Reviews with content warning for Murder - Iron Widow

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

612 reviews

laurenthebibliofile's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? No

4.0

Stepped outside of my comfort zone with this one a little bit. What initially drew me to the book was the retelling of Chinese history. What initially made me wary was the science fiction aspect of the story. Well…i shouldn’t have been wary. Once you start reading this all of those aspects make sense. This was such an easy read. Zetian is a strong independent woman who is out for revenge. The government is sacrificing women in the name of war and Zetian has had enough, especially after her sister becomes one of the victims. She is a complete badass. This story was a roller coaster ride that i was only partially prepared to be on. Xiran did an amazing job twining history into a futuristic world. They are a fantastic storyteller and I am really looking forward to the second one.

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arsmagicalibrorum's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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franksreads's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious 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

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amandadevoursbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Fun mix of fantasy and tech. Angry new adults wielding fury like a weapon in all its shapes. I DNFED (did not finish) this one back when it came out. GLAD I CAME BACK.

The only reason it wasn't a 5 star is the end felt rushed to me, but it's great!

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angelfireeast24's review

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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

A disabled queer feminist hero who took no shit and served endless power despite deep discrimination and injustice told within a sci-fi world of robots vs aliens. 5 stars Highly recommend reading

It is an epic story of a world shaped by discrimination and sexism. A woman dares to change the world by refusing the horrible role society has assigned her. The world seems like one thing and quickly stands out as something altogether different. Nothing is as it appears. I was rooted in the story of Wu Zetian even as I sometimes had to look away and take a break from all the angst. Wu Zetian never stops fighting patriarchy and injustice. As the story develops, so do Wu Zetian's views on feminism and the characters around her. It goes hand in hand as her worldview changes throughout the book. I was supposed to be shocked and perhaps conflicted about a few things that happened by finding I was 100% behind our heroes. Near the end, twist after twist leaves me desperate for more.

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zoeluh's review

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

I LOVE a morally grey, vengeful, murderous main character, especially a vengeful, murderous girl. As a survivor, Zetian’s rage and refusal to be forgiving speaks to me in an unvarnished and beautiful way. I love that she isn’t made to be forgiving, kind, or redeemable. She is fueled by anger, and beneath that by love for those suffering injustice, and that’s what makes her so powerful and relatable. I also like that although this isn’t historical fiction, it draws on so many aspects of real Chinese history, and highlights the discrimination of Chinese ethnic minorities. The descriptions of foot-binding stuck with me as well as someone whose ancestors had bound feet. Zetian’s rage was not arbitrary, it draws on very real injustices and deep, ancestral anger, making this a powerful novel that speaks to the darker parts of the heart.

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