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lulaabees's review against another edition
- 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
zetian is the main draw of the book to me. she is such a cool character. she feels alive. i also love while, even though she sets herself apart, it's clearly said in the book that she is far from the only woman with a thirst for rebellion and vengeance. she's not "special" like that (would've been kind of the potential pitfall of having a mc like this), but she's amazing.
my only criticism of this book is really that the feminist commentary felt a little too on the nose sometimes, but since the barbie movie seemed revolutionary to a lot of people, that's probably just me.
Graphic: Misogyny and Violence
Moderate: Gore and Sexual assault
evann140's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape
gondorgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
corsetedfeminist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s everything you know and love about Mulan, but if she was a bit more power hungry and firmly morally grey.
I want to take a moment first to celebrate the worldbuilding here. I struggle sometimes with sci-fi type books, but this story was a delight and didn’t get too bogged down in the details of how various technology worked beyond what was needed for the plot, when it was needed. The whole chrysalis concept and technology are explained extremely well. Added to this is a solid dose of Chinese culture and history that was beautifully woven into fantasy/sci-fi parts of the story. The ongoing discussion of the practice of foot binding, including our main character’s disabling pain, brought a raw physicality to the discussion of sexism in the story that broke me.
Now we go to our main character, Zetian. She is fire, and vengance, and spirit, and a deep yearning for power and revenge that I immediately adored. I’m going to tattoo “I am your nightmare” to the inside of my eyelids. But we also catch glimpses of her soft side, and I loved that as well.
And then we have her boys. Yizhi and Shimin are each delightful in very different ways. I loved the contrast of Yizhi’s softness balanced with cunning and Shimin’s roughness balanced with a poet’s heart. I was glad that on of the few things I knew going in was that the romance in the book is poly, because I enjoyed watching all three fall in love together without having to worry about her picking one.
In short, I really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to the sequel. The discussions of patriarchy and defeating the expectations people put on us are expertly handled, the plot is perfect and riveting, and the romance is tender despite it all.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
bisexualbookshelf's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Sexual harassment, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Torture, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Classism
catperspective's review against another edition
- 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
0.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
ellius's review against another edition
- 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
Wow. I absolutely loved this. Never in my life have I had a reading experience like this. Never in my life have I had a book engage me so much that I’ve felt physically nauseous but in the BEST way. This is absolutely one of my new favourite books, and for good reason.
I fell in love with the world building immediately. It was absolutely impeccable and i thought it was a really informative and creative depiction of Chinese history and culture.
I 100% fell in love with the main characters. Their motivations were all so interesting but ESPECIALLY Zetians. She is truly one of the most fascinating characters I have EVER read about. Plus her being based on the only ever female empress of china is so fucking interesting and added a whole other level to this book.
And the society that this was set in was so raw that it was kinda hard to read at points but it was a really important discussion on misogyny that I have never seen done in such a powerful way before.
But that’s all I can really say without getting into spoilers.
All in all this was an incredible book and reading experience. It covered important topics in a serious way while still being a creative and lively story (with a really cute romance). My only complaints are that the ending wasn’t as engaging as I wanted and I thought that the final twist was really cliché seeing as I predicted it since the beginning, other than that, a truly stunning book.
9.7/10. Polygamy *rizz*
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
latsin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
malecbanewood89's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Medical trauma
margaret_k30's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting