Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Iron Widow - Seele in Ketten by Xiran Jay Zhao

74 reviews

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous tense fast-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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YES YES YES  🙌🏻 an excellent sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting

Moderate: Ableism, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Classism

zeros_and_ones's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark tense fast-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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Gaslighting

blackknight4449's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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A modern retelling that combines mecha-anime and historical China in a thrilling manner. I did not put this down after I passed page 200. I have never identified more with the protagonist and the antagonist at the same time for WILDLY different reasons. I have too much to say and too little time to say it. Suffice to say that this book goes above and beyond other similar science fiction of its type. It should have won the Hugo Award.   

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Hate crime, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse

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

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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. 

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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

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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

autumnxrose's review against another edition

3.75

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

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Heavenly Tyrant was a huge shift from Iron Widow. Going from the tender romance of the three in the first book to the

abusive and controlling relationship

in this one gave me whiplash. Seeing ideologies that I believe in be used by a tyrant was also jarring. All in all, the book was a good story on its own, but it took me a while to get on board with it after book one. I do like where it left off and how it is set up for the next book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

entropyseeker's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging inspiring tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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There is no freedom under subjugation!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even if some of the themes felt ham fisted, I think people need that. I loved how consistently those themes played into our MC's decisions and that this book was a turnaround from the frenzied actions of the first book. Excited for the third book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Trafficking

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

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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 ! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pregnancy