I requested this solely based on the description and comparison to The Handmaid's Tale. This is not a genre I typically read a lot, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed. Zetian is a bada** female character that you root for from the beginning. Her need for answers and to break down the mysogynist world she is living in tie in to some of today's events in which women are still being controlled and expected to act a certain way. Hence why the comparison to Handmaids Tale came about. Although the fighting/mecha parts and some of the Chinese history that was brought in lost me a little bit, the real meaning behind this was what shined the most for me. I really enjoyed this!

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't entirely know what to expect when I opened this book. The book summary was what piqued my interest, and I feel like the book far exceeded what I anticipated based on the summary.

In a society where men are considered superior and women are either required to marry or become a concubine for male pilots, Zetian is having none of it. Women who serve as concubines do not survive because their spirit pressure is always significantly lower than men's. The only way a women would survive is if they have a spirit pressure that matches that of the male. Then they would be considered a match. Zetian's older sister was killed being a concubine for an arrogant man who has no real care for any of the women employed to him. When she joins the service of the man who killed her sister, she is elated to have the opportunity to kill Colonel Yang. Except, when the two link inside of the Chrysalis (giant robots that battle aliens), she over powers him and ends up killing him. Not the way she anticipated killing him.

Now she is labeled as an iron widow and is paired with the most dangerous male pilot the program has. Li Shimin. He is a prisoner of Huaxia after murdering his family and it is believed that he has zero remorse for the loss of any of the concubines he uses. Zetian and Li Shimin prove to be a formidable pair and together they work to dissemble the patriarchy of China and figure out why women are always being sacrificed. The pair also receives help from Zetian's friend/love interest Yizhi as he offers them his spirit pressure at times.


I felt like I got more out of this book than I was anticipating from the summary. It isn't just about Zetian trying to unravel the plot behind women dying in Chrysalises. It's about the war occurring with the Hunduns beyond the Great Wall. It's about the truth of Li Shimin's past and who he really is. It's about the lengths Zetian will go to prove that men are not superior. I felt like this was a complex and well crafted story. There was a strong blend of a fast-moving plot and character development and world building.

I will admit, I was surprised that there was a romance in the story, considering how angry Zetian is with the system and women dying. She is a strong, opinionated, fierce female who knows what she wants and there is nothing that is going to stop her from getting it. There is a polyamorous relationship (which I have yet to encounter). I am surprised by how much I enjoyed the development of the relationships and how each individual provided something that the other persons did not. I found it fitting with the storyline and felt like it enhanced the story. It did not make it more confusing or unnecessary. It showed the necessity and value of trust, friendship, and love when fighting for what you believe in.

I highly recommend this book and based on the ending, I think the author has set it up to be another fast paced, well developed book!

The thing about Iron Widow is that it is so unbelievably cool that you as a person become more cool just by reading it. I mean that. I literally feel like a cooler person now that I have read this book. Not only is it well paced and well written, it is full of such unique and complex characters that even though there is a big cast, none of them get blurred with the others. This book is just incredible.

Will my review be a little incoherent.... maybe. But I'm going to do my best.

Iron Widow takes place in a world where metal beasts, called Hunduns, attack the people in the provinces we would call China today. In order to combat these mechanical beasts, the people created Chrysalises, their own mechanical beasts to battle the Hunduns. Through qi, these Chrysalises channel the spirit type (Earth, Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal) and deliver deadly attacks. These Chrysalises are powered by two pilots, a man and a woman, and because men's qi is so much stronger than women's the female pilots (also called concubines) die. This is accepted and understood in society. Families send their daughters off to certain death for money and a sense of righteousness. Sometimes, very rarely, a concubine's spirit levels match that of their male partner and in these situations they become Matches and pairs. It is rare and requires a lot of strength that women don't normally have. But everything changes when Wu Zetian attacks.

Wu Zetian is PISSED. The world hates women and she hates it back. Her big sister was sent off to be a concubine and died at the hand of a pilot before battle which meant her family never got the money that was owed. This latter fact upset her family more than her own death. Except for Zetian. This act fueled an even greater hatred and caused her to create a plan of vengeance to kill the pilot responsible, even though it means she herself will die. Her best friend, Yizhi, tries to stop her from going, but in the end, nothing can stop Zetian from fulfilling her plan, and so she goes off to the great wall to become a concubine.

There is so much more to this story than what I cobbled together above. I can't explain how much I enjoyed this story. Zetian is RUTHLESS in such an amazing and vicarious way. My anger mixed with hers. I felt her pain. I felt her glory. She is paired with Shimin, a killer that was taken from the prison to be a pilot because his qi levels were off the charts, second only to a legendary Emperor from 220 years ago. The relationship between Wu Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi is probably, ugh idk if I can really say this, but probably my favorite part of the story. It's messy and complex and full of pain and anger and sadness and love. I love that we got.to have a polyamorous relationship because IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME. As Wu Zetian says, "the triangle is the strongest shape."

I know this book has been hyped and thank god for that because otherwise I would be disappointed in the reading world. Everyone always says they want a ruthless, bloodthirsty, powerful female lead, and in this book, they got one. Wu Zetian is more than just her anger, she is full of the whole range of human emotion, she is not just one note of buzzwords. And that's part of what makes this book so special. It's full of nuance and complexity and really let's you examine what these people are really like. This is what we mean about have strong female characters. Not that their only trait is strength, but that they find their own strength through sheer force of will AND with love and support from others.

Please read this. Please buy this book. I got an advanced copy and I already placed a pre-order for it. It's just that fantastic.

*Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the eARC*

I absolutely love this book and am waiting (im)patiently for the sequel. Well, according to Goodreads, it looks like there will be a sequel, so I'm crossing my fingers that that is true :)

The writing is beautiful, the characters are badass and flawed and intriguing. I am glad there was an Author note before reading the story because I feel like it helped with understanding and receiving more knowledge about the time period. I am definitely going to keep an eye out for more from Xiran Jay Zhao and am looking forward to more from the characters, plot, and her beautiful writing.

4.5 stars.

“Iron Widow” was a fascinating depiction by Xiran Jay Zhao of a world where traditional beliefs of a society place males first and dominant and females as subservient and weak. A world where war is being fought against mecha aliens while televised like a show. A war where male pilots with their female concubine partner power mechanical Chrysalises made from the husks of the dead aliens. A war where the females are more than likely to die each time the alarms call the pilots to action.
The young heroine, Wu, has decide to take revenge on the pilot who “killed” her beloved big sister, but discovers something more tantalizing than the revenge she wanted so badly that will make her want more of. She will learn trusting the good is not always the right choice. Loving and caring for others lead to heartache and pain. That to right the wrongs of the society she lives in she may have to bend her own beliefs to accomplish it.
The novel was a very good read with evenly paced action.

4.4 stars! absolutely amazing how the main romance consists of the unhinged chaotic angry, the 'lawful' romantic, and the won't-hesitate-to-throw-a-punch nerdy neutral. thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc!

this novel takes you on an electrifying, bold ride as if you're the one controlling a chrysalises, ferocious power and energizing spirit in every move you make. it's thrilling to me how this is inspired by darling in the franxx, a science fiction, romantic anime that explores gender, sexuality, and adolescence. it's also riveting how zetian is a re-imagined empress wu, the only female emperor in chinese history. her unforgiving calculation, her resolved determination comes alive off the page with every angry, unflinching move she makes constantly driving the story forward. xiran jay zhao really did her unbreakable character justice.

zetian, shimin, and yizhi's budding polyamorous relationship was a delight to behold, making me squeal and cackle in every scene they're in together. they're all so precious??? i love how different they all are from one another, yet they value and treasure each other's differences. the power they hold in my mind. also, maybe i'm just a whore but it's a crime how this is a YA. because seeing the fanart of shimin? phew zetian is one lucky bitch because wow. holy shit. do yourself a favor and check out the fanart!

the only critique i have is the pacing near the third half of the book, which was fast-paced for sure, but to the point where it missed a couple of important details that made me think "wait, what about — " but then we were already moving on to the next thing. the pace then wasn't exhilarating but more hurried. it didn't leave me breathless with awe; it was more suffocating than anything. there were times when certain, impactful scenes didn't hit as hard because the build-up was messy or wasn't there at all. but the third half of the book was mixed with these feelings and the whoa holy shit holy shit this is crazy, so there were really astounding moments that i loved in the third half too. i just wish the pacing was more balanced and fleshed out.

overall, this book just wants you to enjoy yourself. don't go into this thinking it'll be a grim science fiction novel with heavy, complex political intrigue and roaring, battlefield angst (this is a YA novel). it's more bold and adventurous than anything, a rollercoaster ride of that hysterical feeling of thinking you're going to die and the burning rage of systematic injustice. i gasped, giggled, hissed "what the fuck", and laughed so much while reading this book that i urge you to read it when it comes out because it's such an enjoyment to experience. happy reading!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this was WILD! I really enjoyed this book. The world it was written in was really unique, and the three main characters were great. Zetian is ruthless in the best possible way. I really appreciate that it had such a great polyamorous relationship, and the commentary about gender inequality was really well done and so very relevant. I found myself giggling uncontrollable at so many parts because the characters and twists it took were just so wild. And that TWIST at the end of the story, such a cliffhanger, I can't wait for the sequel!

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<p>Review copy provided by the publisher.</p>
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<p>Do you want a retelling of the story of Empress Wu as a teenage mecha pilot? because that's what this is. It is a retelling of the story of Empress Wu as a teenage mecha pilot.</p>
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<p>Do you need more information than that? <em>Okay but WHY though</em>. SIGH. FINE. It is an utterly ferocious flail against institutional sexism, "a triangle is the strongest shape" comes up in context, the Four Symbols get mecha forms, and there are aliens for the mecha to fight in dramatic battles. But really: Empress Wu as teenage mecha pilot, that's the sort of pitch that sorts out the people who want it from the people who don't pretty fast.</p>
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<p>(I am a people who do.)</p>
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<p>It makes me sad and angry that Zhao needed an author's note saying that the institutional sexism examples in this book were Chinese because that's the culture they were drawing on in this case not because Wow Those Sexist Chinese Good Thing No One <em>Else</em> Has Institutional Sexism. They were absolutely right that they <em>did</em> need that author's note, because people absolutely <em>would</em> make that inference, and by "people" I mean "a certain subset of racist white people unfortunately too large to ignore." I wanted to stand whitely next to them and make mean faces at anyone who did make that inference. Institutional sexism: it's not just for one culture! It should be for no cultures, but here we are! In any case: if you can't cope with portrayals of institutional sexism at the moment, put this aside until you can, but if you want to watch Wu Zetian absolutely trouncing the sexists, with help from lovely people of various genders, on with the show, here's <em>Iron Widow</em>.</p>
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How do I even begin to describe this story? I'm not sure words would do it justice, but I enjoyed every moment and I cannot emphasize. that enough. The world-building is intense, and I had to start out writing little notes for myself because of unfamiliar terms, but what fantasy book doesn't have the same process? It was probably a little easier for me because I grew up reading and watching xianxia, but it's not difficult to follow because the author is thorough in her explanations, it's just a little overwhelming at the beginning. I also want to emphasize that this is most definitely not a historical fantasy, but a sci-fi story with Chinese cultural and historical elements implemented into the worldbuilding. There is a lot for me to talk about, yet none are spoiler-free so I'd at least like to say that one of the things I loved about the story (other than the large fighting mechas) was the love "triangle" because the setup to it was perfection, and we all needed the polyamorous representation without the explicits. Although, my favorite aspect of the story is our female protagonist, Wu Zetian, who stays unapologetic while fighting her way through the patriarchal system, yet also trying to dismantle said system by the roots to prevent future female subjugation. You'll cheer for her the entire way, trust me.

This book was quite the ride. I am beginning to really enjoy sci-fi/fantasy with real world history entwined into it. Iron Widow incorporates elements of the first and only female emperor of China. In this world there are enemies called Hunduns where select people must fight against, by pairing a male and female together to pilot a kind of “power ranger” like machine. Though in this case it is more detrimental to the pilots as it feeds off their literal energy or qi in this case. Women are seen as less in this world and often die in battles. Our main character loses a sister to this very cause and gets herself selected to exact revenge. Her plans eventually grew much larger from there…

Characters (9.5/10): I tend to be quite picky with my female leads, but I have to say, Wu Zetian is awesome. She does not take crap from anybody. She is ruthless, intelligent, and ambitious, and I love it. Her relationship with the other two main characters is really enjoyable to read. Yizhi is wonderful and kind. His level headedness is a great buffer to our other two in this trio. Shimin is an interesting character. He is introduced as some kind of bloodthirsty murderer, so it was great to get more of a backstory and discover how much truth there is to this first impression. The side characters were memorable as well and each had distinct personalities and goals.

Plot (10/10): The plot starts out as a simple revenge story, but quickly descends into something much larger. I really loved how this story progressed and the themes it covered. Throw in some betrayal and political intrigue and you have got quite the thriller. It is always fun to read about women who fight against those that oppress them.

World (8/10): In this first book we got a nice picture of the class and gender structure. I do like the addition of the footbinding. It is neat to see history mixed with sci fi/fantasy. The author did a great job at using footbinding in women, amongst other things to portray the gender imbalances in this world and how the men see themselves as superior. One character even mentions how it is fine for women to sacrifice themselves but that would never be expected of the male pilot. I am sure in the next book we will see even more worldbuilding. The last few chapters gave us a little snippet of what is still to come.

Magic (9/10): At first look the “magic” seems to have similarities to others. You have the spiritual type of energy known as qi and everyone has an element they have more affinity to. But I really liked how the author took that style of energy/magic and incorporated it into the characters using it to pilot these giant animalistic machines. I do not recall reading anything like that before. It seems like a “magic” you would see more in movies or anime, but the author did it quite well.

Writing (8.5/10): I thought the writing was really great. I did find some of the battles a bit hard to follow, and with all the stuff going on inside the characters mind. Then again, I find battles/fights often hard to follow even in other books, so this may just be me.

Entertainment (9/10): I was kept thoroughly entertained. I did not find any lulls in the narrative. Action or intriguing dialogue was always taking place. The character interactions were great, the twists were great, and the politics were great!
A big thanks to the author as well for not making another typical love triangle. I mean, I guess it was kind of a triangle, but a polyamorous one. Much better than the overused one where the girl must choose between two guys storyline!

Total (9/10): I highly recommend you check out this book! It will keep you hooked from the start and the characters are great.

HOLY COW THIS BOOK!!! I mean, I'm not sure exactly what to say other than READ IT!!! It was brought to my notice by a friend that loves any book that is Asian inspired, and I decided to give it a try despite the comparison to Power Rangers. It honestly has a kind of dystopian Neon Genesis Evangelion feel to it, although the main character is not a whiny boy but a very feminist bad*ss female. I highly highly recommend this, even though it ends on a semi-cliffhanger and we all must suffer the wait for the next book.

Most unique story I’ve read in some time! This book is a great mixture of YA science fiction and Chinese culture. The strong characters show that perseverance and determination can change the most harsh circumstances. I definitely recommend this book - I suggest 13+ due to non-consensual sexual scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 for the concept of this book! Really amazing, and I could instantly see it being a movie (or anime). But for me, I kept wanting it to be an adult book, with slower focus on characters instead of action. But that's a me problem!

I loved this book. I was already intrigued by the summary but this could have easily gone wrong. The intro chapters are well done as they introduce us to Zetian's life. This was a great setup for the mysogynistic world the characters live in. And this world is pretty bad. It is also a good introduction to how strong willed Zetian is.
The book just continues to gain momentum after Zetian goes to the war zone. And the chapter where she first pilots a Chrysalis is epic. Zetian is such a strong character throughout the story but she also grows and changes while still keeping her goals of saving the women as a driving force for her actions.
I also liked the supporting characters and felt that the relationships were well developed and worked well. The ending was just as exciting as the rest of the story and I now have to wait eagerly for book 2.
This book would make an incredible anime, I would love to see it adapted. The book is very violent so if you are not fond of that then I would avoid it. But, if you like giant robot anime or Manga and strong female characters then you need to read this book.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early.

Xiran Jay Zhao has created an epic, futuristic sci-fi historical blend! The powerful characterizations and unflinching look at the brutality of the world makes for a book that really has something to say.

Characters: 4.5/5
World building: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Setting: 5/5

I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I was going to. I fell in love with the characters and world in the first couple of pages and was very excited when I realized it was poly.
The main character Zetian is definitely one of my favorites I have ever read.

I very much enjoyed this book and will be buying it when it comes out!
Thanks to the author for giving me an Arc in turn for a review

Iron widow met it's expectations. It is a story of young girl, Zetian, from patriarchic family, who joins the battle with a sole goal to revenge her sister's death, eventually stands out due to her amazing Qi (life force), fighting skills and ends up becoming a great leader. It is a sci-fi meets historical fiction, with an alternative world, battle fields and rebellious female lead rising up the ranks.
What didn't sound relatable to me is that there is no other girl who matches her capabilities and there isn't any formal/informal training involved for the skills she uses in battle in the right moments. These would be good to know details in the sequel, when it is coming.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book.
My rating - 3.5

I was given an eARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review but lets be honest I may or may not have built up an online foot print as book reviewer to gain early access to this book. I've been excited for this title ever since Zhao announced it back in April, I mean come on a science fiction reimagining of the life of Wu Zetian described as the Handmaid's Tale meets Pacific Rim, sign me the fuck up!
I am happy to report the novel did not disappoint in the slightest, It is a page turner from start to finish and I read the entire thing in 24 hours. I will say however that I believe it takes little from the Handmaid's Tale, a fact that Zhao freely admits to in the author's note at the beginning of the novel. Instead it reads more like a mature version of The Hunger Games, one that focuses less on the pretty dresses the protagonist wears and more on navigating a fraught court politics. I love every way Zhao handles the topics touched on by the novel from foot-binding to the concubine system to even their inventive take on the traditional YA love triangle. The twist at the end of the novel has left me wanting more and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.

the most fun i’ve had reading in a cool minute. i didn’t know i needed this book in my life until now. i love zetian sm, she’s so unhinged!! shoutout to netgalley for the ARC

IRON WIDOW has been one of my most anticipated releases for 2021 and it did not disappoint! I was originally drawn in by the comparisons to PACIFIC RIM and HANDMAID'S TALE, both of which I love.

Before going in, I thought this book sounded really similar to another 2021 YA sci-fi release- GEARBREAKERS by Zoe Hana Mikuta. However, Iron Widow totally stood on its own and I loved it for that reason.

The world building was absolutely incredible. It really felt like Huaxia was a real place. Along with this, I so loved the feminist tones in the book and how it dealt with some really difficult concepts.

Overall, loved this book! Can't wait to reread it in the final version when it's released.