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Also, note: This book is much more adult than the first, I would not classify it as YA. Maybe NA.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Pregnancy
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Classism
After waiting for YEARS for this book the plot was everything I hoped for.
Only criticisms would be that some of the writing about political ideas were just a little too on the nose, and that for most of the book it felt like the characters were overcoming obstacles too easy (although this did not hold up towards the end)
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Medical content, Trafficking, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit
I see why this one kept getting delayed; even with the extra page count over Iron Widow it feels kind of compressed (especially with the tentative resolution of many plot points around the 75% mark as the book started laying the groundwork for the next one). I'm so glad that one of my major criticisms of the previous book has been addressed and Zetian now has female friends and allies, but the process of actually becoming friends feels squeezed for time over how much the book focuses on pros and cons of communism. Sexism is still a major theme of this book and I like the way it was handled, even if we have yet to have a true resolution here. It's not that the previous book wasn't political, but this one is extremely overt with its discussions of the class struggle and the mirroring of atrocities committed by real-world communist governments. I think that's why I'm struggling so much with reviewing it... there wasn't enough concrete resolution of a lot of the "revolution" plotline for me to know how I feel about this book, and I'm going to need the series to finish before I can form a solid opinion on it.
I have no idea how Zhao will wrap any of this up in one more book. Both the "smaller" plotline concerning Huaxia and the broader scope seem like they'll need way more space than just one book to resolve.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, War
Minor: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual assault
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Classism
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Homophobia, Suicide
Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Blood
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, War
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Incest, Police brutality
I enjoyed the action and relationship building, but then the last 100 pages were confusing and a bit problematic.
Also, I thought we’d be saving Shimin but well, no he’s gone. He was only there to build up Zeitian’s character but it no longer felt emotionally charged because the whole Heavenly Court was confusing and weird and I was angry at Yizhi the whole time so I wasn’t rooting for the three to reunite and then it didn’t matter anyway!! Cause Shimin is dead and gone and Yizhi is a fucking dick so the relationship is dead!
I’m conflicted when it comes to Qin Zheng. Because he was stuck in a fake quarantine we didn’t see him do much aside from threaten Zeitian and be an Emperor. Then when they have sex (which is more graphic for YA) it didn’t feel like she was actually giving consent it felt like coercion so he could get what he wants. His entire character felt a bit wasted, but now he’s the villain I suppose after Zeitian stabbed him??
I don’t know I’ll still read book 3 when it releases but so far this wasn’t the strongest end to a story and the cliffhanger was okay. I do think if I didn’t re-read iron widow beforehand I would be rating it higher.
Graphic: Ableism, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, War
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Pregnancy
Minor: Confinement, Torture, Police brutality, Grief, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, War
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Violence, War
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Police brutality