A review by jb4nay
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

I think Zetian was an awesome protagonist. Her justified rage at these systems limiting her and women in their world were so captivating to sit with throughout the story. I also really liked the development with Shimin and Yizhi throughout the book. The qi system was really neat. As someone with messy family dynamics, I really appreciated seeing
a character actively not choose them after they treated her terribly over and over again
. 

It was also really nice to get a vengeful lead and actually see them get the revenge, instead of having some change of heart because anger is an unreasonable emotion (which I disagree with).

The ending left me wanting to spend more time in this world. Can't wait to see what happens next!
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