Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

447 reviews

hplreads's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-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: Complicated

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An incredible mecha war adventure. Inspired by Chinese historical figures and novels, Iron Widow takes a feminist lens to traditional gender roles and asks how would the military industrial complex use young people to their advantage in at times the cruelest and most inhumane ways.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia

jes42's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional 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: Yes

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Hands down one of the best books I've ever read. The execution of the characters, world building, and plot devices tying into the themes of the book was near flawless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Alcohol

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Classism

bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

5.0

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I can’t believe I waited this long to read this book, but I’m also very glad that I won’t have to wait very long for the sequel. This was so much fun. Xiran Jay Zhao perfectly combines Chinese history, scifi chaos, and feminist rage into a compulsively readable novel. It is also exactly what is says it’s going to be, and this is so rare that I have to give Zhao and their team massive credit for that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Xenophobia

themdash's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Really wonderful concept and hints of incredible world-building, including a GREAT twist at the end… but it’s dragged down by uneven pacing, lack of detail, immature writing style, and jumps in characterization (Zetian’s feelings about Shimin seem to completely change overnight). I’ll continue the series, but can’t recommend it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

body_by_art's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A good first outing by this Author. The story is good. You want to know what happens next. But the author isnt GREAT yet. It feels like the book is screaming the message at you, and then beating you over the head with it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence, Trafficking

lostinadaydream's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense 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: Yes

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Was ein Buch! In den momentan Zeiten genau das was ich brauchte. Eine starke Weibliche Protagonistin die das Patriarchale System ohne Gnade zerstören will!

Zetian ist eine so spannende Protagonistin. Sie hat klare Wertvorstellungen und weiß was sie will. Ihr ist kein Mittel zu schlimm und sie entscheidet sich eine Welt die voll mit Grausamkeit ist, auf die gleiche Art und Weise zu bekämpfen. Ihre Wut und ihr Ziel junge Mädchen und Frauen aus diesem System zu befreien, in welcher die Verstümmelung der weiblichen Füße zur täglichen Praxis gehört, ist bewundernswert. Trotz ihrer gewaltreichen Seiten ist sie dennoch ein bewundernswerter starker und guter Charakter. 

Die Welt in welche wir in diesem Buch eintauchen hat mich von der ersten Seite an gefesselt. Und mit jedem Kapitel immer mehr in den Bann gezogen. Diese Welt in der alles so schwarz weiß zu sein scheint uns aber durch Zetian, Yizhi und Shimin gezeigt wird wie Falsetten reich die Gesellschaft, Liebe und Macht sein kann. 

Mit der Enthüllung des manipulierten Pilotensystems zur Entdeckung der Einwanderung der Menschen auf den Planeten, hat mich dann voll ends überzeugt. 
Der Konflikt der in Hauxia durch das System herrscht hin zu einer über den Planeten hinausgehenden Vertuschung, lässt mich nur mit absoluter Spannung auf das nächste Buch warten. 

Und wenn Shimin nicht überlebt dann mach ich Krawall😭!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Alcohol, War

Moderate: Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail

slayerfaith's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: Complicated

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Amazing book with evocative writing, compelling characters and interesting plot. I was able to predict one of the "twists" at the end, but it did not diminish my enjoyment of the story in any way. Looking forward to the sequel!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, War

Moderate: Colonisation, Classism

Minor: Sexual violence

katie0528's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark emotional 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: No

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I couldn't put this book down! A blending of Chinese history/mythology with Voltron and Hunger Games style sci-fi elements led to a really unique story that still felt familiar to Western sci-fi fans. In a futuristic world bombarded by aliens known as Hundens, male/female pairs pilot giant mechs called Chrisalises. However, the females are concubines to their male counterparts in every sense, including using their life force to power the mechs. After Zetian's sister died as a pilot's concubine, she volunteers to become one as well to enact her revenge. She quickly becomes a powerful pilot in her own right, as an Iron Widow, and decides to enact revenge on the system that sees women as nothing more than objects.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous dark reflective 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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The content of this is adult, but the writing style is YA for a majority of the book. The premise was completed within 100 pages, and I was never clear on Zetian's end goal after that (it was either short-term or vague). The pacing was too fast for me, and I wished we could ahve lingered on specific topics and experiences (i.e.: exploring gender identity). Because it was so fast, I wasn't fully attached to the relationships. However, I was angry when

Li Shimin "died" (thankfully it was a fake out)

. The last quarter of the book was strong because I finally believed in the brutality of Zetian (I kept comparing it to She Who Became the Sun and was disappointed). I was not expecting the twist at the end, and am not sure if I like it or not (it was WILD). Next book will tell me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Violence

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture

Minor: Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence

kdegroote905's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional tense 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Murder

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence