Spoiler warning: major plot points will be discussed all over this page

“Desire is the root of suffering," is the book's governing principle, and Buddhism already has my whole heart. And Zhu, as a monk, should theoretically be the one most free of it — but she is driven by the fiercest, most consuming desire in the story. The contradiction sits at the core of everything, and it’s so good. All the foils, contrasts, and cosmic irony sprinkled all over is a big part of what makes the book so electric for me.

One such foil to Zhu, is General Ouyang. He means the world to me, my heart hurts just typing this.