Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

92 reviews

storyorc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

A bold villain origin story. Zetian is like Magneto in that her grievances are absolutely valid and she has absolutely run out of mercy. So many times in this book, a hero would have found a less lethal solution, an antihero would have reached some troubling compromise with the Man, but Zetian chooses violence. It's shocking and it's fun.

For as fresh as the content feels, this book's form needed further drafts. Structurally, it resembles an RP where you have a handful of dramatic set-pieces in mind and speedrun/hand-wave everything in-between. At one point, an entire kidnapping is explained like a Cliff's Notes plot summary, teleporting us in one paragraph from the scene where the idea is hatched to them having the victim at their mercy. Converting some of the internal monologue into description of how Zetian experiences events would help us reach her conclusions with her rather than be told them.

Zetian's thoughts do occasionally touch on the nuances of feminism - for example, can a woman consider herself empowered and still rely on men? - but overwhelmingly she drives home the simple need for liberation from Huaxia's oppressive culture. She is neither subtle nor tactful in this, but she is also not wrong. I would however like to see her find value in other named female characters instead of only defending 'girls' in the abstract. Or be confronted with her hypocrisy.

I don't have any analysis on these final aspects but shout out to:

• Everyone being bi unless stated otherwise
• The horrifically efficient use of concubines as batteries
• Rong Fu's terrifying raspy voice for a certain something at the end of the audiobook
• Mecha themed around Chinese legendary creatures!
• "A triangle is the strongest shape"
• Inspiring me to seek out Chinese harem drama
• Performing CPR on Pacific Rim's outrageously slept-on concept of drift compatibility

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Gore, Racism, Rape, Sexism, and Slavery

madeleinemae05's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Devastating and I loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Torture, Suicide, and Slavery

beucleral's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Murder

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, War, Torture, Slavery, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement

Minor: Pregnancy and Rape

geekmom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, and Slavery

char_002's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War

lucywae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and War

goosegrimm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

Really direct and engaging, I very much liked the author's voice. They are very skilled at getting you inside of the heads of the characters. Well worth the read and I am excited to see how they develop. I am impressed that this is their first work of published fiction and yet they've managed to create such an engaging world. Highly recommend for fellow readers of Tasymin Muir's work and people who appreciate a dark story.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Abandonment, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual content

Be warned, this book is serious when talking about institutionalized misogyny and all of the ways it can be taken to its extremes. There is ALOT of death in this book. It is treated as seriously as death and violence should be. If you are sensitive to violence, especially gendered violence, please review the content warnings carefully before picking up this book.

lucystolethesky's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence

Moderate: Colonisation, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Cursing, Chronic illness, Bullying, and Body shaming

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Homophobia

sodafer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

such a captivating story, I couldn’t put it down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Ableism, War, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Slavery, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Rape