Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

Viúva de Ferro by Xiran Jay Zhao

85 reviews

alixandwrites's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

3.5

first person pov (book turn off of mine) but i really liked it

even if she went from killing one dude to. like everyone.

it wasn’t reliant on the relationships while still making them enjoyable

yizhi and shimin 🫶🫶

 
the plot was fun. probably won’t reread it for awhile but it was good. i’ve been meaning to get to it for like a year though and the prologue? uninteresting compared to the rest, for real.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Classism, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, War, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Violence

Minor: Rape

angelofthestars's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Self harm, Genocide, Blood, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Ableism, Physical abuse, War, Violence, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, and Gaslighting

lifeinsilver's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, and War

Moderate: Sexual assault

just_someone's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I am absolutely in shock with this book. THE ENDING?! I am unable to wait for the second book. I need it now.

Zetian is the perfect morally-grey-badass protagonist. I am in absolute awe of her.
Also the romance in this book, even with it being a sub-plot, was so intricate and refreshing that I was 100% obsessed.

If you like Pacific Rim, read this book.
If you like Attack on Titans, read this book.
If you are a woman, read this book.
If you like masterpieces, read this book. 

I will forever recommend this book to everyone I like. 
5/5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Alcoholism, Sexism, Death, Violence, Classism, War, and Torture

Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Rape

dragonbornsandwaffles's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Death, Colonisation, Torture, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Sexism, Misogyny, Grief, Genocide, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Classism, War, and Violence

Moderate: Child death

orchidd's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Torture, Sexual assault, War, Addiction, Alcohol, Murder, Violence, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse, Colonisation, Genocide, Cursing, Blood, Death, and Domestic abuse

shector1's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Genocide, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Colonisation, Alcoholism, War, Murder, Addiction, Blood, Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault

mlllll's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious relaxing sad 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

4.25

I really enjoyed The Iron Widow. It was compelling enough to keep me entertained as a reader throughout the story and to entice me enough to read the sequel. I do think the latter half of the book is a bit rushed.

Someone else wrote how the writer didn't add any measurements of time so it's hard to fall in love with the relationships portrayed because you don't know how slow or fast they developed and I do agree with that criticism. If time measurements would have been given, it would have helped make the relationships more believable.

That said, Zhao manages to create really loveable characters who you want to root for even though they aren't the most morally just ones and as someone who usually sticks to the morally white ones, it was interesting to see how I loved the characters that weren't morally white.

 

Lastly, Zhao created an amazing love triangle, honestly. One that developed very naturally and, in my opinion, wasn't written in a fetishizing way, which is often the case when polyamory is involved, unfortunately. This was also the first YA novel or novel in general that I read that included a poly throuple because it's still really underrepresented, so a shout-out to the Zhao for including that as well. 

So all in all, this wasn't a perfect book but I did really enjoy the romance aspect of it, which I never in a million years thought I'd say about a "love triangle" cuz I hate those. The latter part was a bit too rushed but overall I loved, loved, loved the enormous fury that the main protagonist has. Is it a healthy way to cope ... I'll leave that  up to interpretation but as a woman, her fury is so recognizable. It's this all-consuming feeling sometimes that always has to be kept under lock and key but she lets it out instead. And I freaking loved it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual violence, Murder, Misogyny, War, Violence, and Genocide

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Physical abuse, Genocide, and Death

souriete's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is  one that I should not like, yet I loved it. I prefer humorous or at least light-hearted relaxing reading. This is dark and full of anger and violence, some of the violence perpetrated by the main character. But I totally understand the anger the main character feels, and instead of letting that anger eat at her internally, she does something effective with that anger, starting with avenging the death of her sister. She does some pretty morally reprehensible things, but her victims are instruments of a system that systematically destroys all women within it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Torture, War, Sexual harassment, Violence, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

aridette's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Genocide, Abortion, Addiction, Antisemitism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Ableism, Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Violence