Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

36 reviews

ender24's review

challenging dark funny informative inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

DAMN.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Gaslighting, Genocide, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, War, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia

audiem's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual harassment, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, War, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Ableism, Abandonment, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Moderate: Colonisation and Xenophobia

Minor: Homophobia

miynv_'s review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Alcoholism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Rape, War, Murder, Xenophobia, Misogyny, and Grief

Minor: Abandonment and Classism

alexisgarcia's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.5

this was a good and somewhat educational read. however, i struggled with the worldbuilding and the "magic" system. i found myself lost at some points. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Violence, Death, Colonisation, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Classism, Cursing, Infidelity, Blood, Alcohol, Gore, Infertility, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, War, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

fuguefire's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

I really liked this book! I thought the main character was very compelling. Reading the reviews, it is understandable how people could want a little more fleshing-out of her personal character, but personally, I felt like I completely understood her motives and emotions. More importantly, she did what I as the audience needed her to do--

which was kill all those a**holes

. To enjoy this book, you really have to support women's rights AND women's wrongs.
As a poly person myself, I was over the moon to finally get a poly relationship in a fantasy novel! I will say, I wish there was a little bit better communication in the relationship, but I feel like this can be forgiven because this seems to be an action-first book, and the romance aspect is not even really second in line of importance here. 
All-in-all, I am so excited to read the next book in the series. I will be recommending this book to my friends, and can't wait to hear what they think.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Sexual assault, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Sexism, War, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Ableism, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Classism, Rape, Abandonment, and Kidnapping

Minor: Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Rape, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

This was intense and awesome! I loved seeing historic China reimagined in a sci-fi context with epic mechs. The characters are strong, as are their motives, and the world building is vivid. I also love that everything I wanted or predicted happened, from relationship development to two major twists toward the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Torture, Medical content, Murder, Slavery, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

jjjreads's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Body shaming, Misogyny, Racism, Kidnapping, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Mental illness, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Confinement, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Death of parent, Gun violence, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and Vomit

Minor: Cursing, Pedophilia, Rape, and Fatphobia

kalehouse's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

4.0

fast paced, hard to put down, reminiscent of hunger games in many ways. the writing was a little cheesy / clunky at times, but overall really enjoyed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Violence, Torture, Emotional abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Colonisation, Classism, Sexism, War, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization

there are certainly some heavy themes, but it never feel gratuitous. everything helps situate the reader in the world our characters live in and to understand why our characters might behave in certain ways

anniereads221's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexual assault, Death, Bullying, Violence, Torture, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Blood, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Rape, Body shaming, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Murder, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, and Addiction

mssrquackers's review

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Abandonment, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, War, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, and Torture

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Rape, and Gun violence