Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for the ARC of this incredibly stunning book! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Wow this book is definitely a must read when it's out! This book pulls inspiration from Chinese mythology, creating a gorgeous sci-fi world with these inspirations. It's pitched as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale, and that alone made me want to read it, knowing that it would be absolutely unique in comparison to anything else I've read. Within we have a revenge fuelled plot, with out leading lady dead set on ripping the patriarchy apart with her bare hands. To top that off we also get a love triangle, but unlike most other YA novels, this one ends in a healthy polyamorous relationship.

Quick synopsis:
The boys of Huaxia dream of teaming up with female concubines and piloting Chrysalises-giant transforming robots that are used to battle the mecha aliens lurking beyond the Great Wall. The fact that the females usually die isn't of much consequence.

All 18 year old Zetian wants is to avenge the death of her sister by killing her murderer. When she manages this in an unexpected way, she is labeled an Iron Widow, a dangerous female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​ When she's paired with Li Shimin to tame her strength, she refuses to bend under the pressure and vows to figure out why the pilot system functions in such a misogynistic way, and put an end to the deaths of females.

Content Warnings: murder, torture, mentions + threats of rape, suicide ideation, abuse, alcohol addiction, gore, self sacrifice, sex

To start, Zetian is easily one of the most badass characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Her motivations make sense and are clear from the very start of the book, and the way she goes about accomplishing her goals is methodical and well done. Her character goes through a lot during the course of this novel, and a lot of it is really strenuous both physically and mentally, yet Zetian stays strong. Zetian is very angry at the world throughout a lot of this book, but I found that to be understandable with the way that the world works, but more on that below. At times I did find her character to be a little much, it felt a touch unrealistic that Zetian was the only female person who had issues with the system. But at the same time we're only getting her perspective, so it's really hard to judge that.

Yizhi is our first male character that we meet and love instantly. He's very much a cinnamon roll and I really enjoyed him. Each character in this book has many layers, including Yizhi, who at first glance is just a rich boy with an open heart, but over the course of the story his immense strength is shown.

Shimin is very much the opposite to Yizhi, he is a hardened criminal and murderer at first glance. An alcoholic with no remorse for the deaths he's caused. But underneath that we get to see his intelligence and his softer side, and I loved him.

These characters all work very well together, and their love triangle is glorious. Love triangles in YA are often actual more like the letter V, but this one is a full triangle, a fully functioning and healthy polyamorous relationship. Their relationship forms gradually and beautifully, and I loved every millisecond of it.

The world building in this book left a little to be desired at times. The world was really cool and interesting and there was a lot going on, but I was left wondering why on more than one occasion while reading. Why are we fighting? And why is this the only way we can fight? But everything did feel like it was answered in the end, which felt fine for me. Zhao's choices throughout this novel in relation to world building definitely did make sense in relation to the book being from Zetian's point of view, and I really respect their choices here. This book is inspired by Chinese history, and the author took a lot of liberties with that in creating her own world. I think it came together beautifully, the Chinese influences are clear and work well within the sci-fi world.

The plot of this book, like mentioned above, is very much fuelled by revenge. I don't want to give too much away here but I found the plot very interesting. Zetian sets out to get revenge for her big sisters death, and that she damn does. But from there her trajectory is really interesting. Watching her come into how powerful she is and what she can do when flying was really fun to read. Everything made sense and there's definitely a point of no return in this book where you just have to keep reading and see what happens because wow. And the ending of this? BONKERS.

The writing of this was good, this is a debut and I wasn't necessarily expecting the most incredibly perfect prose, but found this to be a great read overall. The characters were well written and formed, with clear motivations and follow through. The plot was interesting, with a wild ending that has me reeling and impatiently waiting for more. And overall I just really think that Xiran Jay Zhao knocked it out of the park here. My expectations for this weren't incredibly high, only because it's such a unique plot and a new author so I just didn't know what to expect, but damn. This book is GREAT.

I definitely recommend this book! If you love science fiction, strong female characters, and taking down the patriarchy, check this out!

EXCERPT: “… Iron Widow gives ancient Chinese history a sci-fi twist with this retelling of Wu Zetian, who in this iteration is a teen who sacrifices boys to power up robots. The result is a searing, if a bit convoluted, feminist novel that embraces a rich sense of worldbuilding to establish its character.”

Full review published online at Asia Pacific Arts Magazine.

What an incredible read!

This book has everything:
Smashing the patriarchy? Check!
Polyam representation? Check!
Pure chaos? Check!

DANG what I would've given to have read a book like this in high school.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it early. I will be posting my full review on my Instagram once we get closer to the publication date!

This is such a fascinating science fiction novel and I fear my review will not do it justice.
It takes Chinese history, time period and historic figures, and uses it to inspire a futuristic world at war. The author compares their book to the Handmaid's Tale and Pacific Rim, and I think its’ entirely accurate. The characters in this futuristic world, fighting against giant metal monsters are hopelessly backwards socially. Women are treated as second class citizens and in the war used as sacrifices. The main character Zetian, knows this and fights against this.

Zetian and her fight for herself, and all woman, was why I really loved this book. We often see “good” characters, fighting for things like positive social change, equality, etc. Generally, these “good” characters try to maintain the high moral ground. Rarely do we get truly morally grey characters who are willing to do whatever is necessary to create change. It was a refreshing to see characters make hard choices and not regret them or question them afterwards.

In addition to the main plot, there was a romantic subplot in the book. It was very well done. It’s there without taking over the story and took the love triangle trope and turned it on its head.

The book does end in a way that absolutely opens itself to a sequel (and wow what a universe the author created).
Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year and I hope I can look forward to reading a sequel in the future.

4.5 Stars

What a stunning debut. And that epilogue. Whew. Half a star is just for that.

It's an epic story about what it can take to be a woman with power, and it's not afraid to depict misogyny in all its ugliness. This was a great fast-paced read. I loved so much about the small hints towards bigger world going ons and what exactly is happening with these dang aliens and then the epilogue pulls it all together and gets you so hyped for the next book.

By the way, first time I've read a true triangle style relationship in a book and I loved the way it was handled. My current favorite trio.

This was wonderful, but I'm even more excited about what's to come next.

You should read this if: You love tales of women who take power, you like giant robots or aliens, you're looking for something to get completely absorbed in, and you don't mind a little murder.

This book and the way it critiqued gender roles and the made up differences between "girls"/"boys" in frankly a perfect metaphor ??? chef's kiss. FAVOURITE part.

The poly trio? also amazing, I've never read a poly relationship in trad pub before. Groundbreaking dare I say? I have to say Shimin was my favourite character in the triangle though, he's exactly my brand of tortured and anguished.

The world building and concept? SO unique, I can't say it was exactly my bag or that I really understood everything—it felt overwhelming for me—but I'm so glad it's in this book. I've never read anything quite like it before, so again, I think it's a great contribution to the YA canon.

Also: can I just say I love having a female main character in YA fantasy who's FUNNY??? these bitches always be so serious and morose and the voices start blending together after a while. Zetian on the other hand, is an ICON and she's hilarious. Much applause.

Overall, I think this book is definitely one to look out for if you're wanting something wholly unique. I'm not sure overall it's my taste, enough that I would read the next one, but it definitely Did Something here.

“Damn. That was intense.” This was my very first thought right after I finished reading Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. Although, to be more accurate, that was my consistent thought throughout the entire story. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the e-galley via NetGalley. Iron Widow was one of my most anticipated reads for 2021 and while I can’t say that it met my expectations exactly, it didn’t went beyond anything that I was able to imagine also.

From the synopsis and the author’s note at the start of Iron Widow, I was very intrigued by the inspiration behind the book. Xiran Jay Zhao took inspiration from Empress Wu, a woman who was able to defy the patriarchal rules of Chinese society and history to become the empress, the most powerful person in China. This vein of female power and fight against the patriarchy runs very deeply throughout the entire story as Zhetian, the main character, is constantly fighting against the system that tries to hold her down and control every aspect of her life. She is definitely not going to sit back and let all of that happen. She’s ruthless in the ways that she has to be in order to survive. Her relationships with Yizhi and Shimin are also unlike anything that I’ve read in YA and challenges those social rules. Though that shouldn’t be too surprising as Zhetian and the entire premise of her story is to defy and challenge all the rules that exist.

I am definitely going to be eagerly awaiting the sequel to this novel, especially after the cliffhanger at the end of Iron Widow.

Friends, this is SO GOOD. Everything just fits together so damn well. It is a brilliant book in every way – I started telling everyone around me to read this because I was sure I was going to love it as soon as I was just a few chapters in. Zetian is such a badass bitch who doesn’t take no shit from anyone. And silly me was originally not even going to pick up Iron Widow because I thought, eww, mechas, not for me. But I would have missed out. I’m so glad that I had friends who were raving about it and made me want to read it.

Think of this as anime vibes in smart and compelling book format. And with the most gorgeous cover art. Iron Widow plays with so many YA tropes and just turns them upside down and it’s glorious. Zetian goes out, seeking revenge. Gets revenge, and instead of being punished, she proves herself invaluable. Oops. A love triangle starts blossoming. Oops, a poly triad forms instead. It is one of the best YA novels I have ever read. And it’s a DEBUT. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next and I can assure you that I will be getting myself a shiny hardcover or special edition the moment it is available.

Seriously, this is so good that I don’t even know how to coherently write about it. Just, get it for yourself. It’s brilliant and you need it.

Absolutely phenomenal. Iron Widow was fast paced in all the best ways. You are immediately hooked onto the characters, the worldbuilding, the relationships, the fight scenes. I read this in one sitting. Iron Widow was addicting in all its female rage, unhinged cast, and spectacular sequences, not to mention Zhao's prose made this a pleasure to read. I loved it !!

This book was pitched as Pacific Rim meets the Handmaiden's Tale and I was absolutely floored that for the high expectations that pitch alone gave me, Iron Widow did not at all disappoint.

If SFF books were movies, this novel would be a blockbuster. A retelling of one of China's greatest emperors - Empress Wu Zetian - set in a Sci-Fi world where aliens exist and the threat of invasion throws humanity to a crisis, Xiran Jay Zhao crafts a thrilling story around female empowerment. When I first picked this book up, I wasn't at all sure about whether or not I would like it. It had all the ingredients I was looking for - queer rep, BIPOC rep, a retelling of one of East Asia's greatest figures in history. But the social media machine has disappointed me before. People give value to things that aren't always executed well, but I was so happy to find that Iron Widow backed up every single one of its claims. I've never shouted as I read a book in my life. I've also never cried while laughing. With such a colorful experience, I can definitely say, with absolute certainty, that this book is unlike anything I've ever read before. And I daresay it has given me both hope and great insight on what the future of SFF can become.

I can't wait to read more of Xiran Jay Zhao's work!

This is my first ever ARC from Netgalley, I am super grateful and happy for this thank you!

This book had so much potential and I lovedddd the concept behind it but the execution fell flat for me.

I will talk about the good then the bad of this novel and who I would recommend this book for.

Pros:
This book had such a unique setting and plot. Had conversations for Bisexual and Polyamorus relationships, also brought up the patriarchy in this society and covered things such as chronic pain and having a physical disability. Morally gray characters. The last maybe 10-20% of this book is where I believed had the best best execution, plot twist, and really shined.

Cons:
The plot and writing felt rushed. There was not enough background or depth to any of the characters, everything felt forced and told TO you rather then shown or unfolded naturally.
To me the writing mirrored a lot of early YA broadline wattpad fanfiction writing. Which isn't for me.
With the main character I loved her moral ambiguity but at times found that she lacked true depth and understanding.
I was also expecting a gripping well done poly romance and found that 1. it was under developed and 2. the poly relationship didn't really begin till 80% into the novel.
The overall atmosphere in the beginning did throw me off just because since this is a some what sci-fi futuristic novel I did not anticipate the dialogue between characters to be so similar to how someone would speak today in 2021, which is a gripe I personally have in books.

Overall this novel just wasn't for me I was really excited the concept is amazing, the writing was I believe the books weakest link along side underdeveloped plot point and characters.
Going forward I don't think I will continue with this series.

Recommend this to:
I would still loosely recommend this book to individuals who are just getting into YA/SCI-FY genre and want to slowly start. If you enjoy stories that are Chinese history inspired, LGBTQ+, morally grey female main character, and a some what fast-paced plot.

Thank you again Netgalley and Penguin Teen For my first ARC!!!

While I was excited by the premise of Iron Widow, I wasn't able to get into this book. I'm sure it's actually extremely good, but I personally didn't fit well with the writing style, and I couldn't really understand what was going on.

Well crap, I really wanted to love this one. It has a polyamorous relationship and great representation but the plot and story flow just wasn’t there. Zero chemistry between characters, so much telling in the writing style, everything just felt forced. Even the main character’s feminism felt forced. So disappointed with this one 😕

thank you netgalley for the arc bc i don’t think i could’ve waited a few more months for this!

iron widow focuses on an absolutely disgusting patriarchal society, and one girl who’s kicking their ass. but ten times more. seriously i owe zetian so much praise for her confidence to turn down sexist huanxia and face the discrimination head on! there were so many moments in the book where i felt where written so perfectly, like the author was taking words out of my head for me. i don’t even think this is a retelling or the handmaid’s tale anymore: the plot lines about the concubines, sexual assault, physical and emotional abuse, propaganda, and more all shed light on today’s world, and i thought the author encapsulated that in a really honest way. i’m also loving the historical references, such as the terra-cotta warriors! xiran really did a heck of a lot of planning B)

mild spoiler: that ending! i’m still emotionally intact, but i wish we could’ve gotten more closure about the documents yizhi found about that planet. sigh. next year i guess!

Wow! This book has quickly made the list of best books I have read this year! I loved the unique story. I thought the mix of Pacific Rim type machines with a Handmaids Tale society vibe was a weird combination, but it worked seamlessly. I understood the amount of rage that Zetian felt with society and how it treated women and admired her commitment to bringing down those in charge of her sister's death. I could not help but root for her at every turn. And that ending! I cannot wait for the next book. I have so many questions.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4131521045

Excellent characters in a story that pulls you right in. The world feels expansive on a grand scale, full of mystery and imagination, but its scope never looses focus on the characters central to the action. I don't usually enjoy YA, but this let the characters act in a convincing way that never felt sanitized or particularly worried about snagging a movie deal-- which is a good thing. Looking forward to more in this series, and by this author in general.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC of Iron Widow!

In Huaxia, boys become pilots, and girls have two choices-marry or become pilot Chrysalises, transforming robots that battle aliens and defend the land beyond the Great Wall.

Zetian chooses to become a concubine-pilot to assassinate the man responsible for her sister's death. When she kills him through the psychic link, she is labeled an Iron Wido, someone who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises.

This was weird? But in a good way. It was a strange blend of sci-fi and fantasy. I did have quite a bit of difficulty in the beginning understanding what the heck was happening in the battle scenes. I wish it had been a bit clear and that there had been more description earlier on.

I also wish there was a bit more sci-fi. Despite the aliens and the giant battling robots, there were only bits and pieces there, and I think I just needed more info about the surrounding environment.

This is definitely more focused on the action, but I liked the romance and the casual queerness. A really interesting debut! Might be easier to follow as an audiobook.

I had this book all wrong. I had seen the title multiple times in other places and just didn’t think it was my style. Then I saw it on NetGalley and figured I would give it a try. From the very first line I was hooked. I devoured most of the book in about a day and finally dragged my feet for a while because I did not want it to end. Where has this author been all my life? This book has so many twists and turns that I could not stop reading. The MC, Wu Zetian, is badass, driven and my favorite type of character to read. She’s navigating a world that sees her and every other woman as a servants who are meant only to sacrifice themselves for men. Quickly she proves her power and turns everything upside down. It was well written and kept me on the edge of my seat pretty much the entire time. I am now a huge fan of this book and author. I recommend this book to everyone and anyone who enjoys strong MCs that refuse to give up. I will be picking up this book when it is released.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC. It was amazing!

you don’t understand this is my new favourite book and i need the sequel right now!!!
The story is so compelling, i love the setting with the sci-fi aspects mixed with history, however, i have to admit that the world building was at times a bit confusing (specially during the prologue, that felt like being thrown into a blender), i’m still not a 100% sure how chrysalis work but i’m guessing that now with the twist at the end we are going to learn more.
I really like all the commentary in the book, although i do believe the writing of it could be improved, as it sometimes felt very on the nose i do believe that is a product of iron widow being a debut novel and i look forward to see how xirans writing improves in their future works.
I specially love how all the main characters are complex and ruthless in their beliefs, Zetian and Li Shimin will always have a special place in my heart but i’m not going to lie at first i wasn’t very on board with yizhi but i ended up warming up to him, i just wish we could have seen more of his and zetians early relationship development so i could have been more invested in their relationship

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

I am begging for Zetian to marry me this instant.

YOU ARE NOT READY FOR THIS BOOK!! ADD IT TO YOUR TBR RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT HAS EVERYTHING.

A new and interesting independent sci-fi world, a gorgeous cover, Asian rep, inspired by Chinese history, a polyamorous love triangle twist...

And most importantly,

A BADASS MURDEROUS FEMINIST WOMAN DRIVEN BY REVENGE WHO AIMS TO TAKE DOWN THE PATRIARCHY THAT I AM IN LOVE WITH AND YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH TOO.

Sorry for screaming, but this is very important.

This book follows our main character, the loml Zetian. Her sister has been sacrificed and killed to power a Chrysalis that is run by a male pilot while trying to fight the mecha aliens outside of the Great Wall. Driven by revenge, she signs up to become a concubine pilot so she can avenge her sister by slitting the throat of the pilot who killed her. After gaining his trust, she kills him in his sleep. Things don’t go as she has planned but she manages to take control of the Chrysalis and survives the attack.

She becomes the Iron Widow. The government doesn’t know what to do with her. They pair her with Li Shimin, the strongest pilot alive, to help fight the war and change the fate of the world. Then she begins to discover secrets hidden from the public that could change everything...

The plot was fast-paced which I loved. Most of the time it was thrilling and impossible to put down. Sometimes I think it dragged just a tiny bit, but not an extremely noticeable amount.

I love the characters. Actually, I love Zetian. We didn’t see much of the other characters enough for me to love them but we had Zetian so that’s fine with me. She is so badass and strong-willed that it was impossible for me not to love her. I loved how she isn’t the typical female character and she lets no one tell her what to do. Her motives of revenge, anger, and bitterness towards the patriarchy for forcing her into gender roles (same) made me intrigued to learn more about her character. I am seriously considering devoting my life to her, even though she would probably kill me (which I would gladly let her do honestly). Some people might think that she’s trying too hard to be badass but I don’t think so at all. I love feminist main characters and Zetian is exactly that.

The romance!! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Taking the typical love triangle trope and turning it into a polyamorous relationship? GENIUS. I will no longer accept love triangles in books. Zetian’s boyfriends are cinnamon rolls who I love dearly. I do wish I got to see more of them together not in battle but I can understand why not.
The setting and the world is a lot to take in. You get all this information thrown at you which can be confusing. There is some unexplained info-dumping at the beginning but as you read on it all starts to make sense. I came to appreciate the world of Huaxia by the end.

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot! Although it was a bit confusing at times, I now have a new favorite character and I loved the themes of feminism as well as all the diversity and uniqueness of the story. I also have an extreme need for the sequel. I definitely recommend it.

trigger warnings: violence, abuse, suicidal ideation, discussion and references to sexual assault (no on-page depictions), alcohol addiction, and torture.

4.5 stars