I haven’t felt especially like reading big fantasy, or dragon fantasy, for quite a while now. Even when the author was Yoon Ha Lee, whose Machineries of Empire I love exorbitantly, I just thought… nah.

More fool me. Lucky that books don’t disappear forever, and that I have now been able to read this.

Jebi is an artist. All they want to do is make art. They apply for a position as an artist within the Ministry of Art, which will mean art but also working for the conquerors of their nation. When they fail to get that position, they must find an alternative option if they want to keep eating... and this leads to twists and turns they never expected, discovering friends and enemies and further difficulties of life in a conquered land.

This is set in a secondary world but it seems to me that Jebi’s home is analogous to Korea, with Japan as the conqueror, although it’s not a direct parallel. There’s magic, usually fairly low key and initially I wasn’t sure if it was intended to be ‘just’ superstition (later events show not). There’s also technology, sometimes working in tandem with the magic, as with the automata that seem like golems to my largely European trained eye; I don’t know if there’s a Korean or other Asian analogue. There’s tanks and guns but electricity is unevenly distributed - it’s a really interesting look at a world with unevenly distributed technology.… like our actual world. It’s also, as already implied, a deeply interesting take on the issue of colonialism and empire and collaboration and compromise and I really, really loved that aspect.

Brilliant. Hugely enjoyable.

La última novela publicada de Yoon Ha Lee es tan entretenida como previsible, con un worldbuilding muy atractivo pero con un desarrollo bastante tradicional en el que ojalá hubiera arriesgado algo más.


La historia se centra en Gyen Jebi, une artiste en un reino ocupado por los invasores, que buscando una fuente de ingresos estable decide presentarse al examen para entrar en el cuerpo de artistas de la potencia opresora. Esta decisión decepcionará a su hermana, viuda de guerra, pero también hará que se desencadenen una serie de acontecimientos para los que Jebi obviamente no estaba preparada, siendo el detonante de una rebelión anunciada.

Los aspectos más positivos del libro son sin duda el tratamiento de los personajes no binarios y el mundo que ha inventado el autor, con una necesidad y un reconocimiento al trabajo artístico por el que suspirarían muchos creadores actuales y pasados. Los invasores utilizan una serie de autómatas que responden a las órdenes que los artistas han creado valiéndose de léxicos dibujados con tintes obtenidos de obras artísticas. Aquí somos testigos de nuevo de una de la mayores obsesiones del autor con el lenguaje como ya pudimos ver de forma clara en Conservation of Shadows. Y, por supuesto, se habla y se especula sobre el colonialismo a lo largo de todo el libro, pero por poner un ejemplo se minusvalora el valor del arte de los colonizados y se sacrifica sin remordimiento para conseguir los pigmentos que se utilizarán para dar vida a los autómatas.

Un personaje muy importante en el libro es el dragón autómata Arazi, que por desgracia solo sale desde la mitad del libro, pero que se come con patatas en sus intervenciones a todo el elenco de la novela. También es destacable la figura del duelista como representante de cada ministerio en asuntos de honor. En general, se nota mucho el cuidado con el que el autor ha desarrollado el mundo en que despliega la historia, posiblemente influenciado por su ascendencia.

El libro tiene también a su favor el ser una novela independiente, porque una vez finalizado el viaje del héroe… ¿qué más nos iba a contar el autor? Como ya he dicho antes, es bastante previsible en su desarrollo, lo que no quita para que sea entretenida y perfectamente disfrutable, ideal para el verano.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book and think anyone who loves political intrigue, family strife, and dragons should give it a try.

My favorite part of this book was the magic system, which was really interesting. I also just love the premise of an artist with no interest in conflict being drawn into a rebellion. I found myself not really caring about the main romance and honestly could have done without it. I loved the way the book examined the relationships between culture and colonialism—probably my other favorite part of the book. The ending was unexpectedly whimsical and then took a sharp turn toward unexpectedly DARK. Overall, I really liked it and will definitely recommend it to others.

This novel was the first I have read with a non-binary protagonist, and while it took a bit to get used to the they/them pronoun usage, it was a welcome change of pace.

With a character line-up reminiscent of the Netflix show Sense8, this narrative perfectly captures a wide range of LGBTQ+ perspectives lacking in the book community.

The writing style reminded me of Ken Liu’s poetic but precise prose and kept me captivated from the beginning. With both lovable characters (I.e., Arazi) and flawed characters, Yoon Ha Lee makes it effortless to both root for and relate to many individuals.

I loved the often overlooked subject matter of art in conflict throughout this story’s discussions of vital positions. Additionally, we see how war takes its toll on society in other ways, as through the destruction of precious artworks. Jebi’s dedication to art shines through in moments like the following when they go so far as to injury themself when dismantling a piece of art to feel the true loss.

“It’s supposed to hurt. Destroying something ought to make you bleed, even if it was a damaged piece, and not especially rare.”

We find Jebi the perfect character to debate the ethics of a passive but essential part of a war. They have stated that they are not interested in politics despite being affected by political choices at every turn. It was captivating to see how their alignment changed throughout the story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, my only gripe being the ending felt abrupt. Provided the conclusion had been twenty additional pages, I’m sure the author would have been able to wrap up the story satisfactorily.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new, stunning, and diverse read.

I was extremely grateful to NetGalley for giving me this to review early as I have been looking forward to this book since I saw the cover, then even more so when I heard it was inspired by Korea during the Japanese occupation. I love reading heavily cultured-inspired books and you could really really it within this world.
The main character is non-binary and goes by either their name (by they have both a Korean and Japanese one) or by ‘they’, which was sometimes a bit confusing when in group settings and I forgot that it was referring to the protagonist. Even so I loved the representation and this was the first time I have read a book where this is the case with the main character. Yet, I didn’t love the main character. They were a little bit selfish and a heavy procrastinator, but without spoiling too much I loved the dragon main character (even though they don’t really become a main till about 40% in).

Despite this I loved how well the story flowed and I read it within a few hours of receiving the ARC online. The cover is beautiful and it was so refreshing to read a stand alone novel that didn’t need to be dragged out anymore. I can’t wait to buy a physical copy when it is released and to buy the next novel by Yoon Ha Lee.

Kidnapping a dragon-that-is-not-a-dragon is a GREAT way to cope with having a crush on the girl who killed your sister in law. 10/10.

But for real, wow, I don't even know where to begin with this book. The short version is: I loved it. I loved it I loved it I loved it.

If you ask me what this book is about, I will probably gesture very vaguely and say something along the lines of "it's about an artist who just wants to paint and befriends a fake dragon, who is a pacifist". That's part of it. That's hardly all of it.

Admittedly I went into this book hardly knowing anything about it, and being vaguely familiar with this author. I saw a dragon on the cover and I'm still 10 years old, okay?

This dragon, though. This book combined two of my favourite things: dragons (duh) and artificial intelligence (double duh). AI, in most of the media I've consumed so far, usually either takes the shape of a humanoid entity or is a computer programme. And I'm not calling either of these bad. But seeing an AI in the form of a dragon was something else - it really put some things in perspective and makes you take a second look at humanity and personhood. I will admit it: it's not so hard to assign some level of humanism to an AI that looks like a human, or someone you don't even see (like a programme running a spaceship, for example). This dragon, this wonderful, wonderful dragon, is most definitely not just a pile of manmade parts.

The relationship between Gyen Jebi and Arazi, their dynamic, the way it developed and became deeper, was phenomenal, to me. I can see people not being impressed by it. I don't know why I am. I just am. Their friendship lodged itself somewhere between my ribs, and I'm going to cover that area with my palm to hide it - them - from the world and to protect it. It is very, very close to me.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between the MC and their love interest - and I apologize for getting personal, but I honestly don't think I could write and objective review, or even a subjective one in a different way. It was- different. I'm not going to say this was the first time I read a relationship development like their, but I don't read it a lot. It's gentle, in the way it is written. It's part of the story, presented in a way that doesn't make it look like either a main or a sub plot. And I loved it! It made me realize many thing about myself. I've thought it before, but this time I admitted to myself that I'm not comfortable with romance. In general, or as a plot. Unless - it's done like it was here. It's in front of the reader, but in a way that makes it seem like it's in the background. In a way where it didn't take away from the other plot of this book - I'm not sure I'm succeeding in describing this well, but whatever this was, I appreciate it. Immensely.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding, the way our knowledged of this world also grew the further we went into the story. Here is an artist. They are very good. Here is a ministory, who employs artists. They recruit him. The ministry uses art in more than one way. The artist is apalled. And did you know, this art, the way it's used - is magic?

The idea of a piece of art having some kind of power given to it through the artist is not a stretch. We see it, every day. Go to a museum, a gallery and look at the walls. Run into an artbook. Stumble upon an artist on the internet. Receive a drawing from a friend. Accept a childs doodle. Look at people, see how they take in art. I used to draw, and one time, I gave one of my drawings to a kid (well, I was a teenager but it felt like there's a world between us), and I didn't think much of it, but I saw their eyes light up when they took the paper. So, yes - there's power in art. This book sets this as a rule. Another rule this book sets: it's even more powerful after the artist dies. In fact, it's so powerful, it can be used for actual magic. But for that you would have to commit a sin, and destroy it. Do you see the problem, here, if the one to do it is an artist who cherishes every little doodle?

I'm going to be thinking about this book for a very, very long time.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book, and thank you to the author for writing it.

'Phoenix Extravagant' is a clever and neat work of fantasy storytelling. It didn't grip me, but I enjoyed the ride.

Based on the historical occupation of Korea by Japan, the world within this book is a compact one; most of the story takes place in an underground armoury. I personally like my fantasy stories to be more expansive, which is perhaps why I didn't feel so connected despite the obvious skill of the author.

Still, one can't fail to be impressed by the simple yet unique and imaginative magic system in 'Phoenix Extravagant', nor charmed by the innocent enthusiasm of the automaton dragon at the heart of the story (I did love Jebi's understated dry wit, too). I can see why this book has been lauded so widely.

(With thanks to Solaris and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review)

Awesome story about a nonbinary artist thrown into political machinations featuring art, automaton dragons and revolution in an East-Asian historical fantasy-ish setting.

Content warnings include: occupation and colonialisation, oppression and discrimination, destruction of art, blackmail, more or less obvious hostage situations, earthquake, violence and death, battle, imprisonment, torture, casual fatphobia, non-explicit sex on-page. Mentions of: death of parents, death of spouse.

This is one of the few books with a truly fitting and inspiring official description/blurb. It's concise, interesting and wakes the instant desire in me to read, yet doesn't give too much away. The promise of a nonbinary protagonist for such a plot sweetened the deal for me even more.

I loved Jebi as a protagonist. They weren't exactly likeable, especially at first. They are quick to judge and very brusque about getting their way. They only care about their art, and getting to paint and earning money through it to live, but not about much else, especially not other people, or loyalty to their homeland. They aren't a fighter or politically involved or have any ambition to change anything about their country's occupation. They are pretty selfish and kind of a coward, though they do not actively wish anyone harm.
And yet, I adored them.

Jebi's passion for art drew me in. Their internal conflicts agitated me, and I was always eagerly awaiting what they would do next. Their lines of thoughts were intriguing, and I just found them super interesting, despite being entirely ordinary and sort of underwhelming compared to the cast of outstanding characters around them. They were a great choice for who to follow in the big scale conflict presented in the books. They provided a perspective I really liked reading about.

The setting was East Asian, and while I'm not knowledgeable in history, I'm pretty sure it and the surrounding political situation was heavily inspired by Korea during Japan's occupation.
The worldbuilding was well done. Not much is explained, but I had no trouble gathering information about the culture, history, magic and automatons from context and what was shown on-page. That said, my progress on the book wasn't as fast as it usually is - the writing was quite complex, and, English not being my first language, I had to look up quite a lot of words (particularly adjectives) which I had never seen before, which usually doesn't happen a lot. It however never was a chore to read or hard to follow.
Both through setting and plot/writing, this is unquestionably an adult book.

I loved the casual queerness. Jebi being nonbinary was part of what drew me to the book, and I was not disappointed in the least. Being nonbinary or taking same sex partners was totally normal in this setting. The queerness was treated as just as ordinary as the magic, or the existence of magical beings. I loved that Jebi never had to come out and that the gender they were assigned at birth never played any role, just as much as I loved that magic was combined with technology, magical symbols with programming and code, astronomy with astrology, and so on.

The beginning was a bit slow, but still engaging. Even as it took me a bit to warm up to Jebi, get used to the writing and find footing in the setting, I was intrigued and invested. Things started picking up pretty quickly about 20% into the book, from which point on the stakes kept get raised higher and higher. Tension was created, upheld and released a lot, which worked very well for reading this book slowly. So many of those smaller tension arcs read like climaxes, which they obviously never were - there was always more to come, and things never turned out as expected. I loved the high amoung of plot twists which were always lead up to masterfully, always heightened my engagement, and always were a pleasant, thrilling surprise - exactly the sort of twists and turns I adore in books.

The one thing keeping this from being a perfect 5 star read for me was that I wished for a bit more emotional engagement. Some things happened a little too fast for me personally, so I wasn't always as emotionally invested as I wanted to be. One example for this was the romantic subplot (which I overall still adored!) This is more of a personal preferrence though - the pacing of the book worked perfectly the way it was, and the presenting length of the book fits as it is.

Overall a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was exiting and thrilling and exhilarating to read the entire way through, and was exactly what I want from a fantasy book these days.

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, containing a mixture of magic and technology, and with 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 makes Phoenix Extravagant interesting is 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 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 in 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 an 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.

3.75/5 ⭐

Never mind that a narrative tracking the misadventures of a nonconformist non-binary protagonist using third-person neutral pronouns was amazingly affirmative - the history-culling anti-colonialist critique, cutting commentary on art's assiduous political power, the precariousness of cultural possession and the avenue of proactive hostility to protect one's heritage that Yoon Ha Lee crafted into his plot and characters all mark Phoenix Extravagant as a phenomenal novel.

The mapping of the confines and conflicts of its acutely nostalgia-adjacent and wholly comprehensive world is complemented well with the progressively complex and climacteric choices Jebi must make; in all honesty, though, it was Arazi, the pacifist automaton that Jebi helps animate, that truly proved to be Phoenix Extravagant's main attraction. While I will admit that the central action wrapped up in a pretty polarizing way (that nonetheless clicked for me), I appreciate where Jebi and Vei wound up in their paths, and together with Arazi this trio makes up a hugely memorable coalition at the heart of the wider chaos of the anti-Razanei movement.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion/Solaris for kindly passing on this ARC! 💫

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for kindly providing me with this eArc!

Sometimes scifis give me a headache, and perhaps that’s just me! The magic confused me and I would’ve liked it to be a bit clearer. I think it just wasn’t for me- undoubtedly the author is a talented writer! I think it was a bit complex for me.