This was surprisingly awful for the amount of 4 and 5 reviews it has received.

The writing is poor and childish, even for YA.

This is NOT my kind of feminist.

It actually kind of hurts knowing how many people like this and this particular brand of "feminism". It HURTS. It makes me want to punch things. WHY ARE THERE SO FEW ONE STAR REVIEWS?

What the eff, world? What. The. Efffffffffffffffffffff.

I've been scratching my head in utter confusion since reading this book and knowing how well it was received....I don't feel like wasting any more of my time and there are plenty of great one star reviews on here explaining EVERYTHING WRONG with this "book", so I'll leave them to it.

But, I say it again: WHAT. THE. EFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book.

This was an action packed fever dream. The heroine Xetian has nothing to lose so shes really doing The Most. This was really reminiscent of the spicy elements of The Hunger Games, specifically the manipulating of the population through the media to gain favor.

Sometimes the writing felt truly empowering and striking. Sometimes it was a bit too heavy handed. I felt sympathy for but didn't connect emotionally with Xetian. I think it's because I watch the author's youtube videos and could hear her informative tone coming through. That voice is excellent in that medium but didnt click as well here. Like when she notices the spark between Shimin and Yizhu, both times she internally thinks something along the lines of "I have always wondered if he likes more than girls" and she really didn't have to spell it out so blatantly, twice.

I adore both male love interests (shimin is my favorite character in the whole book) and the concept of the Iron Triangle is lovely but it's unfortunate that in a book geared towards female empowerment, the heroine doesn't really have any meaningful, positive female relationships.

There's good shocking moments and I like that the author isn't afraid to shed blood. All in all, it was fun mind candy.

OUTSTANDING!!!

This book is what you get if you cross Pacific Rim with Jennifer's Body and a healthy dollop of Mulan.

Wu Zetian is a woman on a mission. To avenge the needless death of her elder sister. To escape...

A lowly peasant girl, she chafes against the strictures of her patriarchal society. She rages against the family expectations for a daughter, marriage to bring wealth to her father or as a concubine for the army. She has already had atrocities committed upon her body by her family to make her more marriageable, the ritual crushing and binding of her feet as a young girl to make her a more attractive match.

After years of dodging her families expectations and refusing to allow them to further 'pretty her up' she turns totally opposite upon the death of her sister. Her ashes returned to the family, with no explanation for her death and no death bonus that would have been received if she had died honorably in battle.

Upon her arrival in the army camp and her testing for suitability as a pilot/concubine it is discovered that she has an 'amazing' amount of spirit density and is an excellent candidate for the driving of a divine chrysalis. And she has NO intentions of being used up and dying in battle.

This book is AMAZING on so many levels. It is one long scream of rage at many different levels of injustice against women as a group and her suppressive society on whole.

and if you think you know what's going on, just let me say, that unless you've read a spoiler review the final chapter will set your view of Zetian's world on it's ear. There are subtle hints thru out that things are not what they seem and the reveal is devastating.

really hoping to see more of the Iron Widow's future and the impact of the events of the novel on future stories.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm sad this one wasn't everything it's hyped to be, especially because I really like Xiran Jay Zhao. I found it pretty cool that the they mixed mentions of traditional subjugation of women in real life like footbinding with more fictional means of oppression like the existence of pilot concubines as a way of somewhat grounding the absurdity of the scenario. "This" Zetian Wu obviously come from a significantly oppressed place, in a reimagined world that oppresses women by sucking out their chi to power giant metal robots to fight a war. In this world, it's a struggle to fight just to have a voice.

Unfortunately, I found the commentary on feminism to be very surface-level and there was very little beyond the repeated mantra Zetian lives by: women should be allowed to do whatever they want. The Hunger Games vibes I got from the book made me really excited to see what parallels might be drawn from society to drive home a message about the toxicity of gendered systems, but most of that drive died out when the protagonist fulfills her goal of revenge a quarter into the book.

I didn't really jive with Zetian or her boyfriends because after she gets revenge, the plot of the book seems to lose itself. There isn't much build up to any of the following scenes and the characters are thrust into scenarios that are pretty forgettable until a big final battle. One such random "challenge" involves a racy photoshoot of Zetian and her fellow pilot to boost their popularity. It... definitely seemed out of place from the rest of the story and is a weird way of squeezing in the concept of body reclamation when the whole concubine pilot concept is right there.

There are some good moments where Zetian realizes she isn't the only one suffering and the origins of the pilot she's working with are relatable enough that she sympathizes with him. The concession that acknowledges that you're not the only one with trauma is a good one, but again, it is dampened because of the writing style dropoff.

There are many scenes that could've been far more impactful, but most of the action and dialogue is summarized (e.g. '"Listen to me! This awful thing is happening!" Then I told them all about what I had discovered and took in their surprised faces as they resigned to fight alongside me.'). It's pretty lazy writing and leans into Mary Sue-ness when people just do whatever you say...? Especially if we buy into how sexist this world is, with the expectation that women will sacrifice their lives for the men piloting the robots.....

On the other hand, there are also some confusing scenes that seem to imply things like someone's whole family being slaughtered, but then 2 chapters later, the family is still alive. This isn't any magical occurrence or flashes to the future, it's just... inaccurate to its own storyline. Definitely a confusing way of telling a story when it's mixed in with outbursts from the volatile protagonist and it's never explained.

I also really wanted to know more about the way these robots worked, where they came from, why these were the optimal ways to fight, and also WHY the war was happening in the first place??? For a book about fighter pilots in a war, I would think at least some of that would be touched on, but instead we get unsatisfying poly pining that doesn't end well.

I also have to say... these books that do almost nothing for 90% of the book only to throw in the majority of the plot in the last 10% are not my fave. I want to read a BOOK with a PLOT the WHOLE TIME, not a bunch of exposition and then a pamphlet-worth of drama. It makes everything that happens at the end feel like it's 11:15 pm and the assignment is due at midnight, so the author just haphazardly threw a bunch of stuff in there without bothering to tease any of it because it was all done on the spot. Interesting-ish things were happening for sure, but without the amount of time needed to see the significance of these new characters and actions, the impact is lost on the reader as we see Zetian rockets back from an empathetic but strong fighter to the uncaring figure of her original personality. This essentially regresses her character development without the exploration of what triggers that, and it makes for another tangle of confusion for the reader.

And the epilogue---- sure, that's INTERESTING, but it felt like a cheap gimmick to get you to pick up book 2. An out-of-left-field cliff hanger that wouldn't exist anywhere in the story if this were a standalone.

**Thank you Netgalley and publisher for giving me a free copy of an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Words cannot express how much I loved this book! The ending was great and I loved the main characters strength to defy the system. I need book 2 like I need air, this was a fantastic read from start to finish.

the execution of the plot could be better but it's still amazing for a debut book! iron widow is perfect if you're craving for a fantastic sci-fi story

I got an ARC of this book.

That cover is gorgeous, the writing it gorgeous, the depth of sheer anger and vengeance GORGEOUS.

I loved this book for most of it. I was thinking it was a five star read from pretty much the first paragraph until the last ten or so pages. That is just how much I hated the ending. The ending ruined the book for me. I was so mad and felt like I had wasted so much time. The ending destroyed the chance of me wanting the second book.

The idea, the action, the romance, EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT. Then the ending. I am finding it difficult to manage to think or talk about anything else. That is just how much the ending was for me. It is the level of “it was all a dream” for making me angry. No, everything was not just a dream. It was a last second twist that I had assumed for a while, but having it happen that late in the book just felt like a forced cliff hanger.

I loved the title of Iron Widow. I loved the way that all the fighting and action worked. I was actually invested in this world. I am not the biggest fan of big robots/energy constructs for fighting. I find it boring. There are very few versions of it that I like, but Metal Gear Solid aside, this was fantastic. I wanted to know every detail. I wanted to see so much more. The way that the focus was not all “KILL EVERYTHING” but on memories and energy make it fascinating. There is a lot more to this than just fighting and revenge. There are a lot of broken and hurt people. There are a lot of bigger plots that are not hidden well or revealed well. All of the twists were incredibly easy to see coming. The twists were so obvious at some point, that the big reveal felt anti-climatic (like why the military hid the Iron Widows from view and related plot lines).

So outside of those last ten pages are so, this is very much a five star book. If you are less critical of endings, read this immediately.

There was a familiarity to this novel, and yet, it was completely unique. An enjoyable, fast-paced fantasy/dystopian read, that I highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! I was hooked from the beginning until the very last word. Eagerly waiting for the sequel!

i love zetian that is all
(review to come soon!)

thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book for this honest review!

Iron widow was everything I didn't know I needed and so much more. This is THE feminist/girl power fantasy novel of the year.

The book takes place on the planet of Huaxia where boy pilots and girl concubines need to team up using qi energy to combat alien attacks inside giant metal robots called Chrysalises. However, most girls end up succumbing to the high spirit pressure of the boys. Zetian is a peasant girl on the path of vengeance after her older sister has died at the hands of one of the most famous pilots. She enlists as a candidate to become a concubine to make the pilot pay for what he's done. Unfortunately for her, things don't go exactly according to plan, leading her to being paired up with the murderous pilot Li Shimin with one of the highest spirit pressure levels.

I was so not ready for this book. I can confidently say that it is one of the best YA fantasies out there right now. Zetian is a badass who doesn’t take men’s shit and she’s out for blood. She wants revenge, she wants power, and most importantly, she wants to make men pay for what they've done to countless young girls. I was so surprised by the seriousness of the topics explored. It’s heartbreaking and at the same time it fuels your anger at patriarchy, because the events in the book do reflect what is still happening in the real world. The author has done an immaculate job.

THIS. BOOK. I’m not even sure I can put in to words (coherently at least) how much I love this book. It was so unique. The writing and the characters were magnificent. It’s all about girl power and not needing men and crushing the patriarchy. Then you throw in queer love stories?! YES PLEASE! I’m going to be very impatiently awaiting the second book!

This book follows Zetian as she becomes a concubine pilot for the mecha pilot who killed her sister.

I knew the main concept behind this book, butt I hadn't read the full description of the book and I'm really glad I hadn't because I was completely surprised by a plot point that was mentioned in the description.

I also knew going into the book that there was a poly romance, and I really liked that aspect of the book and seeing the different relationships between all three characters develop. I actually would've liked to see even more
time dedicated to the romance.

I thought the whole concept was really intriguing and I liked reading it; but I did feel like there were a few things that could've been fleshed out more. I felt like there wasn't quite enough worldbuilding, so understanding everything putting everything in context could bea little difficult. The writing also felt very tell and not show at times.

I am really intrigued to user what happens in the sequel, especially with how the ending of this first book
played out

rating: 3.5/5

I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to read this book before the release date, I just wasn’t able to read anything sci-fi/fantasy at the time due to mental health and attention span. But I’ve truly only heard good things about this book!

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021, and it was everything that I wanted and more. Xiran Jay Zhao’s writing kept me locked in this amazing sci-fi world with badass characters and incredible asian and LGBTQ rep! Plus, I love the author’s tiktok (@xiranjayzhao).

This story blew me away just like I knew it would. Xiran Jay Zhao is forever iconic for the barriers they have broken with this novel and as someone who doesn't typically gravitate towards sci-fi, I couldn't help but be caught in the world, story telling and characters.

an extremely intriguing and captivating story, but the writing was very obviously that of a debut author which pulled from the experience. furthermore, there were some parts of the story that i found to be overdone such as the themes surrounding feminism and gender equality during the war and zetian's personality as a whole. i could not reconcile her outbursts with the way she was written and described throughout the story. i still very much enjoyed it and the politics involved throughout, however. i look forward to the sequel.

Where to begin with Iron Widow?? I don't think I've ever read anything like it and I loved every second of it. There are so many layers to this amazing book. I would love to be able to see this adapted probably as a movie but I will take anything you give me. I was ready to read book 2 immediately after finishing and once I started I didn't want to stop. The characters, the world building, the everything was just top tier. Thank you for writing this and putting it out into the world.

Yes to this book. Yes to being the nightmare. Yes to relentless action and vivid characters and skull-fucking the patriarchy. Yes to breaking molds. Yes to how many times I hooted with delight.

I can’t wait to have this in my hands so I can highlight so many lines.

Iron Widow is a spectacular novel that combines sci-fi and East Asian in a breathtaking way. I loved the main characters and I hope we see a corruption arc for Zetian in book two!