Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

631 reviews

turrean's review against another edition

dark emotional 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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Brutal, dark, and riveting; a narrative of distilled feminine rage. 

Listening to the audiobook added an extra depth to the story, since the names were pronounced correctly. I did find that some of the most violent scenes were really hard to get through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Classism

bumblebeefarts's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture

Minor: Racism

emmieli_'s review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Not really historical fantasy. Think more retelling ancient chinese history via sci fi usage

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder

Minor: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief, Medical trauma

lemonwrlds's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

sprit's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

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G-DANG QI POWERED MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS BABY

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Sexual assault

ionabookortwo's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol

thisonecassie's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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holy fucking shit, i LOVE this book. It is absolutely beautiful, ever sentence is filled with emotion, the way Xiran describes the world of Huaxia (particularly the capital Chang'an) as an almost untouchable and otherworldly place while still maintaining a sense of reality to me as a reader (plus it ties itself to the inspiration of Zetian, the real life Empress Wu who ruled in the Tang Dynasty in a way that links itself to the historical basis, while still allowing the story to grow from the source) Wu Zetian is a brilliant narrator she does things that my mind tells me i should be morally against, but Zetian herself convinces me that it is right (i love getting mind fucked like this by the narrators morality differing from mine)

reading all about Zetian and Shimin killing An Lushan was everything i wanted, and i thought that would be the 'height' of Zetian's anger, and her 'cold bloodedness" (being a ya book and all) but then the pay off of her killing Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying in the Black Tortoise, and this passage!!!!!

I lean close to the Tortoise almost touching it with the dragons extended snout and long golden whiskers, my words pour a silver white glaze over its black surface. "please you already killed my real family"
I squish a slaw through the tortoise's head, tearing it clean off its neck. I crush and grind it, streams of blood, so thin they're nearly invisible, trickle down the claw. The thought of Shimin going through the same thing flashes through my head, and i clench even tighter, gritting the dragon's teeth"

oh my god i love it so much!!
I love the build up of the relationships (both romantic and otherwise) as well as the deterioration of some of the relationships, so many books go straight from characters working well together to just saying "they are no longer good" but Iron Widow explore how they deteriorate, and I loved the focus and exploration of chosen family.
The romantic relationships, are handled beautifully, at no point did i think "why??? are THEY in a relationship??"

I loved how the book handled polyamory, and how Zetian at no point compromised herself for her relationships, and how Shimin and Yizhi are "gentlemen", in the classical sense, focusing on her comfort and wants over their own desires.

The book wrapped itself up well, I felt satisfied by the ending, and yes it does set up a sequel that I am eagerly awaiting entitled Heavenly Tyrant.

some people might think the 'twist' (through i woudlnt call it that) was unexpected or out of the blue "hail mary-y" but i disagree, it was set up well and makes sense

 
I hope Xiran can come to an agreement with their publisher that does not force them to compromise their morals (a few days ago, as I was mid-read, Xiran announced that in addition to being sketchily excluded from this years Hugo Awards [likely due to their open position against the Uygur genocide] that Heavenly Tyrant is being delayed from its original april 30th 2024 release date to an unknown date in 2025, due to internal conflict with the publisher over the Palestinian genocide. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail

kukazashi's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Murder, War

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts

richy_qu33r_readzz's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual violence

owlishbookish's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging 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: Yes

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I have no words. This book was everything I heard it was and more. Zetian has so much rage and you can really feel it throughout the story. The author doesn't just tell you, they show you and make you feel it, too. The result is a raw, gripping story with unbelievable revelations, a bleak, gritty world for a setting, and a cast of characters that will make you feel so many things. I can't wait to read Heavenly Tyrant this spring. I just have to know what's going to happen next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture

Minor: Rape