Believe! The! Hype! Pick! This! Book! Up!

"I am exactly the kind of ice-blooded, rotten-hearted girl he fears I am. And I am fine with that."

This is the best book that I've read in 2021. Without a doubt.
The storyline.. The characters.. The romance.. The POWER this book holds is magnificent! I literally can't get this book out of my mind and the characters.. Wow. You really NEED this book in your life.

If you like action, fantasy, history, romance (a healthy, polyamorous relationship in a YA???!!!), science fiction then you need to read this. It's going to be a big hit in the book community and I'm looking forward to all readers being able to read it soon! Don't miss out on this one friends!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.


*Quote taken from unedited version

Read the official synopsis of the book, it will give you a good heads up for what to expect. I will review the mechanics of the book, as to go into too much detail on characters/plot would require me to give away too many spoilers.

After finishing the first third, I was ready to give this 5 stars, for sure. We are introduced to Pilots and their Chrysalis fighting machines, keeping what remains of their world safe from the invading alien machines called Hunduns. Then we meet our heroine, Zetian, a teenager about to be sold off to the army as a concubine pilot, and her dear friend Yizhi, a rich teenage boy who may or may not have feelings for Zetian, and she may or may not have reciprocating feelings for him.

Off she goes to join the Pilots fighting the aliens. But her true goal is to find the Pilot responsible for her older sisters death. At this point, the book is fascinating; giant alien war machines, even bigger machines piloted by teens, sent to fight the aliens. A concubine system where each machine is piloted by one male, one female. Sadly, at the end of most battles, the female is used up and dies. Great plot, great detail, great world-building.

Then I started the middle third of the story. Not only does it become slightly repetitive (she is treated badly, her co-pilot is treated badly, they fight the aliens, repeat), but all the main characters become severely one note. Yizhi joins Zetian at the battlefront. But we don't learn any more details about him than we were told in the begining. Zetian never moves beyond revenge and hate, never showing any other emotions. Her co-pilot, Shimin, has mental issues of his own, and we are never sure if he has feelings for Zetian as he never shows emotion either. The constant battles, the injuries, the recovery, battle again, injured again, recover again, began to wear on me. Coupled with no advance in characterization of, well, any of the characters, I dropped my review at this point to a four star.review.

I started on the final third, hoping the author had an epiphany and made the plot and the people inhabiting it more well rounded than the monotonous things they had been up to this point. My hopes were dashed. More anger, more emotionless actions and reactions, more fighting without accomplishing anything. I began to suspect the war and the gods Zetian and company worshipped were not all they seemed. Zetian tells her friends Yizhi and Shimin that they will overcome because a triangle is the strongest shape. Sadly the author lied, as this turns out to not be true. Along with a lot of other things. Does Zetian love Yizhi? Does he love her? Does she love Shimin? Does he love her? Does anybody have any feelings at all for anybody?!. I was exhausted by the end, from the constant hate and fury from pretty much every character.

I had decided to keep the review at four stars as the writing was actually good, even if the story/characters were not. But then, the ending. Really? No, just,,, no. Three stars is all this deserved, after that.

Iron Widow is a fierce and powerful book that is set in an alternate sci-fi universe that is inspired by Chinese history. While it is a little difficult to understand in the beginning, it soon pulls you in and captivates you as it tells you the story of Wu Zetian, a compelling protagonist who refuses to back down and do as society tells her to do.

Huaxia has been fighting off mechanical aliens called Hunduns off from the walls for millennia in order to protect the people inside. The pilot system which is used to kill these enemies requires a boy and a girl to fire up a Chrysallis and often, the girl dies on this journey. However, Wu Zetian wants to take revenge for her sister’s death by a male pilot and promises to avenge her no matter what, even if it kills her in order to do so.

Things really pick up as she offers herself up as a concubine pilot, taking us on a whirlwind of a journey which makes Zetian question everything that has been told to her and the rest of the world.
The story is very intriguing and fast paced, getting you invested right from the beginning and leaving you gasping for air at the end as things take a surprising turn.

Wu Zetian is unapologetic and forceful, fighting the patriarchal system that puts down her and all other girls. As she earns more and more privilege and is embedded deeper into the piloting system, she fights from the inside and does her best to liberate the girls and show them a different path rather than give in and just accept the luxuries she has.

How do you take the fight out of half the population and render them willing slaves? You tell them they’re meant to do nothing but serve from the minute they’re born. You tell them they’re weak. You tell them they’re prey. You tell them over and over, until it’s the only truth they’re capable of living.

She is a hard character to understand at times, but one you can always root for. I loved seeing things from her perspective and seeing how it changed when new information was revealed. She never stops fighting and even if she is a little deranged at times, you can see how she is justified and right in her own regard. She is a vengeful and angry girl who is hell bent on overturning the patriarchy and fighting back with all she has and I am here for it.

Yizhi was probably my favourite character in the book – a son of a noble man who met Zetian in the mountains three years ago and they’ve been meeting once a month ever since. He is a very loveable character right from the beginning as he tries to protect Zetian in any way he can but also respects her and what she wishes to do. He believes in her and understands her and is and he stands by her side throughout the book.

I also loved Li Shimin, the Iron Demon that everyone is afraid of. He has his own tragic backstory which I loved getting to know more of and seeing who he truly is inside. My heart aches for everything he has been through and he is such a precious character that I will adore forever.

I loved the polyamorous relationship between the three characters – I have barely seen any polyamory rep and so seeing this relationship which is supportive and loving and happy was an amazing experience.

Love can be infinite, as much as your heart can open.

Overall, this is a fast-paced feminist retelling of the only female Chinese Emperor that had me sitting on the edge of my seat that I would highly recommend to fans of The Poppy War and She Who Became the Sun.

** I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Xiran Jay Zhao presents her feminist science fiction debut with Iron Widow. Marketed as a blend of Pacific Rim and The Handmaid's Tale, Iron Widow takes inspiration from mecha scifi and Chinese history to produce a high-stakes novel in which a male pilot and female concubine-pilot are required to operate a Chrysalis. Frequently, the female pilot dies in the effort. Readers follow Wu Zetian (inspired by the Chinese Empress), a girl who volunteers to become a concubine-pilot to get vengeance for her sister. Problems emerge when Zetian survives and is labeled an Iron Widow.

I really enjoyed this book. Zhao's writing is such that there is constant forward momentum while still giving the reader time to grow invested in her characters. The obstacles Zhao introduces are reasonable and are overcome in ways that are logical and well-paced with a good build toward the climax. In addition, Zhao has left herself a lot of room to expand this world and this story in future novels.

My favorite aspect of this book, aside from the concept which drew me in from the start, was the fact that Zhao was bold enough to have a true love triangle and not a love "v". I was so invested in Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi. I loved their dynamics and the balance of their interactions. It was so welcome and appreciated.

Overall, I am very grateful for the opportunity to have read this novel early, am happy to say I have purchased a copy for myself, and am so eager for the next book in this world.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I absolutely loved the concept of this book and it’s been my most anticipated read of the year. I found the author on Twitter where they described it as Handmaid’s Tale X Pacific Rim, but partially based on Chinese history with a poly relationship and a badass female protagonist, yeah I was beyond excited for this.

The book started off so strong that it had me in a choke hold and I couldn’t put it down. However after the 20% mark I started to notice that the writing didn’t really match with the setting of the book and the world building felt really under done because I still don’t understand how this world works or even how qi works. Overall I would probably give this 3 stars but I’m giving it 4 stars because I love how murdery Wu Zetian is and I’m a huge fan of her scary and pastry baking boyfriends who are also each other’s boyfriends.

thank you to netgalley for this arc !!

A blood-pumping tale pulling together science-fiction and Chinese history and putting out something hard eyed and razor-clawed, ready to tear you to shreds or destroy your life, should you make the wrong move. Interesting explorations of various characters and a good balance of exploring magic and how it is a tool that can be used to shape societies. A very genuine pleasure to read.

A fun, vengeful story that weaves sci/fi, mythology and history together into a clever new story, Iron Widow is truly a delight to read. I loved the main characters and the way the book embraces their morally grey personalities and storylines, and how it gave power and agency to them amidst a surrounding cast of characters who want to deprive them of that. The worldbuilding is clever, the mecha/sci-fi elements are super cool, and the storyline is altogether a cool one to follow, full of twists and turns that kept me interested. I also loved the relationships at the core of this story and all the different ways love, romance, and trust bloomed between three of the main characters. I can't wait for the next book!

Taking a page from Darling in the Franxx, in this world, teenagers can control mechs together as a boy-girl pair. But instead of working together, the female pilot usually ends up dying in the mech's operation, while the male pilot remains unscathed. Zetian, whose sister was taken to be the female pilot, is taken from her village to be a concubine herself for a famous male mecha pilot after her sister dies. The said male pilot is the one who killed her sister, and she does get revenge on him--but her story goes far beyond that.
This book is a lot of fun. Zetian works to destroy the sexist institution recruiting female pilots and making them fight in mechs, and seeing how it plays out is very satisfying. There's plenty of angst and tragedy as well, though, so the victories feel hard-fought and deserved.
Zetian is the PoV character, and her main companion is Shimin, another male pilot whose life is similarly marred by tragedy stemming from the mecha institution. Later on they're also joined by Zetian's childhood friend, Yizhi, and getting forced into a love triangle, the three of them enter a polyamorous relationship. It is wonderful, and I am so, so happy there is a YA book featuring polyamory, even if it's mostly at the end/last 25%.
Zetian and Shimin are both forces of nature in personality and qi/power level, while Yizhi is gentler and kinder. I liked seeing Zetian's relationship with Shimin develop, and how Yizhi got to join both of them.
The writing hooked me in and did not let go; Zetian's mind is wild to be in. She's emotional, filled with anger at the institution that took her sister away, but also filled with grief and despair once she learns what Shimin has been through, and filled with joy when Yizhi comes into the story. She channels these emotions into action, though, and doesn't let herself be miffed into indecision by them. Shimin is mostly deadpan and angry, but he gets some melancholy as the reader learns alongside Zetian what he's been through. Yizhi is a ray of sunshine, but he still gets to do things, especially towards the end of the book.

This is one of the first new YA books I've found and really enjoyed in a while. I hope it does well, because it's great thematically.

This was an epic adventure. I loved everything about it. So badass and feminist. Wu was a huge stand out heroine. I loved her powerful voice and how the story developed! Highly recommend

“This world does not deserve my respect. It is not worthy of my kindness or compassion.”

I’ll be completely honest, when I read the author note at the start of this book I knew I was about to fall in love with a new story. Xiran Jay Zhao lets the reader know that you are about to get a love letter to Chinese culture, Chinese history, and the only female Chinese emperor! The author does not shy away from the ugly things, but always shines such a powerful light on all the beauty, and truly crafts such an inspiring tale of a girl who will rise up the ranks and become more powerful than anyone ever let her believe or dream, including her family, her country, and even herself.

This story is Asian, queer, and all about abolishing the patriarchy and gender roles that every society tries to make people fit with their judgement, expectations, and laws. “Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale in a polyamorous reimagining of China’s only female emperor” is the perfect tagline for this book! And this story is truly so powerful, so beautiful, and so high on my recommendations lists for you all!

Okay, on to the giant transforming robots and what the story is actually about! In this world, Huaxia is trying to protect the Great Wall against Hunduns and their alien mechs (who have already developed and established their own society and way of life on the other side of the wall And Huazia has modified versions of these robots that they call Chrysalises, and constant waves of battle are happening and being broadcasted for the people to watch and be entertained by. The pilots of these mechs are able to transform them into East Asian mythical creatures, and sometimes they are able to gain more special abilities under very specific circumstances when two pilots are able to bond together, weave their qi together, fight stronger together, and have a big adventure in battles together. But there are so few bonded pilots in this world.

But in Huaxia, young boys are hailed as heroes for piloting these machines, but it always takes two pilots, no matter how much society wishes to forget about the evils of the other seat. Young girls are given up by their families to serve the army and have their qi tested to see if they would be able to help pilot alongside a powerful boy. The thing is, most times the boy completely invades, using a psychic link, and uses up every ounce of lifeforce the girl has, killing her during battle.

“I wouldn’t live and suffer for anyone else, but I would die to avenge my sister.”

➽ Wu Zetian – our main character, who is ready to enlist herself in to the army, to the same pilot who her big sister was enlisted to, but only her ashes were given back. On a mission of pure vengeance, and being sick of being held back because of the gender she was assigned at birth, she finally wants to reclaim some semblance of power for her sister, even if she has to pay for it with her life. But when she gets into her first mech as a concubine-pilot, the world is not ready for the power she truly has to offer, even if it could change the war for once and for all. She also uses a cane and sometimes a wheelchair because of the seriousness and pain of her footbinding.

➽ Li Shimin – the Iron Demon, pilot of the Vermillion Bird, and the scariest and most powerful pilots of them all. Not a single girl has made it out of his mech alive during battle. Was on actual death row for murder because his qi power was tested and noticed and now he is forced to endure another type of prison. He also is bisexual and half Rongdi. He is also struggling with alcoholism and immense trauma and grief. (unrelated, but I would give my life for him this very second.)

➽ Gao Yizhi – son of a powerful man who controls many of the social and public relations standards of Huaxia. Yizhi would sneak out and meet Zetian once a month in the forest of her village and help teach her things and just be a good friend to her. When I tell you I would die for this character. I also feel like the author really gave him some 11/10 one-liners. He is also bisexual and really does such a beautiful job teaching Zetian about polyamory. (yes, these three end up in a relationship together, even though it is not the central plot, it is perfect and I hope we are able to see more stories in the future normalize polyamorous relationships in the seamless way this one did!)

“love isn’t some scarce resource to battle over. Love can be infinite, as much as your heart can open.”

But we follow (and fall head over heels in love with) this trio, while they attempt to dismantle the patriarchy and different types of oppression these people have been facing since even before Zhou fell. I know I just gave you a lot of information, but I promise you the author does so much of a better job immersing you in this story and world. Their writing is actually the best writing I’ve read in the past few years and the amount of highlights my eARC has is actually sickening.

I also just deeply loved the themes of feminism and how sometimes things can feel exceptionally heavy when you have been raised your entire life to honor your elders and trust that they know best, when we still have so many systems (and corrupt governments) to dismantle in our world today. I’m typing this review in 2021 where you are still unable to get a divorce in the Philippines that isn’t an annulment, and how living in the US means constantly seeing powerful men make laws that take away women’s rights to their own bodies.

“I close my eyes, picturing myself taking command of a Chrysalis, towering over buildings and smashing the earth with my colossal limbs or luminous qi blasts. I could crush anyone who’s ever tried to crush me. I could free all the girls who’d love to run away.”

Overall this was just the Asian, queer, polyamorous, feminist sci-fi story of my dreams. The layers were so haunting and deep, the themes were so loud and important, the writing was pure perfection and genius levels of lyrical, and the characters were completely and wholeheartedly unforgettable. And I truly believe that book two, and the conclusion to this duology, will be even better come 2022.

Also, this author is just really cool and creates really amazing content on youtube and their blog. I truly think they are just so inspirational, and I believe one day they will have a few stories written about them and the hope and happiness they are giving to so many, including so many Asian kids all around the world who are feeling so seen and feeling even more pride in their cultures.

Also (lastly for real), this book being published on September 21st, the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, and celebrating another story about a woman, a rabbit, and their sacrifices brings actual tears to my eyes. Very galaxy brain of this author and pub house and just a really beautiful final touch.

Iron Window will for sure make my best books of 2021 list, and I am so truly proud and honored to have been on the blog tour for such a powerful story.

Content + Trigger Warnings: murder, death, torture, violence, gore, human sacrifices, thoughts of suicide, a lot of abuse (including domestic abuse and parental abuse), talk of sexual assault, extreme alcohol addiction, lots of consumption of alcohol, lots of depictions of blood, lots of depictions of trauma, depictions of depression, anxiety depictions and panic attacks, many mentions of needles, forced body modifications including footbinding and stolen organs, humiliation, misogyny and sexism, talk of disease, themes of colonization, and war themes

Thank you for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I went in to Iron Widow not really knowing what to expect, but very early on I realized I was definitely in for a treat. By the end of this book I was utterly blown away. This is described as “a Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale reimagining of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese History,” which may sound like a really strange mash-up of themes and ideas, but trust me, it works so well.

Normally, I don’t put much, if any, focus on the age designation of books other than to mention it if it’s a common discrepancy or if the content is darker than what I initially expected. I think it’s important to note right away that this book is marketed as YA, but it’s definitely on the very mature, darker side of the YA novel spectrum. There are many heavy topics that play a part in this novel, from sexual assault, abuse, mutilation, and death, and while nothing is graphically depicted, Zhao does not shy away from the ugly truths of these topics.

The first thing that really grabbed my attention about this book was Zhao’s writing style and how that played a big role in bringing the main character, Zetian, to life. The world of Iron Widow offers women virtually one of two paths: marriage and the life of a housewife/mother, or signing up to be a concubine-pilot with an almost-guarantee of death after very few (at most) runs in the Chrysalis. Zetian doesn’t want either of those options, and she turns out to be a character of almost pure rage and vengeance. Often times when angry characters are written, you can see and understand their anger, but there’s a bit of a disconnect between the character’s emotions and the reader’s. Not in this case. Zhao’s writing is infused with the feminine rage that keeps Zetian going, and you can’t help but actually feel that righteous anger alongside her instead of just reading it as more of a witness. I was continuously impressed by this aspect of Zhao’s writing, but also with how they were able to subtly remind us just how young Zetian still is. YA characters that are on a path to uproot societal structures often feel older than what they are (which makes sense, considering the struggles that lead them to their task to begin with). However, it was refreshing to see subtle moments where Zetian acted like an eighteen-year-old would, with sassy eye-rolls, scoffs, or quips that gave little exposures to her still-lingering immaturity.

Of course, we can’t forget about the world-building and the Chrysalises. Zhao took advanced technology and massive mechs, threw them into Imperial China and pulled it off flawlessly. Instead of the clothing, social behavior and beliefs being very clearly from ancient China creating a stark, jarring contrast with the futuristic battles that took place throughout the book pulling you out of the story, it actually increased the intrigue and sucked you in even further. Then there is how this all factors in to the plot of the story itself. Zhao would drop pieces of information that enriched the world-building, but with how focused the story was on Zetian’s revenge, these pieces of information were easily forgotten until a giant “plot bomb” at the end gets dropped that not only blows the whole story open to something even bigger than what I was expecting, but it also gives a more obvious sense of relevancy to the pieces of world-building information that Zhao was dropping for us earlier in the story. This “plot bomb” not only was an exciting twist, but it was such a smooth set-up for book two.

Iron Widow takes the popular story of the main character overthrowing an unjust system and puts so many new lenses and twists on it that it feels like something I’ve never read before. This was such an addicting story to read with a heroine that I would root for no matter how brutal and bloody her decisions became. If you want a book filled to the brim with mech fights and unbridled female rage, then you absolutely need to pick up Iron Widow when it releases September 21!

I’ve never read a Mecha-type book before. I’ve never even sat through a movie like it. I know virtually nothing about the genre, but I absolutely LOVED Iron Widow. This was the first book in a very long time where my restless self actually sat still for hours at a time reading this because I needed to know what happened next.

I would like to note before going into my review that this is a very loose retelling of Empress Wu from Chinese history. Zhou has a comment on Goodreads where she states that she pulls situations and characters from different points in Chinese history and she knows these characters and events did not coincide with one another. She says outright that she was not going for accuracy. The characters are also only meant to loosely resemble the characters their based off of. I’m sure there will be some high-horse people who don’t see or care about Zhou’s comment that will strongly critique her inaccuracies.

An example of two of her figures she recreates is Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang. While most people who recognize their names (like myself) will probably associate these two with the Dynasty Warriors franchise, these people did actually exist. I grew up on these video games and read parts of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms to learn more of the history behind the characters (this was in the days before researching on the internet was convenient for me). My nerdy little heart was so excited to see Zhou incorporate these two characters into her story. I thought Zhuge Liang was perfect, but I don’t remember enough of Sima Yi to make a judgement. I just think how Zhou took these different points and figures in history to create her story is very creative and works very well.

Zhou’s depictions on the way women are treated (and have been treated either today or in history) made me sick. I was so disgusted reading about this cruel patriarchy. Unless a woman has an unusually hi qi level - which is close to never - every time a woman gets into a Chrysalis, the woman will die and immediately be replaced by another for the next time. Women are expendable in this world along with being suppressed in every other aspect of their life. We even learn in the first couple of chapters that Zetian’s grandmother broke her feet in half as a child because women are supposed to have small feet. Zetian has to hobble around everywhere on feet that are forever mangled because it’s more pleasing to men to have small feet. This book… this book made me so angry. But it also made Zetian angry and it made me love her character even more. Zetian sets out with one goal in mind: kill the bastard that murdered her sister. After that, she doesn’t care what happens to her - which makes her fearless. Sometimes characters like this can really get on my nerves because they usually come across as a “I don’t care about anyone else, I’m going to do what I want” type of person, but for Zetian it made so much sense and I was right there rooting for her. Everything Zetian does is in response to this extremely suppressive system and the injustice it dealt to women.

There is a bit of a love triangle between Zetian and two male characters. Now, usually I can’t stand stand love triangles - they can stay in the 2000’s. But, this is actually a poly relationship and I’ve never seen a YA book (never seen one in any book, but I know they have to be out there). It is such a unique concept and done very well. Plus, I love all three of the characters in the relationship. I wish we had seen this developed a little more, but I’m not disappointed in the least.

I have to admit, I didn’t quite understand how qi and Chrysalis’ work and how they work together, but I think this is more of a me problem than the author’s writing. I feel like they were explained decently well, but my brain just can’t absorb and understand it. It didn’t hinder my enjoyment of story - it was more of a “I don’t know how this works, but it’s freaking cool” reaction. This was just so different than what I’m used to reading, so it probably has to do with unfamiliarity with the genre. It’s possible that I will come to understand it better in the second book. Iron Widow isn’t even out yet, but I need the second book right now because I loved this so much and I need to know what happens to these characters.

4.5 ⭐
PG because it's a little sexy but mostly closed door?

~CW for violence, war, attempted murder and attempted rape~

Holy shit. Thank goodness there's a second book because the way this book ended, I am going to need more. I'm going to need more people to read this book just so I can talk about it with them.

So why should you read this book?
++Girl questioning gender norms in society
++Epic battle sequences with magic and giant ear machines and lots of cool things
++Misunderstood villain who's really a sensitive heartthrob
++inspired by Chinese history and legendary badass
++A throuple (yes, you read that right!)

And a couple things to know going into this book:
--Not a lot of world building and exposition in beginning of the story, making it a bit hard to follow in the beginning
--Lack of description of key fantasy elements adding to the confusion
--Will want to smash the patriarchy immediately after reading 😉

I would recommend this to anyone who likes new adult high fantasy like Furyborn or Red Queen.

I thought this book was absolutely phenomenal. I’m extremely excited to see where this goes next and I highly recommend this book.

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me so captivated I loved every second of it. There is so much I want to talk about but all of it will lead to spoiler territory. What I can say is that all of the main characters felt like their own entities. I loved that all of them had more depth to them than what we first saw. There was also so much character growth over the novel. I love it when a character realizes that something in their life needs to change and then they change it. This book had that in spares and I can't wait to see where the author goes next.

The Iron Widow is the first novel in a series of the same name, written by Xiran Jay Zhao. This is one of those books that has been getting a lot of ink – and with good reason. I'm so happy to see it making so many different lists, and I hope that many readers get a chance to read it!

Huaxia depends on Chrysalises – giant transforming robots – to protect the Great Wall and the people within. Each mecha requires two pilots, a boy to take command and a girl to help take the strain. It is often the girls who pay the price.

Zetian knows this all too well. What started as a quest for revenge quickly turned into something else as power sweeps through her world. Now Zetian has had a taste for it, and she's never going to let go.

“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 cow. If I could choose one a handful of books to read over and over again, you better believe that Iron Widow would make the list. This delightfully complex novel has so much to offer, and I'm just captivated by it all.

To say that I was blown away by Iron Widow would be the understatement of the century. Zetian is so very much my hero, as is Xiran Jay Zhao for creating this novel. It simultaneously tackles patriarchy, revenge plots, and a quest for power. And it does so with style.

Did I mention that there are giant mecha battling alien mecha? That's a thing I didn't know I needed in a setting such as this. It reminded me of a better thought-out version of Pacific Rim. I mean no offense to fans of the movie – as I myself am one. is just that good.

Honestly, the marketing pitch for Iron Widow is freaking amazing: "Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in a polyamorous reimagining of China's only female emperor." Um. Yes, please! I saw that description and knew that this book was one worth reading. I wasn't disappointed, let me tell you that much!

There aren't enough stars in the universe for Iron Widow. This book has stole my heart in its entirety. As someone obsessed with science fiction, with dystopian worlds and rebellious secrets, and of ambitious girls Iron Widow is my catnip. Inspired by the rise of the only female emperor in China, Iron Widow is an explosion of color, bloodshed, and screams. The world building is nuanced, detailed, and absolutely immersive. Amidst this world built on sexism, Iron Widow is fiercely feminist.

Fighting for Zetian's right of existence. Not only her immense power and potential, but her right to be flawed, nuanced, and full of ambition. An image that destabilizes not only everything in the world of Iron Widow, but also our world. I devoured Iron Widow in a matter of days to the point where I had to force myself to read other books, because I couldn't put this one down.

A story with a sister out for revenge, burning with a desire to demolish the patriarchy and prove that female energy is just as strong if not stronger than male energy is my kind of book.

Zhao has melded a favourite anime culture of mine - mechas or Gundams - even though she leans more towards Attack on Titan as the inspiration for her Chrysalises; the use of a dystopian world heavily influenced by dynastic China and blending alien influence upped my interest in this book and I wasn't disappointed.

The pace is quick as we leap right into the action and our Iron Widow is on the front lines with no warning and no flexibility in her plan. But she pivots well and is determined to not being a number or any pilot's rung to prestige and stardom. However, more than she knows keeps their world turning and as she uncovers the truth and reveals lies, she will have to do unspeakable things to achieve what she sees as justice.

Zhao does a great job of portraying the ramifications and abuse of the patriarchy and using the yin-yang principle to bring her world to life is brilliant. Not only must women be willing to fight but we need to learn the game and play it on the same field. And our main character is here to pull it all down from the inside.

Not only is this a story that focuses on the many ways in which women are used, subjugated, and expected to behave, we also see how good people can be driven to violence and punished for it, coping with grief using drugs, and the healing presence of a helping hand with a second chance.

The love affair that blooms across these pages is one that I am here for. Coming into one's own and acknowledging sexuality as it evolves was just wonderful and steamy as well to read.

This book absolutely floored me. A story about a young girl living in a world built for men, who takes charge despite everyone telling her she can't. I absolutely loved this book, and I cannot wait for it to come out so I can get a copy to have on my shelf! I am so excited to see where the story leads, and I look forward to the next one. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in fiction/fantasy with a little bit of romance.

Throughout the last probably half or at least third of this book, one thought prevailed over all others: Wow. From all I’ve heard and read about Iron Widow, and Xiran Jay Zhao in general, I was super excited to read it—and in very few ways did it disappoint. With all its themes and content, it’s far from a light read, but it’s fun and intense and, despite its length, turned out to be a surprisingly brisk read for me.

I’ve seen a few complaints about the writing, but I really genuinely enjoyed Zhao’s writing style; the descriptions are often stunning and engaging, and few punches are pulled during intense action sequences, of which there are plenty. The intertwining politics are also handled with intrigue, as are quieter moments of downtime and breathing room. The dialogue is a little on-the-nose at times, but I’m admittedly a sucker for corniness, so I’m more fond of that than I imagine some people might be.

Worldbuilding with mecha tends to be very hit or miss, but Iron Widow falls somewhere in between. There’s a lot of interesting concepts present, especially with the seamless, compelling integration of Chinese culture—the use of a wuxing-based system as well as inspiration from the Four Symbols, various other iconic creatures, and huli jing tales were particularly cool. The inclusion of modern and even futuristic technology is also fun, and allows for quite a few powerful scenes. The Hunduns and Chrysalises are both handled super interestingly; the comparisons to Pacific Rim are definitely warranted, and I mean that in a very positive way. My main critique in this area is that a lot of the information is spaced out awkwardly, with some mechanics only being brought up the second they’re necessary, leading to a few deus ex machina situations. Conversely, there are a few lengthy walls of exposition where there probably shouldn’t be. Showing and telling are frequently at odds.

In general, the pacing can be shaky at times—overall, the novel is pretty fast-paced, but there are some moments that drag. This keeps the plot and characters from reaching their full potential, and as a result some moments lose their impact for lack of extensive development. Were the plot slowed down a bit and more breathing room allowed for, I think a lot of issues in this regard would be resolved, but as is there are definitely some clunky parts.

What primarily drives fiction for me is characters, and I quickly grew to like the major ones here. I do feel that they could have used a bit more depth and exploration—a thought that extends very much to many minor characters, whose motivations and personalities are often unclear and shallow—but what is there is interesting enough to stir investment. Zetian is harsh and angry and brutal and powerful in a way that’s super fascinating to read, but at her core she remains an eighteen-year-old girl. Yizhi and Shimin are both very likable too, and the established dynamic between Zetian and Yizhi as well as those developing between both of them and Shimin. There could have been a bit more buildup and development of those relationships, but I did like and root for what was there.

Minor characters, as mentioned, see the short end of the stick there; I feel that the minor women in particular could have been fleshed out better, considering the general themes and messages of the novel. I did end up liking a few minor characters, but ultimately many of them end up being defined by a couple of traits. Again, more time spent with them could really serve the overall plot and motifs well, but due to the lack of this, some twists and scenes fall flat.

As for Zetian’s disability, I generally enjoy how it’s portrayed—Zhao doesn’t shy away from the inconveniences and pains of mobility problems or debilitating injuries—but I don’t really love her being “freed” from it when piloting, nor that specific wording. There is some nuance in the portrayal, and I like that it’s shown that she has to rely on others and mobility aids for some things (which is far more liberating to me than the “you CAN do anything, just believe in yourself!” type of “inspiration” abled people spout sometimes), but the overall impression about being disabled—and specifically having impaired mobility—seems to be a negative one.

There are also some mixed messages about abuse and family obligations that I’m not a huge fan of, though that may be the point; morals and actions are muddled by this point in time, and some of the decisions Zetian makes in this regard are arguably challenged by the narrative. The irrationality and conflict of a teenage girl who has been harmed and traumatized by her family, too, is ostensibly a reasonable portrayal. That said, the handling on relationships as a whole is pretty decent—special notes go to the disavowing of jealousy and control in romantic relationships and the welcome push of love not being limited.

All in all, Iron Widow has its flaws, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be eagerly looking forward to Xiran Jay Zhao’s future writing, especially the sequel.