I’m not gonna lie; as I started seeing Zhao warn us that this book was intrigue-heavy and different from IW, I was really afraid this installment would lose me. There were definitely parts I felt like I had to push through, and I didn’t love some of the char dev (?), but overall this book really delivered on its promise of action and emotions and chaos following the events of Iron Widow. Enough plot points feel fulfilled that I’m not completely dreading the wait for the next (hopefully last! sorry) book, but there’s also plenty to cover in that book despite the huge events here. Yay for a middle book that doesn’t feel like a waiting room!

it was pretty heavy on the political intrigue in a way I usually hate, but Zhao’s writing style thankfully made it fly by. That was the thing that really made this book shine— Zhao knows how to hook you and ramp up tension in a narrative, even as dull exposition has to occur here and there. Some chapters felt a bit like “I have to explain how revolutions work for the next part to check out” but overall things flowed well 

My main complaints would be the exhausting hate/love romance and Zetian’s general lack of initiative this time around. 

Re: the former - one of my favorite things about the triangle in Iron Widow is that it was built on mutual trust and care by people who knew very intimately what pain looked like and didn’t look to bring that into their romance; it made the hot parts hotter and the sweet parts sweeter knowing that regardless of the outside forces, or the viciousness they had for other people, the triangle were saving what little peace they had for each other. None of that refreshing dynamic is really present in Heavenly Tyrant, and the “I hate him but my pussy go rawr” effect was very stale in a way I didn’t expect from this universe… personal preference I guess but by the end I was just wondering when she’d kill the freak & get her groove back. She wasn’t even dicked down until like 200 pages in so she was just dickmatized off vibes alone in a very boring romantasy way. Also Forced proximity / fake relationship isn’t my favorite and it shows lol 

my other qualm: Zetian spent nearly this entire book crushing herself into shapes she would’ve hated only months ago; the lack of time between events didn’t adequately explain what felt like a drastic plunge in her ability to scheme and push back. She lets everyone and their mother guilt or shame or change her in ways I swear were already addressed last book. I’d understand if years had passed and she was worn down by her lack of control over the country/ political machinations, but for her to pipe down on day two of the new order and really only step her pussy up again months later felt at odds with her arc towards being so indomitable in the last book. Some of her laying low to scheme was warranted, like the learning to read and the building her alliance, but it felt like she spun her wheels for a disproportionate amount of the story. The parts where she pillowtalked for basic human rights from Emperor Dickhead were especially gross when you consider her previous antics. Like omg girl wake up????? You’re on a dream date and he’s actively withholding your right to come & go 😭 Grief and being overwhelmed didn’t feel like the full reasoning for her personality shift considering how little time was spent on her sitting with those feelings- it kinda felt like she was outmaneuvered and just let it linger for months until randomly remembering who she was. Very unsatisfying but it was nice to see it finally turn around towards the end 

All in all, I cannot wait for the next one, and hope that it really is the last bc as much as I deeply respect this author I ain’t got no more waits left in me 😭