... bin ich froh, dass ich mich letztendlich doch dafür entschlossen habe. Währen dich im ersten Band die eher eindimensionale Beschreibung der Hauptperson bemängelt habe, muss ich sagen, dass der Autorin das im zweiten Band wesentlich besser gelungen ist, Die Story macht Sinn, und erscheint mir realistisch beschrieben (soweit das in Fantasy-Büchern möglich ist). Es geht um Klassenkampf und Revolution und all die Schwierigkeiten, die solche Dinge mit sich bringen. Das letzte Drittel finde ich dann wieder etwas seltsam - die Beziehung zwischen der Hauptperson und dem Kaiser macht so für mich keinen Sinn (ich kann mir einfach nicht vorstellen, dass Menschen so miteinander umgehen, so aufeinander reagieren - aber vielleicht bin ich da auch einfach zu straight ;-) Auch für das Ende hätte ich mir einen besseren Plott vorstellen können - wobei die Erklärung, was und wer die Götter eigentlich sind, doch etwas unerwartet kommt. Weiter werde ich jetzt nicht auf die Details eingehen - ich will ja nicht Spoilern :-)

I don't even know what to say. This was my fifth re-read of this book (because it was just so good), yet I am still always surprised at twists and betrayls. I went through every possible emotion there is and through all five stages of grief and still can't come to term with the ending.

Im ersten Band empfand ich es noch als sehr erfrischend, dass die Soziale und Politische Struktur stark auf Gesellschaftskritik aus unserer heutige Zeit gemünzt war. In Heavanly Tyrant hat man den Regler auf 100 gestellt, hier konnte ich mich fast nicht mehr auf die Geschichte konzentrieren und sah mich die ganze Zeit mit unserer realen Weltlage konfrontiert. Das war nicht der Escapismus, den ich mir erhofft hatte.

All property is bad until it comes to women, I guess. IN NO WAY WAS I OR COULD I EVER HAVE BEEN PREPARED :D This packs like 60 different punches and packs them well, but as a regular romance reader (and I don't think this is unfair, because the book invests a lot of resources into the more or less romantic interpersonal relationships) it's exhausting :D It was a great book to read, it was gripping and painfully real, twisty and turny and full of commentary, but in no way is this a book I'd recommend reading when your mental health is not doing well. I interrupted my read a couple times to sit with some feelings and now I'm finished and feel very much taken through the wringer :D Which is a good thing and/or a bad thing, certainly an intense thing and one hell of a second book. CNs for the usual :D murder, physical violence, betrayal, sexism, prison violence, executions, sexual assault, medical assault, discussions of all kinds of bodily autonomy and the intrusion therein

Band 2 bringt so viele Perspektiven und Verknüpfungen zu unserer Realität mit! Gesellschaftliche, soziale und politische Herausforderungen unserer Zeit spiegelt die Autorin in dieser fiktiven Welt! Kritik an Kapitalismus und Gewalt der Mächtigen über die Menschen inbegriffen. Gleichzeitig unfassbar fantasievoll und fesselnd geschrieben! Ich bin sehr gespannt, wie es in Band 3 weiter geht!

This is a completely different book from [b:Iron Widow|52459864|Iron Widow (Iron Widow, #1)|Xiran Jay Zhao|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1710540125l/52459864._SY75_.jpg|77901205] and not what I expected. Which isn't bad; it's just … different. The pacing in the first half of the book was too slow, in my opinion. While I found the politics that were discussed quite interesting, especially since politics is such an omnipresent topic right now in Germany as the parliamentary elections knock on our doors, I would've liked a little more to happen plotwise. Qin Zheng was an intriguing new addition that I loved to hate and hated to love. Watching Wu Zetian grow was as painful as it was satisfying. And seeing that Yizhi has way more layers than I would've expected was pretty interesting; I just wish we would've seen more of them. All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book, even though it had a slow start and was infuriating at times. But the characterizations and character growth were quite realistic. Neither a government nor humans change overnight, and we're all far from perfect.

Oh Mein Himmel So viele Jahre habe ich auf Heavenly Tyrant gewartet. Ich habe es fünf Sekunden, nachdem ich Iron Widow fertig hatte, vorbestellt. Nie habe ich daran gezweifelt, dass Xiran Jay Zhao nicht all deyr Liebe in dieses Buch steckt, auch als es länger dauerte als geplant. Es war es so wert. Die Spannung. Die Plot Twists. Die Weiterentwicklung aller Charaktere. Das Worldbuilding. Xiran Jay Zhao hat mit deir ersten Buchreihe ein Meisterwerk geschaffen, und ich bin so froh, dass ich es lesen durfte. Teil 3 kriegen wir dann morgen, ja? Ja? 🥹

I really liked the storytelling of this book. And the characters too were well build. But the first half of the book was a little tiring because it was written very slow paced and I’m not the biggest fan of that. But all over it was a really nice but dramatic 2nd part and I enjoyed reading it. _______________ Spoiler _______________ Omg I can’t believe what happened the last 100 pages 😱😱😱 I was so overthrown about Yizhis betrayal but I’m still not sure if it actually was that. And everything concerning Shimin just broke my heart over and over and I just hope that he isn’t really dead and can be brought back to life again in some way. About Qin Zheng, I didn’t really liked him in the beginning. In the middle part of the story I came to like him in someway, but no at the end. He’s just the toxic asshole I thought he would be.

I preordered this book a year before its release, right after finishing Iron Widow. I was scared to start but I prevailed, so here are my thoughts. I am, admittedly, not entirely sure how to feel. Even a while after finishing. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. I really liked Zetian's view of empowerment and other women grow and change throughout this book. Her use of her power to help women, after initially misjudging, was wonderful. I also really loved the group of women she sorrounded herself with. That is to say, I despises Qin Zheng and his dynamic with her, which was intended, I assume. However some of the scenes just were... too much for me. Last but definetly not least, Yizhi. I remain a big fan. My favourite schemer. (Also, what was that ending??? I need answers NOW!)

Fast 2 Jahre warten haben sich definitiv gelohnt! Die Geschichte um Wu Zetian ist weiterhin packend und hat mich das Buch in kürzester Zeit verschlingen lassen. Die Turning Points hätte ich auch nicht voraussehen können. Großartig! Und jetzt muss ich mich in Geduld üben bis zum nächsten Band, den ich kaum erwarten kann.

Heavenly Tyrant startet mit Wucht und zieht einen sofort in eine Welt voller Klassenkämpfe, politischer Intrigen und beeindruckender Dynamiken zwischen den Charakteren. Dabei werden nicht nur die Beziehungen vertieft, sondern auch das Lore rund um die Chrysallis und den Planeten erweitert – ein echtes Highlight für Fans des ersten Buches! Besonders erfrischend ist, wie kompromisslos politisch das Buch ist: keine vagen Andeutungen, sondern klare Kritik an systemischer Unterdrückung. Zwar fehlen mir hier und da die emotionalen Tiefen von Trauer und Liebe, die der Vorgänger so meisterhaft eingefangen hat, dafür liefern die Wendungen, Konflikte und die neuen Figuren eine fesselnde Spannung, die man nicht aus der Hand legen kann. Wer den ersten Band mochte, wird hier definitiv auf seine Kosten kommen! Eine mutige, kritische und intensive Fortsetzung. 💬 Muss ich jetzt allen ernstes wieder auf den nächsten Band warten? Unfair D:

Zhao is a fantastic writer whom has managed to play with my emotions one again. I knew the second book would be slower paced and was absolutely fine with it. Zetian has to reevaluate what she knows and all her moral beliefs, she has to relearn, mourn and can’t trust anybody. This book had me angry, sad, laughing and always on the edge of my seat.

This book is shattering. I have the feeling readers will either love it or hate it - I don't think there is an inbetween. Either way, it will not leave you cold. Iron Widow was a complete highlight for me, so the hype in my head built up over years was massive. But this book? - It holds up. Please be aware that despite being marketed YA, this is an adult book. It's violent, full of rage, unapologetically political and so so angry.....As it should be tbh.

Wu Zetian is hated, she's fighting, she's angry about being powerless despite being the Empress. She's ripping herself to pieces in a struggle to find a new order. And she's not always making the best decisions, and some that are outright gross (what she does with the male prisoners). She is not an "ask me about my feminist agenda" kinda feminist, she is not an idol - she is messy and questionable at times. But oh, she is so strong and stubborn and full of rage. There is a lot of politics in this book, and despite the FMC and MMC being messy, the stance on politics is not. It's outspoken, straightforward, and there is no doubt where the author stands. I love this about the book, because Xiran Jay Zhao does not hold back in letting her firm opinions bleed onto the pages. I can't wait for book 3! The audiobook is very well done. I loved the narrator of Wu Zetian, who narrates almost the entire story. There is a prologue and epilogue from Qin Zheng's POV which was also brought to life vividly. This is a looong audiobook, but it still kept me on the edge of my seat. 5/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @wfhowes for the eARC! #HeavenlyTyrant #IronWidow #Netgalley #Bookstagram TW for themes around pregnancy, body mutilation, toxic relationships and more.