I will never recover after reading The Shadow of Kyoshi
“She didn't have the right to lose herself in her rage and let it take her to oblivion. No matter what she'd been through. She wouldn't allow herself to become a human scar, a compendium of personal loss. She had the obligation to be more than the sum of her grievances with the world.” ― F.C. Yee
If The Rise of Kyoshi was a good book then The Shadow of Kyoshi was a great one. In this book we receive a very complex reminder that Kyoshi and Yun are two sides of the same coin and we see how their paths divulge after the (SPOILER) death of Jianzhu. I think Kyoshi seeing how blinded he was with revenge added to her desperation to prove him innocent. Their relationship serves as a beautiful backbone to the story and that is the reason why it is so good.
We also see Kyoshi dealing with the aftermath of the world finding out she’s the Avatar and her constant feeling of unworthiness towards the title. Every Avatar deals with adapting to being the Avatar as a part of themselves but Kyoshi has to deal with living her life believing herself to be nothing but an orphan. It is important to realize this and I think her ongoing battle with herself is the reason for these conflicts within herself and the mistakes she makes in diplomacy. At the core of Kyoshi’s character though is a strong sense of justice which is so breathtaking to see.
I also have to say that I loved seeing Kuruk guide her through his life and gain a better understanding of his life as an Avatar. I think it’s really easy to just look at any avatar surface level and take them for what you see but it is true that Kuruk spent his whole life protecting the world like an Avatar is supposed to do, dealing with the mistakes Yanchen left behind. Adding these complex elements and showing how each Avatar leaves an imprint on their next incarnation is so incredibly interesting. Seeing how Kuruk’s relationship with his friends blends in which Kyoshi’s relationships with a lot of her mentors and seeing how his ongoing battle with spirits created that connection with Kyoshi was so amazing. I think it’s incredible that we see these consequences Kyoshi has to deal with despite them never being hers and how blinded she is through her idolization for Yanchen. Aang’s quote at the end of the first season of the Legend of Korra seems really relevant here. It was only at her lowest moment where she found herself being able to connect with Kuruk and create that relationship she refused to have earlier on. I can go on and on about Kuruk and Kyoshi and how they are direct parallels to one another, with Kyoshi not making the same mistake he made his whole life by fighting all his battles alone but I won’t.
It is time to move onto the gays. Rangi and Kyoshi Rangi and Kyoshi Rangi and Kyoshi. Thank you Raava for your undying love for women, you eat every single time. Rangi and Kyoshi’s love is something I hope to achieve. I love them and I love how no matter how far Kyoshi falls, Rangi will always be there to pick her up. I also loved the deeper insight into Hei Ran and Rangi’s relationship because they’re truly just a mother and daughter who love each other deeply and seeing Kyoshi build such an emotional relationship with them both is a beautiful development.
Overall these two books are some of the best things I have ever experienced. I love Kyoshi and I loved being able to gain more insight into her story. I love that I was able to find new characters to love and I am so sad that it is over. I probably missed out on a lot but this is just me writing down my stream of thoughts about the book. I wish I had someone to talk about this with irl. I can’t wait for the Yanchen installment coming out this year but I want you to know that for me it’s Kyoshi and Korra 4ever. When am I getting my Kyoshi funko pop btw Funko I hope you’re listening. Anyways I’m crying and I’m so sad and I love Kyoshi and I loved this book and I loved Rise of Kyoshi and that quote I entered in the beginning is some of my favorite writing I’ve ever read. Thank you F.C. Yee for thinking I was worthy enough to own this. So sad so mopey so listening to avatar soundtrack with rain. #lifeisunfair I think my first review was a lot more cohesive than this but idc gn ily sweet dreams someone pls talk to me about avatar. ALSO ROKU I HATE YOU YOU ARE SO DUMB DO BETTER











