Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Jenž utopil svět by Shelley Parker-Chan

97 reviews

pearlbird's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Props to Parker-Chan for being brave enough to write this book and get it published. All characters are deliciously messed up while fighting for the Imperial throne of China. Each of them has to deal with being outside of the gender and sexuality norms of the time and place and be warned - it's not pretty. Marginalisation does not a hero make. It is however well-written and dares to explore these questions in ways I have rarely seen. I only had to deduct some points because

my fave my bestie my love Ma Xiuying is weirdly absent for the vast middle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Toxic friendship, War

Minor: Child death

drowning

lm19's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Such an engaging story with so many twists and turns. I loved being able to see so many different POV characters throughout this book and Parker-Chan has such a way with words.  It wasn’t perfect but it was exactly what I have been searching for in a book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, War

Moderate: Colonisation

valkyri_anna's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional 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

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An excellent conclusion to Zhu’s story! Unabashedly queer, unabashedly heartbreaking at times. Parker-Chan is someone to keep an eye on!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War

Moderate: Sexism, Transphobia

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence

I do not love how Zhu’s pronouns are changed based on perspective. Perhaps Parker-Chan intended a more fluid reading of Zhu’s gender, but I always read them as transmasculine and felt a little weird seeing them referred to with feminine pronouns when the writing takes their perspective. Didn’t ruin the book for me, just an odd choice.

wrenaldreads's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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this was a heavyyyyy read. My goodness. So incredibly complex and moving, much like the first book. There is so much to say - I’ll be processing it for a few days I think. Also def read content warnings beforehand if needed 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, War

nikenacs's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War

Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Abortion

ysary's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I loved this book! 
The plot is amazing with a lot of twist and turn where you don't expect it. Seeing all the POV of the different Mandates makes you root for each of them and want to scream at the other when they fall into their traps. It's a very gruesome book with a lot of detailed violence that made me sometime have to take a minute before continuing reading.

In the end I knew I wanted Zhu to win but I had no idea how she would do it, everything was against her. Some of her action where more than questionable and some of them I did not understand but all of it is for the greater good. She scarified so much to get her empire but was it worth it? To me it wouldn't and I love that she also as moments of doubt because I was right there with her.

I usually don't like military books but I could not put this one down because more than armies they  are people and they aren't just fighting for power but for their future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content

Minor: Abortion

erinreadsbooks's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful tense slow-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

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Wow. A surprising but also seemingly fateful end to this epic duology. There were several moment in this book that made me audibly gasp in horror at the brutality and gruesomeness of the characters’ actions, but nothing felt out of place or inserted for shock value. The events build on each other until the tension feels almost too much and you are wondering if what you felt was fated to happen this whole time might not actually occur. There were some lulls that felt a bit drawn out but overall I was just as rapt and invested as I was in the first book. It didn’t feel like a second book but rather a natural second part to the first, and the ending was satisfying.

Although the story ending with Zhu on the throne feels inevitable and does not come as a surprise, the path taken and the characters you get to know along the way are richly developed and interesting, which keeps the reading experience interesting and worthwhile.

It didn’t seem to matter that I never truly grasped the movement of the armies or the complete geography—the focus on the characters and their motivations and interactions was engaging on its own and the characters’ intertwined arcs were logical, satisfying, and moving. 

Read if you like sweeping  political drama and brutal historical fantasy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Torture

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Blood, Trafficking

shibh's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A bittersweet end to the duology. These books look at gender and the human experience of it in a way that has left me feeling exposed and crying. In a good way though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic

qito1706's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, War

wtheriac's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional 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

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An excellent follow up to finish the duology. I loved the story even as this entry focused a lot more on sex-as-politics/power and had a lot of scenes that technically are not consensual sexual encounters according to modern definitions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual harassment