Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Iron Widow - Seele in Ketten by Xiran Jay Zhao

162 reviews

kayoticreadz's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous funny 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Sexual content, Classism

sami_reading's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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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I have so many thoughts that I don’t even know where to start. There’s a lot of twists and betrayals, but also redemption arcs for several characters. The worldbuilding was really cool here, but there could have been more about the “heavenly court” and the lore there, but I assume there will be more in the next book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, War

Moderate: Chronic illness, Infertility, Sexual content, Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Gaslighting

cyberhavok's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, War

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual assault

jenzie1437's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional tense fast-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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A well written book focusing on traversing individual relationships and political landscapes.

The main character Zetian is an obviously flawed character who has risen from commoner prisoner to empress and now has to deal with balancing the politics of her new position as well as her relationship with the new emperor, while trying to protect the two men she loves (a polyamourous relationship).

While her going into a relationship with the emperor was not something I particularly enjoyed, I can see how this was done for political necessity and comfort. However, I truly despised his character from the start and this opinion has not changed, while I can see how a character put of time may face difficulties, it gave me little to no sympathy towards him (Although I suspect we were never meant to like him). 

I would have been interested to see Zetian fighting against true gods but I am curious to see where the third book will go in terms of introducing an intergalactic landscape and the challenges that come with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, War, Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation

Minor: Mental illness, Rape, Medical trauma

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark 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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I was hoping this would carry the energy of the predecessor novel but it needed to do a lot more set up. I do appreciate how our leading lady is still just as complicated and playing 4d chess while basically hopelessly outmatched by all the men around her.
It is set up to be at least a trilogy by the ending. I hope that the third book can regain the drive of Iron Widow while carrying any loose strings from Heavenly Tyrant. This IS a political intrigue novel- with exactly zero characters being wholly innocent. This is something some readers will find tiring.
I wish we had been able to spend more time with The Iron Widows, because the men were so ugh, ya know? But in a realistic 'yeah this is how a man grabbing for power is' way. 
I read this a chapter at a time over a long span and I recommend that or perhaps an audiobook edition. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Violence, War

Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, War

Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault

ddnreads's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring 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: No

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What the actual fck was that 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy

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

pipsipepsi's review against another edition

3.5

tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Wasn’t the best sequel to iron widow, which I absolutely loved, bit dull on its own but still a good read and a brilliant set up for the next book, very excited to continue the series!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship

Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Classism

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