Rich and imaginative Zhao doesn't come to play with Iron Widow. I loved the historical inspiration in this story and the Chinese coded set and cast. This book was fantastic to say the least.

The concept of this book got me interested in reading. The detailed writing kept me entertained all the way through. It definitely is like a fantasy meets The Handmaid's Tale. I love to read about a strong young lady standing up for herself and others. This book was it.

This book is a heart-stopping rendition of Wu Zetian's rise to power. The action scenes are well-written and easy to visualize while maintaining a fast pace and without skimping on the emotional side.. The premise of yin-yang seats, powering the Chrysalis, and battling the Hunduns was creative and well-developed. The writing style is crisp and precise, with some iconic, funny one-liners in dialogue and in narration. There are too many to list, but one of my favorites is, "You can't shoot me; I'm rich!"

All of the characters are stunning. Each is fully fleshed out and realistic. Zetian is always a mood, Yizhi is perfect but adorably, not annoyingly, so, and Li Shimin's character arc healed my heart and broke it. The minor characters are also a masterpiece, especially the relationships between Zetian, chief strategists, and other pilots and concubines. Zetian's journey is a turbulent wild ride, but she still feels relatable throughout. The familial struggles and expectations were portrayed so well, I wanted to high-five the author. This book definitely inspired me to read more about the historical Wu Zetian and the people present with her during her rise.

The plot has many twists and turns and never drags. The climatic final scenes, coupled with startling revelations, conclude an already very strong book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in strong characters who use their wits to navigate their survival, anyone interested in the real life Wu Zetian, and anyone who wants to gush over the most perfect threesome I've read in a while. This book is extremely quotable, and I am so ready to read the sequel.

When I ruminate on the best YA book I’ve read so far for 2021, I feel giddy and ready to just gush about it! Such is the power of IRON WIDOW to captivate and inspire obsession!

I had been following the author Xiran Jay Zhao on Twitter, her sharp, witty critiques, sense of humor and love of all thing Yu-Gi-Oh! make for a very entertaining timeline! I was pleasantly surprised when they announced that they were publishing a book! And a YA one at that!

When I heard more details, that it was Pacific Rim meets the Handmaiden’s Tale? A reimagining of the rise of the ONLY female emperor in Chinese History? Featuring other popular people through Chinese history? And when I heard the title? I quickly went from mildly curious to intrigued and excited!

But to have all my hopes for this story to pay off??? And to have enjoyed it this much? I did not even expect this!

Set in Huaxia, a land protected by The Great Wall and eight-story high Chrysalises (Jaegers), from mysterious Mecha Aliens called Hunduns; Iron Widow, follows Wu Zetian and her quest for justice for her sister, and for herself.

This is a world of faceless gods, floating in the skies above, sending pittances of technology and medicine to the desperate below.

This is a world of monsters, and monstrous men. Beneath the splendor of the Chrysalis and the prestige of being a pilot and his concubine-pilot, lies danger. Many women do not survive the mind-meld needed to power these great machines, nor do they often survive the nights of pleasure that their pilots are ‘owed’ for their victories.

This is a world of patriarchal forces and blistering misogyny, where to have any hope of a girl child being worthy of marriage, a 5 year old Zetian, had to have the bones in her foot broken and bound tightly, resulting in her never experiencing a step without pain; where her beautiful sister, her guiding light, was sold to the concubine-pilot program for the sake of the heir of the family’s future.

This is a world and a story that wrenches so many emotions from you, from grief to anger to hope to rage, with injustices that seem inevitable and unavoidable, hopeless situations, turned on their head by violence that feels righteous.


‘Welcome to your nightmare’ Wu Zetian promises us in the beginning and she delivers in a stunningly grand fashion, along with all those you thought would hinder her!

A compelling debut leaving you with a breathtaking final chapter that will have you chomping at the bit for more!

I can’t wait to see what else Xiran Jay Zhao has for us!

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is exactly the kind of novel I love. It has a protagonist, Wu Zetian, who is working from within a system that actively puts her at a disadvantage as a woman to break it down. There are exciting action sequences that made my heart pound with excitement. The core group of characters are all strong and, in a way, ruthless, but soft with each other. The author drew from Chinese culture and history to create the world and its characters. It made me laugh, it made me angry for the characters, it made my heart ache, and it made me tense with excitement. This book created what was probably my favorite reading experience I’ve had so far in 2021 (and I’ve read 90 books up to the point of writing this review).

The book follows eighteen-year-old Wu Zetian as she is forced by her family to become a “pilot concubine”—meaning she will serve as co-pilot to one of Huaxia’s mecha pilots. In her country of Huaxia, adolescents serve as the pilots of mecha robots that fight enemy creatures called Hunduns. There is just one significant flaw within this system: in the co-pilot pairings that pilot each mecha, the boys survive while the girls typically die. Zetian’s sister was one of those girls, and thus she intends to avenge her late sister by serving as a concubine for the boy who killed her sister. Something unexpected ends up happening, however, when Zetian manages to overpower the boy she was paired with in the mecha they were piloting, while she was counting on having to assassinate him before they were sent off to battle. She now has an unexpected chance to keep working as a pilot with her new partner, Li Shimin, and take a look from within at how the system inherently disadvantages girls.

There are heaps of SFF books being published nowadays that are labeled as feminist, but so very few of them actually take a look at the patriarchal and misogynistic systems that have existed in the past and still exist in the present. Iron Widow is not one of them. Zhao indicates in their author’s note prefacing the story that they have drawn on a variety of sources and cultures to construct the misogynistic system of concubine pilots that exists in the novel’s world. Zetian is thrown into this system because she wants to avenge her dead sister but instead finds a greater purpose in trying to break down the system from within. Going into this thematically would reveal too much about the plotline, I think, but the way in which Zhao comments on these power structures in their novel really stuck out to me.

Another standout aspect of Iron Widow for me was definitely the way action scenes with the robots specifically were written. Zhao has drawn inspiration from anime and specifically the genre of mecha anime for this novel, and while I am by no means an experienced watcher of anime, I know that this book gave me a similar excitable and suspenseful feeling to what I have experienced watching action scenes in anime in the past. There is a rhythm to the fights and action that happens in Iron Widow that just kept me engaged all the way through. I felt excitement lurch in my chest every time Zetian or Shimin got a hit in, and I had not had that kind of feeling for years.

Similarly, I adored the central characters and their relationships. Zetian and her scheming and the way she navigates this world are fantastic to read about and I adore her. Shimin is initially a bit of a mystery, but eventually, it becomes clear that he is a guy who has been abused by the system as much as Zetian has and they find a common ground. Gao Yizhi is the rational and softer balance between the two powerhouses that are Zetian and Shimin. Their individual dynamics with one another grow into something so incredibly heartwarming and beautiful in an otherwise quite harsh and dark novel. The fact that Zhao saw the love triangle trope and said “Okay, but I’m actually gonna make a real triangle out of this” is just great. The way the polyamorous relationship in this book developed felt so natural and well-balanced, I adored it.

Overall, I just completely adored this book. Everything from the characters, to the plot (fast-paced, surprising, and engaging), and the romance came together to create the perfect reading experience, in my opinion. I definitely have a new favorite book and therapy appointments to make after realizing I’ll have to wait more than a year for the sequel… after that massive cliffhanger. If you’re interested in Chinese-inspired worlds, giant mecha robots, polyamorous relationships, or fast-paced feminist sci-fi, I highly recommend giving this book a try when it comes out.

I can't decide whether I like Wu Zetian or not. I really admire her refusal to accept the status quo and the place of girls and women in society. But I had a hard time with some of her behaviour in order to affect change. Well sort of. Because let's face it, change was really necessary in the society she lived in.

I loved the use of historic Chinese culture to shape her universe. Some of those things we as westerners know about and are horrified by (and probably don't understand even remotely). She brings to the front the realization that perhaps some of those cultural elements horrified their society as well.

This isn't an historical book by any means. This is a book about abuse, oppression, and a quest for change. Put in Zetian's position would I behave any differently? Maybe not.

There are some complicated aspects of this book that it would be wonderful to discuss, but it might give the ending away. Suffice to say that I'll think about certain points for quite some time, pondering... nope stopping there.

5 stars
Wow, this was incredible. I was impressed by nearly every aspect of this book. From the rich world building, to the unique characters, to the captivating plot, this book was great, but the stand out feature of this book was undoubtedly the feminism and the way it discusses rape culture and sexism. This book isn't afraid to talk about the cruel extent of sexism in this world, and I love it for that. Honestly, Iron Widow was hard to read at times, but that's what made it so real. This isn't some idealized "love will change the world" version of feminism. It gritty and upsetting, but grounded. Unfortunately, none of the issues this book speaks on are made up. They have all happened, or still do happen, throughout history. Sexism and rape culture are systemic issues that will take a lot of work to slowly dismantle, and this book shows that. Zetian's journey to equality, both her personal one, and her larger goal of fixing some of the sexism in her world, is a long one. It takes time and a great amount of will, but she doesn't lose sight of her goal. Overall she was a very well written character. From her anger at the system, to the love she cautiously holds for those close to her, she felt like a real person. I also loved her relationships with the other characters in this book. I'm normally not a fan of poly relationships in books, but this one was so well written. All three character in the relationship felt like equals and the chemistry was absolutely there. This book is hard to review, as it touches on so many complex and deep rooted issues, but I can confidently say that it does them all justice. I'd definitely recommend this to any fantasy lovers who are looking for a book with a strong female lead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a ride! I can't wait for the next installment and this one isn't even released yet. There were so many times I pumped my fist in the air or laughed out loud. Our main character Zetian is so powerful in herself and what she believes in. I will definitely be buying myself a hard cover and will recommend to all my Sci fi loving friends.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC!!!

3.75 stars ***

This book blew my mind. It truly was so, so amazing and I’ll be waiting (impatiently and excitingly) for book 2 to come. I devoured this book. I was in a super bad reading slump when I picked this up and I’m so glad I did because not only did it help me leave that slump, it became a favorite read for this year.

The aspect I loved most about this book was the main character, Wu Zetian. Zetian was that strong mc I’ve been looking in every book for but could never find. She knew what she wanted and didn’t stray from that at all, no matter what. I loved her so much and she truly deserves the world.

On the topic of characters, I was so so surprised but happy to see a polyamorous relationship in the book. A lot of the time we’re dealt love triangles in books where the mc has to choose between two characters and I’m not a fan of the trope so seeing the exact opposite of that was so refreshing and I loved how well all three of them complimented each other and their dynamics. They all have me in a chokehold, I love them so much.

For me, the plot was the icing on the cake. While it didn’t feel exactly unique and one of a kind, it was consistently interesting and there wasn’t one dull moment or a time where I had to force myself to read on. The way the author handles a variety of topics throughout the book was done so well and it’s hard to believe this is her debut novel considering how amazing it was. The plot twists (ESPECIALLY the one at the end) were so well done and I loved how the author tied it together in a way that when the twists were revealed, it made SO much sense and I wondered how I didn’t see it before.

One thing I wish was done differently was the exploration of qi types. While the author does give a sufficient amount of information about it so that it does make sense and there was no confusion about it, I would’ve loved to dive deeper into. But that’s more a personal reason. I also wish we saw more of the Hundun’s and their history but I think that’s something that will probably be more explored in book 2 so I’m very excited for that.

Overall, this book was such a good read and I loved the characters (most of them, anyway) and plot. I 100% recommend this.

4 stars *may change

This must have been my most anticipated release of 2021 by far.

If you had told me two years ago that I would be able to read a polyam futuristic fantasy with a badass female protagonist based on a real person, I would have probably said "I don't read, why are you telling me this?" But that's beside the point, because I do totally read now and, man, did I need this.

Beside it being an interesting concept, the way XJZ discussed feminist issues, gender, and sexuality were all so nuanced and well-done. I don't particularly enjoy e-books because they strain my eyes too much, but I still found myself eating this book up in two sittings (I fell asleep in between but that's on me). The characters aren't two-dimensional objects with no personalities. It's like you really want to cheer them on.

Speaking of characters, iudybsjnaidhfuebjnijhuefnjkiqjkajbre LI SHIMIN my beloved. Him, Yizhi, and Zetian are so ? I just love their dynamic and the fact that this is a literal love triangle for once instead of just two lines pointing at one person. Finally, someone who understands shapes.

My only serious gripe is that the end was kind of a nonstop bang after bang and resolved itself (can you call it resolving if technically it left off on a cliffhanger for the next book?) a bit too quickly. Maybe if it had been stretched out a bit more it would have felt more fluid. That being said, it's still a really solid read I couldn't recommend more.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader's copy.

Book: Iron Widow
Author: Xiran Jay Zhao
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Penguin Teen, for sending me an ARC.

While Rule of Wolves may have dominated the first half of 2021 YA fantasy releases, Iron Widow deserves to rule the second half. This one deserves the awards and to become a best seller. It’s unlike anything on the marker right now and that’s what made it stand out to me. I’m even thinking about picking up a finished copy for myself and that’s something I never do whenever I get an ARC. I’ve reviewed over a hundred ARCs and have only ever bought two finished copies. That is saying something.

When I first started reading, I was intrigued, then the more I got into it, I was like “woah, now this getting good.” The mixture of science fiction and fantasy elements are just wow. I love the idea of boys and girls having this magical ability to supposedly balance each other out and to power these robots that battle aliens. Now, stop and think? Have you ever read something like that? No. A lot of the power the boys and girls have comes from elemental magic, which is so cool. The use of the Chinese magic system adds another touch as well. We have the yin-yang balance that is the soul of the magic. Now, the different is that the boys kill the girls in order to defeat these aliens. Society is okay with this because, after all, it’s just a daughter they are killing, not a son.

This brings up some discussion and I think that’s what the author wanted. Throughout the whole book, we see how much boys are more valued by society than girls and how girls are forced into this role. No one really questions it and expects the girls to just be okay with it. It is kind of a play on of our own society today. No, don’t try to deny it. All you have to do is look around. We still live in a world where our daughters are often pushed into fitting a certain role and anyone who tries to break out of that role is seen as a trouble maker. Whereas the boys can do pretty much whatever they want, because of the whole “boys will be boys.” By having this in a YA book, maybe it will get people talking and seeing just what they are doing. A lot of people will probably not like how deeply the book goes into all of this, but I liked it. By having this aspect of society included in the book, it made our main characters actions make a lot of sense.

I really enjoyed Zetian’s character. She is not one to take whatever society throws at her laying down. Her quest starts out as a revenge story: to kill the pilot who killed her sister. We see how her family treats her sister’s death. It was to save their country and it was a good death. It wasn’t murder in their eyes-if thought the male pilot did kill her. Her family expects Zetian to volunteer to go through what her sister did. However, they wouldn’t dare expect their son to do so. She does go and manages to avenge her sister’s death. Of course, because she killed a boy and a beloved one at that, she is now seen as a trouble maker-even though she did save all of their lives and had just done what the boys had been doing all long. This sets off a stream of events that are designed to break her and to mold her into what society wants to see. She doesn’t and, instead, becomes something more powerful than what they had even seen before. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind and go after what she wants. She wants to be free and doesn’t want to compromise for anything. She is the type of girl that so many people wish they could be if they were handled what she was. No matter how many times society tries to break her, she gets back up and keeps going. She isn’t afraid and wants to make them see that what they are doing to girls is wrong. I guess that what I’m getting at is she’s the kind of character I look for in books.

The writing is amazing. It took me a little bit to actually figure out the world and whatnot, because your hand is not held at all. However, once I got used to it, I could see what an amazing writer Xiran is. Her action sequences are like something out of a movie. The way she presents a battle, it makes you feel like you are actually in the pilot seat with the characters. She also handles the day to day bits really well too. When the characters interact with each other, you can see the careful thought and attention that was put into each interaction. It is very clear that everything was well thought out and that every little detail means something.

Now, I didn’t realize there was some people upset about the poly-relationship. I didn’t even know this book was poly until I got more into it. If that bothers, you then, just don’t read the book. I am glad thought that Xiran went there. I really did think we were going to get a typical YA love triangle and that our main character would have to chose between two boys. This allows her to pick both and for them to pick each other. It’s something different and I really liked it. I am so glad that Xiran didn’t give in and kept it in the book.

While this is YA, it is on the upper end of YA. Our characters are eighteen plus, there’s rape, alcohol abuse, and a lot of violence. I’m just putting that out there. I don’t think this one would be suitable for younger YA readers.

Anyway, if you couldn’t tell, I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to book two. Penguin, if you need reviewers for the second book, hit me up please….

Iron Widow comes out on September 21, 2021.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Vk4tKDw_3E8

I really don't know how to feel about this book. I wanted to love it but it just wasn't there for me. I did love the poly rep but Zetian's relationship with her boys felt rushed and base level.

Zetian herself started her story as a revenge plot but then all of a sudden is the only feminist on the planet? After years of being raised in a patriarchy this felt rushed also, it was just BOOM I'm a feminist now and I will destroy everything in my path.

There was one particular line in the book along the lines of "how can I be a strong woman if I have to rely on a man" and this really did not sit right with me. There is nothing weak about admitting you need help from someone (regardless of gender) and feminism is meant to be equality for all, if you need help from a man who cares? You're still strong.

I loved the twist ending which is enough for me to want to read a sequel and I did love the world building and culture. I loved the overall discussions around misogyny, reclaiming your body, I wish there was more around toxic masculinity. There's just something about Zetian that is just very surface level and some of the dialogue felt very juvenile

I'd still recommend it as it was still a fun read and had some really great moments

I received this Book as an ARC and here is my review. This story is a wild and crazy rollercoaster ride and I enjoyed it! The characters are flawed and interesting. This story includes fantasy and outrageous antics. It also has many twists and be sure to stay until the ending!

I finished this a few days ago, but I know it's gonna be one of those books that I just can't stop thinking about. For one thing, the premise sounds crazy: how can you combine Pacific Rim, The Handmaid's Tale, and Chinese history in one story? To my delight, the book went far beyond my expectations. It combines unique and detailed worldbuilding with the kind of badass yet empathetic characters that I adore. In some ways, Wu Zetian reminds me of Fang Runin from The Poppy War by RF Kuang, a book I also loved. They are both angry and do questionable things, but you understand that they want to make the world a better place. Major points aside, I am excited to see where this little romance goes. This may be my favorite book I've read this year, so between now and book 2, I'll be recommending Iron Widow to everyone I know.

GIRL POWER!!! That's what my happy, feminist heart was screaming for hours after I finished this novel. My brother caught a telling video of me screaming, "I JUST WANT TO DESTROY THE PATRIARCHY" and while I am not normally fond of shouting, it felt good to just take up space after reading this story about women stepping up and owning their own rights to exist.

This book was like nothing I've ever read before. It was so beautiful and enchanting in so many ways, and so heart breaking and tragic in others. The world was so rich and lush, but even though so much was going on, I wasn't ever lost (maybe a bit confused at times, but never so much that I couldn't follow what was happening). The twists and turns this book took threw me in the best possible way. I saw some of them coming, but definitely not all of them, and they were all still enjoyable and thrilling.

This book was also just so ... like, healthy? Which is really uncommon to see in YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi, tbh. The society was so messed up and toxic and awful (which /is/ common), but Zetian was just ... so amazing. She stood up for herself. She didn't take crap from anybody. She thought about things in a way that defied what society had tried so hard to drill into her; that she was a human being worthy of love, that she took up space and deserved that space, that she shouldn't be ashamed of her own body, that she existed for more than just to serve men. There's so much more we can learn from Zetian, but her capacity for strength and love was unlike any I have read in fiction, especially YA. This is such a great book for high schoolers to read, so they can see real people loving each other in healthy ways, devoid of the drama that so often dominates this audience of literature.

Not that there wasn't any drama. Shimin was kinda hard to figure out, but give him time. Normally bad-boy tropes make me roll my eyes, but Shimin was just so raw and wretched. He has my whole heart. As for Yizhi, I loved him from the beginning. After the opening chapters, I was worried he wouldn't come back to the story, but I shouldn't have worried.

I've never read a story with a polyamorous relationship, either. It's been drilled into me that that sort of relationship paradigm is /wrong/, and it's something I've only in the past few years or so begun to take another look at and consider in my no longer conservative brain. This book took an approach to it that I'd never really considered, and cast it in a light that's so /human/. Yizhi's philosophy on love, and then the conversations they had about it ... they were the words that I'd known I believed in, but hadn't been able to articulate. I appreciate Zhao so much for bringing this story into the YA market. This is something a lot of people still feel very strongly opposed to, and I have a feeling she'll get some heat over it. But in words similar to how Yizhi put it, why spend precious time trying to restrict love instead of encouraging it to flourish everywhere it can?

This book is about love, and change, and standing up for yourself and your rights. It's also about so much more, but you'll just have to wait until September so you can go find out for yourself!

Probably best YA fantasy of 2021...

“There’s no such a thing as karma. 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 was expecting something completely different, after I’ve read the annotation first. This book surprised me in a good way. I would like to highlight, that despite the fact of this book being fairly unique in the way the whole world is build, it also stresses out some very important moments of the physical/mental trauma, gender inequality (it’s not men shaming, like many feministic book authors like to do, it actually highlights both gender issues in society that have their own ways, is judging and full with stereotypes), addiction issues.

Chrysalises are giant transforming robots, and all boys around the province want to be paired with the girl to create undestroyable power. Pair is selected by the qi power, which each human possesses. Girls though... They get sacrificed and most of the times they die.

Zetian has a purpose in life. Revenge her eldest sister's death. To do so, she has to become concubine of the Chrysalises pilot. During the battle, she overpowers him and destroys the pilot, she is marked as an Iron Widow.

As her punishment, she gets paired with the Iron Demon, the wickedest of the pilots, who has killed so many. Both of them will have to work things out, in order to destroy Alien forces behind the Great Wall. But what if behind all mighty power, hides a broken soul? Zetian will also have to decide where, her heart belongs, love triangle is waiting.

Good book. Highly recommend for reading!

Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

Iron Widow is absolutely one of my favourite books of the year, and maybe ever. Inspired by Chinese history, Pacific Rim, & feminist rage - this book was breathtaking, & brilliant, taking you along at a breakneck pace.

Smart, and simmering with the rage, and grief, and frustration of being a woman in a world that is dead set to work against you, this book was powerful, ferocious, & unapologetic in the best way… As was our Main Character™️ Zeitan.

There is so much I loved about this book - from its twists and turns that literally made me gasp 😱 out loud; to the compelling, thoughtfully written, multi-faceted characters, & the ways in which they related to each other. It felt like this book was written FOR ME, that’s how much i adored it.

Brutal & fantastical in the best of ways, this is a must read!

I was absolutely blown away by this debut novel. It is spectacular. From start to finish I was enthralled. Before I even began the story proper, I was impressed by the foreword from the author and the following page that contained excellent trigger warnings. A sort of cyberpunk harem tale, this story does a fantastic job of combining ancient culture, future technology, and ever-present systemic misogyny to tell the tale of a woman who rises from within to try and destroy the system. I cannot wait to read the second book in this duology and look forward to reading anything else Xiran Jay Zhao deems to bless us readers with. Cannot recommend this highly enough. Despite the book being the start of a series, it stands alone pretty well and knowing that there is only one more book planned relieves me of the worry I had that there would be a depressing middle set-up book for the trilogy. Can't wait to see how Zetian pushes through her next challenges.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

Um, so when is the next one out. I loved this from start to finish. The whole concept is different from what I've been reading recently and it played out well. I love that the main character's main objective in joining the army was completed like 20% of the way into the story and then she just kind of runs with what happens afterwards.

Pros
The main character is easily relatable with the amount of rage she feels against the system that keeps her down. The story also flowed very nicely. And the main character gets two love interests that she doesn't have to choose between (thank you for the polyam rep).

Cons
The ending. I am not okay. I need to know what happens next. Literally finished the book and my first words were "mother fucker." I didn't have too many things that I disliked about the book. The middle was a little slow, but I think the beginning and the ending make up for it.

Are you a fan of giant robots, alternate history and young people who wake up to choose violence every morning? How about a polyamorous triangle? Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow is one hundred percent up your alley. She brings her audience an epic story of one young woman’s journey to becoming the most powerful Chrysalis pilot in Huaxia. She rages against the societal chains placed on her for simply being born female. Nearly everyone around her constantly makes the mistake of underestimating her and she proves just how bad of an idea that is.
Zetian, an eighteen year old from a poor frontier province, dreams of vengeance—it's practically the first thing we learn about her. She plans on entering the army as a concubine pilot—women who aid male pilots control mecha suits called Chrysalises—and killing the man who murdered her sister. Her family is atrocious to her, showing her just how little her existence means to them in the face of military compensation when Zetian eventually meets the same end as her sister. Even Yizhi, a young upper class boy who loves her, cannot convince her to back down.
In her first official battle against the Hunduns she succeeds in her goal to murder the man who murdered her sister. In doing so she becomes known as an iron widow, a woman who sacrifices her own male pilot. Once her new status is cemented, Zetian earns a target on her back even after being paired with Li Shimin; his own status as the Iron Demon may have protected her a little bit, but Zetian quickly realizes that it’s her death that many other pilots are calling for. Especially when their combined qi levels turn astronomical.
Zetian is a spitting viper against most advice until Yizhi enters her life again and it’s with his help that she begins to understand Li Shimin—just as she becomes curious of the two young men’s intrigue in each other. While becoming Li Shimin’s True Match, the three realize that it takes them all to create a cohesive bond. Shimin and Zetian could only pilot the Vermillion Bird once the three of them connected.
I love Zetian. Her views on female subjugation and the skewed power dynamic between male and female pilots are paramount to her character. Girls are dying after every battle because the male pilots use them like batteries and she plans to stop it, but each battle she enters there’s a high chance of another girl dying. Other than Zetian’s attitude and her initial unwillingness to work with Li Shimin, the army has no reason to get rid of her—her power levels are triple what typical male pilots manage. She wants to gain so much influence that the need for human batteries becomes a thing of the past. Zetian has absolutely no problem imposing violence to obtain that goal and there's a lot of violence.
I have never been a big fan of mecha sci-fi or fantasy—no specific reason, I was just never drawn to it. I watched a lot of Gundam Wing as a kid and that was one thing, but it generally stopped there. Iron Widow is one of, if not my favorite, book I’ve read this year and I could see myself reaching further into the mecha subgenres. The battle scenes; the descriptions of both Hundun and Chrysalis alike; nothing let me down. I was constantly tugged along by a breathless excitement that I haven’t felt in months and months of reading books in 2021. Iron Widow hasn’t even been officially released yet and I’m already calling for the sequel and I genuinely cannot wait for the whole series, however long it may be.