First impressions review: Phoenix Extravagant, by Yoon Ha Lee
This story proves that it is possible for a book to explore complex and rather dark themes such as the impacts of imperialism while also being delightfully funny. A lot of this is down to the main character, Jebi, who in their talent for falling ass-backward into heroism rather resembles the Discworld series’ Rincewind. Jebi just wants to make a living as a painter, but that is rather difficult in Razanei-occupied Hwaguk. Then the Ministry of Armor makes Jebi an offer they can’t refuse – basically: “paint the control symbols for automaton soldiers, or your rebel sister gets it” – resulting in Jebi finding out a horrifying secret about how those paints are made, and meeting both an automaton dragon named Arazi and a Razanei swordswoman named Vei. Neither are quite what they initially appear to be!
The setting is basically a fantasy version of Korea under Japanese occupation. The book depicts the complexities of that quite well. On the one hand, a lot of people were killed in the war, including Jebi’s sister-in-law, and that plus the loss of political control and preference given to those of Razanei blood in higher level jobs has caused a lot of bitterness and suffering among the Hwagugin majority. On the other hand, there are some benefits here and there to Razanei rule relative to the prior native aristocracy, and ingratiating yourself with the new rulers can bring greater comforts. So what to do? Jebi’s sister Bongsunga represents the “never submit, never surrender” end of the spectrum, their friend Hak (a fox spirit, a species neither side much likes or trusts) the “I gotta look after myself” end. Jebi is somewhere in the middle, more willing to compromise than Bongsunga to get a job or a roof that doesn’t leak, but with lines they won’t cross. Interestingly, the Razanei aren’t the only imperialists out there. “The West” also exists in this world, as does a China analog, Huang-Guan. So, is it better to collaborate with a more culturally-similar oppressor, or to seek outside allies in your bid for independence and hope they don’t turn on you later?
As you might have guessed by now, Jebi is nonbinary or, rather, a geu-ai. This, I would argue, represents a distinct third-gender category within the world of the story. Those who identify as geu-ai adopt an asymmetrical hairstyle as a social marker, and we are never given any clear indication of what shape their body is…even in sex scenes, which is kind of impressive! But there are also some folks who don’t quite fit that model; Jebi notices one because there are details about that person that read as both masculine and feminine, but Jebi can’t immediately place them as man, woman, or geu-ai. I like the way this was quietly woven into the story to depict a society where gender markers exist but at the same time gender doesn’t seem to restrict one's life. We see people in all three categories doing all different kinds of work, for example, and both same-gender and man/woman + geu-ai relationships appear to be accepted without question. It was a nice bit of affirming world-building!
Another theme that is tackled in an interesting way is the power of art. This is both figurative and very literal. In terms of the former, we see Hak trafficking in art and artifacts, and even a lukewarm patriot like Jebi can’t help squirming at the idea of Hwaguk’s cultural heritage being sold off to the enemy like that. In terms of the latter, as mentioned, the automata need to be painted with sigils in order to function. But the power of art goes deep than that…in ways that would unfortunately be too spoilery to mention here!
So, where does the humor come in? Well, some of it comes from Jebi, who is a little bit of a cowardly doormat - not so much as to be unlikeable, but just enough so that their thoughts and actions often tend a bit to the comic. When they do decide to be brave, it gets even funnier and more endearing, since they are not at all athletic or otherwise set up to be a fighter but they are trying their best anyway. For instance:
Just as Vei unlocked the grille, Jebi whirled and charged Vei, shrieking like an offended magpie. Vei sidestepped out of sheer habit – Jebi had managed to forget how swift her reflexes were – then cursed under her breath as Jebi tripped over uneven ground and smashed into the side of the opening.
There’s also details like the spymaster’s office being called the Ministry of Ornithology – because of the “stool pigeons” or the way people “sing like canaries”, I’m guessing!
I really want to talk about Arazi and Vei, but I can’t without **spoilers**. So that’s your warning not to proceed if you’d like to avoid those! Regarding the ending, all I’ll say is that it had a charming fairytale-like style, but with a slightly ominous last paragraph that might be setting up a sequel.
Arazi is great. I love how it is both an AI-machine-thing and a real dragon. That is, Arazi is made of metal and can be “reprogrammed” to some extent, and certainly makes use of the advantages of not being made of flesh – arrows bounce right off, and Arazi can even break itself down into multiple robot spiders. But Arazi is a proper Asian dragon at heart: wise, benevolent, and able to fly without wings! Arazi’s interactions with Jebi are pure gold – funny, heart-warming, or both at once. For example:
{I want taffy} Arazi said, {You can tell me all about it. No one has ever shown me taffy before.} Jebi caught themselves smiling…Zakan gave up trying to converse with Jebi while their mouth was full, which gave Jebi ample opportunity to describe the burnt-sugar taste of the stuff to Arazi. {Do you even have a sense of taste?}…{Not exactly, but I have an imagination,} Arazi said serenely. {Eating sounds so fun. You must taste all the things for me.}
At first, I didn’t quite understand Jebi’s attraction to Vei. I tend to find it a bit off-putting if someone is not only part of the enemy military but the one who is supposed to behead you if you try to run - no matter how objectively good-looking they may be. But then we see Vei’s sword skills in action, as she wins in one strike against an opponent duelist good enough to have ¾ of the crowd rooting for him. And suddenly, like Jebi, I’m having to actively go: “OK, sure, that was weirdly hot. But the captivity situation hasn’t changed, and now we know she’s the one who killed Bongsunga’s wife in the war. That should make this worse. Focus!” However…of course Vei turns out to be on the side of the resistance! Huzzah, for we can simp in peace. Well, not literally, obviously, because…rebellion. But you know what I mean! Vei’s stoic, protective badassery paired with Jebi’s hapless enthusiasm is super cute.
Overall recommendation: I think anyone who like fantasy or less-hard sci-fi that is fun and entertaining while also having things to say about the world will probably enjoy this book.
