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idiomie'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
Graphic: Addiction, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Confinement, Murder, Racial slurs, Ableism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Racism, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, and War
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood
soundlysmitten'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? Yes
4.5
“Under siege by monsters beyond the Great Wall like that shitty Matt Damon movie (except the monsters are Cybertronian-like sentient machines) a society that has the fashion, social customs, and beliefs of Ancient China but futuristic tech fights back by pulling a Neon Genesis Evangelion and rebuilding their very invaders into giant mecha. A boy-girl pair in their teens, because of course they have to be teens, pilot the mecha Darling in the Franxx style, except in a much more sensible position (he hugs her from behind). Under command of human pilots, these mecha take on forms inspired by East Asian myth creatures and transform like Transformers through Digimon-esque evolution lines that get more humanoid as you go on. The pilots physically embody them, so it's more Attack on Titan than Gundam. Oh, and they blast qi attacks, so the battles honestly read like a bunch of furries engaged in a Dragon Ball Z fight, and that’s no one’s fault but mine.”
I heard NGE, Digimon & Dragon Ball, lol. Suffice it to say, Iron Widow is a trip 😹 In a good way, though. I don’t usually follow sci-fi well, but all the fast paced action in this book is surprisingly easy to visualize. The pages are rife with brutality, but there’s a good amount of well-timed humor as well. The morally grey cast is complete with a cinnamon roll character. There’s a love triangle that doesn’t follow the usual set up where everyone gets hurt and you can guess early on who ends up alone. And, another brilliant twist.
However, some people don’t like that the book is marketed as feminist because the main character, Zetian, is all about violence and bloodshed. In my opinion… some people need to recall that this story is set in a world where survival is rooted in violence and the government has been systematically sacrificing women for generations. It’s not like Zetian can change anything by say, running for office or writing to representatives. And we are capable of thinking critically, so should we really require her to be the ultimate feminist icon at all times just because the book has feminist themes? Zetian's life is constantly on the line. She isn't given many options, so while her actions might not always reflect an ideal picture of humanity, I think she operates in a realistic way considering all she's been through and all she's up against. In the beginning, it’s obvious that she is desperately done with life. Consumed by grief and rage, she is ready to sacrifice her awful family along with herself. Moreover, she contemplates possibly damning the human race for the sake of revenge. I would’ve liked more content on Zetian’s bond with Big Sister in order to make better sense of her death as Zetian’s initial driving force, but all the same… as circumstances shift, she comes to realize she has a bit of power to leverage and hope begins to spark in her chest. Her goals get bigger, less selfish. It’s still very clear, though, that if things don’t change, she doesn’t want to be around. Taking her past trauma, the conditions she's being forced to endure, and her mental/emotional/spiritual state into account, how can readers expect her to be this golden heroine who always does the right thing? Even the very concept of ‘the right thing’ becomes convoluted as the story progresses. Right or wrong, Zetian is the type of person who’s willing to make heartless decisions in order to tear down the toxic system she was born into. But she’s also prone to lashing out in fits of anguish. And I do wonder how the aftermath of her actions will settle, how she will process it all…
Another reason people have argued the book shouldn't be labeled feminist is that Zetian goes about attaining victory the way men are often portrayed doing so. I agree that women don't need to emulate men in order to be strong and I so appreciate stories about women who are strong by their own feminine standards. But Zetian is a girl whose qi manifests the way society might expect a guy’s to, and it's great. It doesn't change the fact that the narrative centers on the liberation of women, so I don't see it as a reason to denounce the story's feminist themes.
My question isn’t how did Zetian get such ‘radical’ ideas, but why does she appear to be the only one seeing clearly enough to get big mad?
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, War, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Confinement, Grief, and Torture
Moderate: Blood, Racial slurs, Racism, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Body shaming
autumnal_aura'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
4.5
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Death, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, War, and Torture
madamenovelist'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Confinement, War, Violence, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
Moderate: Xenophobia, Ableism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
ramiel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Classism, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Rape, and Sexual violence
Minor: Confinement, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Bullying, Death of parent, Racism, Body shaming, Classism, Sexual content, and Racial slurs
smiley_ari'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual violence
sophiesmallhands'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? Yes
4.75
I won’t say too much about the plot to save spoiling it so I’m going to talk mainly about the characters.
If I had to sum up the main character Zetian in one word, it’s easily rage. Zetian is unapologetically angry about the world she’s been born into and how that has limited her opportunities. All her thought processes while almost single-handed dismantling a flawed system (I mean, all patriarchies are flawed at their core really) is fascinating. Much the book reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games, where the system tries to weaponise and control the main female character, only to realise they’re playing with fire.
The love interests, Shimin and Yizhi, who form the other two parts of a queer, polyamorous true love triangle are totally non-stereotypical male YA characters which was tremendously refreshing. At first glance, Yizhi seems like a typical kind, rich boy but ends up displaying a spine of steel in defiance of the traditions that raised him. On the other hand, Shimin could have easily ended up being type casted as the strong, stoic male character, but instead we see a vulnerable, intelligent boy who has been demonised for doing what he thought was right.
My only wish is that we see some more female characters to work alongside Zetian – there was a stark lack of them in this first book and the few female characters we see are either ambivalent or outright antagonistic towards her.
The last 80 pages was absolutely WILD and I’m very keen for the next book!
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Racial slurs and Rape
adhdru'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? Yes
5.0
“You’ve been living a dream long enough!
Welcome to your nightmare.”
What this book is:
What this book isn’t:
With that out of the way, let’s us dive into... my review
“There will be no redemption. It is not me who is wrong. It's everyone else.”
"There's no such thing as karma," I say, enunciating every siyllable like I want to crush them with my teeth. "Or, if it dies exist, it sure does not give a shit about people like me. Some of us were born to be used and discarded. We can't afford to simply go along with the flow of life, because nothing in this world has been created, built, or set up in our favor."
"Humans...scourge of the universe..."
To Yizhi: “Don’t think I’ve overlooked that you came to my house and almost foiled my plan, despite knowing how important it is to me. If you tip off the army in even the slightest way, I will kill myself when they lock me up, and then I will haunt you.”
To Shimin: “Ripples of visible heat lift his long hair above his shoulders, exposing his neck, splashed with horrid scars. 'It’s all wrong.’
‘Can't you fix it?’
‘I don't know how.’
Anger roils through my stupor. This conversation is pointless.
Only one can live.
‘I can't fix anything,’ he goes on. ‘I only know how to destroy.’
‘Then die.’
I stomp forth and shove him over the edge.”
Screw jealousy
"Cheating is deception. He and I have talked about this. He's secure enough to know it's not a competition. That any feelings I have for you don't cancel the ones I have for him. He's okay with however close you and I get."
"No, don't worry. I don't consider my instincts logical. so I don't want to be defined by them."
Before the poly becomes canon he also explains why he doesn't mind Zetian (potentially) being with Shimin in such a wonderful way:
"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'll wrap up this kilometric review with one of my favourite quotes cause it has some of my favourite things grey morality, defiance, a fuck you to gender roles and the hierarchy, and perhaps the most important of all: food.
“Perks of refusing to play by the rules: you don’t have to choose between the boy who’d torture a man to death with you and the boy who welcomes you back with pastries.”
Instagram: https://cutt.ly/druloveswords| Storygraph: https://cutt.ly/mystorygraph | Goodreads: https://cutt.ly/mygoodreads
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War
Moderate: Body shaming, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
chamaeleontis'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? Yes
5.0
The characters were well-developed, and have a very real sense to them. The plot is engaging and doesn't falter. Bonus points for the gorgeous cover, it did not disappoint.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, War, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Chronic illness, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Genocide, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, and Racism
Minor: Abandonment, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Slavery
foreverinastory'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? Yes
5.0
Rep: Chinese polyamorous female MC with bound feet & uses a wheelchair, bisexual Chinese male love interest, alcoholic bisexual Chinese male love interest, supporting cast of all Chinese characters. While the world heavily relies on the gender binary, there are discussions that gender and sex are not binary.
CWs: Acephobia/Acemisia, alcohol/alcoholism--forced development of alcoholism, internalized biphobia/bimisia, blood, body horror (bound feet), body shaming/fatphobia, colonisation, confinement to chrysalis vehicles and prison cells, death/death of parents, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, forced enlistment of women as concubines, gaslighting, mental illness (PTSD/panic attacks), misogyny, murder, racial slurs, attempted rape/mentions of past rape/sexual violence, sexism, sexual content, suicidal thoughts, torture, war, violence.
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, and Violence