Reviews tagging 'War'

Iron Widow - Seele in Ketten by Xiran Jay Zhao

197 reviews

richy_qu33r_readzz's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional reflective 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

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It was a lot more hetero (romance??) than I expected. Would have loved to see more about qi & training the pilots, tho there was a fair amount all at once. The character arcs, while frustrating at times, make sense. I wasn’t sure where this book would go but I’m here for the communist revolution. Glad it stayed believably messy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, War

Minor: Trafficking

teyn's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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Loved this! It reminded me a bit of Brandon Sanderson's Skyward series but with all my own political leanings. I'm obsessed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, War

Moderate: Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Confinement, Forced institutionalization

perfectcupoftea's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I think this book is more up the alley of political science students than fans of big fighting robots. Kind of disappointing after how good Iron Widow was. I finished IW in like 2 days because it was great, full of action and fast paced. Heavenly Tyrant was much slower paced comparatively and the action was very spaced out between long bits about government and politics. I thought the relationships between the characters were interesting, but the pacing just threw me off too much; I guess I’m just not a fan of slow plots. The ending was quite exciting and hopefully a third book will find a good middle ground between the action and slower paced political strategies. Looking forward to the next one. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Alcohol

kimmychii5's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

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: Toxic relationship, Classism

Moderate: Death, Grief, War

Minor: Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy

ironcheerio's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Loved it! Not as much action as the first book, more political intrigued. Very socially relevant. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy, War

kukazashi's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Rape, Self harm

that_brish's review against another edition

2.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I’m  adding this to my list of sequels that did not go where I expected. I thought this was going to be a duology and it very much was not. Sometimes it read like a socialism 101 diatribe. And then the world building got MASSIVELY out of hand. Was I glued to my seat? Yea. Did I have a good time? Ummm

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, War

Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual violence, Trafficking

Content warning tags likely incomplete

dandelionsteph's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

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I'd give it more if not for the sex scenes. Yes, it's the will of the author, but I didn't like them. I don't like when book series that don't start with romantic/sexual elements end up getting them later. When I realized it would get extreme, I simply skipped over them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Sexual harassment, War

Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Alcohol

Ooh boy. The first book had only a little sexual content that was easy to brush off, but this has three lengthy sex scenes. Xiran Jay Zhao wasn't kidding when they said the second book would be more obviously for adults. The scene where Qin Zheng gets Wu Zetian drunk to copulate with her is downplayed: the "wine" was just lychee juice with ginger. (Zetian noticed the wine was "weaker" than wine she had drank before.) The rape isn't "standard rape", but the dynamics are close enough I'll classify it as rape anyway, for lack of a better warning.

durramonchi's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol

Minor: Rape

sallybugg's review against another edition

2.0

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-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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I was excited to read this book because the first was such an interesting concept. But this book hits you over the head continuously with its political views. I don't mind a strong political message but this took it to another level where the story takes a back seat to propaganda style writing. I feel like it also limits some character development. The last five hours of the book are the most interesting and for a 21 hour book that kinda sucks. I wanted more of the sci Fi and fantasy and less of the restructuring government. Also the main character is still insufferable and seems to grow some only to then throw herself backwards. P.s. once my partner talked about some similarities to Pacific Rim I couldn't see past that either. Overall I will read the third one, but I hope it's more story driven. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, War