I loved the way Zhao weaved in Chinese culture into this new sci-fi fantasy series. Surprisingly hit on a lot of hard topics like sexism, rape, human trafficking. And of course Zhao has to sprinkle in a bit of romance to kind of mellow out a lot of the harder chapters to read. I was instantly drawn in. You have hate to love romances, love triangles, giant robots (think pacific rim), a leading female badass fighting for the rights of all little girls out there, epic battles to save the world, and a wicked plot twist. i found the characters very relatable. Maybe not the extreme situations but definitely the fundamentals of their personality and how they interacted with each other. I could definitely see this eventually becoming a Netflix series. I have some mix feelings about the ending cause a part of it you could tell was coming but the other part makes me excited to pick up the next book. Very interested to see where this series goes!

Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this feminist sci-fi inspired by Chinese history.
The cover, the description, the polyamory, so many things about this book made it a must read for me, and it was even better than I thought it would be! Although this story is inspired by other things, it feels so original and refreshing.
My favorite part about this book was the characters. Zetian might be one of my favorite book characters of all time! She was so complex that she might be considered an anti-hero by some, but I consider her to just be so real. I related to her so much! She’s not afraid to get dirty to get what she wants and I love the way she combatted all of the shame put on women by society and embraced what SHE wanted instead of what was expected of her. Shimin is another character whom I loved. He must be protected at all costs! I didn’t really connect to Yizhi that much, but I fell in love with the other two main characters. And I really enjoyed that the male characters showed so much emotion, more than the female characters actually. The author did a great job at throwing away gender roles and allowing people to just be.
There weren’t many things I found wrong with this book, but there were a few. The chrysalis/qi types could be confusing to some, but since I didn’t overthink it, I didn’t get too stuck on it. I also feel like the author should’ve made a bigger deal about some things that were briefly mentioned in the beginning that eventually became important in the end. And the last problem I had was that I didn’t understand where Zetian’s meanness toward Shimin came from. She was nice to him at first and then all of a sudden, she started taking all her anger out on him out of nowhere.
But overall, I really enjoyed this book! The characters were so lovable. I loved seeing the polyamory. And I need the sequel right now!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this arc! All opinions are my own.

TW: rape (mentioned), death, murder, torture, and intense misogyny

The girls of Huaxia are groomed from birth to make the men’s life easy. Being a concubine to share your chi with boys who pilot Chrysalises is part of the deal even if you lose your life in the process. But 18 year old Wu Zetian has another goal when she signs up. Avenge the death of her sister by assassinating the ace pilot responsible for it. But something shocking happens in their first fight as co pilots, that changes Zetian’s destiny.
Iron widow interweaves Chinese history with mecha science fiction to produce a stunning YA debut that completely blew my mind. This book literally smashes the patriachy!! The way it talks about sexism, taking control of our lives, our bodies, our destinies - glorious, GLORIOUS!!! I had goosebumps the whole time I was reading it. And THANK YOU Xiran for kicking that overused YA love triangle trope on it’s ass.
Wu Zetian is that badass everyone wants to write and everyone else wants to read. She is magnificent!!! Li Shimin is my next favourite and is to be protected at all cost!!
Action packed, exhilarating, freaking awesome YA debut of the year, Iron Widow should be high on all your tbrs!!

*Earc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Wow! Xiran Jay Zhao is out to pack a punch with Iron Widow. I've never read a single YA book like it, but if this is the direction the sci-fi/fantasy storylines are going to take in the future, I am all for it.

Okay, so Iron Widow was a lot crazier than I anticipated it to be, which lead to some mixed feelings while I was reading. What I really enjoyed was how different it was from all other sci-fi on bookshelves right now. There's a polyamorous romance, a female character who has a very strained relationship with her family, and a mysterious world that leads to a crazy cliffhanger twist at the end.

To really get into my review, I have to note how fast-paced this story is. It's almost too quick-paced once we get into the first third of the story. While the battles go on a bit too long, everything else, like relationships and character interactions, seem to snap by a lot faster. I felt like there could have been more pauses and slow moments to really feel the tension. Everything was kind of Wham! Bam! One revelation after another. I'd also say the worldbuilding is a little confusing at first. It's like Pacific Rim, Voltron, and Transformers with some more complex rules thrown in. Pilots driving giant magic-esque robots to fight monsters. You get used to all the techy explanation stuff once the series goes on, though. (Iron Widow definitely has some major Transformers movie sequel vibes with the battles going on just a bit too long. But, if you like longer action scenes, you may seriously enjoy those chapters of the book.)

Now, back to the characters. This is where the book lost me at times. Because while I enjoyed Zetian, our female protagonist, her emotions did kind of hop from one feeling to the next pretty quickly. I personally wanted more angst, especially with three teen love interests trying to figure their lives out during monster attacks and sabotages. I'm a character-reader though, so if you're more plot-based, you might appreciate the fast-paced emotional changes. I will say that Zetian never backed down from a challenge, and I was continually impressed by every decision she made. I was rooting for her to go all Daenerys Targaryen on everyone and everything multiple times throughout the book.

One of the male love interests, Li Shimin, is a shady figure at first. He's a pilot who killed his entire family. Yikes. But the author, Zhao, goes a long way in really delving into Li's backstory and making him a sympathetic character. Poor guy. He's just a gentle giant who doesn't deserve all the hate.

My major love interest issue comes from Yihzi, who kind of just shows up. He doesn't get as much time or care as the other two characters, and when he is involved with one or both of them, I didn't feel a connection to him. Perhaps because his past isn't really shared? I think Zhao has potential to delve into his background a little more and not just make him the childhood best friend with a rich daddy, and I have my fingers crossed that this is the case. His storyline could turn out to be great if he gets more page time.

While I will say that the premise of Iron Widow really drew me in, the execution didn't make this story one of my all-time favorites. However, I can totally appreciate what Zhao is doing with this book. Zhao is writing a female character who is taking charge of her life after she's been put through hell, and this female character is getting to finally experience power with two male love interests as her arm candy. It's great! But with all of these thoughts in mind, I'm not sure if I'll pick up the sequel; though, I do think YA SFF lovers should pick this one up and give it a try. It's worth the read, especially for fans of Pacific Rim, Voltron, Transformers, Power Rangers, The Hunger Games, or Avatar: The Last Airbender.

3.5 stars

*Note: I received an ARC of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Xiran Jay Zhao, a first-time Chinese-Canadian writer, is already a powerhouse of an author, but here’s the truly impressive part: by the time the novelist’s debut, Iron Widow, will be published, they (the pronoun Zhao prefers) will be just 24 years old. It has been told to me that if you’re 35 and have published your first book, you are a baby in the publishing world’s eyes. I suppose that makes Xiran Jay Zhao a virtual fetus, if not a sperm or an egg. While Iron Widow is a piece of young adult fiction, that shouldn’t detract actual adults from reading this book. It has everything you’ll want in a good read: some action, a rather unconventional love triangle in some ways (I’ll say no more about this, not to spoil things), and lots of political intrigue along with some questions raised about sexuality, gender and the role that women (should) play in society. Zhao has created a masterful reading experience that is both daring and original, even if it wears its influences proudly on its sleeve: the book is being pitched as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale, though there’s a little bit of The Hunger Games thrown in for good measure. But if you had any doubts as to the quality of young adult fiction, read this book. It shows that some of the most promising and exciting fiction out there is being written for young eyes, even if this book is meant for mature young eyes due to the themes of alcoholism, suicide ideation, and sexual assault (the latter of which happens off the page).

The story is a retelling of the rise of the real-life Chinese Emperor Wu Zetian, who was the only female emperor and lived some 1,500 years ago. Thus, as a blend of ancient Chinese history and futuristic science fiction, Iron Widow is about a Chinese society where mecha aliens threaten the survival of humans. Men and women are paired to fight this threat in giant transformable robots called Chrysalises, though the problem is that women often die during these battles due to the mental strain they are put through. Wu Zetian, in this book, is a young peasant girl who signs up for the army, not to help protect her nation but, instead, seek vengeance for her older sister’s murder at the hands of a fighter pilot. She exacts that vengeance rather early in the novel during battle, earning her the moniker of Iron Widow. Instead of being put to death, she is paired up with another male fighter who has murdered his family and, like her, is an incredibly strong pilot in terms of the spirit energy he can tap into during battle. Though the two are a “Bonded Pair,” meaning that they complement each other well in warfare and are expected to live as husband and wife, complications ensue when a young boy from her village — who is in love with Zetian — shows up on the scene.

The great thing about this novel is its pacing. Just when things start to turn a little too mushy, bam!, a battle scene emerges. And when the battle scene threatens to overpower the story, wham!, we’re sucked into court intrigue. Iron Widow is a compulsively readable novel that will have you turning the pages in a frenzy, though this bleak roller-coaster ride of a novel compels you to put it down and think about it for a while, too. The book’s setting is a misogynist one, where women are seen to be powerless, subservient, and willing to sacrifice their lives without asking any questions. They are mere husks to be disposed of, and that also makes the Wu Zetian character so entrancing. She has power, sass, and is willing to manipulate the system to meet her own ends — though sometimes she, too, has to make compromises simply to survive. She, like the other characters in this rollercoaster ride of a read, is a three-dimensional character who is believable and authentic. It doesn’t hurt that the book throws in a generous helping of Chinese folklore to explain its science-fiction aspect, which is an unusual and captivating blend of elements. Everything about this novel fires on all cylinders, and nothing feels out of place. That’s astonishing given the young age of the novelist and the possible fact that English may have not come naturally to the author. (They do mention in the acknowledgments section that they had a crack editor to help fix up some of the grammar, which is perhaps a strange admission when the book is so impeccably written. If they hadn’t mentioned it, I would have been none the wiser.)

All in all, Iron Widow is a near-perfect read. However, I’ll grant it the full five stars given that I haven’t read a novel that is this exciting and packed to the gills with riveting battle scenes, tender love scenes, and scenes of intriguing political manoeuvring— especially in a book meant for young readers. It is, as noted, a bit on the dark side and I did note that the f-bomb gets dropped at least three times, which would be enough (if this book was a movie, which I would be first in line to buy tickets for if one should come to pass) to merit an R-rating in the U.S. movie rating system. Still, for older teenagers (along with interested adults), this is one swooping thrillride of a book. It does end on a cliffhanger and I see that Goodreads already has an untitled second book listed, so the obvious sequel is coming soon. But you know what? I’ll be first in line to either score a review copy or even buy that book, too. I am hopeful that the follow-up is as good as this impressive first book in a possible series. Iron Widow is a one-of-a-kind work of young adult fiction, one that should make its influences proud, especially coming from someone so young and talented. With this novel, Xiran Jay Zhao shows that they are a master of immersive fiction that grabs you by the lapels and doesn’t let go, and we have a new voice to celebrate in both Canadian and young adult fiction. Enough already! At the risk of repeating myself, read this book!

Wow, where do I even START with Iron Widow? This book was phenomenal! Giant mechs fighting aliens with bi & polyam main characters? It was beautiful.

Iron Widow is a blend of historical fiction & sci-fi with great feminist themes. It has action, political intrigue, discusses gender roles, and such a good cast of characters. The main character Zetian is terrifying and wonderful in so many ways. She is brave and powerful and absolutely merciless. And the other main characters complement her so well.

I got a little lost when it came to world building and how the powers and chrysalises work but I was able to power through it and enjoyed the book very much.

I adore the fact that instead of writing a typical love triangle we got a poly triangle. I wish more authors would do something similar with romances in other stories.

I loved this book. Not 5 stars due to being a little confusing at times but one of my favorite books I've read this year. I cannot wait to buy it when it's released.

4.5 stars.

Upon hearing that this book contains a polyamorous relationship, I was immediately intrigued and decided to get an ARC. Lately I’ve been in the mood to read Asian-inspired books and Iron Widow had caught my eye. Contrary to popular belief, Iron Widow is a sci-fi (not fantasy) book that is Chinese history-inspired.

The idea of having a polyamorous ship exist in YA excited me because it’s so common to see a love triangle happening between two males and a female. The author completely throws that idea out in this book and went, “why not make ALL of them happy together?” and suffice to say, it worked.

Besides the romance, the main female character is also unlike many I’ve read about before. Zetian comes from an unfortunate family background where she’s disregarded and a sibling of hers has died. To see Zetian break from the shackles of a family who has given her no love to a relationship with two characters who give her everything, I think that is beautiful.

I’m really excited for the release of the sequel and this author is definitely on my list to watch out for in the future!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opprotunity to review this! I was really looking forward to reading this book, since I'm a big fan of Xiran's YouTube commentaries and follow them on twitter. Unfortunatley, I really disliked this book, and found it not only lacking in almost every writing category, but actually detrimental to the message of feminism and female power it is supposed to portray.

THE CHARACTERS
The characters here lack development and depth, with glazed-over backstories and personalities that seem to change on a whim. It does not help that most of the characters act and talk like young teenagers, including the mature adults in professional situations (*cough* Sima Yi *cough*). I broke down my opinions character by character to hopefully streamline this review, because I have a Lot of Thoughts.

Gao Yizhi – I love a soft boy, and I love healers even more, so he was bound to be my favorite. He seemed to be the only beacon of hope in a bleak world and I liked that he was given a more gentle, nurturing role in the story, so when he killed his father at the end, I was left scratching my head. Is this really the same boy who was compassionate towards a convicted murderer when even the main character herself was not? It was incredibly out of character. In the end he just turned into a Zetian fanboy who enabled her murderous rampage.

Li Shimin – nothing to say, really. Just your stereotypical bad boy with a ridiculously tragic past that feels like a trauma bingo card and never really gets explored properly. He just got tossed aside at the end. He was fleshed out so little that I didn’t even feel sad when he died. And neither did Zetian, really.

Wu Zetian – to be blunt, I hated her from page one: she was cruel, disrespectful, and was perfectly fine letting her entire family die for petty revenge. She went on paragraph-long feminist spiels (which don’t make sense, since we have no foundation as to where she got her ideals from), but then the moment she met other girls her age, the first thing she did was assume the worst of them and scream in their faces. Also, she is constantly being rescued by men. Even at the climax of the book, her problems are solved by finding another man.

Nearly every conversation she has with women is about men. At 50%, this novel barely passed the Bechdel test. As for the two women she has the longest conversations with (her mother and the pilot Xiuying), both end up murdered by Zetian at the end of the book. It also put a really bad taste in my mouth that she murdered a mother and father for trying to protect her two *very* young sons, then showed no remorse. I really don't understand how this is supposed to send a feminist message.

The narrative does not frame any of Zetian’s actions as morally questionable. She maims her fellow soldiers, constantly disrespects her superiors (with no consequences to be seen), and is judgmental to other women - especially women who follow the rules of their society (as people in societies tend to do). Women bringing other women down is the exact opposite of feminism. By the end of this book, Zetian is a villain, but her actions are written like they are heroic.

THE WORLDBUILDING
This book moves at such a fast pace that I genuinely have barely any understanding of the world at large. Nothing is fleshed out – not the history, not the hunduns, not the development of Chrysalises, and especially not the magic system. There are different types of qi, I gathered that much, and they all work differently, but I could never keep any of them straight.

Zetian's world is a patriarchal, sexist society where women are treated as subservient commodities. Normally, this sort of structure means that a narrative has to have nuance, showing how such a society came to be and how these women are forced to remain in such conditions. This book does not have that nuance. It just beats you over the head with abusive men who are flat out terrible, who show no other personality traits other than being evil. Every man in this book is moustache-twirling villain except for the two love interests. It also felt very wrong to me that the only two positive influences in Zetian's life are men, in a book that is meant to be feminist.

THE PLOT
I wouldn’t even call this a plot. This is a random series of events that seems like the author just made up as they went along. The catalyst of the plot is the murder of Zetian’s older sister (I don’t think we ever learn her name), who seems to have taught Zetian all her rebellious values? But we know nothing about said sister and are never shown why Zetian loves Big Sister so much that she is willing to sacrifice the rest of her family to avenge her.

As a consequence of the lack of worldbuilding and fleshing out of the magic system, events just seem to happen without rhyme or reason. None of Zetian’s accomplishments with her Chrysalis (like the different forms) ever seem rewarding, because we don’t know how she got there. Even the final act is lackluster – Zetian just has the solution to their problem handed to her by a random nomadic tribe.

THE GOOD STUFF
Unsurprisingly, one of the few places this book shines is when Xiran is diving into their knowledge of Chinese history. I really appreciated the idea of combining ancient Chinese traditions and culture with futuristic tech and pacific-rim style mechas. There are also some lovely location descriptions that really put you in the situation and make you feel the grittiness of the world. A pity the worldbuilding and dialogue don’t reflect this at all. On another hand, the plot twist at the end was neat. I genuinely liked that, and it took me by surprise. Unfortunatley, I disliked the main character too much to want to continue with her story in the sequel.

IN CONCLUSION/TLDR;
Iron Widow is a book that needs work. It also needs a better editor, and at least 10k more words. And during that edit, it needs to decide what it wants Zetian to be: a villain, or a hero? Because the author presents her as a feminist icon, while in reality all she does is harm other women and gush about her two male love interests.

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley for the ARC!!
I went through this book with really high expectations. I was really excited about the references about The Handmaid's Tale and the plot, unfortunately it was a DNF for me.
The worldbuilding wasn’t what i thougt it would be and I got into 70% of the book lost and with more questions than answers about the universe.
The trio's romance could have been better, it was weird how the things between them were fast mess. I know that's only the first book but the romance looked forced and without chemistry, it didn’t grew naturally.
I could have liked Zetian more. She pissed me off, she supposed to be the strong character who fights for what she wants even when people say she can't do anything to help the other girls, but there were times her feminism felt forced and it drived me crazy. And damn, she killed one dude and a bunch of people started to think about her like a goddess, making she became reckless and thirsty for power ??? what ???
This book really have a lot of potential, but it wasn’t for me.

As soon as I was read the words, Power Rangers meets Handmaids Tale and I was hooked.

Iron Widow became a "Read Now" book shortly after it was talked about in my numerous book groups. So I snatched it up and started reading immediately.

It is close to being one of my favorite reads of the year! While it did start out a little slow, I enjoyed the hell out of it. I admire the commitment to bringing down those that Zetian felt needed to go. I also loved the ending of the story. That twist was *chefs kiss* perfection. I now have so many questions and can't wait to see what the next book brings!

Oh my! This book. I was mesmerized from the beginning. This is a sci-fi YA novel that intertwines a reimagining of Empress Wu, who was the only female emperor in Chinese history, and Chinese harem stories. However, this book takes place in a different futuristic world that will leave you mind blown.

Zetian is looking for revenge for her sisters death and is ready to give her life up for it, but a wild chain of events happen and Zetian is now on a journey to smash the patriarchy, misogyny, and the system built against women.

There’s action from the beginning, I mean 23% in and my hands were clammy cause the plot moves so fast. I would have loved more world building cause at times I felt a little lost. The family she finds a long the way and the poly representation (touched on briefly) had my whole heart.

Towards the end I was crying and left wondering wtf is next because the end will leave you speechless.

Was i the only one picturing transformer type machines? Cause that’s what I was picturing when they were piloting but instead of turning into cars they turned into animals.

This was a delight and I cannot wait to read the next book.

TW: alcoholism, conversation about sexual assault (no on page depiction), scenes of violence, torture.

Iron Widow is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting stories I've read this year. I was drawn in by comparisons to Pacific Rim and promises of a poly ship, and I definitely was not misled.

Zetian is brutal and fierce and interesting; she is an incredibly flawed character at odds with a sexist and violent and cruel world. The author succeeded in presenting a main character that's easy to root for, who you want to see succeed. I found myself cheering her on as she tortured and killed those who'd wronged her. Both in her life before the story starts and throughout the story itself, she survives struggle after struggle without sacrificing herself; she's an incredibly strong character both in terms of her personality and willpower and through how well written she is.

Anyone whose listened to me talk about this book over the last week knows that I haven't been able to shut up about the polyamorous relationship. Even in the parts where I was struggling to get through it, I was drawn in and wildly invested in the growing tension and feelings between Zetian, Yizhi, and Li Shimin. I'm pretty sure I sent several all-caps messages each time two of them kissed for the first time. Like many readers, I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles, and I tend to be very critical of them. But this was never a true love triangle, and the author took care to ensure that it never really came across as such; there was balance and honesty and open communication between all parties involved. It never felt rushed or unexpected.

Hands down, the best part of the plot itself was the last 15%. Up until a certain point, most of the plot was pretty predictable--and I'm not complaining--but the plot twist during the final battle? I never saw that coming. The last 10% or so of this book, I read while in complete denial that was only a little bit validated by the epilogue. I found myself focusing harder on those chapters than I did on the rest of the book combined, frankly, because I needed to know what happened next.

While Iron Widow does some things incredibly well, there were several areas I had issues with. First, and most broadly, is the writing style itself. In the beginning, I just figured the writing style wasn't well matched to my personal taste, and admittedly it definitely got easier to read as the book progressed. But this book is incredibly dark and deals with incredibly serious topics, and while generally these were handled well, the tone of the writing just....didn't match. The writing and language felt very informal, no matter how serious the subject matter, and it left me feeling like there was a bit of a disconnect. At times, it definitely stopped me from really becoming invested in some of the internal and external struggles just because of how at odds the casual language felt to the matter at hand. This is something that I'll readily admit could just be a personal preference, though!

Especially in the beginning, the pacing could be a bit weird, too. There's a major romantic moment between Zetian and one of her love interests about 10% into the book, and at that point there just wasn't enough context or buildup for me to care. It was supposed to be this moving moment that just fell flat because it happened too early on. In the end, I felt like it took away from the later big romantic moment between the characters. I'm not sure if this counts as a pacing issue, but the description of this book begins with something that.... doesnt happen until almost a third of the way through the book. You spend the first hundred pages just waiting for the thing that you know starts the plot to happen. I don't know, maybe I just don't read enough book blurbs before I read the actual book, but it felt like this was too long a wait.

Unfortunately, my last problem with this book was Zetian herself. As I've already mentioned, overall I loved her character!! However, she tended to fall prey to the "not like other girls" issue. And, to be fair, as it turns out she literally isn't like other girls; the extent of her powers isn't what bothered me, though. Zetian views herself, and is presented as, the only woman who isn't happy being oppressed by men. Even when she meets other similarly situated women--the Iron Princesses--she finds that both of these incredibly strong women rely on their partners in a way that she doesn't. Of course, I understand that this is largely a product of how Zetian is viewing things, colored by her opinions and biases, and by the end I think this issue had definitely been improved, but it's something that stuck out to me throughout the story.

I struggled over whether to rate this 3 or 4 stars, but ultimately I decided on 4 stars for a few reasons. 1) This is a debut, and despite any issues, I still genuinely enjoyed Iron Widow. I have no doubt in my mind that this series will just continue to improve as it goes, and I can't wait for the next book. 2) The diversity and representation!!! Not only is it always refreshing to read a fantasy novel inspired by something other than medieval Europe, but the characters themselves were also incredibly diverse. We have, of course, POC rep, but disability rep and lgbt+ rep too. Iron Widow's love triangle ends in what is frankly the way all love triangles should end: with a poly ship. And 3) I just really fucking love anything that reminds me of Pacific Rim.

And if I had any doubts, between the last 15% of the book and the epilogue? Oh my god.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is such a cool story! It's such an innovative idea and it was done so well.

"Despite their best efforts, I find myself worthy of happiness. Everything they’ve used to bind me, I will turn against them. My looks are an illusion to snag their attention. My decadence is a bait to stir their outrage. My perfect partnership is a lie to keep them obsessing. The very force of their judgment and hatred will make me unstoppable."

tw // blood, gore, murder, foot binding, forced marriage, rape (mentioned), toxic masculinity, misogyny

rep // East Asian rep, Poly Rep, MLM

The boys of Huaxia dream of the celebrity status that comes with piloting Chrysalises – giant transforming robots that battle the aliens beyond the Great Wall. Their female co-pilots are expected to serve as concubines and sacrifice their lives.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, her plan is to assassinate the male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But on miraculously emerging from the cockpit unscathed after and him deaa, the Iron Widow sets her sights on bigger things. The time has come to take on the entire patriarchal military system.

This book is literally EVERYTHING I wanted. I was initially put off because it was "Pacific Rim meets Handmaidens Tale" and I'm not a fan of either, BUT this is the feminist take on that combo that I didn't know I needed until I read it. Zetian has the most incredible journey I've ever seen in a long time, from willing to die after avenging her sister to wanting to take the world for herself and all the other girls like her. Her rise to power is full of ambition, self love and righteous anger. It's incredible in every SINGLE way. Forget any other morally grey MC you’ve read in a book before--Zetian is the definition of morally grey to the END. She doesn't let ANYTHING get in the way of her end goal of crushing the patriarchy, no matter the methods.

And the romance? I've never seen a better way of poly rep in my life. Zetian, Yizhi, and Shimin are the best throuple I've ever seen before. Yizhi was her rich lover from back home that she initially says no to due to her route of vengeance making her believe that they couldn't work, and Shimin is the Iron Demon, the new pilot that Zetian is paired with after she overpowers the first. While Shimin comes off a drunkard, with a history of being a prisoner pilot (after he murdered his family), he has his own secrets that with time make him the IDEAL damaged bad boy to root for. And when I say poly rep I mean ALL the way poly rep- yes that's right, the boys are involved with each other as well.

The action itself is NON STOP. Chapter after chapter is filled with wild events, not allowing me to even breath as I sped through the book, and I truly was clinging onto each word at the edge of my seat. The best were the scenes with the Chrysalis battle scenes, where I really felt like I was on the battlefield myself along with them. By the end of it my heart was beating into overtime, from my sheer excitement. And the ending had me gasping out loud, I cannot wait for book 2 and I (nicely) demand that everyone reads this book!

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The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This year I have loved some books and I have hated some books. I have given glowing recommendations and scathing reviews. However, of everything I’ve read, I think Iron Widow is the first book this year to have me really and truly excited. Shouting on Twitter about this book excited. Thinking about this story constantly excited. Already trying to find fan art even though the book isn’t released yet (as of this writing) excited.

Ya’ll, this story is phenomenal.

Zetian is one of my favorite female protagonists that I have ever had the privilege of reading. This young woman is a roller coaster of emotions and determination. The strength of her character is simply astounding. She is in turns angry and scared and wanting to exact retribution and is not letting anyone stand in her way. What I love most about Zetian is that even when she is afraid or nervous, especially when she is afraid and nervous, she never backs down. She acknowledges those feelings of fear and finds it in herself to set them aside in order to accomplish whatever task it is set before her. The confidence and bravery she finds within herself throughout this story is magnificent. I love when a character is just so completely unapologetic about their goals despite others attempting to make her feel shame.

Then we have the general basis of this story. Zetian’s world was attacked by other worldly beings who are trying to wipe out the human race and absorb all of their resources. Humans, being the stubborn creatures that we are, instead find a way to use those resources to create these enormous monsters of metal that can be imbued with power from their operators to take on the threat. The thing is, these powerful weapons need two people to use them. The pilot, who is this culture is always a male, and the concubine, the female. Being a male lead society that looks down upon females, the concubine is almost always killed during these battles. Zetian’s beloved sister is believed to have been killed this way which is the jumping off point for her journey toward retribution.

This book is simply amazing. It never slows down, never stops, and around every turn is Zetian with her two partners at her side, taking on the world. There is emotion, action, questionable choices with consequences, violence, love…I could go on. Within these 400 pages you will find a little bit of everything woven together to make one spectacular story. And, folks, the twist at the end will leave your head spinning! I cannot recommend this book enough.

Incredible storytelling with a uniquely strong and interesting female protagonist who we get to see progress and grow into her power. I’m especially impressed by the shattering of stereotypes within the romance. How? You’ll have to read to find out.

SOOOOO SOOOO GOOODDD!! I loved Zeitan and her boyfriends. The worldbuilding was super cool and totally gave me Darling in the Franxx vibes. That ENDING blew my mind and I can definitely tell that Xiran took inspirations from Franxx and Attack on Titan. I loved the feminist themes, and especially how feminism isn't a monolithic view but rather a very compelling argument of the women experience. Xiran did a fantastic job with this book, and I desperately need book two already.

The Iron Widow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

**spoilers **

Wow , where to even start . I received this E-Arc and am ever so grateful that I did , because I devoured this in 2 days .

Let’s talk about taking a hold of your own destiny !!!!

The story follows 18 year old Zetian , a concubine pilot , who seeks revenge for the death of her sister . Zetian is a powerful force , who grows more and more each chapter . She is no nonsense and gets her revenge on all who have done her wrong & we are here for it .

I loved the relationships / friendships she has with Li Shimin and Yizhi . The love triangle , that’s not so much a triangle , but a beautiful agreement among three consenting adults . The subtle hints of romance leave much to the imagination and I’m hoping for a little more in the future .

Iron widow pulled all the emotions out of me from laughter , joy , sadness and even made me cry . I can not wait to see what the future holds for my favorite Trio from Huaxia !!

First thing to know about this book: check the content warnings. I personally don't really have major triggers, but I am eternally grateful for the warnings given in the Author's Note at the beginning. It really provided the bracing I needed because wow, what a ride!

While I can't imagine necessarily reading this given who I was as a teen, I without a doubt know there is absolutely a ravenous market for this exact book. A combining of Chinese history with futuristic sci-fi mecha, this is a brutal, vicious book that is so absolutely unapologetic and ready to not just smash the patriarchy, but devour and destroy it body and soul.

Zetian is a young woman who knows exactly who she is, and that person is angry, driven, powerful in her own right, and vengeful. You have no trouble understanding the devastation society wrought on its women because author Xiran Jay Zhao does not shy from it, and main character Zetian never forgets it—and is ready to hold the oppressors responsible. She is a force to be reckoned with and she brings her reckoning straight to the door of those who deserve to pay.

This book is a rollercoaster of anger, a conquering of shame and forced submission. Personally, I don't find the YA rating accurate; I think it would stand perfectly on its own in general Science Fiction with it's late teen central cast. However, I knew many teens who read above their age genre in high school because they wanted the exactly brutality and focused edge this story brings. As long as content warnings remain available, this is absolutely what has been clamored for.

A few pieces, particularly the prologue, felt a little clunky to me in terms of info dumping, but I hope to see that these have been smoothed for better flow by actual publication. A story like this also balances the edge where prose conveys the internal struggles best, but the highly visual nature of battle and mecha would be better conveyed as a graphic novel.

Overall, very engaging and interesting, and should you choose to read, brace yourselves for a wild ride of female rage, revenge, broken systems, and taking back your due agency, with a side of polyamorous relationships!

Content Warnings: Torture, abuse, suicide ideation, alcohol addiction, sexual assault (not on page, but discussed and referred to), sexual coercion, foot binding practices

This book is being marketed as Pacific Rim meets Handmaid's Tale but based on the author note at the end it's more like Darling in the Franxx (a Japanese anime/manga that involves a male & female piloting system) than PacRim. Fret not, a more relevant historical figure, the real Wu Zetian is in the author's notes, and had a more significant influence on this book. The protagonist is unapologetically angry about the patriarchy based on her own personal agenda, so it was nice that her motivations weren't sparked by a Svengali figure. The author note at the end also mentions there was an R-18 draft, which I'd like to read, and makes me wonder why this had to be classified under Teen/YA, but I digress. If reading certain parts of this book makes people uncomfortable, then I think the author did a great job. I have a special soft spot for how this book also subverted the predictable YA love triangle and wish we had more of it, but that would have distracted from the main story. I liked this book a lot and if I didn't have a day job I would've stayed up all night reading it in one go. The book's ending also succeeded in giving us a twist that definitely has me looking forward to the next book in the series.