A review by leftovergarlicbread
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• 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

This book was so angry and raw and you could just FEEL the passion that this was written with. I loved the characters so much they were so interesting to read about i LOVED the parallels they drew between Zeitan and Shimin.

I absolutely LOVED that this turned out to be a corruption/go all the way down the path of revenge. It added a rather dark tone to tue book at the end and i ate it UP!! I fucking love when characters shlnap and completely lose it. Also seeing Yizhi shift from timid rich boy to "screw a cabin in the mountains, let's rule the fucking world" was SO WELL DONE. It creeped up so slowly until it finally hit and uou saw it all at once.

I only have rather minor complaints. Mostly in the form of little threads left unanswered. Like, what did Yizhi'a tatoos mean? What happened to the Nine Tailed Fox chrysalis? I have some more thoughts but im writing this on my phone at 6 AM, i might come back and add more later

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, War, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement and Medical content

Minor: Homophobia and Blood

While the main character is not explicity suicidal, she talks a lot in her inner monolouge about how she feels her life is worthless and how she doesnt care if she dies, even actively baiting death at multiple points.