Scan barcode
andromeda_1998's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Iron widow is one of those books that I followed on TikTok while it wasn’t released yet and my anticipations were HIGH, for the record they records they were so ridiculously high that I waited months to read it. And while the book hasn’t let me down there are still some points about this that I wish where different.
Characters
Zutain is a very strong woman, who challenges the ideals of her whole society. She is strong minded, brazen and dangerous. It’s amazing! She is really morally grey and we all know that I love those kind of characters. The only thing I liked less was the relationship…. I wanted more, more moments of tenderness. One of the relationships was already a thing when the book started and the other was a complete 180 from the way she viewed this character when they met. We get some growth into there relationship but I would have liked to see more bounding moments.
Worldbuilding
This world is very Mecha, which is exactly how it is advertised, but with a lot of story outside of the Mecha. The strong feminist take on these kinds of storylines makes it refreshing. I would have loved more detailed worldbuilding. It feels like I only know the basics at this point, which is fine if book two dives deeper into it.
Story
The story of a girl who wants to break the world and reshape it to her ideals. She wants a life where her value isn’t measured by her looks and her worth as a wife. Which is understandable and valued in every way. As a reader we also read a lot about her bound feet and the values she learned as a child. This is also a story about polyamory and that was one of the aspects that made we want to read this book. I don’t know if the representation is done well but I hope it was.
I hope you will read it to. I especially recommend this book to lovers of the Mecha genre and anime lovers.
Characters
Zutain is a very strong woman, who challenges the ideals of her whole society. She is strong minded, brazen and dangerous. It’s amazing! She is really morally grey and we all know that I love those kind of characters. The only thing I liked less was the relationship…. I wanted more, more moments of tenderness. One of the relationships was already a thing when the book started and the other was a complete 180 from the way she viewed this character when they met. We get some growth into there relationship but I would have liked to see more bounding moments.
Worldbuilding
This world is very Mecha, which is exactly how it is advertised, but with a lot of story outside of the Mecha. The strong feminist take on these kinds of storylines makes it refreshing. I would have loved more detailed worldbuilding. It feels like I only know the basics at this point, which is fine if book two dives deeper into it.
Story
The story of a girl who wants to break the world and reshape it to her ideals. She wants a life where her value isn’t measured by her looks and her worth as a wife. Which is understandable and valued in every way. As a reader we also read a lot about her bound feet and the values she learned as a child. This is also a story about polyamory and that was one of the aspects that made we want to read this book. I don’t know if the representation is done well but I hope it was.
I hope you will read it to. I especially recommend this book to lovers of the Mecha genre and anime lovers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and War
miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
Absolutely recommend, the characters and the vibes were immaculate. But i did think sometimes at the expense of the plot, idk i think somethings could have been much clearer, <SPOILERS>
like the torture scene? We just jumped into that? I wanted more info? Like i wanted to be there when u made the plan but suddenly u just,, had him? Ok
‘You cannot appease someone into loving or respecting you’
like the torture scene? We just jumped into that? I wanted more info? Like i wanted to be there when u made the plan but suddenly u just,, had him? Ok
‘You cannot appease someone into loving or respecting you’
‘Just because you have the capacity to do something for someone, doesn’t mean you have the obligation to’
‘This body of mine is not big enough to contain the scale of emotion coursing through me. How could I feel a rage like this and not be able to tear the sky open and scorch the Earth’
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War
storykath's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
In a futuristic war, male pilots operate gigantic mechas with energy provided by female concubines, often resulting in the concubines' deaths. When Wu Zetian becomes a concubine with the intent of avenging her sister's death, her power and tenacity take the army by storm.
I'm still so conflicted about what I think of this book. The idea of it, and many of the tropes, are fascinating and engaging. I wanted to love the hints of Zetian's corruption arc, the challenging of a long-held system, the magical elements of qi and Chrysalises and Hunduns.
But I just didn't love them. The execution of the plot and character arcs did not strike a chord with me. I felt like I barely understood the magic/qi system, with the five elements and spirit armor and such, and everything that happened felt pretty unbelievable, except I had no basis to refute it thanks to not having a solid grasp of the world itself. This book tried to fit so much into it, and my impression is that the quality of the story and its themes is degraded as a result.
This is a very #girlpower book, which is not a problem in and of itself, but it got to the point where I was rolling my eyes at Zetian's stilted words of empowerment. I find it hard to believe that an uneducated teenage girl in a violently patriarchal society would be able to so effortlessly analyze the roots of misogyny and discrimination, no matter how outspoken and clever she is. She always seems to figure out everything right away and always make the best possible decision.
Along the same lines, the characters are all very black or white. While the 'good guys' do some morally questionable things, it's all for the 'greater good' and is justified without anyone feeling conflicted about it. The 'bad guys' are wholly unlikeable, with no motivations beyond selfishness and greed. If the 'good guys' appear to have any flaws to begin with, they're later waved away through exposition of their trauma, or the revelation that they actually had good intentions. I was annoyed by the protagonists' moral untouchability, and I was desperate for them to have any actual flaws that wouldn't be explained away or that would have actual consequences for them. The only exceptions to the black-and-white characterization might be some of the pilots and their partners, like Qieluo, but with the rapid pace and jam-packed storytelling, we hardly get to focus on them.
To be fair, I made it about halfway through the book before all of these problems really started to wear on me - I had hope in the first half that the plot would pick up and that I'd get to know the characters and the world better. My hopes were disappointed, but I was far enough in that I forced myself to finish it. The conclusion and epilogue did hook me, so I might try the next book in the series at some point, but I don't expect to be blown away.
Also, like, triple check the content warnings on this one, because it does get pretty dark and gruesome.
I'm still so conflicted about what I think of this book. The idea of it, and many of the tropes, are fascinating and engaging. I wanted to love the hints of Zetian's corruption arc, the challenging of a long-held system, the magical elements of qi and Chrysalises and Hunduns.
But I just didn't love them. The execution of the plot and character arcs did not strike a chord with me. I felt like I barely understood the magic/qi system, with the five elements and spirit armor and such, and everything that happened felt pretty unbelievable, except I had no basis to refute it thanks to not having a solid grasp of the world itself. This book tried to fit so much into it, and my impression is that the quality of the story and its themes is degraded as a result.
This is a very #girlpower book, which is not a problem in and of itself, but it got to the point where I was rolling my eyes at Zetian's stilted words of empowerment. I find it hard to believe that an uneducated teenage girl in a violently patriarchal society would be able to so effortlessly analyze the roots of misogyny and discrimination, no matter how outspoken and clever she is. She always seems to figure out everything right away and always make the best possible decision.
Along the same lines, the characters are all very black or white. While the 'good guys' do some morally questionable things, it's all for the 'greater good' and is justified without anyone feeling conflicted about it. The 'bad guys' are wholly unlikeable, with no motivations beyond selfishness and greed. If the 'good guys' appear to have any flaws to begin with, they're later waved away through exposition of their trauma, or the revelation that they actually had good intentions. I was annoyed by the protagonists' moral untouchability, and I was desperate for them to have any actual flaws that wouldn't be explained away or that would have actual consequences for them. The only exceptions to the black-and-white characterization might be some of the pilots and their partners, like Qieluo, but with the rapid pace and jam-packed storytelling, we hardly get to focus on them.
To be fair, I made it about halfway through the book before all of these problems really started to wear on me - I had hope in the first half that the plot would pick up and that I'd get to know the characters and the world better. My hopes were disappointed, but I was far enough in that I forced myself to finish it. The conclusion and epilogue did hook me, so I might try the next book in the series at some point, but I don't expect to be blown away.
Also, like, triple check the content warnings on this one, because it does get pretty dark and gruesome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Ableism and Child abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gore, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jules_07's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Sexual assault, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Biphobia
kathleencoughlin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow, amazing! I need the next one now!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, and Homophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse, Vomit, and Death of parent
dice_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
teaforazathoth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Very well written story that takes heavy influence from Chinese literature, history, mythology, culture etc. It's also filled with criticism of women's treatment as second class citizens. While the concept of giant mechas fighting aliens soubds silly and lighthearted this is a book with darker themes. The protagonist is definitely not a hero and that makes this an amazing read. I usually don't enjoy books written from first person view but this was an exception.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia
gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
5.0
I AM SCREAMING. This book was, no IS, so amazing. It is the first book that made me not want to read the ending because then there would be no more. Spoiler I read the ending and love this book. I was screaming through out the ending, especially in part 4.
The plot, characters, the twists and turns, and everything in between is just so well done that I can't even begin to describe it. This book is not for the faint of heart or those who do not like morally grey characters. It covers some heavy topics and themes in ways that can seem extreme at times.
As main characters go we have Zetian who is unapologetically anger with the world she is in and the part she has to play as a women. She uses that anger to get vengeance and demand change. I related to her a lot with the anger and injustice as a women working in STEM. I face those issues daily in my workplace and have to shout and screaming to be heard and not talked over.
Some might say we are following an antagonistic, but I think we are just following a normal person who has been pushed to the edge thanks to injustice in their world. I think a lot of people can relate to that.
The plot was also not where or what I was expecting it to be when I started reading, and I'm so happy it wasn't as this is so much more. As it is a fast paced book it feels like things are happening all the time and a lot happens within these 400 pages, but not of it feels out of place, forced, or not giving enough attention.
From Zetian killing Yang Guang in part 1, which had me screaming and cheering especially at that "welcome to your nightmare" line. Gold. Pure fucking gold. The beautiful relationship and development between Zetian, Sima Yi, and Yizhi was so well written and felt so natural, and then the ending of part 3 and all of part 4. I just couldn't at Sima Yi's "death" and then the resurrection of Emperor Qin Zheng and really just all of part 4 had me screaming as I was reading. Pretty sure my neighbours think I've been murdered about four times now.
This book deserves all the praise and hype it is given and so much more. I will never hesitate to recommend people to read this book. If you are on the fence about it this is your message to read it. You will not regret it.
The plot, characters, the twists and turns, and everything in between is just so well done that I can't even begin to describe it. This book is not for the faint of heart or those who do not like morally grey characters. It covers some heavy topics and themes in ways that can seem extreme at times.
As main characters go we have Zetian who is unapologetically anger with the world she is in and the part she has to play as a women. She uses that anger to get vengeance and demand change. I related to her a lot with the anger and injustice as a women working in STEM. I face those issues daily in my workplace and have to shout and screaming to be heard and not talked over.
Some might say we are following an antagonistic, but I think we are just following a normal person who has been pushed to the edge thanks to injustice in their world. I think a lot of people can relate to that.
The plot was also not where or what I was expecting it to be when I started reading, and I'm so happy it wasn't as this is so much more. As it is a fast paced book it feels like things are happening all the time and a lot happens within these 400 pages, but not of it feels out of place, forced, or not giving enough attention.
This book deserves all the praise and hype it is given and so much more. I will never hesitate to recommend people to read this book. If you are on the fence about it this is your message to read it. You will not regret it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual violence and Kidnapping
schnaucl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
I really liked it and I'm looking forward to the next one.
I'm ignorant of the historical background, and the author says in the beginning it's not really an alternate history although it sounds like it's partly inspired by a historical figure.
It's definitely based on a culture that's different from my own (I don't mean the internal and external misogyny). I'm talking about the yin/yang and five elements of the magic system. I briefly wondered why you couldn't have pilots of the same gender for example, then realized that the yin/yang balance was the explanation.
The world Zhao created is interesting and I'm really looking forward to learning more.
I was a little bit distracted in the beginning by a couple of word choices (ached where pained was the word I would have expected, for example) but it only happened a few times and I got over it.
The description of how Wu's feet were crushed was brutal. I remember seeing pictures and x-rays of a woman's bound feet in a course in college and it was horrifying. I'm glad it wasn't just mentioned at the beginning and then never raised an issue again. It makes sense that it would be something Wu constantly thinks about since it would obviously impact her daily living.
I did wonder about the "gods" even before the end. For one thing it's interesting that no one seems to pray for an individual thing (e.g. not to be sold as a pilot concubine or to do well in battle or even just to make pain stop. Maybe it's because they have proof gods are real and they don't really interfere on that level or maybe that's just another cultural difference). I really want to know what they use the husks for. Presumably the "gods" are in fact, other humans, maybe from a more advanced society.
I liked the triad of Wu, Yizhi and Shimin and I liked that there didn't seem to be jealousy once they all got to know each other, just love.
Shimin was a really interesting character and I liked that Wu slowly got to see more of who he really was. The idea that he was a beautiful artist was a nice (and tragic) touch. I'm really sorry he died. Given that this is a science-fiction book and we don't really know the rules, I don't know if he can actually be brought back or not but I have a feeling he wouldn't be the same even if he could be. But it's hard to know what the cultural/religious/psychological impact of such a thing would be.
I was glad we got to see some some boys who objected to the sacrifice of girl pilots. I think Wu thinks that revealing the truth about the pilot seats will spark a change but I don't think that's right (and given the world Zhao created, my guess is they don't believe it either). There's a lot riding on the status quo. Boys are more prized than girls, selling girls as concubine pilots brings in money to further advance boys. Boys presumably carry on the family name in a way that girls don't. I think it will certainly spark some people (of all genders) to revolt but I don't think society-wide reform is going to happen overnight. And if the knowledge that in fact they are the invaders on the planet becomes public knowledge that may cause things to be upended even more quickly. Of course, that raises all kinds of questions. It doesn't sound like the population was aware there were other populated planets which has all kinds of implications, as does the fact that it seems like Hunden are sentient and can communicate verbally as well as through feelings (something that so far has been ignored but presumably will play a role later on). I'm also curious about Yizhi's tattoos.
Interesting world, interesting characters. More please!
I'm ignorant of the historical background, and the author says in the beginning it's not really an alternate history although it sounds like it's partly inspired by a historical figure.
It's definitely based on a culture that's different from my own (I don't mean the internal and external misogyny). I'm talking about the yin/yang and five elements of the magic system. I briefly wondered why you couldn't have pilots of the same gender for example, then realized that the yin/yang balance was the explanation.
The world Zhao created is interesting and I'm really looking forward to learning more.
The description of how Wu's feet were crushed was brutal. I remember seeing pictures and x-rays of a woman's bound feet in a course in college and it was horrifying. I'm glad it wasn't just mentioned at the beginning and then never raised an issue again. It makes sense that it would be something Wu constantly thinks about since it would obviously impact her daily living.
I did wonder about the "gods" even before the end. For one thing it's interesting that no one seems to pray for an individual thing (e.g. not to be sold as a pilot concubine or to do well in battle or even just to make pain stop. Maybe it's because they have proof gods are real and they don't really interfere on that level or maybe that's just another cultural difference). I really want to know what they use the husks for. Presumably the "gods" are in fact, other humans, maybe from a more advanced society.
I liked the triad of Wu, Yizhi and Shimin and I liked that there didn't seem to be jealousy once they all got to know each other, just love.
Shimin was a really interesting character and I liked that Wu slowly got to see more of who he really was. The idea that he was a beautiful artist was a nice (and tragic) touch. I'm really sorry he died. Given that this is a science-fiction book and we don't really know the rules, I don't know if he can actually be brought back or not but I have a feeling he wouldn't be the same even if he could be. But it's hard to know what the cultural/religious/psychological impact of such a thing would be.
I was glad we got to see some some boys who objected to the sacrifice of girl pilots. I think Wu thinks that revealing the truth about the pilot seats will spark a change but I don't think that's right (and given the world Zhao created, my guess is they don't believe it either). There's a lot riding on the status quo. Boys are more prized than girls, selling girls as concubine pilots brings in money to further advance boys. Boys presumably carry on the family name in a way that girls don't. I think it will certainly spark some people (of all genders) to revolt but I don't think society-wide reform is going to happen overnight. And if the knowledge that in fact they are the invaders on the planet becomes public knowledge that may cause things to be upended even more quickly. Of course, that raises all kinds of questions. It doesn't sound like the population was aware there were other populated planets which has all kinds of implications, as does the fact that it seems like Hunden are sentient and can communicate verbally as well as through feelings (something that so far has been ignored but presumably will play a role later on). I'm also curious about Yizhi's tattoos.
Interesting world, interesting characters. More please!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Death of parent
pastelkerstin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
(Definitely look at content warnings for this book. It is dark. So dark that I'm questioning whether it should have been marketed as adult instead of YA.)
Here are two facts about my experience reading this book:
1) I fundamentally disagree with the moral framework for justice that the main characters use (revenge as the response to injustice).
2) I found this book gripping despite that.
Some people hold the view that to like a book with flawed characters means that you agree with everything they do, but I think that's a ridiculous way to view fiction.
Yes, I think Zetian's methods are unethical. But no, that doesn't mean that this book ruins the perception of real-world feminism. Zetian is flawed, hypocritical at times, and cruel. But it's also very clear that she became this way because of the deeply oppressive misogynist society she lives in. She's the monster the world forced her to be if she wants to survive. She's not your perfect feminist icon, who is a good example for children, because she is a fictional character in a very specific world with very specific circumstances, some of them based on actual historical (and on-going) women's rights issues, and some of them entirely fictional. Let female characters be fucked up sometimes!
That's all I have to say on that. Additional thoughts: I wish this book slowed down more often to give you a bit more breathing room between so many tough scenes. I also think those "breaks" could have been used to flesh out the relationships more. I was definitely rooting for these three, but a lot of their falling for each other seems to happen in the in-betweens that we don't get to see. Nevertheless, I think having more canon polyamorous relationships in traditionally published books is really important. The polya rep is one of the main reasons I read this book. I think polya triads where everyone is dating each other allow for very interesting character dynamics.
Another thing I struggled a bit with was not letting the combination of traditional and at times conservative elements and futuristic sci-fi tech break my suspension of disbelief. Some parts of this world seem so very old and then others are so futuristic. I know this is deliberate. It's what makes this world-building pretty unique. But it can feel a bit disorienting at times.
All right, that's all. I'm very interested to see where the sequel will go.
Here are two facts about my experience reading this book:
1) I fundamentally disagree with the moral framework for justice that the main characters use (revenge as the response to injustice).
2) I found this book gripping despite that.
Some people hold the view that to like a book with flawed characters means that you agree with everything they do, but I think that's a ridiculous way to view fiction.
Yes, I think Zetian's methods are unethical. But no, that doesn't mean that this book ruins the perception of real-world feminism. Zetian is flawed, hypocritical at times, and cruel. But it's also very clear that she became this way because of the deeply oppressive misogynist society she lives in. She's the monster the world forced her to be if she wants to survive. She's not your perfect feminist icon, who is a good example for children, because she is a fictional character in a very specific world with very specific circumstances, some of them based on actual historical (and on-going) women's rights issues, and some of them entirely fictional. Let female characters be fucked up sometimes!
That's all I have to say on that. Additional thoughts: I wish this book slowed down more often to give you a bit more breathing room between so many tough scenes. I also think those "breaks" could have been used to flesh out the relationships more. I was definitely rooting for these three, but a lot of their falling for each other seems to happen in the in-betweens that we don't get to see. Nevertheless, I think having more canon polyamorous relationships in traditionally published books is really important. The polya rep is one of the main reasons I read this book. I think polya triads where everyone is dating each other allow for very interesting character dynamics.
Another thing I struggled a bit with was not letting the combination of traditional and at times conservative elements and futuristic sci-fi tech break my suspension of disbelief. Some parts of this world seem so very old and then others are so futuristic. I know this is deliberate. It's what makes this world-building pretty unique. But it can feel a bit disorienting at times.
All right, that's all. I'm very interested to see where the sequel will go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death and Medical content
Minor: Biphobia, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
allonormativity/implied asexual erasure, implied intersex erasure, implied transphobia