It has been a while since I read a YA scifi that had me invested from page one until the end, so I'm really glad I got a hold of this book. I loved the pacing and the action. The polyam relationship was also a breath of fresh air that I'm wishing to see more of in the sequel.

OK. I had such high hopes for this book and I LOVED the first 20-30% of this book. But then the main character became too one note to me. I think understand what the author was trying to portray by writing her like that, but it was too much for me.

I think a lot of people will love this (and have), so if you think you'll love the book, go forth and read it!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an early review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I AM AMAZED. Stunning, fantastic, and chaotic main character. I am in love with Zetian who is both so hilarious and hell bent on not being defeated and put down simply because she’s a woman. There were some really satisfying scenes in this book (“Meet your worse nightmare!”) I loved when Zetian said that lol. I also loved the spin on the usual love triangle, both love interests were so sweet in their own way and they all fit so well together. I.CANNOT.WAIT.FOR BOOK 2

What an epic antihero story! In a futuristic world inspired by historical China, a girl seeks vengeance for her murdered sister in a highly gendered and sexist society overrun by kaiju-like mechanical monsters, where girls are sacrificed in order to win battles. There are elements of Pacific Rim and other kaiju movies, but this story is entirely its own. I am soft for an angry, unforgiving female protagonist. And it was really fun and refreshing to see a love triangle that turns into a poly triad.

Wow this book grabs you keeps a hold of you the whole time. Iron Widow is a strong YA fantasy. It is unapologetic with its revenge against the patriarchy and institutions. The writing and the character portrayal really captured my attention and made me feel for the book. This is a YA book that distinctly feels YA, while these teenagers have and are going through major traumatic events they still feel and act like teenagers--so highly recommend it to readers who still prefer YA fantasy but are tired of fairies.

I finished this book ~2 weeks ago and my brain is STILL SCREAMING ABOUT IT—Friends, it was SO GOOD ‼‼ I was a little hesitant going into this one because it's gotten so much hype online, but I promise, the hype is real!

Iron Widow takes place on a futuristic planet, where Pilots power Chrysalises. These are giant, transforming robots used to fight mecha aliens beyond the Great Wall. Pilots work in teams of two, where the males typically drain all power/energy from the females, killing them in order to be strong enough to defeat their enemy. That is, until Zetian comes along and proves her own power and sheer will, becoming the strongest female Pilot in history.

She's strong, stubborn, angry, and will stop at nothing to figure out why girls keep being sacrificed to do the military's bidding. She's paired up with Shimin, an infamous Pilot known for his astronomical strength, and the fact that he murdered his family. The two of them, along with Yizhi, prove that triangles are the strongest shape, and will stop at nothing to change the course of history.

This book has a badass female lead, soft boys, a queer, polyamorous love triangle, ONE BED, elements of Chinese history and myth, and would make an incredible movie. It also felt like a mash-up of so many of my favorite animes, I was screaming with excitement the entire time.

IRON WIDOW is easily one of the best, most unique and original YA science fiction stories I've read in a while. The epilogue made me 😫💀 and I need the second book in this duology NOW!

3.5 stars for this entertaining, action-packed story that progresses in the vein of a summer action blockbuster movie.

I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of this relentless story. I did have certain quibbles here and there, e.g., I found the MM part of the poly triangle to be very rushed, most characters were pretty dang two-dimensional, and the use of real historical Chinese figures in a made-up mecha setting was a bit bizarre.

The main character Wu Zetian was also not my cup of tea—I'm never into characters who are constantly ruthless and unforgiving. They frequently wind up completely heartless by the end of the story, and Wu Zetian is no exception. I feel the anger she has towards her mother and brother is also kind of unjustified? Like yeah, her father sucks, so fair game there—but the other two didn't really do anything to deserve <spoiler>their final fate</spoiler>?

But I still had fun with this book. The writing style is punchy and vivid, and does the job conveying the story quickly to a young adult audience. It leans more towards the juvenile side of things, so adult readers should adjust their expectations. I think the author could've cut down on the overuse of italics and exclamation marks, but that's just my personal taste.

Don't expect ultra-deep worldbuilding or character growth here—action and drama is the focus of this book.

One of the best fantasy books I have ever read. Twists and turns that kept me guessing and the main characters were interesting and beautifully written. A 5 star read for me!

The start of the book places you right in the story. It took some time for me to gather the plot and characters. There wasn’t much world building or character development. This was just okay for me.

Iron Widow was one of the best books I read this year and I think everyone needs to read this book!

💫fast paced and immersive story which is a reimagining of the rise of China’s only female emperor. The plot keeps you hooked and it’s always happening which makes it an interesting read.

💫an unhinged and brutal mc trying to smash patriarchy and destroy the world and take revenge and she’s one you can’t help but root for. I love the journey and growth Zetian goes through and also how fleshed out her character was which made it super fun to read about her. I absolutely loved Yizhi and Shimin too.

💫a love triangle which ends in healthy polyamorous relationship. I wish the romance part was shown a little more but it didn’t hinder my reading experience much.

💫 discussed themes of misogyny, patriarchy and privilege and I love how all this addressed and written.

💫super engaging and addictive with an ending that’ll leave you wanting so much more. No seriously that epilogue was something else and I can’t wait for book two.

Zhao was not kidding when she said this book is a love letter to Chinese Culture, Chinese History, and also the only female Chinese emperor. A very beautiful and powerful book, one that I recommend a lot to people.

WHEW! This book right here. I had pretty regular standards heading into IRON WIDOW by Xiran Jay Zhao since I’d seen so many great review, but I didn’t expect it to become a favorite before I even hit page 150. There’s something so absolutely captivating about the author’s writing style - I simply couldn’t put this book down.

Zetian is an awesome main character. She’s not above calling out her own BS or missteps, which helps us as readers catch ourselves doing the same thing, making the same assumptions, or falling into the same mental traps. The chapter titles were absolutely hilarious, and Shimin toooootally reminds me of Warren Peace from Sky High and it’s the greatest thing ever 💀

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Teen, and Penguin Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read some sci-fi but fantasy is usually my predominant genre. Iron Widow was going to be an Illumicrate monthly pick, so I decided to read the eARC. And am I glad I read this book? Absofuckinglutely!!

It been a few weeks since I finished Iron Widow and I can honestly say that I have thought about this book and it’s characters almost daily!
The premise was so unique and the execution fucking delivered!!!
Zetian wants revenge on the male who murdered her sister and then essentially wants to take down the patriarchy system the woman are suffering and dying from. I am HERE FOR IT.
Zetian is a bloodthirsty boss ass pilot! She’s confident, challenging, determined, ruthless, and has a big heart! One of the best characters I’ve read in a while!!
And the polyamory? In a YA? HERE FOR IT.
The dynamic between Wu Zetian, Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi is SO DAMN GOOD.
This was a fantastic debut novel! Thank you Xiran Jay Zhao for this fucking awesome book!
Really looking forward to the next one!

A powerful debut about dismantling the patriarchy, pitched as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaiden’s Tale. There’s so much to love about this book, from the characters and their dynamics to the mesmerising writing and even the fantastic world building. This is one of the best debuts I have ever read. An instant favourite.

This book was pitched as "Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale" and, oh my, did it deliver. Burning beneath epic, sweeping battles between building-sized robots and bug-like monsters in a deeply patriarchal world, Xiran Jay Zhao's voice seethes with bitterness and rage. A rage that is all too familiar. It's the same fury felt whenever someone tells us to "smile" or that we need to be "thankful" when given some superficial compliment we never wanted in the first place.

Inspired by the rise of Empress Wu, the only female emperor in Chinese history, Iron Widow wholly exhibits what happens after centuries of telling women their sole purpose in life is to serve, to be weak. They resist. This was oftentimes a difficult read. To be confronted with such blatant sexism, both psychological and physical (foot binding, anyone?), took my breath away. But it also gave me life. Wu Zetian is an intelligent, stubborn, inspirational badass with so many iconic lines my kindle was dripping red with highlights by the end. As an Asian woman, I don't aspire to be her (again, foot binding), but I do aspire to embody her cunning and fierceness. For too long, men have sought to control our bodies for fear of their inability to control our minds. Well, it's time to "be their nightmare."

This was pretty good for a debut book. There was a lot about it that I liked, but the worldbuilding needed some work. Some things were way too rushed and honestly, by the end, I could not describe the mechas that they piloted. I liked the polyam relationship. I was not expecting this level of brutality from a YA novel. She is genuinely not morally gray- she is a dead-ass villain. She straight-up tortures people. The waterboarding scene was super unexpected.

My thoughts…
I really, really enjoyed this book. Great read! Set in futuristic China, based loosely on ancient Chinese history, with a world-building that got me hooked. I thought it was really good writing. I just absorbed the story, with its warring factions, Transformer-esque machines, Handmaid-esque power structure and polyamory relationships. It was morally questionable but thought provoking. It was aggressive, but I cheered on Zetian when she was. Who doesn’t love a kick-ass girl? My only issue: I have to wait for the next book.

I have savored this book like the extravagant tapestry and art that it is. Loved it more than I thought I would and I will read this book at least once a year.

The prologue starts right off in a battle scene, so you know this book means business. It was a little confusing at first but trust me and just go with it – everything will be explained later. I grew up loving the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime so I had a feeling I would enjoy this story and I was right. This is a giant robot fighting anime with powerful characters in book format.

Characters in this book are referred to in typical Chinese fashion, with family name first followed by given name. If you aren’t aware, calling someone by their first name only is a very personal thing and means they think highly of each other – its important to take note of.

Wu Zetian is ready to enlist in the army as a concubine-pilot to avenge her older sister’s death. The army needs girls to help the boys pilot these giant transforming robots to defeat the enemy that is beyond the Great Wall – except the girls typically die after a single battle, with the boys using all their qi energy to charge the Chrysalises.

Wu Zetian is no such a girl. She doesn’t die after her first battle and instead kills her male pilot – earning her the title of Iron Widow, thus pairing her with the strongest male pilot known as the Iron Demon – Li Shimin.

Besides the battle scenes, the thing I love most about this book is Zetian – she is morally gray and not afraid to die for her beliefs, but shes too valuable of an asset for the army to just kill her off – they need her strength. Gender is a social construct and this book heavily discusses that. The early chapters go into detail about the foot binding Zetian had to begin undergoing at the age of 5, done by her grandmother, leaving her unable to walk without assistance in present time. She uses a cane early on and later a wheelchair as mobility. Iron Widow shows how families don’t value their daughters and only see them as bodies to sell or marry off to produce more male heirs.

On top of that, this is both an enemies-to-lovers and childhood-friends-to-lovers story because its polyamorous! There is a triangle, but nobody has to pick a side – as mentioned in this book, the strongest shape is a triangle so why restrict yourself when it comes to love?

There is so much I want to say about this book, but its one best experienced for yourself. I will say it has great character development and growth throughout and I loved all of our main characters.

I thought this was a standalone at first so when I reached that ending, I wanted to throw the book across the room and put it in a corner to let it think about what its done. But I will certainly be back for Book 2.

This is one of those books I’m going to be thinking about and talking about for a long time to come.

Amazing book! I loved the courageous female main character. This book deals with a large topic of female a being viewed as lower by their counter parts and it shows through ways in this book. It also touches on some great topics in a fantasy world. Perfect for any fan of anime mech robots! I recommend to anyone who like fantasy and sci-do!