So a while back I tried reading Yoon Ha Lee's much-praised sci-fi novel, Ninefox Gambit. I'll admit the worldbuilding was unique, and I could tell that Yoon Ha Lee had a fascinating voice - and a good writer, but all the heady mathematical concepts that comprised the universe of that story were just not for me. It felt all too overwhelming. And I couldn't connect with the characters.

So I picked up Phoenix Extravagant with some hesitation. The premise intrigued me (artists, mechanical dragons, war-check) but would I be able to go along for the ride? Turns out that Phoenix Extravagant is the type of work I love: it's full of fascinating worldbuilding with characters you care about. And it reads like an adult version of a Miyazaki film.

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee is a story that instantly caught my attention. It didn't take me too long to let go of my hesitation. It's set in a fantasy land inspired by Korea under Japanese occupation, containing a mixture of magic and technology, and with a giant sentient mechanical dragon. I mean, what’s not exciting about that?

The story follows Jebi, a non-binary artist who lives in Hwaguk, a country that is living under the occupation of Razanei, a neighboring nation that 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 they are helping the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers but little do they know about the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use. So when Jebi finds out, they find they can no longer stay out of politics.

What they can do is give the automation a voice with a particular glyph, and steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight…

What makes this story great is not only the worldbuilding but the characters. As a person who has dabbled in the arts (okay maybe more than dabbled, I went to art school), I instantly connected to Jebi. All they want to do is make art. They do not care about the war effort, unlike their militant sister. And if you love animal companion stories, well you'll love this book. My favorite character was Arazi, whom you see on the cover. Arazi is a mechanical dragon-shaped war machine outside, but a true pacifist dragon inside!

Phoenix Extravagant is truly a tale about many different kinds of love. Perhaps this is why I really connected with it. The love of Jebi for art, the love between Jebi and their sister, the inconvenient love that Jebi develops for a high-ranking Ministry member, and what might possibly be my favorite love between a person and a mechanical dragon.

Phoenix Extravagant is a quick read but is epic in its own right. There are more betrayals, surprises, and blurry lines between good and evil than GOT. It is a story about love, war, colonialism, cultural erasure, & art. It managed to be violent and gentle all at the same time. And it has one of the best and impressionistic endings of any fantasy book I've ever read.

Phoenix Extravagant is that rare fantasy book with fascinating worldbuilding and huge heart. Read it soon. ( )

Would I buy absolutely anything by Yoon Ha Lee at this point? Yes. Was I super excited to read a fantasy novel by the author of the very techy sci-fi Machineries of Empire series? Also yes. Was I very intrigued by the concept of a mecha dragon -- but make it magic and not electronic? Yes. Did I maybe over-hype myself for this book? I think yes.

There was a lot I liked about this. I liked that the protagonist was a soft, conflict-avoidant non-binary artist, who somehow stumbles into a situation that could turn a way. Arazi the magical mecha dragon is full of personality and is just a lot of fun.

But I don't know, maybe the pacing didn't always work for me? Maybe there were too many moments of confusion? Maybe I was disappointed in the ending? Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this book, I just really wanted to LOVE it and didn't quite. ( )

I really wanted to like ‘Phoenix Extravagant’ and for the first quarter or so I did, but then I found my interest in it was gradually declining and by the end I was clicking the page turn button on my Kindle before I’d even finished reading the page. Books like this frustrate me, because I never know if it’s me or the book that’s the problem. I need up finishing them feeling a bit anxious and enormously unsatisfied, and that was certainly the case here.
So here’s the good stuff. The world building in this book is great. Yoon Ha Lee has created a vibrant, Asian-inspired fantasy world populated with automata as well as humans, and rich with intrigue. It features a land that’s been invaded by another country, its people oppressed and itching to be free,
The protagonist, Jebi, one of the oppressed. An artist who designs and paints scripts that allow the automata to run. Jebi is also non-binary, a detail which I loved and which adds something to the story without overwhelming it. As much as I liked the idea and Jebi as a character, I did find I struggled with pronouns. The author refers to the as “they” throughout, something I got used to in time but which which I did find confusing at times. That’s something that’s definitely my problem, rather than the book’s.
The plot is initially fascinating. Jebi is forced to redesign the scripts painted on a dragon automaton. A device intended as a weapon of war but which has proven to be anything but. Jebi is watched over by a female duellist and the relationship between the two characters makes up a lot of the book.
The problem with it all is that, once the basic set up was in place, I found it just didn’t grab me at all. There are some great ideas here, but the book lacked oomph and I quickly found that I was confused about the details of past events that were key to the story. The result felt like a disappointing missed opportunity. So much of what is here is great, it just doesn’t come together into a satisfying whole.

( )

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.

3.5 stars

Full review ( )

This is an amazing political thriller set in a fantasy Asia (the three named countries code as Korea, Japan, and China based on my understanding of the geography and the history of the region) that didn't get bogged down in the political machinations -- because our protagonist is extremely politically naive, and has been protected by their older sister.

I loved that there were three clear gender specifications, and that the main viewpoint character was a) the non-binary gender and b) not the only one we meet in the story (and that there was an older such character who was both named and relevant )

The two siblings, with their contrasting pragmatism and innocence about war, allowed the author to present a range of thoughts about war without being didactic, which I greatly appreciated. Our artist protagonist does a lot of thinking about the differences between art and reality when thrown in the deep end.

how the automata work, and the similarity of programming (and the risks of adding nuance/complexity increasing the potential for disaster), particularly with the detail that if there were conflicting instructions then the automata effectively have free will was interesting too. And the dragon was fabulous.

Interesting that again there was at least one gumiho in the story. At this point I'm not familiar enough with Lee's body of work to know if that is a signature detail, or just the works I've read of theirs have that similarity. ( )