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Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Classism
Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, War
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Classism
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Miscarriage, Rape, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
- There are basically no interesting characters with interesting character moments. I do not care for most of them. The few character moments we are given did very little for me.
- The politics are explained over and over like it’s being explained to a young teenager. There is no elegance in approaching politics as the main theme. The uninspired political discussion were no fun and just kept on going.
- There would’ve been more interesting parts to write about. Yet it repeats the same boring stuff over and over.
- Iron widow should’ve been longer, heavenly tyrant should’ve been shorter.
- It makes no sense that it is young adult book. The brutality, and how explicitly it is described, comes close to adult. The sex scenes in my opinion already go further than what should be in a young adult novel. Perhaps the author would feel more free to explore the complexities of the political themes when it was an adult book instead of this superficial inelegant mess.
- Not a fan of Qin Zheng. He just annoyed me and I did not care about him or the whole toxic relationship between him and Zetian.
- I don’t think I like how their toxic relationship is portrayed. I do not think young readers will catch on to how toxic and unhealthy it really is. I see a lot of potential for them romanticising it (it has happened so many times before…)
- Wan’er and taiping
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even if some of the themes felt ham fisted, I think people need that. I loved how consistently those themes played into our MC's decisions and that this book was a turnaround from the frenzied actions of the first book. Excited for the third book!
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Trafficking
I definitely buy that Zheng's ideas about empowering workers and the redistribution of wealth were deliberately forgotten by historians (see also Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideas about class and how little people know about them).
But the concept of a worker focused revolution being started from the top down seems weird to me (and the text itself calls out the contradiction). While Zheng may want the workers empowered, there's certainly no suggestion that he wants to flatten society completely. He very much wants to be in charge of everything and everyone and I do have the sense he actually means it and it isn't just a way of controlling people who are the most likely to be able to challenge his power (although I don't doubt there's some of that, too).
The idea that people want to improve their own circumstances relative to people with more power but want to maintain their power over those with less power rings very true, as does the blindspots in seeing that's what's happening.
I appreciate that Zetian struggles with these things herself and has to remember that freedom to make choices means freedom to make choices that are not the choices that she would make.
It also suggests a lot people just need permission to become violent and taken vengeance and I'm not sure I buy that, either. Some people do, sure, but I think that's a small minority.
I was sorry we didn't get to see more of Di Renji. He seemed really interesting and a bit Holmesian and I would have liked to have spent more time with him, though it was pretty clear Zetian was going to end up killing him at some point.
I was also troubled by her lack of qualms about men having to be castrated to join her in battle. Yes, a big part of it has to do with gender identity but that seems to be the part she's focused on almost to the exclusion of the fact that they're being asked to undergo a form of mutilation not unlike the feet binding or amputation of a limb. And since they're both prisoners it isn't exactly a free choice. There are lifelong health consequences, which surely must have been understood. Granted, none of them are expected to live particularly long.
I like the underground queer culture, though as with everything else, I feel like there's a large risk in becoming more open and there doesn't seem to be much recognition on Zheng or Zetian that they may have made a lot of people targets that would be swiftly punished if they both died fighting the gods. I have no doubt that if that had happened all their changes would be swiftly rolled back, the people who backed them harshly punished and history rewritten.
I'm very much looking forward to the next one.
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, War
Minor: Genocide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Zetain’s growth in this book I think is the best part. Looking back on the first book, she was clearly very isolated even with Yizhi and Shimin at her side. Watching her grow a support network not just for her, but other women was just such a treat. It really felt like she came into her own in this book. All the side characters in the novel were such a treat, especially the women Zetain befriended. I also think her ever-evolving relationships with the men in her life were fascinating. Watching her relationship with Yizhi shift, knowing it will never be the same was the perfect storm of emotions. I really do think it was a close race between her relationship with Yizhi and her relationship with Zheng. I won’t give away too much, but I would love to study those two and their toxic mess under a microscope.
The world felt just as vibrant and complex as the first book, if not more. I think this is especially where all the work put into research for this book really shines. There’s clearly so much thought put into how Zetain and Zheng’s government take over would work and what the hindrances would be. I also like that not everyone immediately falls in line and the variety to beliefs and opinions on what should be done. It remains a constant struggle for power and control, so many changes so quickly lead to those previously in power trying to spread chaos and regain control by forcing those beneath back to fighting each other. It was just so clear that a lot of work had been put into considering how this all would work.
I really think this skill with the expansion of the world and the people in it suits the themes. Which is clearly the intent. It really breaks down the movement Zheng and Zetain are trying to bring to light and put in charge, and exactly how it’s been oppressed for so long. The ideas behind it are explained so well and then going from that to the series’ feminist messaging was perfect. Seeing how it takes a community, building support networks, and that you can’t rely just on yourself was PERFECT. I think this is an extremely topical and relevant book to the current age we’re in and what to expect to see in the coming years.
Overall a seriously amazing book. I haven’t been able to shut up about it to my friends since I finished it and I’ve been begging all of them to read the series with me. I don’t have the words to really convey how amazing it was.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Colonisation
Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy