Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Iron Widow - Seele in Ketten by Xiran Jay Zhao

163 reviews

wendylcallahan's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark reflective tense medium-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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What a wild ride for book 2! Looking forward to book 3 and where the story goes next.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Colonisation, War

Minor: Child death

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

mzjuli3's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I was very ready to find out what the firey Iron Maiden would be up to next. She goes through quite a lot of emotions that don’t make sense to me or her, but I enjoyed the journey as she tried to figure out how to accomplish her goals. I didn’t care for the ending, and we’ll have to wait for the next book to find a conclusion 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, War

Minor: Pregnancy

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

clockwork118's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 67%

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Did not like the book at all. 
The political commentary/education was as heavy handed as can be.

While preaching rights for workers, innocent people get murdered for being against the new regime. Encouraging people to denounce their neighbours or be killed is horryfing and for me was treated as a background detail, as long as it didn't affect Zetian personally.

I hated the development in the relationship between Zheng and Zetian.

the sex scenes and the pregnancy plotline (unconsented removal of Zetians eggs and impregnation of a surrogate) made me dnf

In the beginning while unconcious and not consenting Zetian gets surgery to repair her bound feet and to remove her bodyhair (because she is prettier without).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault, Pregnancy

caseythereader's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Torture, Pregnancy

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

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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

nusaybahjones's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The most intriguing part of this book was the political discourse and the gradual rebuilding of the empire they crumbled. Wu Zetian and Qin Zheng's relationship is the definition of "It's Complicated". The ending left me wanting to see how the rest of the series will close, and if their entire world, and perhaps the universe, will change for the better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship