Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Iron Widow

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

1122 reviews

rizky's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

Re-read before reading Heavenly Tyrant

I had forgotten SO MUCH, especially the final act, so this was another wild ride.

Not a lengthy review, but just the crux of my thoughts/feelings: this book has flaws - it is a debut, and noticably so. My main concern is a lack of subtely (Zhao spells the political implications out quite explicitly) and slightly convoluted worlbuilding. At same time, the story and characters are absolutely worth it (at least to me) (all the feelings I felt, damn).
I definitely recommend Iron Widow to anyone who enjoys female rage, morally dubious characters, and poly romance.

Excited to start reading Heavenly Tyrant!

Content Warnings

railarey's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I read this book in 5 hours (aggregate - I slept 8 hours in the middle). I couldn’t put it down. I’ve had it on my kindle since it came out, waiting for me to be done with my degree and actually have free time. Well I’m back, and Zetian was the perfect heroine to welcome me.

I adore the worldbuilding, I adore the characters, I adore the romances. I wouldn’t change a single word, a single theme, a single plot point. I can’t wait to read the second and third!

Content Warnings

a_ira's review against another edition

2.0

adventurous dark fast-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

Content Warnings

gippytwo's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

catey_eye_jo's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous medium-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: No

Take evangelion, throw it in a blender with early imperial China, add in a dash of polyamorous boy kissing and a lot of feminine rage for seasoning, and you've got Iron Widow. Darker than I would have expected for YA. A vivid, snappy read that left me hungry for both a sequel and more queer representation.

Content Warnings

twihard_librarian's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

I sat down to read a couple chapters of this book and I accidentally stayed up all night reading it. Totally worth it. Great characters, interesting plots, feminine rage, supportive friendships, giant robots, vengeance, and a great conclusion to the first book of the series. This book has a bit of spiciness between certain characters which I did not expect but was delighted by in such an intense and blood-thirsty story. Read only if you want to have a great time but head the content warnings.

Content Warnings

aurora4847's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

Reread in audiobook form to prepare myself for reading the sequel Heavenly Tyrant. Iron Widow is just as incredible as I remember it being! I'm not a huge Scifi fan, but this blends futuristic tech and mecha battles so seamlessly with myth and magic that it's easy to forget. Zetian is the my favorite character ever for bloodthirsty female rage, and it doesn't hurt that Shimin and Yizhi are my favorite supportive male leads. The character arcs are brilliant, the stakes are just high enough, and the action sequences are so tense and fun. This book doesn't pull punches, so read with caution of course. But the ending is so satisfying and leaves you desperate for the continuation into Heavenly Tyrant.

Content Warnings