Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Viúva de Ferro by Xiran Jay Zhao

40 reviews

gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

I AM SCREAMING. This book was, no IS, so amazing. It is the first book that made me not want to read the ending because then there would be no more. Spoiler I read the ending and love this book. I was screaming through out the ending, especially in part 4.

The plot, characters, the twists and turns, and everything in between is just so well done that I can't even begin to describe it. This book is not for the faint of heart or those who do not like morally grey characters. It covers some heavy topics and themes in ways that can seem extreme at times.
As main characters go we have Zetian who is unapologetically anger with the world she is in and the part she has to play as a women. She uses that anger to get vengeance and demand change. I related to her a lot with the anger and injustice as a women working in STEM. I face those issues daily in my workplace and have to shout and screaming to be heard and not talked over.
Some might say we are following an antagonistic, but I think we are just following a normal person who has been pushed to the edge thanks to injustice in their world. I think a lot of people can relate to that.

The plot was also not where or what I was expecting it to be when I started reading, and I'm so happy it wasn't as this is so much more. As it is a fast paced book it feels like things are happening all the time and a lot happens within these 400 pages, but not of it feels out of place, forced, or not giving enough attention.

From Zetian killing Yang Guang in part 1, which had me screaming and cheering especially at that "welcome to your nightmare" line. Gold. Pure fucking gold. The beautiful relationship and development between Zetian, Sima Yi, and Yizhi was so well written and felt so natural, and then the ending of part 3 and all of part 4. I just couldn't at Sima Yi's "death" and then the  resurrection  of Emperor Qin Zheng and really just all of part 4 had me screaming as I was reading. Pretty sure my neighbours think I've been murdered about four times now.

 

This book deserves all the praise and hype it is given and so much more. I will never hesitate to recommend people to read this book. If you are on the fence about it this is your message to read it. You will not regret it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Violence, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gore, Medical trauma, and War

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Confinement, Death of parent, and Torture

Minor: Sexual violence and Kidnapping

recycled_personalities's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

It’s genuinely become one of my favourite books and I cannot wait for the sequel. It takes us into a world of torturous misogyny and gives us the one girl who will fuck shit up with no regrets. And, even though it’s not the main focus of the book, the romance in it is quite literally the best I have ever read and I fear that I will never read something as good as it again. If I could give this more stars, I would. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Rape, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, War, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Medical content, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Blood, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

nessynoname's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Confinement, Torture, Violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Grief, and Medical trauma

Foot-binding is practiced among the cultures of this world and the main character is a recipient of it. There is graphic description of the procedure as well as multiple references to the daily pain it causes her.

annir's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Confinement, Death, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Child death, Slavery, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Kidnapping

atlas_shruggs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

FUCK MY LIFE I NEED THE SEQUEL NOW PLEASE

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, War, Torture, and Suicide attempt

cinnamonandpancakes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.0

This book is very extremely angry and makes no bones about it. Wu Zetian is the physical embodiment of rage, it feels like, she is constantly plotting how to murder someone or get ahead. It's really refreshing to see that role be given to a woman. None of the characters are morally pure and up standing citizens but they are all very compelling. 

I promise you, any of the other reviews of this you've seen, it's 150% that wild and exhilarating. There may have been bad bits but I was reading so fast I didn't notice, it's that gripping. But also, it's very dark, heed the content warnings.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, War, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Death of parent, Blood, and Alcohol

ellariawrites's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, War, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture

Minor: Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

goosegrimm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

Really direct and engaging, I very much liked the author's voice. They are very skilled at getting you inside of the heads of the characters. Well worth the read and I am excited to see how they develop. I am impressed that this is their first work of published fiction and yet they've managed to create such an engaging world. Highly recommend for fellow readers of Tasymin Muir's work and people who appreciate a dark story.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Abandonment, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual content

Be warned, this book is serious when talking about institutionalized misogyny and all of the ways it can be taken to its extremes. There is ALOT of death in this book. It is treated as seriously as death and violence should be. If you are sensitive to violence, especially gendered violence, please review the content warnings carefully before picking up this book.

missindyrose's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and War

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape

djdembeck's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

1.5

Basically hunger games in a different culture and timeline, aside from the games portion.

The book lacked imagery, and it felt as though I couldn't 'see' any of the world, I was just hearing the dialogue. This is unfortunate, because some parts seemed interesting.

The author clearly has something against men, which feels like the sentiment of hunger games’ Katniss, x10. 

I’m not particularly well versed in LGBTQ stuff, but the story right away started with the main character complaining about people's perception of gender fluidity. It felt like those movies/tv-shows that get political when it’s unrealistic and/or outside the reasonable scope of the plot: forced and immersion-breaking
Also confusing because she continually complains about men, and then goes on to enter a polyam relationship with 2 of them, so the entire position was mute.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, and Toxic relationship