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snapeygan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
My only complaints would be that I had a bit of difficulties to understand all the terms relatives to the universe of the books, and that the main character was a bit the stereotypical girlboss that saves the universe (not saying I don’t like it, but it could’ve been less stereotypical and the other women could have been portrayed in a better light).
I loved how inclusive this book was, and how the characters were nuanced and gray (all were bad and good at the same time). The worldbuilding was really good, as was the way it was written.
I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!!
Graphic: Misogyny, Alcoholism, Grief, Murder, War, Colonisation, Sexism, Death, Blood, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
erstreetman's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Body shaming, Xenophobia, and War
sonatica's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
After reading and listening to mostly slow- to medium-paced stories for a long time, the intensity of the characters and storyline hit me hard in the most positive way.
Iron Widow is unapologetic and vengeful and so, so satisfying to me. The genre was new to me and I was afraid that I wouldn't like it, but I was so positively surprised.
If anyone is looking for a cozy read, this is not it. But if you're looking for a book with a powerful female character who is fed up with and takes action against an unjust system then this is it!
Spoiler Warning about the romantic sub plot:
(And also, finally an ACTUAL love triangle, instead of two people liking one person but not each other!!)
While I would've enjoyed more buildup to the relationship of Wu Zetian and Li Shimin personally (I couldn' quite follow at which point she actually developed feelings for him), I still ended up really enjoying the whole dynamic betweenall 3 of them!
And more Spoiler about the Ending and Epilogue:
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, and Confinement
Moderate: Grief, Sexual violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Racism
Minor: Body shaming and Colonisation
lunalikesbooksss's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: War, Violence, Torture, Addiction, Sexism, Murder, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape, Racism, and Homophobia
denee16's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
10/10 would recommend because Holly shit!
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Hate crime, Murder, War, Death of parent, Blood, Death, Medical trauma, Addiction, Alcoholism, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexism
Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
blanketpirate's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, War, Torture, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual assault
turrean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
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.
Graphic: Body shaming, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Alcoholism, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Emotional abuse, Classism, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Sexism, Trafficking, and Death
crasscass's review against another edition
- 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
2.25
It was very well pace and the action was usually very clear.
I was really looking forward to a cool Pacific Rim story about feminism and rage. In the end, the MC over explained every single decisions, leaving nothing to be inferred. The love triangle, though good polyamory represetation, was rushed and pointless. At no point did I think that she was in love with either men. The world is filled with plot holes and doesn't always make sense. The dialogue was childish at times, the main character, inconsistent, and the plot, thought well paced, felt very predictable, up to the plot twist at the end.
The female rage aspect wasn't bad per se, but the main character was so busy being an activist and saving all women that the reason why she craves blood, her dead sister, isn't even named.
I did enjoy the decent into madness and becoming the villain though I wish more could have been done with it. I also enjoyed the culture and history woven into the story, particularly the myths.
Graphic: Sexism, Torture, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Alcohol, Death, Sexual harassment, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual violence, Murder, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Cursing
kukazashi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Murder, War, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Physical abuse, Addiction, Death, and Alcoholism
Minor: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
ayoung720's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexism, War, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, and Sexual violence