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tekoppstok's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Death, Gore, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Chronic illness, Torture, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
The content warnings make the story seem like a downer. It very easily could have been a very depressing book. Instead, the passionate rage and desperation of the main character buoys the narrative into something much more fierce and addictive than doom and gloom, even at the very darkest moments. It's fight or flight the whole way through, with heavy emphasis on fight.thenoboshow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Classism, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, and War
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Self harm
paracosim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, War, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Hate crime
Minor: Colonisation
iane_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Ableism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Child death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Torture, Murder, War, and Hate crime
Moderate: Classism, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, and Trafficking
Minor: Biphobia, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Infidelity, Death of parent, Deportation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
justmys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Everything happens so fast and so easily (???) that it just felt...like watching a movie adaptation of a novel?
I didn't like the main character. I wanted to.
If there's another book set in the same world I'll read it. It's an easy read and a decent idea for a story. I just hope we get to delve further in and read a novel instead of watching the YA movie version.
Graphic: Murder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, War, Abandonment, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexism, Child abuse, Death, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Gore, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
ufollowbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a bit of mary sue fanfic kind of vibe, but in a good way
Graphic: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Ableism, Alcohol, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Moderate: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Torture, Classism, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Sexual violence, and Stalking
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Body shaming, Colonisation, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, and Medical content
ajhling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book has characters that are mostly grey at best, and down right evil at worst. Our protagonist is a ball of rage and is someone who would be seen as the villain in many works of fiction. I love it. Even her romantic partners are on the verge of being villains in other works of fiction.
My favourite part besides the plot and our protagonist and her romantic partners, and the world as a whole?
The fact that there's no explicit sex scenes which have impregnated the publishing industry these days. Meaning you have a book that treats its readers like the older teens and adults that we are without having to worry about sex scenes because it's aimed towards an older teen, recent high school graduate age range, which apparently means sex most be included un the eyes of modern publishers.
I'm so hoping that the lack of explicit sex scenes continues onto the next book/s in the series (though even if they were present I'd still buy/read them anyway).
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Misogyny
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Rape, Homophobia, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Violence, Body shaming, Racism, and Alcohol
devirtualized's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual harassment, Torture, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Confinement
Minor: Sexual content
fromthefoxhole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In Huaxia, women hope for one of two fates - marriage or to be a concubine-pilot for one of the male Chrysalis (think Pacific Rim style mech suit) pilots. After losing her Big Sister to the hands of one such pilot, Zetian has concocted a plan to avenge her sister's death by infiltrating the pilot system and killing the man responsible. Generally, women are expected to die from the mental strain of the co-piloting, but Zetian refuses to give up quite easily. Instead, she winds up utilizing their co-pilot neural link to murder him, becoming the Iron Widow.
Rather than freeing her, this feat results in her being paired with Shimin, the strongest Chrysalis pilot in Huaxia - who also murdered his father and brothers. As they begrudgingly work together, they uncover each other's past and develop a partnership. Alongside their friendship, though, they find more corruption than Zetian could have ever imagined.
I won't lie, the first chapter really didn't grab me. I didn't understand a lot of the world-specific language, but oh my god, it's so worth it to work past that. Iron Widow is a masterclass in continuous world building, slowly unfurling the history of Huaxia and Zetian like the first blossoms of spring. I've had other 5 star reads this month, and reading this makes me want to retroactively downgrade them, or petition Amazon for a higher option.
Zetian is DELIGHTFUL, so full of righteous fury and grief, and she's stunningly clever. She's brash and unrefined, and I'm obsessed with her. Her desperation to fix the misogyny and mistreatment of young girls in her society is so admirable. Honestly, even though she's ending the book kind of unhinged, I would probably trust her anyway.
The romance element is refreshing, avoiding the traditional YA love triangle in favor of a thoughtful portrayal of polyamory.
The writing is captivating, straddling the line between Chinese history and its futuristic setting. Zhao is incredibly effective at touching all of the reader's senses, so I really felt like I could see the entire book come to life around me.
TL; DR - YES, it really is that good.
Graphic: Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Confinement, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Cursing
Moderate: Sexual assault, Classism, and Sexual violence
Minor: Vomit
ochereum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: War, Torture, and Misogyny
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content