Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

70 reviews

jacksons_books_and_music's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

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Last year, I said Iron Widow was one of the best books I ever read. I love the sequel even better!

The characters and the circumstances in which they have to survive are incredibly messy and imperfect. They have to make difficult decisions that are sometimes right, sometimes wrong, and sometimes it’s hard to say. I felt the characters were realistic and nuanced in an incredibly engaging way. I wish all my friends would read this series so we could all talk about it often!

The narration was great! I think it was very smart to cast two different narrators, even if one of them didn’t narrate often. 

Please keep in mind this book series is upper YA/New Adult, with content not meant for younger teens. In terms of content and trigger warnings, it would be easier to say what trigger and content warnings it doesn’t warrant. There is graphic violence and spicy content, falling short of explicit (depending on your definition).

I’m not sharing any further thoughts due to spoilers! I look forward to reading the third book in the series when it comes out!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Deportation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Transphobia, Vomit, Trafficking, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia

the eating disorder I mentioned is actually a hunger strike

bifariusaf's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Colonisation

Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood

I’m a firm believer in the power of imagining possibilities/futures so we may manifest them into our present and this book fits into that philosophy so brutally. Also damn, she’s a bit spicy in a fun toxic fictional way so that’s fun!

SHE PEGS HIM

gdulecki's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I’m really struggling with how to rate and review this. I think for how much I adored Iron Widow, this was kind of disappointing?? I liked it enough, but I am sitting here having just finished the book, and I have such an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. There were some parts of this I really loved, including the exploration of how we build ~what comes next~ and Zetian figuring out what uplifting women does and doesn’t look like. I absolutely hated the “romance” with Qin Zheng and all the coercion and manipulation he did to her. I do think Zhao did great job of writing the narrative in a way where we were experiencing Zetian try to convince herself she was choosing to do a multitude of things but in reality she was his prisoner and couldn’t escape. I also was under the impression that this was going to be a duology and was a bit shocked to get to the end and see a to be continued. I will certainly read the final installment, but for now I feel a bit disappointed!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail

dalek_caan's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Another amazing read. Especially in the second half of the book, the storytelling kept me on the edge of my seat. I will be waiting very impatiently for the next book to release. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, War

neostewart's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Absolutely screaming oh my goodness
After waiting for YEARS for this book the plot was everything I hoped for.

Only criticisms would be that some of the writing about political ideas were just a little too on the nose, and that for most of the book it felt like the characters were overcoming obstacles too easy (although this did not hold up towards the end) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War

Moderate: Medical content, Trafficking, Colonisation, Classism

Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit

princessazulaa's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

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

seemaryart's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Violence, War

Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Police brutality

cmsreads's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

creationwing's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I have never read a book all in one sitting like this.

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Content Warnings

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

tetedump's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism