This book was EVERYTHING a YA fantasy should be. I devoured Iron Widow in just a couple sittings, so intrigued by Zetian. I loved how this book expertly combined fantasy/sci-fi elements with a retelling of the rise of China's first empress. It was chock full of feminist firepower, polyamorous and LGBTQ+ rep, and Chinese mythology and history featuring Qi-powered robots. Also, this book's ending was absolutely mindblowing and had me ready for book #2 already. Additionally, this book does a great job of being a sci-fi, without too much science jargon that it's overwhelming for readers who don't typically stray into sci-fi. I'd say the worldbuilding and characters lend well to fantasy, despite the robots and futuristic tech.

*I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book is a smash.

Think The Wrath and the Dawn meets Mobile Suit Gundam. It's a satisfying scifi/fantasy with strong Chinese historical and mythological roots. It's fresh, fun, and feminist. It feels like a timeless addition to the genre and everything in a book that I didn't know I needed, I love the characters, and in some cases, love to hate the characters.

I'm sad that I got this as an arc because that means I have to wait the longest amount of time for the sequel. It's a well-rounded fantasy that shouldn't scare off those that tend to be overwhelmed by the genre. It's a big book but the pacing is so well done that you don't ever feel bogged down. It's such a satisfying read, but craft-wise it's an absolute testament.

This book will punch you in the gut and you'll thank the author.

I think that's all I can say about this book without ruining it. Do yourself a favor and do not sleep on this one.

This book was amazing. A futuristic sci-fi retelling of the only female emperor of China, Iron Widow took an already fascinating story and elevated it even further. Zhao wove together a fantastic narrative that sprinkled in pieces of the world that set up the climactic ending perfectly.

Iron Widow combined this sci-fi setting with giant mechas fighting to protect their provinces with the heartbreaking reality of the role of women in China from the past. Touching on the practice of foot binding and the dangers of purity it was difficult at times to read the experiences that the characters went through but I thought that Zhao did a wonderful job at expressing the harm of a patriarchal society. Wu Zetian is our main character, and she volunteers to be a concubine to a pilot of one of the Chrysalises (the mechas) in order to avenge her sister who died after also volunteering. It was heart wrenching to read this depiction of women and their throwaway status in this society. I'm glad that Zetian was such a strong and bitter person. She often ran on spiteful fumes and yet it accomplished her so much. I loved her as a main character and I look forward to seeing what else she is capable of.

Now all the characters in this were spectacular. Morally grey and scheming I adored watching Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi come together. They worked in such an unexpected manner and I genuinely can't wait to read more about them in the next book. Polyamory is the way to go when there are two love interests. But I really did respect the way that Zhao created these characters. They all had trauma and they all have a lot to learn but they found ways to work together and I thought that this was an amazing set up for the second book. I will be impatiently waiting to get my hands on that!

This book was AMAZING! I had so much fun following along with this morally grey main character. And giant mecha bots battling metal space aliens….UM HELL YES. It honestly reminded me of the end of Power Rangers episodes when they would all come together to form a big battle robot to fight the enemy.

The amount of times that I snorted or burst out laughing because the main character did or said something unexpected were too many to count. Zetian had my heart from the first couple pages and I was rooting for her. She reminded me a lot of Harley Quinn.

There is LGBTQ+ rep in this book and I was happy to see that as well. It was done in a way I haven’t seen before and it was pretty cool.

I am so excited to continue this series and will definitely be picking up the next one when it comes out.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is a science fiction, fantasy novel following Wu Zetian in a reimagining of China's first and only female emperor - not an alternate history story or a historical fantasy novel. Iron Widow is set in a world of its own that is inspired by figures in Chinese history, as said by Xiran Jay Zhao. This novel contains the best kind of love triangle you can find - one that ends up as a polyamorous relationship. This novel started off with a content warning, allowing a reader prepared for what kind of material to expect while reading.
Wu Zetian enlists as a concubine-pilot to kill the pilot responsible in the death of her older sister. She becomes the Iron Widow and ends up paired with a different pilot. In the book, there is bisexual representation, and disability representation. The latter of which is through Wu Zetian herself as she was a victim/survivor of foot binding.
While reading, I went on a journey of emotions; rage, horror, embarrassment, grief. This novel actually had a plot twist that I didn't see coming and left me shocked. Hint: it's in the epilogue.
I'll gladly read the next book if/when it gets released.

Like some other reviewers, I really wanted to love this story. I tried to read it for over a month and it just never drew me in. Right off the bat, it felt like a technical description of a bad video game and lost me. The world building and history of what was going on was non-existent! I ended up skimming and I don’t think I missed anything. I wish I hadn’t tried for a month to read it.

I wanted to love this book so bad and I am so disappointed right now. I feel like this honestly could have been such a good book if the author rewrote it a couple more times.

Iron Widow is described as Handmaid’ Tale meets Pacific Rim featuring a polyamorous relationship. And for once in a long line of YA tag lines, this is actually a pretty good description. Our main character lives in a world that has been taken over by aliens - we don’t know much more about the aliens then that - and in order to fight back and keep them at bay, male pilots use giant machines and their Qi power to use the machines and kill the aliens. And in order to make sure that the males have a perfect life they are given concubines to assist with piloting and also making sure their every need is satisfied.

My main issue with the story was the writing. It felt like a Wattpad story that I would have read years ago in which the main character is so different and special and also tortured. Our main character has a terrible life. Her family is mean to her, her sister was killed in the war (the only family member she liked), her country is forcing her to become a concubine, her feet are bound and therefore she walks with a limp, but she is also really outspoken and wants to save the women from becoming sacrifices. I hated how her whole family was so mean to her especially the women which made no sense. And I hated how every interaction she had with another female was so limited and so awful.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot of the story with the exception of the end. I found the end to be a little crazy especially the epilogue. But I thought the way that the story progressed was at a fast-pac and had quite a few twists and turns. I wish we had gotten to spend a little more time in the world that the author built and learn more about why things were the way they were or how they started using these machines.

I enjoyed the polyamorous relationship although it was mostly background. But I liked how it actually made sense and was true triangle.

I would probably not pick up the next book as I felt like the ending put the story in a weird place to continue.

The perfect combination of angry feminist reimagination of Chinese history (first Chinese female emperor? sign me up!) and mecha sci-fi. Reading this book had been an entirely new experience, with many exhilarating moments that are permeated with meaningful themes so masterfully weaved together with both traditional and modern, futuristic sensibilities. I definitely had so much fun reading this book and would gladly devour its sequel when it comes out.

This book was absolutely fantastic! I will be recommending this to so many of my customers.

I highly recommend to anyone who likes historical SFF. The author does specifically state that she was not trying to be historically accurate, but was inspired by historical figures across Chinese history. I do still think that if you like historical SFF this is a great option.

A powerful female character fighting back against the patriarchy in a way I wish I had been able to read when I was a teenager.

Even though this book is marketed as a YA title, I did not feel like it fell into the pitfalls of most YA novels. While there were some cringe romance moments, there were very few and I was only pulled out of the story once or twice. (Which is what made this book 4.5 stars instead of 5.) This story also includes a polyamorist relationship that I thought was extremely well done.

CW: rape, mentions of rape, alcoholism, general murder/gore.

I received an advanced copy of Iron Widow through Netgalley so I could share my review with you!

Content Warning: Iron Widow contains scenes of murder, violence, gore, torture, suicide ideation, domestic and parental abuse, trauma, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, footbinding, misogyny and sexism, discussion and scenes involving sexual abuse, alcohol additiction, withdrawls, torture, and death.

Zetian is out for revenge, and she doesn’t care who has to die for her to get it. The world around Zetian is structured to keep women down, ordering them into positions of subservience in a system of dual pilot war-bots. Each of these machines, called Chrysalises, requires a male and a female pilot, but their roles are anything but equal. The male pilots survive battle after battle, gaining fame and fortune from their roles on the war front, while the female concubine pilots are used as nothing more than batteries, to be discarded at the end of each battle when they’ve been burned out. After her sister lost her life to one of the most famous pilots, Zetian enlists as a concubine pilot with a single mission; she is going to kill the man that murdered her sister, even if it costs her everything.

You can get your copy of Iron Widow now from Penguin Teen!

Once every handful of months, I come across a book that I wish I could give a rating higher than five stars. Iron Widow has easily earned this title, with its amazing plot, characters, and world-building earning it six solid-gold stars! This is easily one of the strongest debut novels I’ve ever read, and I will be itching for the sequel until it comes out next year. Of all the things that made Iron Widow such an amazing read, I think that what set it apart for me was the perfect pacing of the story. There was never a moment where I was bored, yet there was still plenty of time for world-building and character development. With such high stakes, it would have been easy for the story to feel rushed, but that was never the case. And as a side note, the author’s twist on the classic love triangle trope was sheer perfection. From here on out, I will only be accepting polyamorous love triangles, because Xiran Jay Zhao has ruined me for anything else!

My Recommendation-
If you loved Gearbreakers, In the Ravenous Dark, or She Who Became the Sun, you need to pick up a copy of Iron Widow! I would especially recommend this book to readers searching for a story with a ruthless female protagonist, who is willing to do whatever it takes to get revenge!

I cannot and will not stop thinking about this book. It is one of the best books, not just of the year but ever!

I had the highest expectations going in because I’ve been following the author and seeing them talk so much about this book, I was so eager to read it because it just sounded like something fresh and unique and it was!

The way the author tackled the polyamorous relationship was so beautiful to me, I have watched and read other stuff about polygamy but I’ve never seen it be handled so beautifully. I literally had tears in my eyes. And it was done very tasteful too which was needed because it’s a YA book for teens!

The characters have my whole heart. I especially love our MC, I know she is supposed to be unlikeable but that is exactly why I love her. She is unapologetic. She is fierce. She is herself. She is a force and I think we need more characters like hers!

The ending really had me SCREAMING and I cannot wait for the next book! This is seriously one of the most amazing books I’ve read and I’ve been recommending it to everyone who will listen!

I LOVE history and I have such trouble with sci-fi, but the balance Xiran Jay Zhao strikes in this book was, for me, perfect. The creativity with which these figures in Chinese history were woven into this world with striking misogynistic systems was incredible. Though it's hard for me to weigh elements of this book against each other - it was honestly entirely well done - I must say the characters struck me the most. AND THE POLY REP??? *chef's kiss*

This story was a fast read, it definitely has a lot of similarities to Pacific Rim. I enjoyed the military and the fighting aspects. There were several times when I found the writing and the sequence of events very confusing. Also the description of the invading aliens, as well how this special metal works was not completely clear. There was a lot of action, fast paced and intense moments throughout. This world is very heartbreaking, especially for how it values women in the society. I loved the ending. There was a lot going on and I am curious as to where the story is going to head. I did enjoy this book but it did not blow me away. I would still definitely check it out.
Trigger warnings: rape, mutilation, death and abuse.
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

I absolutely adored this book!!! The world, the romance, the dark elements!! IRON Widow is one of the most compelling sci-fi fantasies I’ve read!!!!!

4.5 stars

Well, this book just throws you in and NEVER. STOPS. And wow, what a journey.

Iron Widow is billed as a Pacific Rim meets Handmaid's Tale reimagining of China's only female emperor and this description is incredibly on point. From page one, the reader is thrown into the world of Huaxia, where our main character Zetian willingly offers herself up as a concubine-pilot so that she can assassinate the male pilot who murdered her sister. What starts as a classic revenge story becomes so much more as Zetian rails against the oppressive world she lives in, where girls are treated as commodities, sacrificed to male pilots in the name of a war effort against the alien robots that plague their lands. As Zetian learns about and embraces her own powers, she is paired with Li Shimin, the strongest pilot around who is widely feared after he murdered his family. But Zetian is no longer afraid as she sets out topple the system that has oppressed girls like her for so long.

As I said above, this book is just...wow. Just non-stop action and empowerment balanced with introspective character moments that took my breath away. I do think this book was hard to read at times in the same way that reading/watching Handmaid's Tale has always been hard for me - it's tough to see women and girls trapped in a system that devalues them so extensively, so please note the content warnings here, including rape and murder. That said the moments of strength and sheer will from Zetian are so inspiring this book left me feeling amped up and ready to smash down some walls and tear down the patriarchy. Oh and the love triangle here? Literally one character says to Zetian "you'd better not be tangled up in a love triangle" to which she responds "don't you know basic geometry?...a triangle is the strongest shape" and boy howdy this book leans into that and I am here for it. Love this poly/queer rep - it's so great to see. The end of this book was mind-blowing and all I could do is nervously giggle and say "wtf?" repeatedly out loud so it's safe to say I can't wait for book 2.

I will say I found some of the language here to be anachronistic and it occasionally took me out of the story but it wasn't a huge issue as the characters and story always brought me back into it. I am also not a huge sci fi person and while I was into the story this means that my eyes did glaze over some of the world-building stuff from time to time, but again this is a minor quibble. All in all, I definitely recommend this book and cannot wait to read the next book and whatever else the author writes.

Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc!

𝟰.𝟱✰/𝟱✰
"𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 : 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯."

This book catches your attention from the very beginning. I love only a few select scifi books and pick them up rarely. So this one was quite a surprise.
Let's talk about the Mc character first ;
Zetian is a girlboss and so unapologetically herself. I loved her internal monologue and her thoughts mirrored my own at times. She's so morally grey, reckless and fierce, you can't help but root for her.

Zetian : says something
Me : HIGHLIGHT THAT RIGHT NOW!✍🏼

The other characters (also love interests) have their own attributes that makes them standout. I couldn't choose between them. They are both opposites of each other but I love them both.
This is the only love triangle I approve of.

I found it a little hard to wrap my head around all the action scenes (my brain has its picture imagination limits okay). This world is very compelling (the Chrysalises and how they work and how the elemental magic is a player in it). The ending was like a gut punch and now I cannot wait for the second book.

There are a few TWs to be aware of mentioned in the beginning of the book
Violence and torture, Thoughts of suicide,
Alcohol addiction, Conversations on sexual assault (no on page depiction)

This book was a truly stunning debut and an awesome world to dive into! The story kept me on my toes and I really enjoyed it, and the mix of culture was really interesting.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada books for this amazing e-arc.

I've officially proclaimed this book the feminist manifesto and only available for the girls and gays and anyone on the alphabet mafia.

Over the 15 years of my existence, I've probably picked one sci-fi novel ( The Selection to be exact) and I fucking ate it up. This book was amazing like friends-lover, enemies-lovers, and polyandry in a ya novel; also including diverse characters that are one of kind. I genuinely want everyone to read this book and change the expectations of ya and move on to something diverse that literally embodies inclusiveness, without the feeling of it being pushed on you.

Overall read this book or you just missing out on life experiences.

( The theme of the book is girl boss, gatekeep, gaslight)

This will be one of the best science fiction novels of the year. Wu Zetian is an unforeseen women who is found to have a strong affinity for being able to pilot a Chrysalis mecha type fighter which are normally controlled by a male pilot with female “concubine” assistant. The battle scenes are exciting and are supported by political intrigue that pushes to maintain the historical power structure in this alternate China type society. Through in a possible love triangle and I’m excited for more.

I have no words to describe how utterly compelling and addictive this YA fantasy about a girl who vows to kill the boy responsible for her sister´s death in a world where boys drain girls of their energy to pair up with giant mecha and battle against invading aliens was.



I was hooked from the first page and read this book in less than a day. This book is nonstop action with short chapters that make you fly through the book as you follow Zetian on her journey to get close to her sister´s killer only to actually end up killing him and discovering she´s an Iron Widow, a girl capable of draining men of their energy instead of the other way around. In this patriarchal misogynistic society we can't have that so she is instantly paired up with the most powerful boy who will surely kill her...except she doesn´t and she plans to overthrow the entire system.



I enjoyed her character, she wasnt extremely naïve or extremely cynical and was still trying to help women by playing into the system. We get to see her as she quickly learns not everyone is able to just shrug of societal rules and risk death or harm and how not everything is black and white when it comes to this system. In the way of development, she didn't really have any. While she did learn to not judge too quickly she was still the same angry and vengeful girl she was in the beginning, it wasnt a problem however because I liked where she is as a person. My dear Shimin... how I love that boy, his character was also very interesting and I hope to get to know even more about him. He deserves all the cabins in the woods.



The qi system and the interaction with the mechas was pretty entertaining and had me imagining the most iconic images, it was a bit hard at times but nothing too complex. There are so many things that we have yet to discover about this type of energy system that I am excited to get into its sequel! Likewise, the world itself and the combination of old and new was a breath of fresh air.



As for the romance, I was super excited because it is a poly romance in a YA fantasy and it was so cute. I really enjoyed their dynamic and need more from these 3! In the way of building that romance in a traditional way, it wasnt like that at all so I didn't really feel that romantic vibe at all more like partners so meh



Finally, the revelations and the battle scene were....wow



I highly recommend you check this book out.