Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

131 reviews

o_u_nico's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

readingelli's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-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

A fantastic debut. Well written, imaginative, had me hooked from the first page. I loved the overturn of classic tropes, such as

making a love triangle a polyamorous triad

. 
I am really interested to see where the author will take the next book, especially as Zetian is extremely femmephobic and rejects female companionship. Is this a product of the setting? Is it a product of their complicated feelings about their own gender? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gore, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Xenophobia and Medical content

bluehairedlibrarian's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is BRILLIANT! I screamed “WHAT??!!” and nearly flailed myself out of my chair when I read the second to last page. I love that the main character has nothing to lose and total murderous rage against the patriarchy. I’m still flailing too much to rationally write a review. Just read it! It’s so much fun. The characters are so refreshing, not being “chosen ones” and allowing them to be messy and angry and violent in a violent world. Wow, I loved this so much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

12dejamoo's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.5

There was so much about this book that I loved and also quite a bit that I felt pretty ambivalent about. I don't read a lot of fantasy, so this is definitely different for me, but I did enjoy it a lot. I liked the concepts and the feminism. The fact that the main character's feet are bound create this very interesting character in terms of a fantasy - normally these heroines are running all about and Zeitan cannot run. I think that's super interesting and a new aspect to explore. The end was grand and exciting but it also took a darker turn. I'll defo be interested in reading the next one, just because I don't really know how it's going to all go down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and War

Minor: Body horror, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

aplanetarymind's review against another edition

challenging emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

Easily one of my favourite books I've read for a while, certainly up there in the favourites ever list. The concept was intriguing, and exceptionally well executed with a truly immersing attention to detail, and the characters... they were really something. Complex, undoubtedly, but they felt so alive, particularly emotionally and in their relationships with other characters (for me probably the most important parts). This book not only got me out of my reading slump, it had me gasping, groaning, laughing, commenting aloud and having to pause in tension before diving back in. It is no exaggeration to say that I need the next installment immediately.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Xenophobia and Sexual harassment

rhiannonaradia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

A wonderful, chaotic, convention breaking feminist sci-fi fantasy 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Torture, and Colonisation

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

helen_coats's review against another edition

emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Sexual violence

arttichokedipp's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

5.0

First book of the year, first 5-star of the year.

This is everything. Everything I find wrong with YA, gone. Everything I dislike about fantasy, gone. Everything I dislike about scifi, gone. Only the good parts remain and it is so, SO good.

Particularly, for those who have negative feelings about love triangles, never fear.

I hate love triangles because things would be so easy if they ended in polyamory half the time that it would cut the book in half. This one? THIS ONE DOES. Not only does the girl get with both guys, who are totally cool with that, but they get together as well. The triangle is the strongest shape, as you'll see.

My only complaint is there's a sort of "bury your gays" situation, but I'm hoping based on the epilogue that it's not permanent.

10/10, I'm so glad I stumbled upon their YouTube videos and decided to pick up their book when it came out.

(Edited because I messed up their pronouns. So sorry!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, and Xenophobia

Minor: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Gore, Trafficking, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

There is allusion to intersexism, in that it's rumoured that intersex people may exist but they're not taught about and the narrator speculates on how they may be mistreated for being born different.

v_neptune's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

holy fucking shit

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Xenophobia, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

this book is good but intense. even though i'm someone who usually avoids a lot of the topics i've listed here, i loved this book and i think these topics were represented in a way that wasn't very triggering for me

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, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, and War

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

Minor: Rape and Pregnancy