Reviews with content warning for Torture - Iron Widow

Really wonderful concept and hints of incredible world-building, including a GREAT twist at the end… but it’s dragged down by uneven pacing, lack of detail, immature writing style, and jumps in characterization (Zetian’s feelings about Shimin seem to completely change overnight). I’ll continue the series, but can’t recommend it.

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confusedmuse's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

Nowadays I'm hesitant to start series that aren't already finished, but this one has come up often enough with enough praise that I decided to just go for it. And I only wish I'd done that sooner. As an anime fan who was wildly disappointed that Darling in the Franxx did not live up to its promise, I went through each chapter of this book with ever-increasing glee. All of my thanks go to the author for writing the kind of story that I'd wanted to see from that show.

I didn't read this book so much as devour it - from the second the main character chooses revenge over love, you're there in the whirlwind of events that follow. I could not put this book down. I needed to know just how far Zetian would go to tear down the society that was trying so hard to grind her into dust - and also hoping that she'd find some inner peace for herself at the end of it. All of this, plus an on-page polyamorous relationship, and I loved every moment of this story, even as the cliffhanger ending reminded me yet again why I usually wait for a series to be over.

Thanks to all of that, for most of this book I was ready to give it five stars just for the emotions that it inspired in me. But the last thirty pages or so highlighted the one major problem I have with it - the author keeps pulling back to tell rather than show. I'm not sure why the author does this - I could accept it in the scenes where the characters were quickly moving from place to place, or when it was clear that it was acting as a written version of a montage. But in the middle of action sequences or as a way to share important plot information? Not as much. And the author can craft compelling scenes - I'd find myself lost in the conversations, imagining the clothes, the armor, the way the mechs were fighting. But then that flow would be interrupted by pulling backwards to tell how someone sounded, rather than show it through their words. At times it felt like the author was afraid to go all in, but I wish that they'd let even more loose. The book is already hundreds of pages - some extra space to properly flesh out scenes wouldn't be that much more to ask, would it?

Regardless, I'm joining the legion of people waiting for the sequel. And I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that Zetain finds her happy ending, whatever she decides that looks like.

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iamsammie27's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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kestrelfire's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

The ending made me gape for 5 minutes. I can't wait for book 2 to knock me senseless.

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hopeless_ash's review against another edition

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challenging dark inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Didn’t write a review for this book upon my original read because I had just started tracking my books, but leaving one for my reread. Absolutely still a 5 star upon my reread. Genuinely one of my favorite books I have ever read. Such a great book that touches on so many important real world topics, I absolutely cannot wait for Heavenly Tyrant to finally be here!!

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any_direction's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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katie0528's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.75

I couldn't put this book down! A blending of Chinese history/mythology with Voltron and Hunger Games style sci-fi elements led to a really unique story that still felt familiar to Western sci-fi fans. In a futuristic world bombarded by aliens known as Hundens, male/female pairs pilot giant mechs called Chrisalises. However, the females are concubines to their male counterparts in every sense, including using their life force to power the mechs. After Zetian's sister died as a pilot's concubine, she volunteers to become one as well to enact her revenge. She quickly becomes a powerful pilot in her own right, as an Iron Widow, and decides to enact revenge on the system that sees women as nothing more than objects.

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