Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

126 reviews

cnaccarato's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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: Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Colonisation, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Genocide, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Grief, Medical content, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Addiction, Ableism, Death, Murder, War, Classism, Confinement, Homophobia, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Rape, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Violence, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Slavery

gaymoonreader'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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Confinement, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Addiction, Murder, Physical abuse, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Terminal illness

t_higgsreviews's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

5
CAWPILE = 9.07

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Sexism, Torture, Genocide, Addiction, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Alcoholism, and War

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Vomit

Minor: Pregnancy

adalinemccormick's review

adventurous dark inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Blood

Moderate: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Domestic abuse, Torture, Rape, and Murder

oluwasina's review

tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Confinement, Sexism, Misogyny, and Genocide

c_dmckinney's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Addiction, Murder, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Alcohol, Death of parent, Child death, Violence, Xenophobia, Confinement, Colonisation, Body shaming, Gore, Ableism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, War, Death, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Torture

snapeygan's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.75

I absolutely loved this book!! I mean, feminism, asian culture, handiccaped protagonist, difficult relationships with family, polyamor, and just badass writing? Sign me in!!
My only complaints would be that I had a bit of difficulties to understand all the terms relatives to the universe of the books, and that the main character was a bit the stereotypical girlboss that saves the universe (not saying I don’t like it, but it could’ve been less stereotypical and the other women could have been portrayed in a better light).
I loved how inclusive this book was, and how the characters were nuanced and gray (all were bad and good at the same time). The worldbuilding was really good, as was the way it was written.
I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Alcoholism, Grief, Murder, War, Colonisation, Sexism, Death, Blood, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

sonatica's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

What a book!

After reading and listening to mostly slow- to medium-paced stories for a long time, the intensity of the characters and storyline hit me hard in the most positive way.

Iron Widow is unapologetic and vengeful and so, so satisfying to me. The genre was new to me and I was afraid that I wouldn't like it, but I was so positively surprised.

If anyone is looking for a cozy read, this is not it. But if you're looking for a book with a powerful female character who is fed up with and takes action against an unjust system then this is it!

Spoiler Warning about the romantic sub plot:

Props to this being the first love triangle I've ever liked
(And also, finally an ACTUAL love triangle, instead of two people liking one person but not each other!!)

While I would've enjoyed more buildup to the relationship of Wu Zetian and Li Shimin personally (I couldn'  quite follow at which point she actually developed feelings for him), I still ended up really enjoying the whole dynamic betweenall 3 of them!

And more Spoiler about the Ending and Epilogue:

I actually gasped and got so mad when Shimin "died", so quickly after their relationship had just started becoming more wholesome. But after reading the epilogue, I am even more excited about the second book now!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, and Confinement

Moderate: Grief, Sexual violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Racism

Minor: Body shaming and Colonisation

vael's review

dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Police brutality, Abandonment, Grief, Colonisation, Classism, Confinement, Misogyny, Slavery, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Body shaming, War, Genocide, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Self harm, and Fire/Fire injury

devourerofwords's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Addiction, Ableism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Classism