Scan barcode
A review by path_through_pages
Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
WHERE DO I EVEN START WITH THIS?!?!?
Heavenly Tyrant is captivating, multi-faceted and completely shattered my expectations! If you enjoyed Iron Widow and were anxiously waiting for the sequel like me, you will NOT be disappointed!
After you crush a corrupt system (literally) and bring a ceturies old living legend back into reality, what comes next? How do you rebuild? And what sacrafices are you willing to make?
Heavenly Tyrant tackles women's rights, the LGBTQIA+ community, laborism, class disparity, capitalism, and SO MUCH MORE! How they were able to pack so much in, with such realism, such clarity, and such passion is really beyond me! At times it may feel like the over arching plot gets lost in the chaos that is reform and revolution but the truth is it's still there, strongly, running under the surface, until it hits an explosive climax! It doesn’t shy away from the imperfect, bloody process of revolution or the uncertainty and terror of reform—it leans into it, making them raw, real, and heartbreakingly relevant.
The way the book delves into betrayal and corruption, both personal and systemic, was so well done.
There were times when I had to put the book down, but then my body was just BUZZING while I tried to work through the book hangover and focus on my real life without constantly thinking about what I was reading.
The end of chapter 54? The cheer I cheered 😂😂😂😂
And the epolig made me so angry in the best possible way 😭
And you know what, we get beautifully set up for book 3!!!! I CANT WAIT!!!! 😭😭😭😭
P.s. fake pregnancy for political manipulation but no real MC pregnancy tropes. FMC remains AGRESDIVELY childfree.
Heavenly Tyrant is captivating, multi-faceted and completely shattered my expectations! If you enjoyed Iron Widow and were anxiously waiting for the sequel like me, you will NOT be disappointed!
After you crush a corrupt system (literally) and bring a ceturies old living legend back into reality, what comes next? How do you rebuild? And what sacrafices are you willing to make?
Heavenly Tyrant tackles women's rights, the LGBTQIA+ community, laborism, class disparity, capitalism, and SO MUCH MORE! How they were able to pack so much in, with such realism, such clarity, and such passion is really beyond me! At times it may feel like the over arching plot gets lost in the chaos that is reform and revolution but the truth is it's still there, strongly, running under the surface, until it hits an explosive climax! It doesn’t shy away from the imperfect, bloody process of revolution or the uncertainty and terror of reform—it leans into it, making them raw, real, and heartbreakingly relevant.
The way the book delves into betrayal and corruption, both personal and systemic, was so well done.
There were times when I had to put the book down, but then my body was just BUZZING while I tried to work through the book hangover and focus on my real life without constantly thinking about what I was reading.
The end of chapter 54? The cheer I cheered 😂😂😂😂
And the epolig made me so angry in the best possible way 😭
And you know what, we get beautifully set up for book 3!!!! I CANT WAIT!!!! 😭😭😭😭
P.s. fake pregnancy for political manipulation but no real MC pregnancy tropes. FMC remains AGRESDIVELY childfree.