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Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, Pregnancy, War
Minor: Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Most of this book is just speeches and telling, not showing, what happens with Qin Zheng now that he is back as emperor of Huxia- after the events of the last book when Zetian frees him. He’s terrible. He’s a tyrant. It’s a warning about what happens when men do terrible things in the name of the "greater good." There’s some sexual content that is coercive and felt like it could have been handled better as subject matter.
The only truly interesting stuff in this SFF novel happens in the last 100 pages. The rest feels like poorly written leftist monologues pasted over a weak semblance of a plot that completely undermines the spirit of what the main characters worked toward in the first book. I say this as someone who is fairly liberal, but there’s a difference between portraying these beliefs meaningfully and cramming half-page Tumblr-style rants into the mouths of side characters.
Zetian spends the whole book suffering. Again. Great. We don’t get to see her do much of what she excels at—she’s literally forced to play a role for propaganda.
I’m honestly shocked this made it through an editor’s hands and got approved, especially with the run-on monologues, poor pacing, extra characters, and more.
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia, Suicide
Graphic: Sexual content
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
The story of Heavenly Tyrant follows immediately after the end of Iron Widow, as the characters deal with the consequences of their actions.
The book spends more time describing the characters' activities and their conversations than the first one. This was a good choice as so much happens in such a short time in Iron Widow that you are left reeling and rather overwhelmed, even after a second read-through. Spending more time with the characters in moments of less action also allowed for more nuance when expressing their ideals and different points of view.
Xiran Jay Zhao is able to explore complex themes in a nuanced and multifaceted way and I can't wait to read more of their work.
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Miscarriage, Torture, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Pregnancy
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism