Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - Viúva de Ferro

Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Viúva de Ferro by Xiran Jay Zhao

61 reviews

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

For about the first half of the book I was reminded of The Hunger Games and the Red Rising series. In both, young warriors fight against their own governments. There is no middle class - there’s only the extremely rich and the oppressed poor. The odds are stacked so heavily against the downtrodden that it seems unlikely that they can survive, much less prevail. Then the more I read, the more I was reminded of The Dragon Republic series. That both stories are set in a pseudo-ancient China made that comparison even easier.

At some point I began appreciating the book for its own merits, the skillful storytelling, character development, and world building. (Isn’t there another term for world building? It sounds so trendy.) In making gender and wealth disparities exciting, the author introduces these important issues to teens who will encounter them later as adults.

The trio of main characters were likable, albeit cliched, and, especially in the case of Shimin, rendered sympathetic despite their insalubrious backgrounds. I’m looking forward to the sequel which should be out shortly.

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wildflower_magic's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book had me in a chokehold. It is a feminisism ICON. I fell hard for these characters and their mission. The world building is beautifully done and in a way that maintains the flow of the story rather than reading like a text book. I love the magic/chi power/spirit metal system. The main character is a fierce, passionate woman who doesn't just break glass ceilings, she shatters the whole building. I was enthralled with her plans the whole time. The ending is living rent free in my head and I absolutely HAVE to read the second book.

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mandieroz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This book starts out a little slow. The main character can be whiney and really annoying to follow when she's clearly ignoring things happening around her. Zeitan wants very much to believe that everyone should just believe what she wants them too, while simultaneously wanting to buck a 200+ year old system. Which is a haunting task in itself, but to try and do so with absolutely no help and no support is ridiculous even for a strong headed, passionate, killing machine (literally). She eventually does start to open her eyes to the society she's stuck in and learns to work around it...only to windup in a new hell towards the end. Overarchingly, I really enjoyed the book I will definitely read the next one because I'm invested in knowing what happens next. Not 5 stars, but it's right there, I'm here for it.

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malecbanewood89's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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margaret_k30's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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lindseyhall44's review against another edition

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challenging medium-paced

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

3.0

I’m not exactly sure how I feel about Iron Widow, so this review is subject to change.

What I enjoyed:
-the ending was absolutely phenomenal, and it made me interested in continuing the series, despite my earlier hesitations
-the combination of history(loose) in a sci-fi landscape
-the polyamorous relationship( though I hope it’s expanded more in future books

What I felt was lacking
- the character walks the fine line between powerful and difficult, which I thought was crossed a few times
-the plot felt a bit convulsed at times, with many things going on
-there was a bit of a lull in the middle before the final battle

All In all I do think this would appeal to fantasy lovers, and I would recommend picking it up if you are interested!

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tinysierra's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

“For eighteen years, my unibrow has saved me from being sold into a painful, terrifying death.
Today is the day I'm releasing it from its gracious service.”

Two words: Female Rage

Fast paced, short chapters, captivating.

I need more love triangles that are actual love triangles in media!!! Pleassssse! The loved they shared was beautiful.

"Where does jealousy come from, if not an insecurity that I'll lose you because of him? But that's not how it works, no matter how many people believe it so. You're not something to be kept or taken, and love isn't some scarce resource to battle over. Love can be infinite, as much as your heart can open. I mean, when you think about it, love is fueled mostly by compatibility. Whether two people make each other happy by being close. So it'd be pointless of me to resent Shimin. However compatible you are with him, it doesn't have anything to do with how compatible you are with me."

The epilogue had me shook!

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