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A review by lizlinguist
Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This started strong but I kinda of lost the plot towards the last third of the novel, and found the first two thirds a bit repetitive.
I missed the interaction between Yizhi, Shimin and Zetian, which had real chemistry; Qin Zheng is just not as strong a character, he feels underdeveloped, and I didn't get a clear idea of his psychology. I really enjoyed the fleshing out of the world and its history and the way qi works - I would have liked more interaction with the hunduns, I thought that part near the beginning was particularly strong and engaging, but I suspect that's coming in the third novel, which I definitely will be reading.
I missed the interaction between Yizhi, Shimin and Zetian, which had real chemistry; Qin Zheng is just not as strong a character, he feels underdeveloped, and I didn't get a clear idea of his psychology. I really enjoyed the fleshing out of the world and its history and the way qi works - I would have liked more interaction with the hunduns, I thought that part near the beginning was particularly strong and engaging, but I suspect that's coming in the third novel, which I definitely will be reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, War
Minor: Medical content