Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Viúva de Ferro

I think Zetian was an awesome protagonist. Her justified rage at these systems limiting her and women in their world were so captivating to sit with throughout the story. I also really liked the development with Shimin and Yizhi throughout the book. The qi system was really neat. As someone with messy family dynamics, I really appreciated seeing

a character actively not choose them after they treated her terribly over and over again

.

It was also really nice to get a vengeful lead and actually see them get the revenge, instead of having some change of heart because anger is an unreasonable emotion (which I disagree with).

The ending left me wanting to spend more time in this world. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Content Warnings

coffee_and_novels's review against another edition

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sad medium-paced

2.25

Favorite quotes:
• "Plus, I don’t trust myself to landscape two matching brows out of the entity I’ve got. And how am I supposed to sign up for my death if my eyebrows are uneven?"
• “There’s no such thing as karma. Or, if it does exist, it sure doesn’t give a shit about people like me. Some of us were born to be used and discarded. We can’t afford to simply go along with the flow of life, because nothing in this world has been created, built, or set up in our favor. If we want something, we have to push back against everything around us and take it by force.”
• “I would seriously give that back to her. That girl does not seem like one to be messed with.”
• “Do you terrorize people often, beautiful?”
• “You’ve been living a dream for long enough! Welcome to your nightmare!”
• “Well. This is an interesting development.”
• "Me. Li Shimin. An assassin. A murderer. Huaxia’s best hope. Not hostile."
• “If you want something from me, you better pay what I’m due!”
• “Yeah, we’re not the ones who want you dead, you unhinged bitch!”
• “Oh. Poor guy.”
• “I think…you’ve been lied to about what male needs are like. We aren’t animals. Yes, our desires get pretty strong, but they’re not overpowering. There’s no such thing as going mad because of them.”
• “Well, supposedly, you smash the lenses, sharpen the biggest fragment on the floor of your bunker, hide it in your collar, and try to slit a soldier’s throat with it.”
• “When you cherish someone for how amazing they are, you don’t pluck them from their roots just to watch them wither in your hands. You help them bloom into the incredible thing they’re really meant to be. And no, I’m not expecting anything back from you, so don’t feel pressured. This is simply what I want to do.”
• “You’re my polar star. I’ll go wherever you guide me.”
• "What I have learned through this madness is that you can absolutely solve your problems by throwing money at them. If you can’t, you probably don’t have enough money for that particular problem."
•“You can’t shoot me; I’m from Central Command!” ... “You can’t shoot me; I’m rich!”
• “You’re the miracle I’ve been waiting for all this time, going into these battles, praying that something would be different. I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”
• "Love can be infinite, as much as your heart can open. I mean, when you think about it, love is fueled mostly by compatibility. Whether two people make each other happy by being close."
• “Listen up: just because you have the capacity to do something for someone, it doesn’t mean you have the obligation to, especially when they won’t even appreciate you for doing it.”
• “If you say so. But mark my words: one day, this will come back to bite you in the ass.”
• “Humans…scourge of the universe…”
• “Remember. Remember who you are. Remember me.”
• “Fuck the cabin in the mountains. Let’s rule the world.”

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beckahh_i's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

This was fucking incredible. I didn't really know anything about this book going in, other than it was a booktok favorite. It is now in probably my top books I've ever read, and for sure top 5 of the year I think. The feminine rage was palpable through this entire book. It was fantastic. Highly recommend.

There's definitely a lot of horrible things in this book so definitely check trigger warnings, but it's so worth it.

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nwordsmith's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

4.75

This book had me on the edge of my seat for the entire read. I could hardly put it down. The world building was impeccable. The characters were complex and layered. I loved getting to know the world through Zetian’s admittedly warped perspective. Though her self justification sometimes got out of hand, I loved her rage and dogged determination. This was a stunning reimagining of a historical figure in a far off future world. I couldn’t get enough. Towards the end, I was convinced there would be no way to set up for a series but Xiran Jay Zhao brought it right back around. I cannot wait to read the next book and learn more about the world and characters and hopefully get some answers about the gods and Hundans.

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