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kristenityyy's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism
Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Grief, Body shaming, Homophobia, and Gun violence
jonghyun4life's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Sexism
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Torture
Minor: Body shaming and Sexual harassment
mars_loves_books's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, War, Violence, Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
Moderate: Rape
moonsongsiren's review
I was going to write a much more in depth review of this book, but seeing how i dnf’d at 174 pages i don’t think i’m fully qualified to do so. i went into this book with high expectations, and was prepared for an exciting and compelling story. i was not met with such a story.
the main character is not complex, she is unlikable, and incredibly misogynistic to the girls around her. her love interests at the point i stopped reading were.. mediocre. she is poor “representation” if you can even call her that, but i understand and appreciate that this book was written with a LOT of heart and a LOT of effort was put into it. But that does not make a good story.
What was truly the last straw for me was the main character forcing herself upon one of her love interests (does not, at any point ask him for consent, and he even tells her to stop and wait and she does not comply). To me, that sends the exact opposite message that the book was trying to send.
Over all, EXTREMELY disappointing. i would not recommend this to anyone, there is simply too much it is lacking. but for a debut novel that was clearly a loved passion project, it serves that purpose.
it is self indulgent for the author, it has a very bare bones emotion that drives the story, and it barely scratches the surface of the message it WANTS to convey.
the main character is not complex, she is unlikable, and incredibly misogynistic to the girls around her. her love interests at the point i stopped reading were.. mediocre. she is poor “representation” if you can even call her that, but i understand and appreciate that this book was written with a LOT of heart and a LOT of effort was put into it. But that does not make a good story.
What was truly the last straw for me was the main character forcing herself upon one of her love interests (does not, at any point ask him for consent, and he even tells her to stop and wait and she does not comply). To me, that sends the exact opposite message that the book was trying to send.
Over all, EXTREMELY disappointing. i would not recommend this to anyone, there is simply too much it is lacking. but for a debut novel that was clearly a loved passion project, it serves that purpose.
it is self indulgent for the author, it has a very bare bones emotion that drives the story, and it barely scratches the surface of the message it WANTS to convey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexism, Child death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Genocide, Bullying, Murder, Gore, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, War, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
sleeping_roses's review
adventurous
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? Yes
4.5
She actually did a proper love triangle! Not just an angle like most other 'love triangle' books. Also I love the way all 3 main characters complement an contrast one another.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Violence, Physical abuse, Addiction, Murder, Misogyny, Alcoholism, War, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Sexism, and Torture
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Biphobia, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts
chrisb913's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
The blurb "a primal scream of a book" doesn't even begin to describe this book. The shear emotional rollercoaster I went on throughout this book has left my head blown with the ending of those book.
Still processing everything from this book but absolutely worth all 5 stars.
Still processing everything from this book but absolutely worth all 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
auntquinoa's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The plot in this book is a marvel, especially from chapter 39 to the end (excluding the epilogue). I’m impressed by the world building and surreal sci-fi depiction.
The character development is was makes this book somewhat immature. The protagonists internal voice is repetitive and doesn’t question her own biases while holding every person around their to theirs (which is her undoing in the aforementioned epilogue). There is ZERO character development in any of the main characters - a striking decision. They never question themselves while trying to wade through very complicated dynamics. At times the dialogue is just downright cringy (page 331 especially).
I read the acknowledgements and understand this book flipped between adult and YA. The faults of the book lie entirely in that indecision by the agent/author/publisher. This is a dark, dark book. Concubine and slavery depictions require nuance which YA doesn’t typically have. The darkness, violence and downright gore do not enmesh well with the immature dispositions of the characters of all ages. It made the book very hard to read without laughing, cringing, or becoming frustrated.
Overall a very bizarre read that somehow still kept me hooked. You must read it for yourself to decide. Does that make it a complete success??
The character development is was makes this book somewhat immature. The protagonists internal voice is repetitive and doesn’t question her own biases while holding every person around their to theirs (which is her undoing in the aforementioned epilogue). There is ZERO character development in any of the main characters - a striking decision. They never question themselves while trying to wade through very complicated dynamics. At times the dialogue is just downright cringy (page 331 especially).
I read the acknowledgements and understand this book flipped between adult and YA. The faults of the book lie entirely in that indecision by the agent/author/publisher. This is a dark, dark book. Concubine and slavery depictions require nuance which YA doesn’t typically have. The darkness, violence and downright gore do not enmesh well with the immature dispositions of the characters of all ages. It made the book very hard to read without laughing, cringing, or becoming frustrated.
Overall a very bizarre read that somehow still kept me hooked. You must read it for yourself to decide. Does that make it a complete success??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Gore, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and War
the_vegan_bookworm's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Sexism, Grief, Child abuse, Murder, Death, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual content
emtees's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
Sometimes it’s weird writing a review for a heavily hyped book, but Iron Widow lived up to almost all my expectations.
The blurb for the book compares it to Pacific Rim, among others, and that’s a bit of an understatement; there is a core concept here that is clearly coming directly from stories like Pacific Rim, where humanity is threatened by giant monsters and must fight back with mechas piloted by two people who have to find balance to control their machines. The comparison to the Handmaid’s Tale is also fair, with Zhao depicting a society as relentlessly and cruelly misogynistic as Atwood’s, though with an emphasis on elements of historical Chinese culture that anger them. But I would also compare the book to the Hunger Games, with its balance of young people fighting brutal battles alongside a world of media consumption and manipulation. I wasn’t expecting the very modern elements of this story, and the parts where the main characters must learn to manipulate public opinion and the media’s desire for spectacle to get what they want were fun.
Iron Widow takes place in a world that is influenced by Chinese history, though it is overall more modern sci-fantasy. Huxia is a nation beset by the Hunduns, creatures made of the mysterious “spirit metal” that echoes the elemental qi found in all living things. To fight back, humanity captures dead Hunduns and transforms them into Crysalises, gigantic mechas that, in the hands of skilled and powerful pilots, can transform to do battle. These pilots are men, but all of them go into battle accompanied by a pilot-concubine, a woman who uses her own qi to enhance her partner’s. Because almost all women are much weaker in “spirit pressure” than men, few of these pilot-concubines survive, but there is always the hope that the two will prove to be a Balanced Match, and will together become the most powerful pilots in the army.
Wu Zetian doesn’t care about any of that. After her family forced her sister to enlist as a pilot-concubine for the money, only for her to die before she made it to her first battle, Zetian is determined to get revenge, enlisting herself so she can have the chance to murder the pilot who took her sister’s life. After all, it’s not like she has much to live for - a family that has abused her all her life, destroyed her feet with binding and left her with chronic pain, and made it clear that she is only worth whatever they can sell her for; a future where all she is expected to do is serve and sacrifice for men. The only bright spot in her life is her friendship with Yizhi, a wealthy boy who she’s been secretly meeting for years. But even a last-minute proposal from Yizhi can’t deter Zetian from her path. The only thing that can shake her is when her plan works a little too well - not only does she get her revenge, but Zetian discovers that she is the rarest type of pilot, an Iron Widow, a woman who not only matched but surpassed a man in battle, draining him of his qi until he died. The Sages who control her society are horrified by her, and so despite her obvious potential, they decide to get rid of her by pairing her with Li Shimin, a murderer who also happens to be the most powerful pilot in the army. Surely even the Iron Widow won’t survive going into battle with the Iron Demon.
It won’t surprise the reader to learn that Zetian not only survives but manages to match Shimin. Iron Widow isn’t the kind of book where there are a lot of surprises in the plot. Most of the plot twists, until very late in the book, are predictable: that Zetian is more powerful than anyone realized, that there is more to Shimin’s story than the monster he’s supposed to be, that there is more to the way the pilot system is set up than just “girls are weaker, oh well, nothing we can do about it.” The strength of the book is the way these plot points are unfolded alongside the distinct characters of the main trio - Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi - and the real surprising, enjoyable twists come in the character arcs and relationships. All three are great characters, as appealing for their flaws and sharper edges as they are for their strengths. Yizhi is a delightful romantic interest, and I loved that every time it seemed the story would fall into a cliched trope like jealousy, Yizhi basically saw it coming and said “nope.” Of the three, he’s probably the one who is slightly idealized, but it works for the story - Zetian and Shimin are deeply damaged people struggling to find ways to be happy despite all the world has done to them, and they deserve a Yizhi in their lives. I loved his speech in favor of polyamory. Shimin, meanwhile, is an extremely endearing character despite being, you know, a murderer. Zhao manages the trick of showing all the ways he’s been broken by abuse, addiction and cruelty without softening him too far - he’s a victim, but he isn’t without his intense dark side. And then there is Zetian, the main protagonist and an incredible one. Zetian is a character driven by anger, and I loved that while she did find love and moments of happiness, that anger was never allowed to fade. This is what I mean about the twists being in the character arcs rather than the plot: over and over, Zetian was put in a position to question her convictions and her beliefs about her society, and while on occasion she did change her mind, her story was never about needing to realize she was wrong or that things were more complicated than she understood or to develop compassion towards her oppressors. On a few occasions, Zetian was tempted to do just that, and those were the moments that were mistakes. In the end, even when it gets her in trouble, Zetian’s anger is never anything but justified.
Okay, the romance. I somehow missed that this book had a polyamorous romance in it, so that came as a great surprise. The handling of the romance is really well done. The three characters are all very well-balanced and each corner of the triangle, as well as the way they come together as a whole, is a distinct relationship. I found Shimin and Yizhi’s relationship very touching, even though, since the story is told through Zetian’s eyes, it got the least attention. Yizhi’s instant compassion for Shimin was very nice to see. Zetian and Yizhi had a friends-to-lovers romance, but with the twist that Yizhi isn’t just the nice rich boy, he’s got a distinct dark side of his own. And Zetian and Shimin’s relationship, probably the most important, is also the angstiest, with both having to move beyond the traumas of the past before they can come together, but it makes their moments of connection the most satisfying. As a triad, the three are wonderful. Their relationship is soft and touching despite the fact that all three of them are ruthless and somewhat dark characters.
My only issues with this book come at the end. The pacing in the last 20% or so felt really off to me; after really strong build up on the plot and character arcs, the last few chapters race through an enormous number of events with no time to really reflect on or even acknowledge them. In particular, a major plot element that had been hinted at earlier but which I thought would probably be addressed in a future book was instead rushed through in a few pages:Zetian waking the sleeping emperor. I wasn’t surprised by where the story went in the end but I was surprised that we’re already there, since the book ran through what felt like it could have been the entire plot of book two in five or six chapters. These were also very emotional events and I would have liked a little more time to sit with them and see how they changed Zetian’s character and her relationships.
The very end of the book is a huge cliffhanger, and that leaves me excited for the next one.
The blurb for the book compares it to Pacific Rim, among others, and that’s a bit of an understatement; there is a core concept here that is clearly coming directly from stories like Pacific Rim, where humanity is threatened by giant monsters and must fight back with mechas piloted by two people who have to find balance to control their machines. The comparison to the Handmaid’s Tale is also fair, with Zhao depicting a society as relentlessly and cruelly misogynistic as Atwood’s, though with an emphasis on elements of historical Chinese culture that anger them. But I would also compare the book to the Hunger Games, with its balance of young people fighting brutal battles alongside a world of media consumption and manipulation. I wasn’t expecting the very modern elements of this story, and the parts where the main characters must learn to manipulate public opinion and the media’s desire for spectacle to get what they want were fun.
Iron Widow takes place in a world that is influenced by Chinese history, though it is overall more modern sci-fantasy. Huxia is a nation beset by the Hunduns, creatures made of the mysterious “spirit metal” that echoes the elemental qi found in all living things. To fight back, humanity captures dead Hunduns and transforms them into Crysalises, gigantic mechas that, in the hands of skilled and powerful pilots, can transform to do battle. These pilots are men, but all of them go into battle accompanied by a pilot-concubine, a woman who uses her own qi to enhance her partner’s. Because almost all women are much weaker in “spirit pressure” than men, few of these pilot-concubines survive, but there is always the hope that the two will prove to be a Balanced Match, and will together become the most powerful pilots in the army.
Wu Zetian doesn’t care about any of that. After her family forced her sister to enlist as a pilot-concubine for the money, only for her to die before she made it to her first battle, Zetian is determined to get revenge, enlisting herself so she can have the chance to murder the pilot who took her sister’s life. After all, it’s not like she has much to live for - a family that has abused her all her life, destroyed her feet with binding and left her with chronic pain, and made it clear that she is only worth whatever they can sell her for; a future where all she is expected to do is serve and sacrifice for men. The only bright spot in her life is her friendship with Yizhi, a wealthy boy who she’s been secretly meeting for years. But even a last-minute proposal from Yizhi can’t deter Zetian from her path. The only thing that can shake her is when her plan works a little too well - not only does she get her revenge, but Zetian discovers that she is the rarest type of pilot, an Iron Widow, a woman who not only matched but surpassed a man in battle, draining him of his qi until he died. The Sages who control her society are horrified by her, and so despite her obvious potential, they decide to get rid of her by pairing her with Li Shimin, a murderer who also happens to be the most powerful pilot in the army. Surely even the Iron Widow won’t survive going into battle with the Iron Demon.
It won’t surprise the reader to learn that Zetian not only survives but manages to match Shimin. Iron Widow isn’t the kind of book where there are a lot of surprises in the plot. Most of the plot twists, until very late in the book, are predictable: that Zetian is more powerful than anyone realized, that there is more to Shimin’s story than the monster he’s supposed to be, that there is more to the way the pilot system is set up than just “girls are weaker, oh well, nothing we can do about it.” The strength of the book is the way these plot points are unfolded alongside the distinct characters of the main trio - Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi - and the real surprising, enjoyable twists come in the character arcs and relationships. All three are great characters, as appealing for their flaws and sharper edges as they are for their strengths. Yizhi is a delightful romantic interest, and I loved that every time it seemed the story would fall into a cliched trope like jealousy, Yizhi basically saw it coming and said “nope.” Of the three, he’s probably the one who is slightly idealized, but it works for the story - Zetian and Shimin are deeply damaged people struggling to find ways to be happy despite all the world has done to them, and they deserve a Yizhi in their lives. I loved his speech in favor of polyamory. Shimin, meanwhile, is an extremely endearing character despite being, you know, a murderer. Zhao manages the trick of showing all the ways he’s been broken by abuse, addiction and cruelty without softening him too far - he’s a victim, but he isn’t without his intense dark side. And then there is Zetian, the main protagonist and an incredible one. Zetian is a character driven by anger, and I loved that while she did find love and moments of happiness, that anger was never allowed to fade. This is what I mean about the twists being in the character arcs rather than the plot: over and over, Zetian was put in a position to question her convictions and her beliefs about her society, and while on occasion she did change her mind, her story was never about needing to realize she was wrong or that things were more complicated than she understood or to develop compassion towards her oppressors. On a few occasions, Zetian was tempted to do just that, and those were the moments that were mistakes. In the end, even when it gets her in trouble, Zetian’s anger is never anything but justified.
Okay, the romance. I somehow missed that this book had a polyamorous romance in it, so that came as a great surprise. The handling of the romance is really well done. The three characters are all very well-balanced and each corner of the triangle, as well as the way they come together as a whole, is a distinct relationship. I found Shimin and Yizhi’s relationship very touching, even though, since the story is told through Zetian’s eyes, it got the least attention. Yizhi’s instant compassion for Shimin was very nice to see. Zetian and Yizhi had a friends-to-lovers romance, but with the twist that Yizhi isn’t just the nice rich boy, he’s got a distinct dark side of his own. And Zetian and Shimin’s relationship, probably the most important, is also the angstiest, with both having to move beyond the traumas of the past before they can come together, but it makes their moments of connection the most satisfying. As a triad, the three are wonderful. Their relationship is soft and touching despite the fact that all three of them are ruthless and somewhat dark characters.
My only issues with this book come at the end. The pacing in the last 20% or so felt really off to me; after really strong build up on the plot and character arcs, the last few chapters race through an enormous number of events with no time to really reflect on or even acknowledge them. In particular, a major plot element that had been hinted at earlier but which I thought would probably be addressed in a future book was instead rushed through in a few pages:
The very end of the book is a huge cliffhanger, and that leaves me excited for the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Torture, and Sexism
Moderate: Racism
Foot binding is a main theme and is depicted as abusive. Other forms of child abuse and domestic abuse are depicted or referenced. A main character is an alcoholic and themes of addiction recovery are prominent. Several scenes of torture are depicted.kaywhiteley's review
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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Fuck. Literally insane.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Child abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault