Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Iron Widow - Seele in Ketten

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Iron Widow - Seele in Ketten by Xiran Jay Zhao

187 reviews

queer_archivist's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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: Complicated

An incredible sequel and book 2 of 3 in this incredible series. The heavy yet beautiful subjects addressed in this book has me hopeful and thoughtful in our progress forward in society. The mix of Chinese history through a modern lense is so expertly crafted. Highly recommend, but it is a book you will likely need breaks from. It is INTENSE. Easily one of the best book series I have ever read and I am new to the mech-battling genre!

Content Warnings

hannah_bug's review against another edition

4.0

This second book is much more well written than the first, I enjoyed the last 200 pages immensely. Zetian is everything I wanted Rin in The Poppy Wars to be. She struggles with her humanity and still doesn't come out perfect in the end. She makes mistake that hurt people, and has to live with the consequences. Yet she shoulders them and her own identity with pride, in the end. Shame is a large obstacle for her.

I will say, in its length, the plot becomes lost amongst the tumultuous political landscape. As an anthropology major, this book presents a stunning array of political and personal statements about power, truth, and suffering of humanity. It showed a very philosophical and well-read background from the author, who was able to build complex characters whom you still rooted for— despite the suffering endured, despite thinking in oppsing ways. In its essence, the book is about putting power back into the hands of people whom make up the community they serve. Nobody is correct, only striving to be better than the old regime that came before them.

As an aside, to the author: all those wonderful sensual scenes and you couldn't elaborate on the one thing you used to advertise this book to me?? I needed a longer pegging scene than a paragraph, love.

Content Warnings

lntubbs's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

This was rawr feminist badassery. The twist at the end was chef's kiss. I am still shook from it. Can't wait for the next book!

Content Warnings

loveat1stwrite's review against another edition

5.0

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

Content Warnings

curlyewe's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous fast-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

Zhao’s writing is fast-paced, griping, and cinematic. The series continues with Zetian stepping into the new rule of law and the power vacuum left by her path of destruction.

New love interests, conflicts and revelations made this a compelling sequel to Iron Widow.

I do think we hit a bit of information overload at the end, and I found some of the action at the end a bit hard to follow. But, overall, I enjoyed this second book and look forward to the third.

Content Warnings

katabthor's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

appleyreads's review against another edition

5.0

dark tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Book 9/30 for my youth fantasy literature class. Holy crap I LOVED this book. It was very long and I was totally hooked the entire time. I love how morally grey everyone in this book is, it's incredibly nuanced and well done.

When Yizhi did crazy shit I would put the book down and send a voice message to a friend of mine because I HAD to tell someone about it.

I did miss reckless wild Zetian but she was playing the long game and I was just so hyped to see how the book would end. The last 1/4 of the book went so hard, it picked up really fast and I absolutely cannot wait for book 3.

Also if SA/rape is a trigger for you, read my spoilers:

This book has an enemies with benefits thing going on, the first time they have sex it starts sort of without Zetian's consent but she decides to go with it to manipulate him. Later they have sex again but they very clearly establish boundaries and have discussions on safe words and similar things. I was worried that Zetian would be raped/sexually assaulted but the worst it gets is the first instance where it didn't super start with her consent but she decided to go with it. I wanted to explain fully what to look out for in case this is a trigger for you because I was worried. <3

If forced pregnancy is a trigger for you, read these spoilers:

There are many instances where characters talk about impregnating Zetian, but this does not happen. She eventually finds out that they stole eggs from her to put her egg and Qin Zheng's sperm into a different woman who consented to this happening, and at the end we find out that Yizhi tried to sabotage this procedure so it's likely not Zetian's baby but the woman who was impregnated's egg.

Content Warnings