I received a copy of this book from Penguin Teen and Netgalley.

Excuse me, but I must scream after THAT ending.

Okay, I'm back and the writing is crisp and stellar and the story being told is brutal and beautiful.
Wu Zetian is out for revenge against the man that killed her sister and sure, it's a story that's been told before but here there's such creativity that the newness leaps off the page.

Zetian is possessing a fury that's terrifying and makes her absolutely compelling.

I really loved this book!

Iron Widow is a female centric action thriller of a time far in the future involving humongous spirit metal animals at war for survival, driven by men and women with strong Qi. Yet it also harkens to the messages of the past with lotus feet, subservience, beauty and sacrifice deemed the compelling duty of women and girls. The Iron Widow rejects these messages as she sets out to avenge the murder of her sister by the ruling patriarchy. Packed with action and thrills from start to finish, the heroine sets out to upend the system and take it over. Riveting.

This was wild. I haven't read anything in YA quite like Iron Widow. It's completely unapologetic in it's brutality and Zhao is fully willing to push boundaries with Zetian. I don't want to give too much away, so I am keeping this short, but Zhao's characters make decisions that other authors shy away from. There is no redemption arc here, only revenge.

Four stars because the writing could be stronger. This is a debut through so I expect Zhao to only get better as she goes. Definitely recommend!

*ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Very sad to say as this was a highly anticipated release, but unfortunately this ended up being a DNF for me. I got about 100 pages in but was not feeling it whatsoever. The premise sounds absolutely incredible, it is exactly the kind of book that would be right up my alley, but I just couldn't seem to get into it. I can't really pinpoint what it was that I didn't like about it, it just didn't draw me in the way I was hoping it would. I don't think this is a bad book by any means, and I absolutely think others will adore it, it just wasn't for me!

I am giving Iron Widow a 3 star rating on Netgalley because, although I did not personally enjoy it and was unable to finish, I would not tell someone that it isn't worth the read. Since leaving no star rating is not an option on Netgalley, I thought 3 stars would be a neutral/fair way to express my personal feelings towards the book.

*contains mild spoilers for Iron Widow*

On the surface, mixing concepts like Pacific Rim and The Handmaid’s Tale shouldn’t work as a novel. Or as anything. But in their debut novel Iron Widow, author Xiran Jay Zhao shows that a story with enough conviction and truth behind it can not only manage to work, but can also flourish.

Based very loosely on the story of China’s only female Emperor Wu Zeitan, Iron Widow tells the story of Zeitan, a teenage peasant girl living on the frontier of Huaxia, a country that has spent centuries at war with the monstrous Hunduns on the other side of the Great Wall.

The war, however, is not fought by soldiers in the traditional sense, but by pilots. Mecha pilots to be precise. Channeling their qi and an inner strength called “spirit pressure” these pilots - always male - command, control and in essence become their vehicles, known as Chrysalises. But they do not pilot alone. Each is paired with a woman known as a concubine-pilot, whose purpose is to act as a soothing support while the men fight.

Zeitan’s sister Ruyi was one such concubine-pilot, having enlisted for the good of her family, and for the money it would provide them, even though concubine-pilots hardly ever survive. But when she is killed outside of battle, Zeitan makes it her mission to enlist as well, find the pilot responsible and kill him in revenge.

Knowing very little about the book beyond the basic premise, I expected this to occupy the vast majority of the plot, especially considering the weight given to both Zeitan’s desire for revenge and to Yang Guang, the pilot responsible for killing her sister. However in an interesting twist, this murder plot of hers is not the climax of the story, but its catalyst instead.

Within the first few chapters, Yang Guang is dead and the army realizes that Zeitan is far more powerful than any of them had given her credit for. She is dubbed “The Iron Widow” owing to her immense spirit pressure and for surviving where her male pilot did not, and paired off with a new pilot, Li Shimin, “The Iron Demon”, who is among their most powerful pilots but is also volatile and dangerous. A murderer with a past.

I love him already.

A Chrysalis of the type that Zeitan and Shimin must operate will only function well if the two pilots are in sync, something that the two of them most certainly are not. It is only when they begin to get to know each other, and to delve into the damage and pain that the other has suffered that they truly begin to come to an understanding. Adding tension and a truly unexpected twist to their burgeoning dynamic is Gao Yizhi, the boy from back home that Zeitan is in love with.

The setting of this book is fantastic, both familiar and unfamiliar. It occupies that kind of atemporal place in time that is neither clearly in the past, nor is it the sort of future commonly seen in science fiction. Rather, it feels organic and rooted in a near-past Earth history, while also possessing technological advances and concepts about on par or slightly beyond what exists now. Except for the Chrysalises of course. Those are pure sci-fi.

In their author’s note, Zhao notes that the book is a celebration of Chinese culture and a critique of what they call “its worst beliefs”. While the celebration is evident in things like the setting, the fashion, the friendships and love, anything that makes the world feel lived in, it is the critique - namely the treatment of women - that stands out most prominently in the text.

(Note: I, like Zhao, acknowledge that misogyny is not restricted to any one location or culture, and in no way do I mean to imply that in engaging with this text.)

Much of the story hinges on the perception by the men in power that the function of women is to live in service to the men around them. That they are by nature weaker, less powerful, and not in possession of the same wants and needs as the men are. Second class citizens in every sense of the word. Iron Widow is the story, then, of one girl openly defying such restrictions and seizing for herself the kind of life she wants, while trying to change the whole system at the same time.

The delivery of this central thesis hit some of the stumbling blocks expected in a debut novel. Zeitan challenges men’s assumptions about women either out loud or in her narration. When done as dialogue, it worked just fine and was perfectly in keeping with her character. As narration however, the delivery at times felt a little too meta-textual, as if these weren’t thoughts Zeitan was having, but something the author was explicitly telling me, the reader. Many such realizations for Zeitan - regarding gender roles, or same sex relationships for instance - have the appearance of being long-held beliefs, while also seeming to just occur to her in the heat of the moment, which was a little confusing at times, and contributed to the feeling that this was more for the audience than for any character in the book.

What I found most interesting in this examination of the pervasiveness of misogyny within a culture was the dynamic between Zeitan and the other women in the book. Too often, in real life, women facing this kind of oppression are expected to present a united front, to all tackle the injustice they face in the same direct way, and to dismantle the patriarchal structure until it crumbles. And while the book does not suggest a passive approach in the slightest, it does do an excellent job of showing the different ways women choose to make a stand, while underlining the tragedy of those who feel they have no choice nor power to change their circumstances.

But in and among the giant robots, the war, and the dismantling of the patriarchy, there is my favourite part of any story: the romance.

By the basic setup alone - Zeitan being partnered to Shimin while Yizhi hangs around - the romance looks like a fairly standard YA love triangle. But Zhao manages to avoid this pitfall in both an emotionally resonant and organic way. As Zeitan points out, the triangle is the strongest shape. The romance seems almost secondary to the sort of love and understanding that unites the three characters to each other. Each of them has suffered at the hands of the society they live in, and each is as invested in the healing of their friends as they are in their own healing.

Overall, Iron Widow is a lush, compelling read where the action starts early and moves at a breakneck pace throughout. Because of that, I found myself wishing it was about a hundred pages longer, purely because of how full it is. There are so many concepts, and plots and moving parts that I wish each had been given just a little more time to really breathe and expand. But then, I think it’s a sign we have a winner on our hands when the reader comes away just wanting more.

Iron Widow is out September 21, 2021, and is available for preorder now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an advance copy for review purposes.

<i>”There’s no such thing as karma,” I say, enunciating every syllable like I want to crush them with my teeth. “Or, if it does exist, it sure doesn’t give a shit about people like me. Some of us were born to be used and discarded. We can’t afford to simply go along with the flow of life, because nothing in this world has been created, built, or set up in our favor. If we want something, we have to push back against everything around us and take it by force.”</i>

Arc provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

Oh my god…you know those books that once you’re only a few chapters in that they will be one of your favourite reads? Yeah this was one of those for me. “<i>Pacific Rim</i> meets <i>The Handmaid’s Tale</i>” already had me intrigued but add in a Wu Zetian retelling, femme fatale, poly ship, and female rage? Immediately hooked. <i>The Iron Widow</i> is a beautiful mix of historical inspiration and futuristic dystopian science fiction that I could not put down despite trying to pace myself.

In Huaxia, the boys pilot Chrysalises ( these big robots that are used to fight the aliens outside the Great Wall ) but they cannot pilot them alone and instead need to partner up with female concubines. And more often than not, these concubines die but we see that this considered to be of little importance. This is something that strongly motivates Wu Zetian to outdo any expectations people have for her as a woman and I think it’s safe to say that she’s rather successful. In the beginning of the story, she is dealing with the death of her Big Sister who was killed while copiloting. In order to exact revenge, Zetian enlists as a concubine pilot so she can kill her sister’s murderer. She does this without telling Gao Yizhi, her friend and love interest, who also happens to come from a very powerful and wealthy family. But even when he finds out her plans, he knows he cannot stop her.

Despite her plan on how to kill her Big Sister’s murderer doesn’t go as she had planned out, she overpowers his mind when they have to copilot and she gets labelled an <i>Iron Widow</i>, a female pilot who kills her male copilot ( instead of the usual male copilot killing his female copilot ). No one knows what to do with her and they pair her up with Li Shimin, the most powerful pilot of the past two years and a coldblooded murderer— he killed his father and brothers. But she soon learns out after having access to some of his memories that all she has been told by the army about him may in fact not be true.

I loved how female rage was incorporated into this book, we can feel Zetian’s anger all throughout the book and how she doesn’t stop to exact her revenge on just her sister but all who have been unjustly treated by the system. While from the beginning we get an idea of who Zetian is as a person and that doesn’t drastically change, we find out that Shimin and Yizhi are not at all how they appear on the surface. Yizhi seems like an open hearted wealthy man and Shimin a ruthless warrior but perhaps that’s not what they are at all. I don’t typically have an issue with love triangles but how they are executed but after reading <i>Iron Widow</i>, I strongly suggest that authors drop the love triangle trope and switch to poly ships. How their relationships not just together as a poly but also in their three duos was written connected really well with the story and it is definitely something you can see building up from the beginning.

Truly enjoyed <i>Iron Widow</i>, definitely one of my favourite reads and it was such a fun experience. I cannot wait to read more of Xiran Jay Zhao’s writing, they just have this way of writing that it just pushes you on to keep on reading and figure out what the next plot will be.

Trigger Warnings: contains scenes of violence and abuse, suicide ideation, discussion and references to sexual assault ( though no on-page depictions), alcohol addiction, alcohol withdrawal, foot binding, and torture.

QUE EMPIEZA EL MATRIACARDO‼️‼️‼️
THE MATRIARCHY BEGINGS.

This books it’s every dream of feminist girl and boys. This book it’s chef kiss completely. The way that it question a lot of things and the quotes are breathtaking. This book it’s amazing , the writing, the characters, the world building exquisitely. I’m so in love with this book isn't healthy. The way that it show that something just because something it’s the norm doesn’t make it okay, it was so powerful. It makes you feel powerful because me ( as a girl) saw that I’m not alone in the way that I feel when girls are not taking seriously or when we give our opinions and men/boys laugh at us. Wu Zetian it’s the strongest women that I have ever read in a book. And I feel so connected to her, the way she thought, the way she felt, and in everything. And I love this book so much.

She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment. And the baddest bitch in the whole universe, Wu Zetian I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
I love love love love her so much. It’s not healthy how much I love her and her 2 boyfriends. She’s the best protagonist ever for me, she makes her choices and doesn't change her mind even when the consequences could be horrifying for her or other people because she wants a better future for everyone but specially for girls out here.


I NEED THE SECOND BOOK ASAP AND I WILL BE BUYING EVERYTHING BY XIRAN JAY ZHAO no question asks. She has my whole heart and mind.

This was such a fun, fast-paced read! I loved all the mentions of Chinese history woven throughout, and thought the commentary on gender and sexism was very well handled. The twist at the ending was shocking and very cleverly executed! I do wish the book had taken a little more time to flesh out the romance and the characters' motivations, but overall I flew through this book and had a wonderful time.

Holy smokes. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is a beast of a book. Part futuristic dystopian sci-fi, part historical commentary I was entranced from start to finish. I wasn’t planning on finishing this in one sitting, but I simply could not stop.

At the start of the story, Wu Zetian is recovering from the recent death of her Big Sister. Determined to avenge her sister’s murder, she enlists as a concubine pilot so she can get close to the one who killed her. In general, most female pilots are killed when they go into battle with a male pilot in control of a Chrysalis (giant robots modeled after various figures, like Nine Taled Foxes or White Tigers). However, when she rides into battle, her mind overpowers that of her male co-pilot earning her the title of “Iron Widow”. After the battle, the advisors decide to pair her up with the only other pilot who has a stronger spirit force than her. Li Shimin, the “Iron Demon”, was convicted of patricide and is only alive because of his usefulness on the battlefield. Things get complicated when she experiences some of Shimin’s memories and has to question everything the media and the army have said about him. Things get even more complicated when her previous love, Yizhei, comes to the base as a strategist determined to do anything he can to help Zetian.

There are so many things to talk about in this book. I loved the polyamory. They genuinely care about each other, and the growth of their relationship was heartwarming to see. Who needs things like separate teams in fandom (*cough* Twilight), when you can root for everyone being together? A triangle is the strongest shape, after all. For those who might be wondering, this is NOT some reverse harem type relationship. It is a polygamous trio where all three members are in consenting relationships with each other. The magic system and the premise are also amazing. The synopsis compares the book to the Pacific Rim movie, but this is SO much better. For one, all of the robots in Iron Widow are unique and have personalities (compared to the cookie-cutter Jaegers in Pacific Rim). Secondly, it actually explored more of how pilots are matched (and where problems might arise). Both have absolutely epic action scenes, and there were definitely times when I felt like I was in the cockpit of the Vermillion Bird right alongside Zetian and the others.

The ending was mind-blowing, and I was completely shocked by the cliffhanger (definitely did not see that coming). Please tell me the next book comes soon? I need to know what the Iron Widow is going to do next, and the wait till 2022 for the next installment will be agonizing.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada (Penguin Teen) and NetGalley for providing me an eARC of Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao in exchange for an honest review.

TW: scenes of violence and abuse, suicide ideation, discussion and references to sexual assault (no on-page depictions), alcohol addiction

3.5 stars. This debut was surprising and unique in a lot of ways. The book is billed Pacific Rim meets the Handmaid's Tale, and while I've read Handmaid's Tale, I knew nothing about Pacific Rim. I should have expected it, but I was startled by just how brutally violent the book was. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just a dark book for sure, and it's fair to expect that going in.

The biggest positive notes for me were the main narrative voice and the main character, who was raw and ruthless and distinctive. 2021 fantasy feels very brutal and ruthless so far, especially the women, and I can't say I blame them.

The reason my rating is just a tad lower is because I felt that the pacing was a bit off, and there were times when I felt like the action needed a bit more setup. At the same time, I can appreciate the author trying to avoid an info dump. Overall, I found this debut propulsive and intriguing and will definitely be reading more from this author.

Also I loved the creativity of the setting (it is NOT historical fantasy China. It is a story set in a futuristic world (hence the Pac Rim elements) which does include characters based on figures from history. I also encourage everyone to read the author's note if it's also in the final edition, as I felt it was incredibly important to understanding and appreciating the book for what it is, not for what you think it is.

I do recommend this book if you are ready for a dark fantasy.

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!