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"They tell me you are vulgar, dangerous, bloodthirsty, self-absorbed, manipulative, and all-around, affront to sensibility. What do you have to say for yourself, Wu Zetian?
Yes, that's pretty much who I am. Still want to marry me, Your Majesty?"
Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao is book two in the Iron Widow series. I have been waiting so long for this book, and it did not disappoint! There is so much female rage in this, just like in book one, but this time it's much more politically focused. This was a very long book, but it kept my attention the whole time. Possible spoilers for book one ahead.
We pick up with Zetian after the events of book one, and she finds herself to have inadvertently started a revolution by waking Emperor Qin Zheng. Now Zetian has to live with the choices she has made and the people she has killed to get here. We find that despite her justifiable rage against the establishment, Zetian is quite naive about what happens after you topple a government and what it actually takes to have power and rule a country. We see her very unhealthy relationship with Qin Zheng, and the heartbreak and betrayal she endures from someone she loves.
Absolutely so much happened in this book, it's impossible to summarize it all. We get way more on the political side of things in this book as we see Zetian learning more about how government works and learns about the laborist movement. I have such complicated feelings about Qin Zheng, because one the one hand, he and Zetian's relationship is extremely toxic and he's definitely a dick, but on the other hand, he has some fairly progressive political ideas. Don't get me wrong, Zetian is also extremely toxic to Zheng as well. We learn so much more about the Hunduns and about the gods in the Heavenly Court. Some wild stuff happens at the end that leaves us on a cliffhanger about Shimin.
I'm so mad we had to wait so long for this book, and now I have to wait again for book three! 😭 I just want these characters to be happy. I loved this book, this series is definitely a favorite. Many tabs were used in the reading of this book.
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Medical content, Colonisation
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 ending of book 1 truly shook things up for this world, and therefore the start of this book mainly focusses on Zetian, as well as the reader, getting used to this new normal plus setting up the new political system. I overall think the transition into these massive changes was just extremely well executed. As I mentioned before this book is A LOT of political intrigue. That personally is something I like in books so I had a blast. I feel like Xiran Jay Zhao clearly has such a strong grip on her world, and I loved seeing everything unfold, and seeing all the different moves the different characters made to get their shit done. It was just so incredibly well written, and it truly had me shocked at times as I too was fooled by some character's moves.
Zetian in this book is incredible though. We also spend quite a lot of time with Zetian just learning a lot of things she wasn't able to before because previously she was kept from education. I truly liked that she acknowledged she didn't know everything, and took the effort to learn because she saw it as something that could only help her forward. And it did! As Zetian learns more it's clear in the narrative that she just becomes stronger in this political game everyone is playing. It was great to see that developement throughout the book.
The plot was also just so good. I was captivated from beginning to end, and I just didn't want to put this book down. Despite not being as action packed, this definitely was still as much of a ride as book one was, just in a different way. It truly made me feel ALL the emotions, and the expansion we got on the world was also incredibly interesting. Overall this book went in so many different directions I didn't see coming but I still had a fantastic time with. The only complaint I have is that I need the next book like almost immediately because that ending was BRUTAL.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage
I enjoyed Zetian's relationship with a few of the female characters in this novel, but feel like the feminine rage that I loved in IW was tempered in this one, aside from her sparring with Qin Zheng.
I thought her grief over both Shiming and destruction of the Palace of Sages was pervasive, which felt genuine.
Graphic: Medical content, Pregnancy, War
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Misogyny
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting
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: Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Abortion, Pregnancy
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, War, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Xenophobia, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Classism
Minor: Mass/school shootings