon Ha Lee has and will ever write and secondly, because I really love Korean culture and I was immediately intrigued by the setting.

And the setting was one of the reasons I really enjoyed Phoenix Extravagant. I have a fondness for saeguk, historical Korean dramas, and the Japanese occupation setting reminded of one of my favorites Mister Sunshine, a drama following Korean rebels fighting against the Japanese Empire, but with dragons.

I loved all the references to Korean culture (especially Korean food!) and history but I also loved all the elements that Yoon Ha Lee incorporated to it. First of all, this book is queer AF. In this world, you can identify as female, male or non-binary (geu-ae) and it’s not frowned upon by anyone. The same goes for relationships: poly-amorous relationships, same-sex relationships and relationships between non-binary people are completely normalized.

I also loved reading about the automatons, mechanical beings brought to life by elaborate paintings made with special pigments. Those pigments are created from the destruction of art pieces (and of course, the Razanei destroy Hwagugin art and not their own). Each pigment has a specific effect on the automation depending on its processing and the art piece that was destroyed to create it. One of the pigments, Phoenix Extravagant, is extremely rare and allowed the Razanei to create a particularly complex and powerful automaton in the form of a mechanical dragon. However, they didn’t expect their creation to be a pacifist sentient being and they need Jebi to modify the dragon to make it a more useful weapon.

To be perfectly honest, I probably would have enjoyed the story more if it had been narrated from the perspective of Arazi, the dragon. Indeed, I struggled a bit with Jebi. I understood that the book was purposefully following an ordinary character who doesn’t want to fight but, I ended up being quite frustrated with how passive Jebi was. It got on my nerves and because of that, I struggled to connect with them or their relationships with their sister or their romantic interest.

My other issue with the book was that, while the worldbuilding and the setting were amazing, I thought the story was a bit too simple and straightforward. It’s not that surprising considering that the book is a standalone and only 400 pages but, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a bit longer and if it had followed other characters such as Arazi, Bonsunga and Vei.

However, even if I had some minor issues with Phoenix Extravagant, I still had a lot of fun reading it. If you are looking for a queer fantasy book with a fascinating setting and worldbuilding, I would definitely recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Rebellion Publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

“Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint.
One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.“

My first thought was that this was inspired by China, maybe HongKong, but I adjusted that thought to Korea, after having come across a Kimchi pot. And that turned out to be right, when I looked up the author‘s website.

“It’s about a nonbinary painter teaming up with a pacifist mecha dragon against an evil empire (as one does), and it takes place in a magical version of Korea during the Japanese occupation.“

I liked the setting of a magical realm based on real countries. The „depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes“ weren‘t quite as horrifying as I had expected. Ok, the creation of the pigments was a little horrifying, if you have an appreciation of art.

Fascinating dragon. I would have loved for Arazi’s character to have been developed more deeply. Alas, with the story told purely from Jebi‘s POV, that wasn‘t possible. I would also have liked to see more of Jebi’s particular brand of magic. And to have seen Jebi setting other automatons free. It almost looked as if they would do it once or twice...

Neither the conquered Hwaguk or the Razanei were purely black or white, there were nuances that kept it multifaceted. The characters were depicted with enough depth to make them feel real. It didn‘t make it easier to like one or dislike the other. No cardboard cutouts in this novel. Bongsunga and Hak were prime examples of that dichotomy.

I enjoyed the light romance. Vei was my favourite character. And her family were great side characters. Jebi wasn‘t the smartest or most aware cookie. I think some might find Jebi annoying in their ineptness and rather unpolitical stance regarding the conflict in their country. The childlike naivety was rather charming for me.

So there is plenty of potential for a possible sequel. Fingers crossed. Which I would read, although it took me a good while to get through this book. I enjoyed the writing, it just wasn‘t compelling enough to drag me through the story at a higher speed. Despite the plot it was a rather chilled affair for me.

I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you! I am late, I know, I know....

I loved Lee’s Ninefox Gambit and Raven Stratagem, so I dove into Phoenix Extravagant in the hopes it would be just as good. I was wrong – it’s better! In a fantasy Korea-like land, newly conquered by fantasy-Japan, a young artist, Jebi, ekes out a living selling conventional mass-appeal paintings. An orphan, they live with their sister in an uneasy relationship. Okay, I was hooked. First, my own sister is an artist and I love the protagonist being a gifted painter longing to do original work instead of copying others. Second, how cool is it to have a nonbinary primary character in a world in which this is no big deal???

Back to the story: Jebi’s plan to better their (and their sister’s) conditions is to pass the exam for the Academy of Art. Much to their dismay, they aren’t admitted even though their work is perfect. They are subsequently recruited/drafted by the Ministry of Armor, the propaganda arm of the fantasy-Japan occupiers. Who have been extracting magical pigments from priceless original fantasy-Korean art (which involves total demolition of the pieces). Jebi reacts with horror to the destruction of his nation’s cultural heritage. The most rare and prized of these pigments is “Phoenix Extravagant,” vital for the mystical sigils used in controlling masks for automata – including a sentient, robotic dragon destined to be a war weapon. The dragon turns out to be a pacifist at heart, in no small part due to its no-harm programming.

What happens next, with all its twists and turns, is wildly inventive, full of heart and longing and magic. I adored Jebi and the woman duelist-prime, and most of all, the dragon. I can hardly wait for Lee’s next book!

4.5 stars.

Dragons. Art. Revolution.

Jebi isn't a revolutionary. They're an artist, and they just want to paint, dammit. So when they're turned away from the painting exams, thrown out of their house after their sister finds out their adoption of another man, and they get an offer from the Ministry of Armor to paint—they take it. Granted, they have little choice, but they take it.

"If standing on principle means that you lose the people those principles are meant to protect, what's the point?"


I. Loved. This.

YES. Me, a non-arty for arty's sake person loved this book about an Artist, capital A.


This was a beautiful piece of anti-colonialist fantasy that I was so happy to read!

Jebi is a painter who creates art for the sake of art. That is their life's blood and their passion, and they have been grateful for their elder sister, who has supported them in their pursuit. However, in a colonized country that is still occupied by the invaders, finding a paying job that allows the pursuit of art is...really difficult, particularly if you are not one of the colonizers. So Jebi changes their name (because what's in a name?) to a colonizer's name, and that change is the last betrayal their sister will accept.

Anyway, I loved this way more than I was expecting to love it, because 1) it surprised me and 2) it was funny as fuck. I wasn't expecting it to be funny.

Vei's mouth quirked at the corners. "Can you think of anything likely to be faster than a dragon this size? Especially since Arazi assures me that it can fly."
{I can definitely fly,} Arazi said with disturbing confidence.
{Have you ever tried it?}
{I'm a dragon. I can fly.}


There were marks of humor that had me howling more than was probably appropriate, because parts of this hit that sweet spot of absurdist humor that I love.

And there were higher points, like the destruction of art for literal power/magic, and what it means to destroy art to turn it into something else, and what it means to value art only as the means to an end instead of an end in and of itself. And what becomes good art, or art that is valued. Jebi's people's art was sought out for its destruction and ability to power mechanicals and the colonizer's army of things, while the colonizer's art was valued as the pinnacle of society.

Within this discussion of what is art lay another point: at what point does the mimicry of the thing become the thing itself? And do the origins matter?

In this world, dragons existed (or had existed). However, Arazi was an imitation of the thing but had become the thing. It was art that had been imbued with a sense of purpose and self, to the point where it believed it was a real dragon, so it was a real dragon. Period.

Vei lifted one shoulder, let it fall. "It's your choice, she said, resigned. "I will keep the hostiles from touching you. I will cut down anyone who so much as stirs a hair on your head."
Jebi was torn between saying You are embarrassing me and I am going to take up my brush and make a painting of you that they will talk about for the next 10,000 years. They said neither.


I also loved the relationships in this book.

There's Vei, a singular duelist and swordswoman. Upright, honorable, dedicated to a fault. Yet, she's also got an interesting past, with a high-ranking father in the colonizing army, and two other parents who were part of the colonized. She was seen as both conqueror and traitor, to the point where her identity took up sort of a cognitive dissonance of two separate and opposing things. And her relationship with Jebi really needed stronger communication skills, but they got better at it (also, how much can you truthfully communicate when both of you are under suspicion and in the enemy's stronghold). And, of course, Vei's really not so sterling past (with a it was war and what happens in war is not personal attitude).

There are Vei's parents, who had little page time but were wonderful.

There's Jebi's sister, who's name I cannot remember, who had layers of her own and surprising depths, most of which sprang from her grief at the loss of her wife. Her tale was one that catapulted her into action after suffering from the loss of a loved one, whereas Vei was catapulted into action to prevent the loss of a loved one, which was interesting to see how the two women were used as foils in Jebi's life.

There is also Jebi's friend, who's name I cannot remember, who showed Jebi kindness while also betraying her own people in order to gain a scrape of power and fashionable lifestyle in a world where she would ordinarily have been afforded neither.

There is a duality there that's explored throughout many of the characters in the book—where you show one person one aspect of yourself, and another something else entirely, to the point where there are so many pieces that are you and not you, depending on who is looking at you. Like a painting, or art, in many regards.

And of course there is Arazi, the dragon who was just so fucking precious and amazing and initially scary as fuck, which just goes to show that what is not understood is frightening, and it takes the knowing and understanding to make it less frightening (in some regards...in other regards, as also shown in the book, more knowing and understanding makes things more frightening).

Anywho, after this long and garbled review where I have written (as usual) long blahblahs about things that have no fucking point and make no fucking sense, let me just say that I loved this book and I also loved the world-building, where everything fit perfectly together and was just so beautiful and so well done and did I mention that it was funny? Particularly because much of the subject matter was so grim and the implications so dire.

Also, it's queer as hell!

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I'm still debating on my star rating. I'm leaning towards 3.5
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I originally started this book as a Kindle book but it felt like it moved too slowly for me and didn't provide the action I hoped for so I temporarily DNFed it. I then re-started via audiobook and for some reason the narrator helped keep me interested during the slow parts. This book felt more like a slow and quiet battle with minimal action to me which normally does not catch my attention. The dragon automaton, Arazi, was definitely a show stealer for me and made the book much more interesting.
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All in all I really enjoyed this book and would recommend if you're looking for something different to read!

4 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/11/24/phoenix-extravagant-by-yoon-ha-lee-review/

Gyen Jebi isn’t a warrior or leader. They just want to paint.

But as the native child of an occupied territory, the future of their country, their people may depend on them and what they choose to do.

And yet it all starts when they forsake their heritage, donning a foreign name so that they might become a ministry artist—comfortably housed and paid—just so they might paint to their heart’s content. But instead of the Ministry of Art, the test instead lands them a job at the mysterious Ministry of Armor, where they are set to painting the curious symbols used to animate the Razanei’s fearsome automata.

In one stroke Jebi is cut off from their friends, their family, their life before—and ensconced in the Ministry’s fortress, where they learn to create and paint that which keeps their people in bondage. But the methods used are too horrifying even from them to imagine, which prompts Jebi to answer a question about themselves—will they emerge from the shadows and try to lead their people into the light, or will they instead focus on their art, the only thing they’ve ever wanted?

Phoenix Extravagant combines a unique magical system, an automated dragon of infinite potential, a beautiful by deadly duelist, and a rather bland artist that would rather fame had simply passed them by.

I actually really enjoyed Phoenix Extravagant, something that I would not’ve expected after the first 50-odd pages. The lead Jebi is a bit bland, really. A bit sheltered from the world, a bit caught up in their head, a bit off, odd. Not the best narrator (at least I would’ve sworn early on).

Only Jebi turns it around. As they grow more deeply embedded in Razanei society, so too do they develop as a character, as someone capable of telling a full story alone while maintaining an interesting lead.

In general, the world-building wasn’t terribly creative. The Hwaguk people were obviously styled after Korea, with the Razan invaders from a nearby archipelago were clearly Japan. The Chinese were mentioned too, but only in passing, and I didn’t take note of their pseudonym. If you weren’t aware, Korea and Japan have a… complex relationship, at least historically. And as Japan has previously annexed Korea (particularly during the early twentieth century, roughly the time this novel takes place), there’s certainly a historic precedent.

There’s actually quite a lot of historical parallels thrown around in this. In general I found these to be interesting parallels, though they also cheapened the novelty of the world-building (especially as the “westerners” are just called “westerners”). While the dynamic between the Hwaguk and Razan dominates, others include the isolationism in reference to the rest of the world, and the depiction of the West as something mysterious but to be feared and hated (not that they were wrong there).

There are a number of creative changes made to the history throughout, notably the magic, automata, the gender and identity bias (or lack thereof), and the cultural norms. I quite enjoyed the direction the author went with the magic and automata, though sometimes even it seemed a bit too fanciful to be believed. Even with the obvious historical parallels, the magic system is unique and interesting enough to carry the book. But it doesn’t hurt that the story is really good, either.

The story tells somewhat conflicting tales of how individual choice and freedom affects everyone around you, and the freedoms and sacrifices of following your own path and doing what you believe is right, rather than obeying someone else’s dream instead. While all of this adds up to a very serious book, Phoenix Extravagant’s humor turns the book into something quite different: a fantasy with not one, but several possible lessons, and several possible outcomes cropping up along the way.

TL;DR

While Phoenix Extravagant does a good many things right—such as telling an entertaining story filled with interesting characters, and a thought-provoking premise and plot—it is let down by a somewhat uninspired display of world-building, an odd mixture of humor and intensity, and moments in the second half of the text that feel either fanciful or bizarre. I appreciated not only the story, but the multiple ways it could’ve been interpreted—even as many historic parallels can be drawn between this story and that of our own. The tale’s own message about one’s personal choices—on gender, culture, identity—are surely influenced by the author themselves, but Yoon Ha Lee doesn’t seem to lead the reader in any one direction. This story is about Jebi first and foremost—and dragons, magic, war, love, and loyalty second.

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee is a fantasy book with a setting quite different to the author’s Hexarchate books. I enjoyed those very much as well, but if you didn’t, I suggest not writing off Phoenix Extravagant.

Dragons. Art. Revolution.

Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint.

One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.

But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use—they find they can no longer stay out of politics.

What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight…

Phoenix Extravagant is set in a secondary fantasy world that is based on Korea (here called Hwaguk) during the Japanese (Razanei) Occupation. The main difference being the existence of magic and magic-powered automata, and the broad acceptance of non-binary people in Hwaguk society. The protagonist, Jebi, is an artist struggling to earn money. Their friend is a collaborator and convinces them that working for the invaders is maybe not so bad if it means they get paid and out of debt. Of course, Jebi quickly gets in over their head and learns there’s more to the invaders’ automata than meets the eye.

I really enjoyed this book. It shows us an interesting mix of rebels, collaborators, traitors and invaders, and gives us the opportunity to understand the perspectives of each group. The world building is also very well done. I’m a fan of K-dramas (Korean TV series), so I had some familiarity with the time period being fantasified in Phoenix Extravagant. Lee goes beyond the standard expectations of just having a Real World Plus Magic setting, adding his own unique spin and hence giving readers a unique world to immerse themselves in. I also enjoyed how logical the magical elements were.

I hope there is another book in the series, so that we can find out what happens next to Jebi and to the nation of Hwaguk. While the ending tied up most of the loose ends in the story, there is definitely room for more, which I hope we'll get to read soon. Phoenix Extravagant was an excellent read and I highly recommend it to fantasy fans, especially those that enjoy any of: asian settings, rebellions, or dragons.

5 / 5 stars

First published: October 2020, Solaris
Series: I hope so...
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Haha more dragons, yes please! But unfortunately, with Phoenix Extravagant you don’t actually get introduced to any dragons until well and I mean well into the story, I almost gave up waiting. The characters were adequate, but the world building was great, and you really feel the oppression the country was under. I did feel like the book could be a little more exciting especially when dealing with colonization and mech dragons.

I really wanted to like this book - the premise had me intrigued and I was delighted at the prospect of a nonbinary main character. Unfortunately, the first few chapters failed to capture and hold my attention - the narration uses a lot of "tell" rather than "show" right off the bat, so I couldn't get into the story or connect with the characters enough to keep going. DNF.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Phoenix Extravagant is a story about Jebi, who is nonbinary (there’s a specific term for it that I can’t remember, but they use they/them pronouns), who finds a dragon. That’s basically it. Just kidding.
Jebi is an artist and lives with their sister. But they need to find better work, so they took an exam to try to get a job with the government of the Razanei (who took over their country and killed his sister-in-law). Jebi knows their sister wouldn’t approve, so they do it behind their back. But when their sister finds out Jebi has gotten a Razanei name certificate (to change their name) she is so mad that she kicks them out. This leads Jebi to contemplate applying for a job with the Ministry of Armor. This is where the story gets really interesting.
Jebi’s new job at the Ministry of Armor is not anything like what they expected. Jebi meets Arazi, the dragon that the Ranazei is trying to figure out how to use for war. But Jebi figures out how to speak with Arazi and realizes that Arazi doesn’t want to be used to war. So, the plot for them to escape the Ministry of Armor is born.
I think the world in this story was so interesting. I liked learning about the two different cultures, how they were so very different in the things they value. Jebi was also a very interesting main character in the sense that they were never much of rebel. They accepted the fact that their country had been conquered and went on with their daily life. They never even thought about finding people that wanted to fight back against the Ranazei. Jebi was such a fun choice to get involved in the politics of the world. They didn’t want any part of it, but to save Arazi, they didn’t really have a choice. I also really enjoyed following Jebi as they learned about how the Ranazei’s automatons were powers and what magics made that happen. The magics were mildly horrifying, but still very interesting in how they worked and how they were created.
Overall, I think this is a wonderful story full of different kinds of representation. There is a polyamorous relationship, there are lots of nonbinary people. I can’t speak to the accuracy, but it’s there. I think the world was well built and very interesting. I don’t know if this is a series, but I want to learn more about what Jebi does after something that was revealed in the final pages of the story.

The writing is brilliant and Yoon Ha Lee is an undeniable master, but for me, it was difficult to get past the first third of the book. I loved the artistic focus and the presentation of automata, and was intrigued by the underlying cultural conversation. I struggled with how many little pieces made up the whole story and found it difficult to fully get into the main character's story with so much going on around them. It just came down to my personal preference as a reader. Thank you for the chance to review!

I recently discovered Yoon Ha Lee and was very happy to read this book.
It's gripping and highly entertaining. The author is an excellent storyteller and I was fascinated by the characters, the world building and the plot.
An excellent story, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I finished this book a couple of days ago and have been sitting on my thoughts since then, trying to figure out how exactly I feel about it. When I think about it, it was quite an enjoyable read. It’s a decent length, at 416 pages, but I sped through it quite quickly and had a few “just one more chapter” moments.

The fictional country where this story is set is certainly intriguing. You could definitely see the influences the author drew from the history of colonialism in Asia, such as Sakoku from the Japanese Tokugawa period and the later Japanese invasion of Korea. I also enjoyed the fantasy elements of the story. The concept of creating magical pigments by breaking down the work of dead artists was so interesting, as well as, of course, the automatons – particularly Arazi, the sentient dragon automaton, who was actually my favourite character. In terms of the other characters, we’re introduced to a lot of interesting characters throughout. The main character, Jebi, was quite likeable (and, of course, it was so great to read about a non-binary main character. I’ve seen in other reviews that people got confused by the use of the they/them pronouns but honestly, they weren’t confusing at all and I certainly wouldn’t let that put you off reading this book. In fact, the LGBTQ+ rep was brilliant throughout).

But having said all that, despite everything that I enjoyed, I was left feeling quite underwhelmed by this book. The problem for me was that while the book had a lot of good elements, as I’ve described, they just weren’t developed as well as they could have been. For example, while I did appreciate that the fantasy and magic elements weren’t overdone (I’m not a huge fantasy reader generally so I actually prefer it to be understated), the magic system could definitely have been explored deeper just to really solidify the rules and concepts. It was unclear (at least to me) whether anyone who has access to the magical pigments can copy out various grammars to make certain things happen – I don’t want to go into spoilers here but there’s a sort of big thing that Jebi does twice in the book (pretty much the only useful thing they do throughout to be honest!) and I didn’t really understand why everyone was relying on them to do the thing and they couldn’t just show other people how to do it. Also, the concept of automatons being sentient and coming to life was really under explored. Again, I won’t go into details to avoid spoilers, but Azari was such an interesting character and part of the story that I really would have liked for that to have been explored further and for us to have seen or understood whether there were more automatons like Azari (and if not, why?).

As I mentioned earlier, Jebi was a perfectly likeable main character, but after a while their incompetence really started to get to me. They don’t really think through their plans and just seem to get themself and everyone else into tricky situations, which got quite frustrating. The romance side plot was one I found really unnecessary too. The two characters had absolutely no chemistry and I really didn’t buy their romance at all. I would have much preferred if these two characters were just written as friends as their dynamic was fine but I really wasn’t rooting for them to get or stay together.

In terms of the writing itself, something about the pacing felt a bit off to me. It’s sort of fast-paced as time passes quite quickly in the story, but for a lot of the book not much really happens so it also felt kind of slow? It’s a little hard to explain or put my finger on, and I’m not sure how I felt about it honestly! I also found that there’s quite a few info dumps throughout the book, where a new character is introduced and they give out their life story in one conversation. However, generally, I didn’t mind the writing too much, and as I said I got through this book pretty quickly and found it an easy read. I think I’d still be eager to check out Yoon Ha Lee’s past and future works as I think his ideas are really interesting – perhaps the way they were executed in this book just weren’t quite for me.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for an easy-to-read fantasy. If you’re also specifically looking for a book with lots of on-the-page queer characters (particularly a non-binary MC) then this is a good book to turn to.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were written nicely, and the plot kept me intrigued.

Right, just before I get into the review proper, let me just say how excited and grateful I am to have received a review copy of this book - this was literally my most anticipated release for 2020, and from an author that has quickly become one of my favourites of all time. I just. So grateful.


Okay, and moving on.


This is Yoon Ha Lee’s first fantasy novel, following on from the amazing science fiction series Machineries of Empire (which I devoured). Following a nonbinary artist (as someone who identifies as nonbinary myself, this was freaking epic) who slowly gets embroiled in a political mystery involving the source of select pigments and a mecha-dragon. I mean, sign me the heck up.


Gyen Jebi, our main character, is someone that I liked immediately upon first reading, but took a little while to really understand. Their life is kind of in a state of frustrating limbo at the start of the book, and you can tell they just want to move forward, but can’t. Their sister is a little bit controlling, but they’re grateful to them for somewhere to live, and they just want to paint and get paid for it. I honestly wondered at the start just how Yoon Ha Lee was going to take Jebi from this beginning to what seemed like a wild ride, if the synopsis was anything to go by.


But, oh. He took them there. Things become intriguing and mysterious and honestly dangerous pretty quickly. The ride just slowly gets more intense, more suspenseful and stressful, and more interesting, until you find yourself kind of turning pages without really being aware of your surroundings (I love it when this happens). And it’s all done with Lee’s sparse, beautiful writing, which I adore. I also fell in love with the mecha-dragon - they become one of my favourite characters, in fact.


I will admit that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I have previous books. I think that might be partly because of when I read it, and having to take a break in the middle of reading. However, I did find two main things that just stopped me from loving this. The first was that some of the characters felt a little one-dimensional, not quite whole - this feeds into my second caveat: there needed to be more of this book. And I don’t just say that as a fan of Lee’s writing (because I will always want more, I think), but because I just felt like certain aspects of the story and characters needed more exploring, more opportunity for understanding. I think just a little more of that might have been perfect for me.


9/10 bright pink mecha-dragons.


I received a review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.