Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

5 reviews

madmantha's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book was much slower than Iron Widow, not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, it felt like a very natural sequence of events coming after the events ending the last book.

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embee007's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging medium-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

5 stars for the text, 4 for the audio

If you're unaware of #PegAmendment & you're listening, or reading a first or second edition hardcover, check out Xiran's review or socials.

"Every oppressor, through their denial of humanity, sows the seed of their own destruction."

Did this book do anything that I anticipated? Not really. Did it address the issues from the end of book 1? Yes. Was I left satisfied? Mostly? (I found out about halfway thru that its a trilogy, not a duology like I thought.)

"It’s incredible, how someone could be gone from this world, literally whisked away from the mortal earth, yet leave so many pieces behind."

Adressing the giant antlers in the room: this is an extremely toxic relationship - like an intervention should be called, but he'd kill anyone that intervened, & they'd just work it out with hate sex on the bodies. I saw at least 2 reviews about the lack of disability rep in this book - which is the opposite of the truth. Zetian spends at least half the book in a wheelchair & still has chronic pain. Spoiler
She also did not choose to fix her feet - the choice was taken from her. Stressing the lack of autonomy that women, especially disabled women, have, & the real world view that everyone has regarding disabilities are something to be fixed.


"If being on our knees was natural to us, why would they have to put so much effort into holding us down?"

Representation: Bi MCs, sapphic side character relationship off-page, disabled MC, all Asian MCs, nonbinary side character

"I mourn the people we could have been if a different world had shaped us."

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jacksons_books_and_music's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Last year, I said Iron Widow was one of the best books I ever read. I love the sequel even better!

The characters and the circumstances in which they have to survive are incredibly messy and imperfect. They have to make difficult decisions that are sometimes right, sometimes wrong, and sometimes it’s hard to say. I felt the characters were realistic and nuanced in an incredibly engaging way. I wish all my friends would read this series so we could all talk about it often!

The narration was great! I think it was very smart to cast two different narrators, even if one of them didn’t narrate often. 

Please keep in mind this book series is upper YA/New Adult, with content not meant for younger teens. In terms of content and trigger warnings, it would be easier to say what trigger and content warnings it doesn’t warrant. There is graphic violence and spicy content, falling short of explicit (depending on your definition).

I’m not sharing any further thoughts due to spoilers! I look forward to reading the third book in the series when it comes out!

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blackknight4449's review against another edition

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

4.75

A modern retelling that combines mecha-anime and historical China in a thrilling manner. I did not put this down after I passed page 200. I have never identified more with the protagonist and the antagonist at the same time for WILDLY different reasons. I have too much to say and too little time to say it. Suffice to say that this book goes above and beyond other similar science fiction of its type. It should have won the Hugo Award.   

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chanlo1994's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Rated it a step lower because the pace was slow for my personal liking. I think this is going to be a very important book for 2025, especially with the new polical cycle we will be facing. Honestly. My first thought was "this is what happens when we let children be in control of a government" 😂 I am absolutely looking forward to book 3. It's also important to note that bodily consent is not limited to sexual acts. It's includes anything done to your body with or without your knowledge and this is violated several times in the book.

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