Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

635 reviews

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: Complicated

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adventurous dark emotional fast-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

Absolutely Amazing! The Dynamics between the Main Cast of Characters was incredibly well balanced and neither of the love interests were flat. Also actual Love-Triangle and not just a V-shape between the MC, a light haired boy and a dark haired boy.
It kind of reminded me of the Hunger Games, but the Fantas/Sci-Fi Elements and Chinese Mythology gave it something unique and prevented it from being just another Dystopian. 
Really Excited for the Sequel.

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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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adventurous challenging dark 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

"he should be the iron king, and i should be the iron queen. yet iron demon and iron widow is all they'll let us be."

at first, i wasn't sure if i would like this book, but what i read was addicting, and especially as this is inspired by pacific rim, one of my favourite movies, i think that was why i liked it so much. i very quickly got obsessed.

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

I really enjoyed this book. I think it's strongest asset is the intresting worlbuilding, I think it takes some know tropes and transforms them, so it's pretty intresting to explore (Like the MC wanting revenge and not apologizing for it). That being said, halfway through I became suspicious of the plot twist at the end.
There are also some things that I think had more potential to be explored deeper, like some of the pilot matches that appear, but there's also a possiblity that it's something that appears in the next books, so this isn't really a critique yet.
The weakest part of the story is the romance (Slight spoilers ahead), the "childhood friends to lovers" is nice, but honestly not that intresting, it's quickly set up and there isn't that much development. The "Enemies to lovers" isn't really enemies... like she hates what he represents, and even thou when it goes from enemies to compassion is pretty well done, then it just jumps to lovers and it's like "okay, so I guess the like eachother". Aand the "rivals to lovers" isn't really rivals, it isn't really set up that way buuut the scenes between those two are GOOD, they were probably my favourites.
Overall, I'm exited to read the next book and will probably get it as soon as it comes out because i am intruiged about how it will all resolve.
Also, be carefull with the TW
PLEASE DON'T LET SHIMIN BE DEAD, HE CAN'T BE FUCKING DEAD



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adventurous dark reflective tense 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

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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

I did enjoy this overall - the world, the culture, the setting - but I just didn't mesh as fully with it as I thought I would. I loved that it was inspired by East Asia mythology and set in a post apocalyptic sci fi world, the disability/chronic pain and polyamory representation, but I wish that more aspects were explained more. Alot of times it felt like "this happened then BAM we were here BAM and then I did this," without any reasoning as to the why. Or how. 

The Chrysallises and Qi was such a cool concept but I wish it had been elaborated more, and i wish the politics had been explained more as they played such a huge part of the story. At times I felt like I was struggling to connect the dots. And the "aliens," they were fighting. I felt like they weren't really described. I wish we had some more flashbacks or backstory on Big Sister, as I really didn't feel a sisterly connection between them. 

I loved how ruthless Zetain was and she truly had some "good for her moments," but she did feel a little one note, and I felt there wasn't much character development aside from "revenge revenge murder." And what started out as a strong feminist theme, ended out more of a power grab for the "good of Zetain." 

I also really loved Yizhi and Shimin. They were so different but also had such complex personalities and the polyamory 

It was a fast paced book, which I love, but it was a little too fast, and felt like it was speeding along without enough time to digest what was happening. 

This had alot of great themes, characters and has a hell of a lot potential, I just didn't really click with the delivery. The concept is great, and i enjoyed the characters, and the beauty in the culture. I will be sticking around for book 2 though because I'm interested to see how things move on from that twist at the end and the fallout of the main characters choices. 

TW'S - murder, gore, torture, r*pe, threats, suicide and suicidal thoughts, abuse, addiction, misogyny, chronic pain/feet binding. 

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