Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

93 reviews

madmantha's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book was much slower than Iron Widow, not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, it felt like a very natural sequence of events coming after the events ending the last book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Violence, War

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic

pjs99's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Love love love, "delightful to read" wouldn't be accurate, but I certainly enjoyed every dangerous turn.
After months of laughing at people describing this book as polical (bro did you even read the first one), I do actually see why this one gets called that (it's still silly).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, War

Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism

For those concerned about the sexual tags, I shall contextualise with very minor spoilers

there is a lot of zetian feeling coerced into sexual situations, but she is always consciously considering if it's better to go along (pretending she wants it), or pushing away. Personally I'd consider these sexual violence BC she is forced by her situation to consider things this way but I think rape would be a bit strong, as the pov of her describing still gives the impression of her consent, however limited it my be. Very different to the scene in the first books when Yizhi saves her from the pilots in he night.

kathi_90's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, War

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Medical content, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Alcoholism

bookworm513's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War, Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Medical content, Death of parent, Sexual harassment

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Pregnancy

havenbrown1108's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I love this author, love iron widow, love Zetian, hated about 400 pages of this book. 

Shimin is the only man left in this universe i don't hate and he was only on about 5 pages of the book, at the end, after being mutilated and tortured.

Will probably read the sequel 🤷🏼

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

zombiezami's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense slow-paced

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Overall, I liked this. The beginning and end were the best organized, in my opinion. The middle really dragged. It’s not that I don’t like communist theory, not to mention communist theory inserted into fiction. I do! But tbh I’m here for the giant robot fights. 

The political range in the first book is a lot more simplistic. I get the sense that, for this book, the author had to include a lot of detail for people to understand, but it just didn’t feel like organic conversation a lot of the time. And it just went on for so long, I was like, ok we get it already!! I think a lot of the detail of the middle of the book could have been cut and it would still make sense.

Even so, I am enchanted by the world building in both this book and its predecessor. I like how the characters are evil, petty, anxious, vengeful, … just very colorful and memorable. I look forward to the third book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Classism

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol

jacksons_books_and_music's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging 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

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Last year, I said Iron Widow was one of the best books I ever read. I love the sequel even better!

The characters and the circumstances in which they have to survive are incredibly messy and imperfect. They have to make difficult decisions that are sometimes right, sometimes wrong, and sometimes it’s hard to say. I felt the characters were realistic and nuanced in an incredibly engaging way. I wish all my friends would read this series so we could all talk about it often!

The narration was great! I think it was very smart to cast two different narrators, even if one of them didn’t narrate often. 

Please keep in mind this book series is upper YA/New Adult, with content not meant for younger teens. In terms of content and trigger warnings, it would be easier to say what trigger and content warnings it doesn’t warrant. There is graphic violence and spicy content, falling short of explicit (depending on your definition).

I’m not sharing any further thoughts due to spoilers! I look forward to reading the third book in the series when it comes out!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Deportation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Transphobia, Vomit, Trafficking, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia

the eating disorder I mentioned is actually a hunger strike

mxarcana's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, War

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

aurora4847's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I'm not sure exactly what I expected from Heavenly Tyrant, but I was definitely happy with what it was! Especially given our current situation, reading about the struggles of leading a country-wide revolution was inspiring and oddly still managed to be escapist. I can't wait for the next book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Gaslighting

Minor: Torture, Blood, Suicide attempt

This book is heavy. There are frequent betrayals of trust, medical procedures done without consent, and lots of death and brutality associated with a violent revolution.

bifariusaf's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Colonisation

Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood

I’m a firm believer in the power of imagining possibilities/futures so we may manifest them into our present and this book fits into that philosophy so brutally. Also damn, she’s a bit spicy in a fun toxic fictional way so that’s fun!

SHE PEGS HIM