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sadhbh2525's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Slavery, Trafficking, Abortion, and Pregnancy
lil_rumblebee's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Slavery, Torture, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
ender24's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Abortion
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
madmantha's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
bookishmrsnelson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Pregnancy
havenbrown1108's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
wandering_not_lost's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book was glacially slow compared to what I remember of Iron Widow. Zetian goes from kicking every ass presented to her to being basically a prisoner for nearly the entire book. The defrosted emperor immediately takes over and sidelines her, threatening her and keeping her powerless when he's not hate-flirting with her. Zetian is stuck constantly thinking, "I need to take him down, I need to get power of my own" and then...not doing that. It's not really her fault, it's the story's, but it's just not enjoyable to see her once again overpowered and outmaneuvered at every turn, failing most times whenever she DOES try and do something. I see the point being made, but...if you want me to stay entertained, you have to show me that the character is able to do SOMETHING. Otherwise it gets boring to see the main character sitting through endless meetings and speeches and ceremonies with them doing nothing. The book spends a lot of time on palace intrigue and describing political reform, and in the end I just felt it bogged the story down.
Zetian's relationship with Qin Zheng, I admit, was interesting. The emperor is an arrogant and somewhat broken tyrant, but he's hellbent on reforming the system that Zetian has already cracked open. He isn't without charm or humor, and he does seem invested in making the lives of the common people better. So he's kind of sympathetic, even though he keeps treating Zetian like a doll. It's something that maybe was supposed to be a point: the hypocrisy he embodies about lifting up and freeing others and empowering women, while he keeps Zetian all but imprisoned and isolated and feels entitled to modify her body whenever he wants. Zetian isn't immune to him, though, so eventually they get into this kind of love-hate dynamic that leaves you wondering "will they or won't they?" Their relationship is never healthy nor does it feel stable, though it COULD BE if they wanted.
In the end, though, I felt like the book kind of went off the rails for poorly-sketched reasons. As others have said, the last 20% of the book or so is like a different book altogether: Zetian and Qin Zheng head off to challenge the gods, and at that point the whole thing felt oddly loosey-goosey both in practical and plot terms.
I admit, I did not reread Iron Widow and this book does not give you much of a refresher, and I do not recommend that. But I also felt the book just...focused on things I wasn't interested in.
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Gore and Sexual content
jacksons_books_and_music's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Transphobia, Vomit, Trafficking, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
the eating disorder I mentioned is actually a hunger strikeaurora4847's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Minor: Torture, Blood, and Suicide attempt
This book is heavy. There are frequent betrayals of trust, medical procedures done without consent, and lots of death and brutality associated with a violent revolution.gdulecki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail