Content Warnings:

Graphic: Sexual Assault (I don't really have another way to describe a specific part of this), Sexual Content, Misogyny, loss of a loved one, Abusive Relationship, Medical Trauma, Classism, Murder, Injury Detail Moderate: Death of a parent, Blood, Pregnancy, Child Abuse, Alcoholism Minor: Miscarriage

Let me start this by saying that I really loved Iron Widow, I also really really loved Zachary Ying. This book however was unlike either of those in any way and felt like I was reading a book from a completely different author.

The romance in this is what ruined it completely for me. It was honestly horrific and I really hope that book 3 will break the very generic romantasy trope of "how will their relationship ever be fixed!" Only for the series to end with them in love, together again without issue. Because my god, there shouldn't be a romance between them.

Qin Zheng reads like he's well over the age of 50 in terms of emotional and mental maturity, power (spirit and physical), how much knowledge of the world he has and general intelligence. Not to mention he's also already been in a ruling seat of power. Zetian is an 18 year old who's been effectively sheltered and practically brainwashed. No experience in politics or having any power, doesn't know how anything works, etc.

"How questionable can a difference in age be after the 100 year mark"

Even if you enjoy a romance where the man is a little more powerful or whatever, a la 50 shades or some shit. This is too far, this is literally to the point of her saying in the book that she's scared of him multiple times, yet so much of the last like quarter of the book is really sexual with only the VERY LAST sexual scene talking about consent (but even that wasn't really followed that well). He is so much more powerful than her that his emotions take over her in the mind realm AND YES THIS INCLUDES DURING THE SEXUAL MOMENTS..

This is not empowering. This is not a story of a woman fighting her own fight and winning her own battles.

Some quotes: "no child has curves like yours" "I can make it very good for you" ... "if you tell me you belong to me" (this is after he's already been basically treating her like she's his property) "Are you seriously suggesting I can't be free unless I sleep with you?"

Despite the random moments of "maybe this isn't ok", it's still played off as a romance and her genuinely wanting him quite a lot. And it just gets... really really uncomfortable.

Him controlling her so hard does come up at the end, but I'll be completely honest this all felt very fumbled and messy. So much is just overlooked and excused. I really hope in book 3 that's where the consequences and "this was actually very wrong" comes in, but I am just concerned that it's gonna follow the generic trope and they'll just get back together again.

The characters in general were a mixed bag honestly. I loved Taiping and Wan'er but with Qin Zheng being a completely insufferable prick, so many other characters constantly coming and going - it felt very stuffed. Not to mention as well characters doing some pretty out of character things towards the end, Qin Zheng using language it feels like he wouldn't use based on his previous behaviour around similar things and his background for example??

The first half of the book, not much happens tbh. In the second half, there's almost too much, and things feel incredibly rushed and squished in. The pacing just feels really off and this really needed more editing. It didn't need to be as long as it is.

The combat scenes though, they were incredibly fun!!! I actually really loved the descriptions of how qi is used, how the combat is played out, etc. It really felt nicely done that - except for towards the end it also feeling a bit rushed.

I'm not pre-ordering book 3 a year in advance again like I did for this, I'm gonna wait for it to release and then see what other people say about how the romance in it goes. I would love to be proven wrong, I would love to see book 3 be about her healing from the abuse suffered in this book and being done with Qin Zheng... But I've read enough romantasy books by now to know how the trope always ends.