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ellius's review against another edition
- 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
Wow. I absolutely loved this. Never in my life have I had a reading experience like this. Never in my life have I had a book engage me so much that I’ve felt physically nauseous but in the BEST way. This is absolutely one of my new favourite books, and for good reason.
I fell in love with the world building immediately. It was absolutely impeccable and i thought it was a really informative and creative depiction of Chinese history and culture.
I 100% fell in love with the main characters. Their motivations were all so interesting but ESPECIALLY Zetians. She is truly one of the most fascinating characters I have EVER read about. Plus her being based on the only ever female empress of china is so fucking interesting and added a whole other level to this book.
And the society that this was set in was so raw that it was kinda hard to read at points but it was a really important discussion on misogyny that I have never seen done in such a powerful way before.
But that’s all I can really say without getting into spoilers.
All in all this was an incredible book and reading experience. It covered important topics in a serious way while still being a creative and lively story (with a really cute romance). My only complaints are that the ending wasn’t as engaging as I wanted and I thought that the final twist was really cliché seeing as I predicted it since the beginning, other than that, a truly stunning book.
9.7/10. Polygamy *rizz*
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
astrangewind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Sexism and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
erkiff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault
vivelarevolution's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Child abuse
pastelhxrmony's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Things I liked
- Loved the concept and story
- Female rage
- Insane ending with a great plot twist
- I don’t know if I’ve read anything that made me feel so many emotions so strongly at once
- Second half
Things I didn’t like
- Poor writing; the writing is a big reason it took me so long to get through this book. The writing felt a bit childish at times and a little odd
- I can tell the themes the author wanted to convey but again, because of poor writing, the execution didn’t quite make the landing
- First half was kinda difficult to get through but things picked up in the second half
Most of my gripes stem from poor writing choices so I won’t list off everything. It’s also hard to remember some of the early parts because it had been a few months since I had started reading. I will most likely read Heavenly Tyrant when it comes out and I hope improvements can be made
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Grief
nickysbookcorner'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Foot binding is still ongoing culturally in the setting of the book.findleydunn's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia
elenikin'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
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Rape
hellavaral's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
juan_adhd_reading'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
4.5
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, even if it took me a little time to get into it. I CANNOT WAIT for the sequel!!!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and Sexual harassment