A review by bewitchingbloom
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

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

3.75

There are so many things I like in this book. Smart and ruthless heroine, interesting worldbuilding and lore, polyamory...these are all things I enjoy very much, and I have no complaints about how Xiran handled them. The pacing is a bit of an issue - Part One was amazing, but parts Two and Three blended together to me. Some of it plodded, and some of it moved incredibly quickly. Part 4 kept me on the edge of my seat, and I was genuinely surprised by all the twists it presented. I did love Zetian, and Shimin and Yizhi were great as well, I was invested in their relationship. There were also a few minor anachronisms ("Full offense") that I found a bit jarring. It was a good book, I enjoyed it, I definitely want to read the sequel. 
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