A review by itsame_dio
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

The story doesn't show any sympathy for other women. The main character is very judgemental of other women and how they aren't loudly standing up to the misogyny but she doesn't take into consideration any of their circumstances like their class status or how their ethnicity.  Other than that, there's no character development, she stays angry ( rightfully so ) throughout the whole book and we only kinda get to know 1 of the love interests.
We get all of Li Shimin's back story but all we know of Yizhi is that he looks pretty and has tattoos and that's all lol. Then they get together ( after Zetian spent 80% of the book HATING Shimin ) and right after Shimin dies smdh the romance felt pretty rushed
However based on the YA that was popular when I was in HS this one note-ness is par for the course tbh. In other books, the MC's one character trait is being so kind and pure that she could heal every emotionally stunted boy's heart in a 50mi radius, in this book Zetian's character trait is being angry as hell
and murder
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