Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

93 reviews

kmart_ceo's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark 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

---

I don’t think the sequel is as good as the first book. Maybe that’s just because there’s WAYYYY more going on and

there was no Shimin (for the most part)

. The plot twists had my jaw dropping, and I started having a hard time keeping track of who I am supposed to hate. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment

Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic

katmint's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark 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

---

Didn't retain the incredible momentum of the first book, but was still an interesting read 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Classism

juniperbranches's review against another edition

4.0

dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

I LOVE that Zeitian maintained So much of her feminine rage. Loved how hateable but reasonable Qin Zheng was. I’m a big fan of sneaking conversations about power wealth and consent into a YA novel but comes off a little dry and educational in some spots. I can’t decide if I like where the author seems to be directing the series, but I like that scope they’ve given the story. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, Classism

orion_allthoughts's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual content, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Dysphoria

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Vomit, Abortion, Alcohol

chanlo1994's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Rated it a step lower because the pace was slow for my personal liking. I think this is going to be a very important book for 2025, especially with the new polical cycle we will be facing. Honestly. My first thought was "this is what happens when we let children be in control of a government" 😂 I am absolutely looking forward to book 3. It's also important to note that bodily consent is not limited to sexual acts. It's includes anything done to your body with or without your knowledge and this is violated several times in the book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Abortion

griminycricket's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

---

Devoured it same day it arrived. I'm not okay. Can't wait for the third book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

cassianlamb's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark hopeful 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: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage

There is questionable consent for some sexual scenes, and Zetian is not broken up with Shimin/he does not know about her relationship with Qin Zheng so it feels like infidelity to me. Medical trauma related to pregnancy trigger warning

in that Zetian was unaware she was being used to create a fetus via rivf

beiiadonna's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

---

Honestly a slay - the political world building and explicit communist theory was phenomenal and slightly unexpected. It was a come for the unhinged female rage and stay for the political theory for me lol. I did expect this to be a duology but about halfway through I realised there has to be at least another book. I despise cliffhangers like this,

with Li Shimin possibly being alive (very unclear but I’m leaning towards yes - in at least some capacity). I would have preferred that be left resolved and hopefully a moment where Wu Zetian and Li Shimin are able to talk. The implications for what it means if he is alive (and how we understand spirit metal), the impending space war, and that there are other nations on their planet with different spirit types are compelling enough mysteries on their own.

. Still, I adored Wu Zetian’s continual and blinding rage (so insanely compelling to me), and the view she and other women brought into political conversations (namely a feminist perspective and the ideas of bodily autonomy). The relationship between Wu Zetian and Qin Zheng highlighted the role of feminist communists in shaping theory, and also demonstrated their narrative roles as foils of each other (similar background, rage, desire for justice, strong spirit levels, etc). They are such similar characters that they could never truly work in close relationship because it requires trust and vulnerability neither is willing to give first, and that Qin Zheng especially is unwilling to meaningfully compromise with Zetian - he always has to ultimately be in power.

In particular, it was apparent to me that Qin Zheng did not appreciate the misogyny and sexism and how it intertwines with capitalism, and seemed almost intentionally oblivious to how it impacts people including Zetian who he allegedly loves/d. It especially made me dislike his character when he continually removed Zetian’s bodily autonomy and then seemed shocked that she didn’t trust him intimately? As if they aren’t linked? Still, the epilogue with Qin Zheng irritated me because while he was seen to be possessive, he did not necessarily negatively perceive women (and valued them for their ability to provide labour like men) and it seemed too complete a change for him to ‘suddenly understand feet binding’ and other methods of controlling women - as if his feelings being hurt justifies his complete ideological change about the value of labour that women can provide.

. Still an amazing read and I will be speeding through the next book when it comes it ! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pregnancy

missindyrose's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense slow-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: N/A

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, War

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

ali_k0's review against another edition

---

This book is enrapturing. It is terrifying. It is a car crash you can't help but watch and a murder that freezes your blood while you cheer for the murderer. I would say I couldn't put it down, but that's untrue. I threw it on my couch and ran laps around my house from the adrenaline it caused me. I was screaming in the drive through for in-n-out beside my mom. I was reading every word between the fingers I covered my eyes with and pausing for breaths at every turned page. I was scared to start every chapter for fear of what lied before me. This was the most stressful inducing book with some of the most complex characters I ever read. 

But I was also cheering, whooping with joy, crying from relief. I swooned at certain romantic lines (even when I was aware I *really* should not be, but Wu Zetian the women you ARE) and reveled at the characters vengeance. 

The author stings along your hopes, crushing them in one hand while reviving them in the other. They twist your view of the world in so many knots your as unsure of every step as the characters. It was thrilling.

I hadn't realized how much I've missed books that make me feel this way until I read Heavenly Tyrant. They are rare and brilliant and this is at the height of them. We had to wait a long time for the sequel to Iron Widow because of the industry, but this book is a testament to how good things are worth waiting for, and how revolution relies not just on violence, but the voices of artists to carry it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, War, Classism

Moderate: Genocide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Trafficking, Death of parent, Gaslighting

Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness

The authors own included Note on content warnings: "Please beware that this book contains violence and abuse, body horror, mass murder, toxic relationship dynamics, discussions of reproductive coercion, allusions to childhood sexual abuse, and references to mis- carriage, domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide. Although inspired by figures and events from across Chinese history, this book is not historical fiction, historical fantasy, or alternate history, but a futuristic story set in a science-fiction world entirely different from our own in the way that many sci-fi stories riff off of the Roman Empire. Historical figures are reimagined for the purpose of exploring the spirit they represented rather than accurately depicting their origi- nal life circumstances and upbringings. This book should not be taken as an educational guide in any way. To get an authentic view of history, please consult nonfiction sources. The fictionalized characters in this novel make many morally ques- tionable choices in the conditions unique to their world. Depictions do not equate to endorsement in real life, and parallels to reality should not be drawn without considering the impacts of the existence of fantasy plot devices such as Chrysalises." -Xiran Jay Zhao