Okay, while I did enjoy this there were some tiny things that kept it from being 5 stars. I occasionally felt lost in the chapters, like I would be listening to one part and then it would switch to another time or place. Also, I understand to market it as a poly romance, but it only happens 85% in, and they ***** one of the characters, so I was a little disappointed in that.
For fans of the Poppy War

“But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance.”

SIMPLY JAWDROPPING. HONESLTY SO MUCH WAS GOING ON AND I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. THIS IS LITERALLY ONE OF MY FAVOEIRE READS OF THIS YEAR. IF YOU HAVENT PICKED IT UP, PICK IT UP RN

I wanted to love this book because I had heard nothing but rave reviews, but found it hard to finish. The start has a lot of world-building and not as much plot, and as interesting as the world-building was, it was a lot to take in.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was such a fantastic book! The characters were written wonderfully, and I really liked the setting of the novel. I can't wait to read more by this author!

Title: Iron Widow
Author: Xiran Jay Zhao
Release Date: September 21st, 2021
Page Count: 399
Start Date: December 25th, 2021
Finish Date: December 31st, 2021

Review:

Story: This story follows a girl who enlists to become a concubine of a well-respected pilot. Her goal was to avenge her sister's death. I don't want to get into too much more because I don't want to give too much of the book away. I will say that polyamory is a thing in this book, and I am so here for it! I really adore the main characters.
Characters: I can't remember the characters. The secondary characters weren't really connectable. The focus is on the main three. I can't really say I connected with either of the three, but I really adored them. That's something, right? I would have liked to see the other points of view just to see what was going through their mind.
Critiques: The second book isn't out yet. And I don't know when it will be out. They haven't even named it yet.
Narration: Really captivating narrator. I enjoyed it very much.
Final Thoughts: I will definitely be reading this book again. It was so enjoyable. I only have an audiobook right now, but I think I'd like to own it in ebook or physical book eventually. It's just such an amazing book. I really fully recommend it!!!!

I will never stop recommending this book. As a #bookstagrammer choosing my year end top 20..the number one slot since the moment I finished the last page of this book no question no book would come close .
Five.reasons Iron Widow is the best of 2021
1. Wu Zeitan was the most fearless MC I have ever read. I adored her, there aren't enough females charging headlong into battle, The fight scenes were cinematic and video game worthy.
2. I am a fan of Chinese historical Dramas and this book is destined to be made into a series. #netflix #tencentvideos read this book!
3. LGTBQA representative..never has Polyamorous relationships been written so beautifully..you truly felt the love each character had for one another.
4. The world building and mech suits were perfection. I had no problem visualizing the stories tall nine tailed fox. 5. Pacing was excellent ..I read it in almost one sitting

Phenomenal, outstanding, fantastic, showstopping, etc. All those words and more describe this book. Iron Widow is a masterpiece, an anti-patriarchy manifesto, a love letter to those beaten down by society and so much more. The action in this was so exciting and engrossing; I could hardly put down the book. Iron Widow was like Voltron/Power Rangers meets Skyward and still manages to be utterly unique at every turn. The most unique thing in this book, in my opinion, was Wu Zetian. She was an unhinged, rage filled mess and still managed to be so likable. She was so cool and I loved reading from her perspective.

Everything about this book was so good. Well, almost everything. The writing style didn't 100% mesh with me, particularly the modern language with the ancient setting. The dichotomy between language and setting was quite jarring at points; I suppose I just expected the dialogue to be less modern sounding, if that makes any sense.

Still, Iron Widow is definitely in my top five of the year now. It is a literal crime that the author ended the book on such a cliffhanger with no news of a release date for book 2! I need that book now.

5/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing this e-arc!

Book review on youtube coming soon but god damn!!

This was such a fast paced book - I couldn’t put it down. Much more character driven than most fantasy books. But I loved the dynamics. I wish there was a bit more world building and a better understanding of the Chrysalises that they fought in

I discovered Zhao through their highly enjoyable YouTube channel, so when I learned they had a book coming out, I knew I wanted to read it immediately. Unfortunately..... I could not finish it. I tried multiple times, but every time I picked it up I found myself zoning out, bored. Which is odd, considering this book is full of action. But perhaps this was precisely my problem: there's so much going on, but I felt nothing for the main character. Everything was moving at lightning speed, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

Iron Widow is a YA sci-fi and Chinese history-inspired. It's fast-paced, action-packed, and smashes patriarchy.

What I like:
- it deals with gender stereotypes and discrimination against women
- I really like Wu Zetian, the protagonist. She's feisty, unapologetic and ruthless.
- fantastic mecha battles
- slow burn romance + poly relationship

What I did not like:
- the world-building is only at the surface level. It doesn't explain how the Chrysalises works.
- not sure about the pitch "The Pacific Rim", this is more similar to "Darling In The Franxx"
- I found the characters lacking depth despite liking them
- there's loads of plot going on that it doesn't know what it's gonna be.

Actual rating: 2.5/5

Thank you, Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the DRC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

I loved everything about this book!!! The overall concept reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Pacific Rim with a feminist undertone. The main character was a kickass woman who refused to conform to societal expectations and she wasn't afraid to do what she needed to do to get what she wants. And the twist at the end!!!!! Absolutely impeccable.

This historical fantasy is breathtaking, scorchingly sharp in its' political commentary, and has become of my favorite titles that 2021 has gifted to me.

“Shame. That was their favorite tool. A tool to corrode me from the inside until I believed I could only accept whatever lot they threw at my bound feet. It didn't work. Despite their best efforts, I find myself worthy of happiness.”

In Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao blends Chinese folklore with science-fiction robots and aliens in this feminist young adult action story.

Chrysalises are giant robots used to battle the aliens beyond the Great Wall, and the girls who pilot them undergo great strain--and can unleash great power. But they're subsumed by the male-dominant battle system and their qi is used to boost the men's efforts, often at enormous cost to the women.

Zetian's spirit has been crushed by her family for years and her feet systematically broken in order to increase her potential value as a bride--in the end, to benefit her brother and raise his chances of a profitable marriage match. But she's determined to avenge her sacrificed sister's death and not to have lived in vain. She is made a concubine warrior and is expected to die in her first battle, but Zetian instead shows herself to have incredible psychic strength. She is paired with male pilots, and because of her immense power, she begins to be called the Iron Widow.

Feared and mysterious, Zetian is matched with the most controversial, deadly male pilot around, Li Shimin. But Zetian is secretly determined to use her power not to battle the enemy Hunduns, but to elevate the female pilots who have been treated unfairly for so long. And she hasn't yet exacted her revenge on those who killed her sister--or on those who perpetuate the broken, male-dominated system itself.

Zetian begins to suspect that none of the fighters know the true hierarchy of pilot qi power and believes the women's actual aptitude has never been revealed, and she even questions whether the invaders she's been set up to destroy are actually the enemy after all.

I was most intrigued by the Chinese folklore and by the feminist power in the story; Zetian's tearing down of the patriarchal destruction was satisfying to watch. Things weren't always what they seemed, and Zetian was pivotal in bringing injustices to light. And I was interested in the story's love triangle, although we got only a cursory look at the promise and potential of it.

I felt a little bogged down initially by what felt like extensive explanations of systems, the workings of qi power, and the details of necessary cooperation, and later I was a little taken aback by unexpected transformations, by what felt like frequently shifting abilities, and by some abrupt changes in how things worked--and distracted by asides letting the reader know why initial explained rules no longer applied. I didn’t mind, but some of this was hard for me to follow at times, so I just rolled with it.

I received a prepublication electronic copy of this book courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley.

Iron Widow is Xiran Jay Zhao's first novel, and it's labeled as the first in the Iron Widow series, so stay tuned for a sequel.

Honestly was quite disappointed with this book. Some scenes were intense and fun to read but most felt rushed. Throughout the book the use of language was laughable and I kept pausing to think "wtf". The entire book was rather blunt, rushed, and thouthless. There is no context for any conflict nor is there any description for technology.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc!

In the land of Huaxia, boys must partner with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots, in order to fight Hunduns that threaten humanity itself. Wu Zetian, fed up with the piloting system that sacrifices girls with impunity, enlists as a concubine-pilot and plots to tear the entire army down.

The worldbuilding is pretty unique and interesting with a blend of both ancient China and futuristic technology. It didn't quite always seem to work though, and at times it's very confusing. The characters are the real strength of the story, with Zetian crushing the imposed patriarchy at every turn and not hesitating to take what she wants. She reminds me of Azula from Avatar in a good way, and I'd love to read more of her story.

Overall, an entertaining read if a bit overhyped.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

This is a feminist story and I am all for that, but if you see by my rating, something went wrong…Anyway, here goes the review. I almost DNFed this book multiple times and it felt like a chore to read. I could only read 30-50 pages at a time and then had to put it down because I was really not enjoying it. The pros. I really love the artwork on the cover. I like how this is a feminist story and how we see our MC rise through the oppression that women are going through because men are put on a pedestal and the best thing ever made. *Eyeroll* Let’s move onto what I didn’t like. I hated, hated, hated the romance I felt like there was no chemistry with any of the characters. It would just be like I think this character like this person and then all of sudden those two characters are kissing. Or let’s not show anything between the characters, but then have the MC say automatically I love this person and they are the best person ever. Then, felt like the magic system, well it is not really a magic system, but kind of is…please help me with the word I am trying to find. Anyway, it was not explored that well or showed the origin or why they can do what they can do. Then, in total conclusion I just hated our MC so freaking much. She was annoying and reckless. I mean I know she is a villain and this is also a villain story, but I found no compassion for her or could empathize for her. I just rolled my eyes so much. The writing was good, but this was not for me and definitely an unpopular opinion. Now, you may ask, Kayla will you be reading the sequel? The answer to that is maybe…I did like how it ended and thought it could lead to a promising sequel, but I am unsure since I really did not like this book. Maybe I’ll pick it up on audio.

A solid four stars of completely unhinged feminist rage.

Huaxia is in the thralls of full-blown war against the Hunduns - an alien race said to be invading Wu Zetian's homeland and responsible for the displacement of her ancestors onto the frontier she so despises. The only hope in fighting them off is for pairs of pilots to channel their qi to power the husks the Hunduns leave behind - called Chrysalises. The higher a pilot's spirit pressure, the stronger his Chrysalis can attack. And if a woman comes along who can rival his spirit pressure and provide him with a Balanced Match, their Chrysalis may even achieve a Heroic Form and take out the strongest Hunduns of them all. The only problem is, most women die in the process.

Wu Zetian is a poor frontier girl determined to make it as a concubine-pilot, if only to avenge the cruel death of her sister at the hands of one of the most successful male pilots - Yang Guang. So even when a rich city boy (Gao Yizhi) for whom she truly cares comes to ask her hand in marriage to save her from the war, she enlists anyway. When Zetian's spirit pressure comes back far above average - ten times her peers - she finds herself immediately paired with Guang and in the perfect position to carry out her ultimate mission.

Just as Yang Guang was attempting to assert himself as entitled to certain privileges bestowed on pilots, he and Zetian get called out into battle. While he literally has to drag her into the Chrysalis kicking and screaming, she manages to claw her way through his mind realm to confirm the horrible manner in which he killed her sister and wrest control of the Chrysalis away from him. As she summons enough qi to transform the Chrysalis into its Heroic Form, shocking all of the strategists, she awakens from the battle to a shocking discovery - in an astonishing reversal of fate, she has survived the encounter and Yang Guang has been the one sacrificed. She has killed a boy, and has earned herself the title of Iron Widow.

I was totally with the book up through this point, so ready to see Zetian just completely destroy this entitled punk who took so much from her family without a careless thought. But once that moment was past, the book started to feel a little aimless, tugged in several different directions, full of cliches, all to get to an ending that felt ultimately inevitable. I still liked it, but I really feel like this book tried to do too much.

After Zetian kills Guang in battle, the strategists are afraid of the larger implications for the war and recruitment. If boys are likely to also die in battle, they simply will not sign up. A woman with a spirit pressure high enough to prevail in battle and kill their male co-pilots in the process simply cannot be tolerated. The decision is made to pair her with the most powerful pilot in current existence, essentially sealing her fate.

Li Shimin is a bad boy with a tortured soul. He slaughtered his entire family and seems to show no remorse. If it weren't for his superhuman spirit pressure, he would have been put to death long ago. While no one expects Wu Zetian to survive a single encounter with him, if she were to be the one to kill him, no one would have their regrets. But to everyone's astonishment, most of all Zetian and Shimin's, they both survive their first battle.

She hates him and then she starts to "understand" him and they fall in love, blah, blah, blah. Every bad thing he did was for a good reason, of course. But she still has feelings for Yizhi, that brave city boy who tried to rescue her from this inevitable fate. So of course he has to show up again to rescue her from the government's ceaseless plans to take her down.

Overall, I came for the badass feminist rage and it was well worth it, but I would have loved to see deeper character development, especially of Gao Yizhi, who was basically a completely flat stick figure of a rich boy. He comes to play such a large role in the story, but we just know almost nothing about him. And weirdly, for someone apparently in love with him, Zetian doesn't seem too interested in getting to know him either. She doesn't seem too invested in any of her love interests, to be honest. I also would have liked more worldbuilding. I was waiting the whole book for the plot twist at the end, but once it came, it felt stale because there was virtually no context on the conflict. If there had been a grand myth to justify the war, I would have felt differently when that dropped, but as it was, I just kind of shrugged and said, "Yeah, figures."

My sincere thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the eARC, even though it took me longer than I expected to actually get to this one.

This was a very well-executed book. I really loved the world building and the strong characters. I also love that it was drawn from Chinese history as that is a big academic and professional interest of mine!