Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

1047 reviews

justinewalker's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Whoever wrote in their review “I support women’s rights and wrongs” put it perfectly 😂❤️ This is action packed almost from the start with a pace that never slows down once it picks up. Bloody and iconic. The main characters aren’t good people but no one is in this story. Everyone is some shade of grey, but the main characters work to destroy the systems of oppression that subjugate women. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, and Colonisation

hailstormreviews's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-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

2.5

I tried really hard to like this. I went in having high hopes. The premise sounded like a fantastic Sci-Fi with commentary on the patriarchy/how women are treated as lesser than across cultures. And that's not quite what you get. 
  I loved the premise of a girl going in to get revenge for his sister's murder, but i felt like the actual revenge came too soon, there wasn't a build up. I loved how the main relationships were handled. 
  There was a good bit that I didn't care for. The flip-flopping morality of thr FMC, the way she kept undermining women even though she hated to be undermined, the pacing of the story, the info-dumping, the writing (a lot of modern phrasing in a futuristic setting). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Minor: Physical abuse and Sexual assault

linzee_carter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Colonisation

Minor: Death of parent

theoceanrose's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Death and Murder

Minor: Sexism and Gaslighting

fujiopples's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring 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

4.75

so good. the worldbuilding, the character development, the feminism of it all... love!!! will be reading the next book for sureee

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Classism

utvarahellkite's review against another edition

dark medium-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and War

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Biphobia

amyh86's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Sexual assault

booksemmahasread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content

pagemasterc's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed this book! The author has described it as "Pacific Rim meets A Handmaid's Tale," and they're correct. I'd also describe this as a "catharsis trip," as opposed to a "power trip." And the imagery is excellent!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: War

The first page has a full description of the content warnings.

jessmarie_2015's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

3.0

I really wanted to love this one more than I did, and I think it was really the ending that fell flat for me.

The characters are interesting, and the plot feels really unique. I also liked the concept of the  Chrysalises.

I just felt like the ending happened too fast, and we see Zetian go from calculating and thinking things out before acting to just acting out of rage without thinking. To me, that felt like her character growth was taking a few steps back.

The very last plot twist was a bit interesting, so I'm really torn if I want to pick up the sequel.

I will say that while this book wasn't for me, it was by no means a bad book, and if it sounds like something that might interest you, definitely give it a try!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, and Sexual harassment