Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale is an apt description for this gem of a book. Fast paced, action-packed, with a badass heroine who is determined to topple the patriarchy. What's not to love?

I'm not saying I joined NetGalley and started reviewing SPECIFICALLY to get to read Iron Widow in advance. Just like I'm not saying Iron Widow is so good I wanted to scream and throw things and flip tables and ended up doing at least two out of the three. But I'm not NOT saying it.

This story has EVERYTHING.
Mech battles.
Magical girl transformation sequences.
Boyfriends who make you dumplings at the end of a long day.
Burning the world to the ground if that's what it takes to destroy the patriarchy.

And it is AWESOME.
5/5 Stars are not enough Stars. 10/5 stars are not enough stars. 10,000/5 stars is getting closer but still not there??

A wee summary, for those of you that like that sort of thing: History buff and Twitter champ Xiran Jay Zhao (follow them @xiranjayzhao for hilarious and informative threads, if you somehow missed the viral takedown of historical inaccuracies in the new 'Mulan') has taken one of the world's most impressive and enigmatic figures--Wu Zetian, China's only female emperor--and reimagined her story as a YA Sci-Fi so metal that I cannot believe we are all so #blessed to be allowed to have it.

Humanity is under constant threat of extinction by the Hunduns, a race of bizarre magical/robotic bug creatures lurking beyond the Great Wall. Our best line of defense is a squadron of young fighter pilots, each assigned to a Chrysalis--a spectacular mecha-version of an animal from East Asian mythology, created from the hollowed-out husks of the enemy and controlled with the pilot's mind and qi. Pilots enjoy all the power and glory of military heroes and popstars combined, which makes sense, considering they're taking out waves of alien invaders inside giant battle bots that can transform into increasingly badass forms.

EXCEPT. You will notice all these pilots are young men, and the system requires them to pair up with and consume the energy of young women subjugated as concubines (who rarely survive a single trip, and are therefore considered a necessarily disposable resource--while the dudes get to enjoy Justin Bieber, Knight of Camelot status in spite of their increasing body counts.)

Wu Zetian is already over it before the story begins, having lost her sister as a sex-slave/brain-battery for the army's favorite golden boy. Her only goal is to avenge her sister's death and then tap out, sick of existing in a world where her entire life has only mattered in the context of men's whims. But she quickly discovers there's much bigger fish to fry; removing one shitty dude solves only one small problem, but the bigger problem is the system that built him. IE, The Patriarchy.

And Zetian is unafraid to do *literally* whatever it takes to bring the whole thing crashing down.

This story is dark. At times really, really dark. It's also really, really funny, and touching, and infuriating, and triumphant, and by the end you will be 100% prepared to swear your undying allegiance to Empress Wu Zetian and her loyal patriarchy-destroying boyfriends (yes, you read me.) She is fearless, ruthless, unfriendly, unkind, unapologetic, and the most incredible protagonist you'll have met in a really long time.

This book is bonkers in the best possible way. I need more immediately. More books. An anime adaptation. SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE.

IF YOU ARE STILL READING THIS I SUGGEST YOU STOP RIGHT NOW AND JUST GO ORDER YOUR COPY BECAUSE WOW. WOW. WOW??? WOW.

Iron Widow is so gosh darn amazing. First of all, Wu Zetian is a badass female lead. She rebels against not only her neglectful family and the corrupt army, but she also challenges the patriarchy and the old school values that rule her country. All while being the most powerful mech pilot in the last 200 years.
Second, the alien invaders that have been plaguing the world for the past few centuries have some cool properties that make them valuable tools, the government uses them to create the giant robots used to defend the country. And in conclusion, I'm ready for the next book already.

Full review to come on my blog.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is an epic and immersive journey into a world inspired by ancient China, with mecha robots, fascinating battles’ descriptions and morally grey characters that will be remembered for ages.

Thanks to brilliant plot twists and a gripping plot, it’s impossible to put this book down: even if it’s complex and very tightly structured, Xiran’s prose makes it always enjoyable to read. And there is something truly unique in the way Iron Widow perfectly blends a historical setting with sci-fi elements, creating a sort of magical system based on elements from Chinese culture and spirituality. 

Zetian is the true gem of the whole book. Walking on the fine line between good and evil, she is a badass main character with understandable motives, and so it’s easy to resonate with her, to want to take down the true villains of the story by her side. Watching her fighting her way up in a world meant to take women down, to silence and oppress them, is heartbreaking and empowering at the same time: very few times before Zetian I found a character as worthy as her of obtaining revenge, and I can’t wait to see how much more she has in a store (it’s just so satisfying to see her torturing misogynists, what can I say).

But her companions are not less worthy of my adoration: Shimin seems to be an angry muss of muscles, and yet he is just a gentle boy broken by a twisted system that deserves way better than he ever got in his life. And Yizhi is such a headstrong knight-in-a-shining-armor ready to go hell and back for those he cares for, amazing even just for knowing how to deal with his two very chaotic partners.

I must admit that one of the main reasons that made me extremely excited to read Iron Widow was knowing that there was going to be a poly relationship. And not only it was so well executed, slowly building the tension between each couple before connecting them in such a perfect triangle, but it was also threaded as a meaningful and important element of the story: Xiran didn’t just write three characters in a relationship, but they also inserted meaningful discussion about love and non-conforming forms of romantic relationships that made my heart burst out of joy. This trio and the bond they have formed will always hold such a special place in my heart, that’s for sure- and HOPEFULLY we will be blessed with more cute scenes between them in the sequel.

Iron Widow is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and it seriously took me by surprise how much I loved it. If you are looking for a book that will make you want to go out and fight the patriarchy, this is a perfect choice, and I can’t truly recommend it enough (but be ready to suffer through a very explosive ending!!!).

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada/Penguin Teen for giving me an advanced copy of this on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so cool. It's the second book I've read recently with mechas, but it was still really unique. The main character, Wu Zetian, is very compelling; she's not nice, she's not calm, she's not docile. She's fierce, unafraid to hurt people, and angry at the patriarchal system that has bound her feet and tried to sell her into death. I loved it. The world she was living in, which is unfortunately so similar to the world that many women throughout history have experienced, was undeniably cruel to her and every other woman. Women were constantly underestimated and treated like property, and Zetian was not standing for it. When the book starts, she just wants revenge against the pilot who killed her sister, but she doesn't stop there.

Both Wu Zetian and Li Shimin were sort of morally-gray characters who did bad things but had good motives, and that's always a really interesting type of character to read about. I really liked them, along with Yizhi.

This book breaks a lot of boundaries; not that the point is to be revolutionary or it feels too obvious -- it's also just a really great fantasy/sci-fi book. But it's all about smashing gender roles, it's heavily based on East Asian mythology and culture (which we haven't seen enough in YA), and there's a little bisexual representation as well. I won't try to analyze how accurate the cultural aspects or LGBTQ+ representation are since that isn't really my place, but I love to see books that depict readers who have never seen themselves in books before.

Iron Widow isn't a lighthearted book -- don't pick it up if you're wanting a mood lifter (it's not particularly sad or anything like that, but the topics it deals with are serious and there is some difficult subject matter). I would also check trigger warnings before reading this because there are issues such as rape, alcohol abuse, torture, and more.

Overall, I recommend this one! It's not lighthearted and the story is a bit brutal, but it's different from a lot of the other YA books out there and it was a very compelling read.

This cover is exquisite; yeah, you should judge this book by the cover. The heteropatriarchy is dying a slow angry death and I am HERE for it. This was so fun to read!

There are some very disturbing parts, such as descriptions of foot binding. I was a little apprehensive knowing a little about the romance going into the book, but it was pretty well-done. I think one part of the triangle could have been a little more developed, as some other aspects of the book could have been. I would have liked to see more female friendships but it seems perhaps unrealistic for this world.

Anyway, I hope Zetian is more ruthless in the next book. This is a debut by a young author; I look forward to seeing how she evolves.

Even though I wasn't able to finish Iron Widow (I DNF'd it as 30%) I still would like to share my opinions on it and explain why I decided not to finish it.

First of all I was intrigued by the premise of Iron Widow, it incorporates a futuristic- East Asian inspired world where men (and women) pilot robots to fight off alien invasions. All of this while also utilizing East Asian history with a feminist narrative. Unfortunately in this case the concept was better than the execution.

I found the world to be quite confusing because the world building was lacking which really held me back from being able to get into the story and ultimately be able to enjoy it. I found the main character to be unlikeable - she comes off as being cocky I think to play into the undertone of feminism in Iron Widow, but doesn't really have the actions to back up her claims and attitude.

My main issue, I hate to say it, was with the blatant way that feminism was used in the narrative. I would have preferred for the message to be communicated in a more organic and subtle way. Instead Xiran Jay Zhao constantly reiterated concepts of women being able to do everything that a man can do and the unjustified abuse and discrimination women face historically (and today) in East Asia. Although these points are valid and are important to talk about, the number of times it was mentioned just in the first 30% was redundant and honestly annoying. Other novels have conveyed the same message in a more discrete way that comes off as being just as, if not more powerful and inspiring (in my opinion).

Overall, I think that Iron Widow will appeal to a large audience, just not me. It has an interesting concept that is reminiscent of Pacific Rim with action sequences that kind of remind me of something seen in transformers. Many with also appreciate seeing a strong, bisexual female character of colour as the lead who promotes many feminist ideologies.

I love to start my review off by talking about the end when it is incredibly jaw-dropping, and the ending of Iron Widow fits into this category. It opens up so many questions but also makes other elements of the story make sense. It reframed the story and left the possibilities for further books in the series wide open. The ending is shocking, and I wasn't expecting that. I loved it, and I loved that it took me by surprise.

This world is severely misogynistic. Women are barely even acknowledged as being human and capable of thought and strength. All women are used for the unique aspects that their femaleness entails. They are not worthy of love and respect except in a few sporadic instances, and even then, it still does not match the level of the men. The treatment of women can be brutal to read sometimes, but it is artfully balanced with softer storylines, so it never reaches the overwhelming level.

I also loved the sci-fi elements in the story. They are very cool. The story is a beautiful combination of sci-fi and fantasy, leaning a little more towards the sci-fi side with Chrysalis war machines and other unique devices and gadgets. A chrysalis is a war machine that requires both males and females to complete the yin and the yang to run the machine. They are all shaped like animals and can transform into more powerful machines if the Qi of the pair is strong enough. It's simply fascinating and is the central aspect of the story.

Characters
Zetian, Yizhi, and LiShimin are the three main characters of this story though only Zetian narrates. Zetian considers the three of them a love triangle and says that triangles are the strongest shape, which I guess could be argued unless the triangle tries to stand up on one point. Then, it will always topple. I think of them more as a circle of respect and love, which equals power. Their mutual feelings for each other include an emotional and a physical attachment though I felt like it transcends traditional love and relationships. There is a powerful magic that occurs when their Qi combines.

What I Wish
My only wish, which was quite an annoying little niggle when I was reading, is that the cuss words pop up occasionally - and the term "dork" as well – had been left out or that some story-appropriate expression had been used in their place. The baseness of the language just felt out of place in this story – so much so that it really stood out and broke the flow of reading temporarily. But, this is so minor that I almost left it off this review.

To Read or Not to Read
If you are looking for a different kind of sci-fi/fantasy story to read, then you need to pick up The Iron Widow. It will leave you speechless.

This book was so compelling that I read it all in one sitting. The characters are great, especially the MC who is not to be messed with. The story is really interesting, and Zetian's struggles against the patriarchal culture she is stuck with and the power imbalances those cause feel very ground in reality for such a fantastical setting. The setting itself is another area where this book shines, as the world building is really well done. It feels like the world is moving outside of the main plot. The battles are excitingly written, too, which is a feat in itself. I especially love the scenes inside the mindscapes of the different pilots, and how those reflect the pilots themselves. This also pulled off the amazing trick of satisfyingly resolving a love triangle subplot without taking too much of the focus off Zetian's main goals and experiences. This is a really solid sci-fi/fantasy novel and I can't wait for the sequel (especially after that game-changing ending!)

Thanks to Libro.fm and to Netgalley for the audio and ebook versions of this in exchange for an honest review

This was cool! I really enjoyed the concept and the action. Zetian was a really compelling character. It was a little heavy handed at parts but I can get behind the point it was making!

"He should be the Iron King, and I should be the Iron Queen. Yet Iron Demon and Iron Widow is all they'll let us be.


Holy mother of god! This book! I didn't go into Iron Widow expecting to come out with an almost obsession for this book, but that's exactly what happened. This brought me back to all the mecha animes and cdramas I used to watch all the time. I'm calling it right now! This is my favorite book of 2021! I fucking love this book and I cannot stop thinking about it. I have bookmarked the hell out of all these quotes and passages. Iron Widow was fucking epic! It was that good!

In the world of Iron Widow, male pilots fight mecha aliens called Hunduns outside the Great Wall. Concubine Pilots are often sacrificed as a result. Wu Zetian enlists to become a concubine for the pilot Yang Guang for the purpose of murdering him for the death of her older sister.

Unexpectedly during her first night as concubine she is forced into battle with him and ends up surviving the battle, killing him and takes control of his Chrysalis labeling her the Iron Widow. With Zetian having an extremely high sprit pressure the army decides to pair her up with Li Shimin, the Iron Demon as well as the strongest male pilot.


"The entitled assholes of the world are sustained by girls who forgive too easily. And there's nothing I'd like to rid the world of more than entitled assholes."


I remember saying to myself in chapter two or three, this book is really fucked up and it really is. In this world women are deemed unimportant and they have to live by the rules of men. It is considered an honor to be sacrificed as a concubine. Your priority is to serve men. Women are not equal to a man's worth. As a woman, the way the world is in Iron Widow enrages me on such a deep level, but this is part of what makes Iron Widow as amazing as a book as it is.

Wu Zetian is such a fierce and cunning heroine and I am so here for it! The world is unjust and Zetian has had enough. After discovering hidden secrets that could change everything she makes a stand and decides to overthrow this whole ridiculous misogynistic system. I love how Zetian fights for what she believes in and fuck anyone who stands in her way. We are witnessing a queen being born and I am looking forward to seeing her get her throne.

Now I have to talk about the romance! Our two leading guys are Li Shimin, the Iron Demon and Gao Yizhi, who is Zetian's only friend. And this is a poly romance! I am so happy about this for two reasons! One, we don't get enough poly romance! Second, who the hell can choose between these two?


"When you cherish someone for how amazing there are, you don't pluck them from their roots just to watch them wither in your hands. You help them bloom into the incredible thing they're really meant to be."


Tell me! If you actually had to choose one over the other, could you? I absolutely refuse! When we have two male leads, (and that's typically when it's a love triangle) I usually like one more than the other. But I love Shimin and Yizhi both equally. It would be a crime to pick and choose!

Yizhi, who is Zetian's only friend, is kind and compassionate. He deeply cares for and ends up following Zetian because she fights for what she believes in and he admires that and wants to support her in whatever way he can. Yizhi is my ultimate book husband. He is the definition of absolute perfection.

Shimin, the Iron Demon, is scary and powerful to the public, but inside he is the sweetest little cinnamon roll. My heart beats out of control for Shimin! Now Zetian was a bit wary and very on guard around Shimin at first, but I definitely think he wormed his way into her heart.


"My killer boy, my sweet boy. The final line in this triangular formation we've been dancing in, making us stronger than ever. This is unconventional, yet another implicit rule we're breaking, but you know what? It works for us. And I think the three of us are done with letting this world tell us what's okay and what isn't."


With the guy's relationship with each other you got to see little scenes here and there showing their development with each other. We see things through Zetian's eyes. She was waiting for it and she was so happy when Yizhi and Shimin happened, as were we all. They are so fucking cute together. One thing I wish was included was having a chapter or two in one of the guy's point of view because I would have loved to know their thoughts during the Yizhi and Shimin developments.

Iron Widow was one hell of a debut book. You guys are not ready for this book! I swear this is gonna be the next big young adult series! Readers will be obsessing over this like I am! And that ending? It gave me a heart attack and I think I'm in denial. Just fucking give me the next book! I want it now!

If you don’t live under a rock in the depths of the sea, chances are you’ve heard about Iron Widow once or twice, or about a hundred times in the past few months. The hype is real with this one and let me tell you, it is deserved. A pitch like “Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale in a polyamorous reimaging of China’s only female emperor” is as unique as it is intriguing. From the author’s letter, you learn that this is a love letter to Chinese culture and the only female emperor while also an unflinching portrayal of a system designed to keep women from succeeding at anything. Let me give you a bit of background:

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the Humduns, mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall intent on breaking through. The only downside of these heroic battles is that they always end in the death of the girls since the pilots overpower them during the mental exertion portion of these fights. Iron Widow follows 18-year-old Wu Zetian who offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, not to earn her family some money but to avenge the pilot responsible for her sister’s death. She knows anyone signing up is essentially signing their death warrant and has made her peace with it— vengeance over survival. But what Zetian doesn’t expect is not only successfully killing her sister’s murderer but emerging from the cockpit unscathed. Labeled as the Iron Widow, the most feared of female pilots, she is paired up with the scariest and strongest male pilot in Huaxia, Li Shimin, to keep her under the patriarchy’s idle thumb. But now that Zetian has found all this power within her, there’s no way she’s giving it up. Determined to make the pilot system work for her, Zetian is on her way to stop girls from being sacrificed to men’s power—and to dismantle the patriarchy while she’s at it.

Iron Widow is a chunky read and it’s difficult to formulate just how much this story has got going for it. But if you’re into unlikely alliances, enemies-to-lovers, fantastic Asian and queer rep as well as a girl who will stop at nothing to give her fellow women the equality they deserve, then have I got the book for you.

We follow Wu Zetian not only form a connection with Li Shimin but also her best friend Gao Yizhi joining the fight for equality. This unlikely trio fights to dismantle the patriarchy—all the while trying to stay alive long enough to achieve said goal—and we get to learn so much about each of them through their connections to the other. As they learn to trust each other, they also learn more about themselves and what’s at stake if they can’t make their new roles work.

I can already see readers swooning over Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi for different reasons and rightly so. Without giving too much away, Li Shimin, “the Iron Demon” has a lot of depth to his character and to how he became who he is. As you get to see that history unravel, you can’t help but want to fight the unjust system yourself. Meanwhile, Gao Yizhi is the kind of “cinnamon roll that could actually kill you” portrayal fantasy readers are going to devour.

The absolute highlight of this book and what made it unputdownable for me, however, was our protagonist Wu Zetian and the themes of feminism we get to explore through her eyes. The author takes a deep dive into the unrelenting and unfair gender roles Wu Zetian’s society tries to uphold at any cost and how that not only affects how people treat her but how she, in par, treats others. There are so many powerful and feminist moments in this story that I basically highlighted a quote on every second page of Iron Widow. While Wu’s actions and thoughts sometimes didn’t match up when it came to approaching other girls and women, her fight to reclaim her right to be equal to men is downright intoxicating to read about. As you watch her best the other pilots and ruthlessly avenge those she has lost, you also get to see just how deeply ingrained the belief that women are lesser is in Huaxia and especially within Wu Zetian’s family and why her fight is such a worthwhile one. You can’t help but root for Wu Zetian as she defies all odds in a brutal system designed to keep her and every female down. All I can really say is, if you love stories where women bite back, this one needs to be on your TBR.

Where things sort of took a dive for me was when it came to the worldbuilding. Blame it on my tired brain but I had the hardest time keeping up with the concepts of Iron Widow—I mean, the premise? Ten out of ten, would recommend. The actual explanation for how everything came to be and the whole chrysalises and qi and pilot bonds went a bit over my head because we get to see a lot of them unfold as the chapters go on instead of having the answers early on. The funny thing is, I know this was an intentional choice to circumvent info dumping, which is always a difficulty in fantasy novels. But in this one little case, I think I would have embraced the info dumping over the strewn information we got because, even though qi as a concept sounds downright amazing, I still don’t have a real grasp on it. Then again, I could very well be talking out of my butt at this point and this will be elaborated on in the sequel, who knows? Besides, my confusion over the different qi forms and affinities didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all, so I think readers who pay attention will have no problem understanding all the intricacies of Huaxia’s fight to protect the Great Wall against Hunduns. And I can’t wait to see where the sequel takes Wu Zetian and those powers.

An unapologetically queer and feminist sci-fi adventure with a ruthlessly compelling protagonist and an explosive ending that ramps up the stakes for the sequel, Iron Widow is perfect for fantasy lovers and fighters of the feminist agenda!

*4.25 stars*

We follow Zetian, a young girl who enlists into the military as a concubine pilot, where she will be paired up with a male pilot to fight against an alien race, the Hunduns. Girls in this world are sacrificed during these battles, ensuring the survival of the male pilots as well as the success of the battles. Zetian’s big sister was murdered by a famous fighter, and Zetian enacts her revenge not by a sword or strangulation as planned, but in the mind-link during battle. She is then called an “Iron Widow” and her struggles continue as she tries to free girls from the same fate as her older sister.

What I Loved:
-This contained an alternative love triangle a.k.a. a poly MFM relationship, and I loved that it was represented so well and was so refreshing. The bisexual rep mixed with a Poly relationship was amazing. We love inclusive stories. (I wish it was better explored, since the last 25% was pretty much all plot and plot twists)
-I loved that this was inspired by Chinese history and the author made their own world and rules inspired by history but futuristic and sci-fi.
-Our main character, Zetian, was emotional and passionate, yet determined and forthright and brave. I feel like so often you have to be cold and calculating without crying or showing emotion, and she felt real. I also appreciated her revenge arc and how she actually needed men’s help throughout, showing her that not all men were out to sacrifice and use the concubine pilots.
-The feminist overtones!!!
-The quotes about relationships and love.
-SHIMIN. SHIMIN. He was so ignored towards the end but I feel in love with that dude.

What I Didn’t Love:
-The “alien” conflict was very confusing and was never explained in a way I enjoyed. The ending had some more explanation, but really just made more questions.
-The world politics seem like they would be really important in a book like this, but the politics were never explained fully and we were left in the dark.
-A lot of the novel is telling instead of showing, so I feel like I couldn’t always make my own opinion about the events transpiring.
-This book is not subtle in the slightest. We get to see the author’s tropes played out throughout but they are never really pulled together in a cohesive way.
-The relationships were pretty instalove-y. Not my favorite, but this was not character focused. -The world building is lackluster and again, confusing. I love the idea of the world and it mirrored our own in many ways, but a cohesive picture was never achieved.

TW: Femicide, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual Assault (mentioned), Torture

**Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Penguin Teen for an eARC in exchange for my honest review**

In this world that combines The Handmaid's Tale and Pacific Rim, Wu Zetian is to be sent into war for her country as a concubine for the man that killed her sister. However, she ends up finding herself wrapped up in the complex war of Chyrsalises, these mega robots that are used and piloted by men that kill women during fights to gain power. Wu will do what it takes to survive, even if it means taking the patriarchy down with her.

The worldbuilding in this story is a bit intense. You have this fantasy science fiction world inspired by China and its history, but with such a unique twist that it really does pull you in. It took me a bit to get into the world but once I did I was flying. There's also such an amazing take on qi, the life energy in all people, and the different elemental aspects of qi that manifest in each person. Each elemental qi has its strengths and weaknesses when it comes to application in battle, and seeing those interactions in the spirit armor and the Chrysalis fighters and even the people who wield it was so beautifully done. Although I will say that some points on magic building with qi felt repetitive, even at the end of the story, but I still found it extremely enjoyable.

The characters were either extremely lovable, or extremely easy to hate, which I felt was good to build the narrative of women oppression in this society. Most of the male characters were the latter, except the exceptions of Simu Yi, Yizhi, and Li Shimin. They were all cool. Yizhi was smart but light hearted and had an open mind about a lot of stuff that really drew me to him. Li Shimin I was iffy on in the beginning. Yes, we don't get introduced to him until 30% through the novel, but we get this immediate tough guy persona only for that to immediately melt away 10% later. I know it's because of his addiction but I still was a bit iffy about it. Regardless I still loved him at the end.

Now Wu Zetian I had a love hate relationship with. She was either a complete badass or a hothead with temper issues, but either way she had compassion and a drive and would do what she had her mind set on. And in that way, I felt that I really admired her for it and what she does throughout the story.

I know a lot of people have been asking if there is a polyamorous relationship in this story. All I have to say is that you have to read this book to find out. Regardless, the relationship that does happen I felt had really good buildup and I wish I would have seen more of it before the final end to the story. Made me feel a little disappointed but still glad we had it. But I have hopes with the sequel because THAT CLIFFHANGER OMG!

I will also add that I was thrown off by the dialogue for a good portion of the story, but I also have to acknowledge that this story takes place in a fictional China, so there might be a cultural barrier to the language that I don't really understand. But the descriptions were absolutely stunning.

Iron Widow is perfect for science fiction fans who want some more powerful female representation with something akin to watching Power Rangers as a kid. It made me want to be a pilot and take down the patriarchy along with Wu. Please go and pre-order this book! You won't regret it.

I received a copy of this book as an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Any and all thoughts are my own.

I love the mix of modern technology and language with somewhat historical traditions and ways of life. The sci-fi was of course a draw-in for me. I loved the main 3 characters and found their relationship to be the perfect break between the hard truths, utter tragedies, and unfairness of their world. Zetian was angry, smart, and still learning to untangle herself from the lies she had been force-fed since birth. She is far from perfect but that is what made me believe in her more. Shimin is a misunderstood murderer whose beliefs ripped apart his life and put him on this self-destructive path to be used as a tool before Zetian enters his life with new hope. And Yizhi is the rich pretty boy with hidden secrets and an undercurrent of power and darkness hidden beneath fancy robes and all the luxuries money can buy. Together they are tiny slithers of hope and happiness that they in the end want to fight to hold on to. I love this polyamorous rep in YA!

I am the type to care more for characters than the plot in books but the progression in the book was great still in having enough action to balance all we were learning about this world. There are a lot of twists and shocks in the last 15% of the book but that only drummed up more interest and emotions around the book and my want for the next one. Also, the writing in this book is so good!! I highlighted so many lines and GOD they were so good every time Zetian felt invigorated to speak against the patriarchy and take back the power that had to be stripped away just because she is a girl.

This was such an enjoyable read and I can't wait to see what Zhao has planned for the rest of this series, future writing projects, and other endeavors. If you haven't, you should check out the fan art on their Instagram and the commissioned art they've had done. It's so good!!

What is better than five stars? Oh, right, THIS BOOK!

Listen I knew I was going to love this book going in. Sometimes you just know. And I knew. But wow. My expectations were exceeded by miles, okay? Miles. Everything about this book was flawless. Stunning. It should be on every shelf and in every store and on every wish list, ever. Characters? Would die for them. Plot? Perfectly done. World building? The author should teach a class on it.

If everyone doesn't buy this book the moment it's available they are doing themselves a disservice. 10/10 would and will read again very soon.

Wow, this is such a cool book! I truly have not read anything like it.

The story follows Wu Zeitan as she enlists as a pilot concubine of giant transforming robots to avenge her older sister's death. When she ends not immediately dying as expected, Zeitan becomes the notorious Iron Widow and seeks to destroy the society who continuously sends young girls to their deaths.

This story is based off of Chinese history, myth, and philosophy portrayed through a very modern lens in a sci-fi setting. I was continuously in awe of how Xian Jay Zhao blended these areas together to create a world that was so different from anything else I have read.

I haven't read much sci-fi and had a hard time imagining what they chrysalises looked like and how exactly the spirit armor and metal worked. I think that if I were more familiar with the genre I could picture it more, but as it I'm still not really sure how the chrysalises worked and the limits of the pilot technology. This would normally really bother me but I was honestly so swept up in the amazing setting and premise that didn't mind too much.

Iron Widow has some sci-fi and YA genre tropes that I have seen a lot of times before (being forced to be with a rough appearing person, having a childhood love that the character leaves, main character finding out that they are special). However, the author portrays these plot points in a way that is totally new and totally subverts audience expectation. The characters are memorable and complex. I really didn't know where the story was going and am very excited to see how it progresses in the next book!

This was my first book with a poly relationship, and man, can we have much much more of that please?

"There aren't nearly enough nice feelings in the world, so why deprive ourselves?" Totally agree, especially as everyone lives in a hellscape in this book and can die at any second.

I love that this book didn't waste time on Zeitan being torn over which person to pick. Instead, she picks them both, and they pick each other. It's wonderful. Zeitan also uses a wheelchair for a lot of the book and continues being shown as badass, sexy, and assertive. I loved seeing that. The story also metaphorically and physically smashes the patriarchy and explores how gender is viewed by culture vs. nature. It also explores the different ways that abuse and trauma can affect people. It also shows people working through their pain and helping others. That being said, this book is pretty brutal in many places so make sure you're okay with that before you read it.

If you want a fast-paced and incredibly unique read, this book is definitely for you! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an electronic advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!

TW: violence, death, abuse, torture, rape

4.5

YOOOO this book was wild start to finish. Wu Zetian has IDGAF disease, and yes, it's terminal. Xiran Jay Zhao really said "love triangle, but triangles are the strongest geometric shape." And that ending? W H A T.

There are a lot of YA books in the vein of "girl grows up in oppressive society and her only goal is survival. Keeps her head down, protects the family. Reluctantly becomes a part of the resistance only when the unavoidable call to action comes." This...is not that book. Wu Zetian's first words were "Fuck This." Wu Zetian says, "Come on board or get the fuck out of my way." Wu Zetian says, "You've been living a dream for long enough! Welcome to your nightmare!" (Literally, she says this.) Wu Zetian is on some queen shit and we love her.

A BIG thank you to NetGalley, Penguin, and author Xiran Zhao for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. An honest review was requested but not required.

Many (MANY!) other reviews have already quoted the same summation: Pacific Rim + Handmaid's Tale + Chinese history retelling + xyz. Oh, and with a pan, poly heroine. Yep, that's it in a nutshell.

Really, the plot is too complex and grandiose for me to recap it. Suffice to say: Wu Zetian, our aforementioned heroine, is DONE with being a downtrodden second-class-gendered doormat. She is ready to kick ass and take names and break things and, unlike many other books where the female protagonist is purportedly this real strong, fierce, uncompromisingly tough, big-talking avenging angel (but is really just a sweet, pretty girl who is occasionally assertive), Wu Zetian is EVERYTHING she says she wants to be. Fierce. Strong. Avenging. Tough. Persistent. Canny. and, and this is the most important thing, when she says she's DONE, she's DONE. If you're not with her, you're against her, and she isn't about to forgive OR forget.

The side characters, Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi (and it's SO nice that they STAY side characters, where they belong) are both amazing. But you never, ever forget that it's Wu Zetian who is leading the show here. The last 15% of the book was a crazy ride; I'm still not completely sure I took a full breath the entire time. OMG. Wu Zetian means BUSINESS. I cannot, cannot, cannot wait to see what happens next. Iron Widow book #2 had better get here FAST.

Very highly recommended to fantasy readers and girls who are sick and tired of being "just a girl." Wu Zetian is the heroine you've been waiting for.


Oh yeah, and I'm adding to the 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge under category: book from my TBR list with the prettiest cover 😍😍😍

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this read. The MC was badass and I loved the social commentary about what it is to be a woman. There are societal expectations and people telling you what to do. I love when books can make that commentary without it feeling like "this is how you should feel" or "actually this is the way to be a woman". This book is all about taking your life for yourself and doing what you want.

On top of that, I loved the fantasy/sci-fi mix. There were invading aliens and the way to fight them was with qi, or spirit energy, that every person has access to in different levels. The way the system was explained was super well done. Often I am confused after the explanation of the magic system so I have to reread it, but this was very well explained but wasn't simple.

I also liked the world building. It felt real. It felt lived in. It fell very well thought out. Overall, it was a really great book and I will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out because the ending made me very excited to see what is coming next.