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booksemmahasread's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content
jessmarie_2015's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
I really wanted to love this one more than I did, and I think it was really the ending that fell flat for me.
The characters are interesting, and the plot feels really unique. I also liked the concept of the Chrysalises.
I just felt like the ending happened too fast, and we see Zetian go from calculating and thinking things out before acting to just acting out of rage without thinking. To me, that felt like her character growth was taking a few steps back.
The very last plot twist was a bit interesting, so I'm really torn if I want to pick up the sequel.
I will say that while this book wasn't for me, it was by no means a bad book, and if it sounds like something that might interest you, definitely give it a try!
The characters are interesting, and the plot feels really unique. I also liked the concept of the Chrysalises.
I just felt like the ending happened too fast, and we see Zetian go from calculating and thinking things out before acting to just acting out of rage without thinking. To me, that felt like her character growth was taking a few steps back.
The very last plot twist was a bit interesting, so I'm really torn if I want to pick up the sequel.
I will say that while this book wasn't for me, it was by no means a bad book, and if it sounds like something that might interest you, definitely give it a try!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, and Sexual harassment
spockrocket's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
rory18's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.0
It's a fun power fantasy but I'm not really sure I'd call it feminist since it doesn't exactly pass the Bechdel test and the main character barely has any relationships with women. Also, I called all the plot twists but maybe that's just because I'm also a writer who is writing about colonization and sexism. Also weird how Zetian can't forgive anyone but her boyfriends for anything but has done some pretty frequently-seen-as-unforgivable things herself. I did enjoy it though. Anti-heroes are fun and the boys are interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Sexual content
d13_chels's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
purplebooks919's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
Minor: Rape
april_does_feral_sometimes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved ‘Iron Widow’ by Xiran Jay Zhao! It strikes the precise emotional tone I feel a lot because of my own life experiences! However, gentlemen might feel a little, well, unappreciated, depending on their views about gender roles. Unless such gentlemen have seen the suffering of women (and gays) under patriarchal religions and political regimes and know it is devastatingly wrong and unjust.
This is book one in the Iron Widow series, which is certain to be banned under the emerging Nazi Trump administration. Perhaps, given the capitulation of all of the techbros, along with the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, readers should buy a hard copy.
I have copied the book blurb:
<i>Goodreads Choice Award. Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2021)
An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!
Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected--she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.
To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia . But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way--and stop more girls from being sacrificed.”</i>
I love this book and world-building, but it is sometimes difficult to understand or imagine, partially because of the horrors that the protagonists undergo, and partially because of the descriptions of invisible powers and how they work, such as qi and spirit metal. I also found it difficult to understand/imagine how the Hunduns/Chrysalises look or work. The Hunduns, which are somewhat like huge insects who are at war with humans, can be transformed into not-alive war machines when they are killed (?), the husks being renamed Chrysalises, that humans use to fight the living Hunduns.
The social/political world the author builds her story on is a Chinese one, culturally, where girls have foot-binding forced on them. Women are given to men, most supposedly as wives, but they are really slaves, having no rights, even when they are discovered to have strong powers of qi and spirit pressure. Girls with powerful spirit pressure and qi are extorted into performing as pilots of the Chrysalises alongside male pilots with high qi and spirit pressure. However, the girls always die in the battle with Hunduns, supposedly because they weaker in qi and spirit pressure than the male pilot they are partnering, who must kill them in joining the girl’s qi to his own, to pilot the Chrysalis. So. The girls are dead after their first and only battle with the Hunduns, but no one cares. They were only girls, who are not respected in any way in this culture.
However, occasionally, there is a girl with such high qi that she survives the Chrysalis battles with Hunduns and her male human pilot who is sucking her dry of qi. She even kills her male pilot. Such women are called, tada, Iron Widows!
This is a vicious torturous world of war, war, and more war. Readers who are sensitive will probably find the Iron Widow books too violent. Trump supporters will hate the book after awhile because of the disapproval and momentary downfall, which appears, eventually, of their beliefs about gays and females being inferior and fit only for torture, sexual enslavement and death. For myself, a victim of the American social and political patriarchy which was in force until the 21st century, it is a positive wish-fulfillment story.
I can’t wait for the next books in the series! A mystery and a huge lie has been revealed near the end! Omg! Wow! What will happen next?????
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Classism
rosilynnepaige's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, and Murder
sultrytartreviews's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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
A million stars if I could!! This books was so fricking good. I’m glad I waited for book two to be out because the ending is a huge cliff hanger.
Any potential reservations or questions I had about the plot/world building were answered by…not directly being answered. Basically, it’s ok to not know because it turns out our MCs don’t really know anything either. And I’m ok for going along with the ride in book two. The fast pace of the story kept me from looking too closely at anything that could have derailed be early on, so I appreciate that tactic.
Feminine and queer rage combine to create a fire no one can dampen. I am obsessed and I cannot wait to read more.
Any potential reservations or questions I had about the plot/world building were answered by…not directly being answered. Basically, it’s ok to not know because it turns out our MCs don’t really know anything either. And I’m ok for going along with the ride in book two. The fast pace of the story kept me from looking too closely at anything that could have derailed be early on, so I appreciate that tactic.
Feminine and queer rage combine to create a fire no one can dampen. I am obsessed and I cannot wait to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
FMC has bound feet and details the gruesome details, care required for them, and the pain associated with themlastcomment314's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is intense. It's a whirlwind, with vivid writing, and it does not hold back. I love the main characters and the different flavors they each bring to the book, and even though many of the choices they make are morally dubious, that's kinda the point of the book, and everything the characters do is consistent with who they are and what they care about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War