Reviews - Iron Widow | The StoryGraph

22.3k reviews for:

Iron Widow

Xiran Jay Zhao

4.13 AVERAGE

oatmilky's review against another edition

1.0

adventurous dark medium-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

i started rereading this for the next book but i dnf lol its not good :/

liziarde's review against another edition

3.0

I have a lot of mixed feelings and this was certainly a rollercoaster!
I couldn't help comparing it to the Hunger Games a little bit only in that when Katniss makes her grand gestures, they generally are in service to people she cares about she grows to care about more as the books go on. There's a repeated motif of Zetian doing it for the greater good for women which while definitely admirable, made it harder to connect with her. I liked her more personal moments instead of the more grand concepts the book leant towards. Idk! Maybe I'll edit this when I've had more time to sit with it

tragicanemone42's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional 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

HELL YEAHHHHH I loved this!!! I really enjoyed the world and characters here! The “message” is definitely a bit heavy-handed at times and there could be a lot more depth in terms of the world-building (still not fully understanding the Hunduns, are they just like trash cans with legs??). I think there could be more detail overall, but gosh was this fun and dark without being too dark. The characters really pushed the story through for me! Finally an author who knows the difference between a triangle and a plain ol angle 👀😏

hmadara's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

azilliox's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark emotional 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

ashli_k's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Such a cinematic book - I could imagine all of the scenes playing out like in an action movie.

Great plot, interesting characters. Only downfall was the inconsistent writing - some sections were written poetically and others like a modern fanfiction which was a bit jarring.

Still a good read!