The love the writing style and the entire story. I love stories that have strong female leaders who oppose the patriarchy, especially in fantasy worlds. This was very well done and definitely worth the read.

The Handmaid's Tale meets Pacif Rim and gives rise to a sci-fi fantasy about a woman that does not accept to be considered less than any other man.
It is a very well-written and original story, one of the best books that I read in 2021. I love that the writer decides against the love triangle, but instead pursuits the idea of polyamorous love.
If you liked the destructive path of Rin in The poppy war, you will most definitely love Zetian and her revenge path.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc!!

WOW. This is realistically a 4 star, but I am rounding up to a 5 solely based on vibes. So there's that. I'm such a professional reviewer.

This book grabbed me by the throat and did NOT let go - it was angry, fast, and fiercely feminist. There's a V cool polyamorous 'love triangle' (ie the two guys are also in a relationship), the world is hella cool and the ending BLEW ME AWAY.

My only complaint is that I was.....very confused. I knew what was going on, but I could not picture the world in my mind to save my life. I could have benefited from some more description, but this was clearly a plot-driven book so that's ok.

I loved how the historical elements like foot-binding were woven into a 'futuristic' sci-fi story, the world was very unique and I will be thinking about this book!!

This book is hard to review without just gushing, that's why it took me a while to write this review after finishing it to write this review.

Zetian is one of those protagonists that I can see people either hating or loving. She is very unapologetic about her goals. She really is willing to do whatever it takes to reach them. She still changes her mind about people after he learns more information. Yet she still doesn't make excuses for those people and doesn't buy into all the bullshit.

Shimin, he was surprisingly complex. When his character was introduced I wasn't sure what to really expect of his character. I thought he was going to be a bit of a stereotype of 'brooding buff guy' as a foil to the 'gentle soft boy' for the other male love interest, Yizhi. But he's not. He's really a big softie who has a lot of his own past trauma.

Yizhi, he wasn't in this book as much as the other two characters, it's clear that his father is trash and treated him pretty poorly and he had a rough time growing up despite being from a "good family". I hope he plays a larger role in the sequel. I like his character and while he is more gentle than both Zetain and Shimin, he's not weak in any way.

I found the antagonists in the government more compelling than the invading force. But I kind of like that. Sure, I would have liked the invaders to be more than a background threat. But I think that might be something reserved for future books in the series considering that epilogue.

I will say this, the writing is fairly simplistic and straightforward, but that's not to say it's poorly written. I am very excited to read the sequel when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is a fantastic debut novel and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it early. This book pulled out all the stops: mechs, a healthy polyamorous relationship, killing the patriarchy, MECHS! I loved how fast paced the action sequences were, and the refusal to let the romance fall into the typical love triangle trope was a much appreciated change. However I was disappointed with the somewhat simplistic writing style and lack of depth to the world building.

The story follows Zetian’s gradual rise to power after she emerges as an Iron Widow, the name given to girls who kill their male pilots in battle. As someone who loves all things science fiction, the plot was what really drew me in. Psychically linked pilots who fight in a spin of Yin/Yang makes for some great battle scenes. The author wrote fast paced action scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat, and this is where I felt like their way of writing really helped the story.

Unfortunately, I felt like the blunt way of writing that the author uses did a disservice to the rest of the book. Scenes that felt like they should have been emotionally important fell flat because I felt like I couldn’t get “into” the moment. The last thing that brought this book rating down for me was the world building. Now don’t get me wrong, the world itself that the author created was fascinating. I just felt that there was no depth to the information. We are presented with a relatively large info drop at the beginning of the book, then the middle introduces small details, and the end is another huge info drop. I would have preferred if the author had spaced out the world building a bit more, and Included more showing, less telling.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishing house for sending me an advanced copy. This book was a solid four star read and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Chinese history, mechanical renditions of Chinese mythological creatures, and angry girls with power in their hearts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Rating 4.5

To be honest, the synopsis of this book didn’t pull me in. It became available as a “Read Now”, so I decided to take a chance. I’m so glad I did. I loved the book. It became one of the most interesting stories I’ve read all year. The size proportions threw me for a little bit, and I couldn’t help but facepalm every time I read “Hundun”. It was just one of those words that I got hung up on every time. The beginning is also I little rocky to start. Once Zetian leaves, this story truly takes off. I had a hard time putting it down. I definitely recommend this book and will be getting a copy of my own.

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Rating: 4/5
Trigger warnings: abuse, violence, torture, alcohol addiction, sexual assault(referenced)

Favorite Quote/Excerpt: “He doesn’t own me. Nobody does. They may think they do…..they can’t really control what goes on in my head, and I think that frustrates them to no end.”

Summary:
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it is to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.(Netgalley)

Thoughts:
I finished this in one sitting. Forget that it is 400 pages. Can we just say ‘Bravo’ to Xiran for an awesome debut novel!
This story was not at all what I expected. First, let it be known, somehow, I totally missed the part about robots!? I try to go into most books with virtually no idea of the storyline, so between the cover design and hearing that this was inspired by Empress Regnant Wu, I went into this assuming it would be your familiar ancient Chinese culture inspired fantasy…boy was I wrong – and I couldn’t be more satisfied.
The creative liberties that Xiran exercised in this book were original and I loved the mix of magic and mechanics.
Our main protagonist, Zetian become one of my favorite new characters. I adored the fact that she was completely and totally unapologetic. If you are looking for your usual meek, timid, or naïve, chosen one trope, this is not the book for you. Zetian is angry, vengeful and is determined to get her revenge. She is wholly committed to equality for women, and I absolutely loved how this subject was approached and written. No sugar coating, just cold, hard truths. I found myself rooting for Zetian and the women of her world on more than one occasion.
The plot was easy to follow and was somewhat predictable, but again – the creative take and writing of this book compensated for any predictable elements.
This is not a romance story, although it does have some romance. I wasn’t particularly interested in that part of the story; however, I will say – this book really does focus on some serious subject matters (mainly misogyny), and kudos to Xiran for writing it so well.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. I rooted for the characters and the self-awareness of Zetian was very refreshing. The writing style was simple – however considering this is a debut novel, I really looked forward to the next book of the series and see how the writing improves. This is sure to be a favorite of many and I am so glad I was given the opportunity to receive this ARC and review it.

(Posted on Edelweiss) (Posted on B&N, pending)

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

How do I even begin to describe how incredible this book was. Iron Widow is perhaps the best YA Sci-Fi novel I have read this year, and perhaps even of all time. The premise, magic system, characters, action sequences, and themes blew me away and everyone needs to read this book when it comes out this September. 5 glorious whole stars from me.

Iron Widow is set in an alternate sci-fi world with characters inspired by historical figures from across Chinese history, where mankind has been fighting the Hunduns, giant mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall, for over two millennia. The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle Hunduns. Nobody bats an eye that the girls often die from the mental strain of the battle. Nobody, except 18-year-old Zetian, whose older sister died in battle. She offers herself as a concubine-pilot to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. Labeled an Iron Widow, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

This book was action-packed from start to finish. Every single chapter contained one crazy event after the other, and I truly was clinging onto each word at the edge of my seat. The harrowing battle sequences were described in such vivid detail that I felt like I was fully thrust into the Chrysalis along with Zetian and often found myself holding my breath because the stakes were so high.

I also love the characters in this book so much. Zetian, Yizhi, and Shimin have the most heartwarming relationship. And yes they're poly!!! This was my first time reading a book with a poly relationship and the three of them are so incredibly sweet and supportive of one another. (There were also so many funny one-liners between these characters that actually made me laugh out loud even when things were getting so intense). There’s no ounce of jealousy or drama--they just genuinely care for each other and it was so great to see. After all, the triangle is the strongest shape ;)

And lastly, I can’t end this review without talking about THE AMAZING THEMES OF THIS BOOK. In Iron Widow, the entire construction of the Chrysalises is built on misogyny and the notion that girls are supposedly weaker than males. Zetian’s quest in this book to fight for all the girls that lost their lives in battle and stop more girls from dying reflects the struggle of so many women around the world. Her upbringing and the way the women in her family are treated at home is also reflective of how much internalized misogyny there is in our society and how so many women were told from Day 1 that they mean nothing, thus causing these women to slowly start believing that they’re worthless. And this is also one of the root causes for the intergenerational conflict that happens within families, another parallel to the intergenerational conflicts that occur in real life between immigrant parents and their children.

I’m also so appreciative of the way Xiran Jay Zhao wrote Zetian’s arc as a character. Forget any other morally grey MC you’ve read in a book before--Zetian is the definition of morally grey. She is truly a force to be reckoned with. She doesn’t let ANYONE, and I mean anyone, get in the way of achieving her goals, no matter how much she’s supposed to care for this person. Her ending in this novel is one of my favorites because she truly gets to break free from everything and everyone that was holding her back in the beginning of the novel, without having to sacrifice herself or her powers to do any of it. So many sci-fi/fantasy novels have the female main character give up their powers, their spirit, their character, etc. just to further the arc of their male love interest, but Zetian truly just gets to live for herself and herself only in Iron Widow, which is why this book is such a great feminist novel.

In short, Xiran Jay Zhao is truly a genius storyteller and a master of creating such intricate worlds and lovable characters. This book deserves all your attention!

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD I LITERALLY CAN'T COPE!!! The characters balance perfectly on the edge of moral ambiguity, and the strong girl-power themes were so inspiring. Even though I conceptually "knew" what was going to happen (in broad terms) based off of history, the end of the book still left me in tears. This book is such an inspiring and poignant commentary on the world, everyone needs to read it. Although fair warning-- this book does end on a major cliff hanger 😬 (IM SO EXCITED FOR BOOK 2)

Set in a sci-fi/fantasy world where humans are constantly battling against Hunduns using machine-like avatars called Chrysalis which are powered by their Qi.. Wu Zetian lives in a poor Frontier village, and after much pressure from her domineering family, she sells herself to the pilot who killed her sister--but wait! Instead of being a compliant battery to be drained by the pilot, Zetian plans to kill him to avenge her sister! This sets off a series of event where Zetian becomes increasingly girlboss and continually defies all societal expectations despite the inherent barriers against females.

Objectively, Wu Zetian is not a good person. She frequently conducts morally-objectional acts, but somehow, you can't stop rooting for her. Both Li Shimin and Yizhi are the perfect foils for her. At first, when the love triangle appeared, I was a bit worried since I ABSOLUTELY hate it when authors pit two characters against each other, often completely destroying the ethics of one to make the other seem "better.." BUT THEN XIRAN JAY ZHAO CONTINUED TO ASTOUND ME! I would never have believed that there would be a throuple in a YA novel, BUT THIS FULFILLED ALL MY DREAMS AND DESIREEEESSSS!!!

The social commentary is weaved so artfully into this book. Especially, with so many YAs shying away/ completely perpetuating misogynistic conditions, and the few contemporary books that attempt to broach it are overwhelmingly written in a very White/Western view, this book is a standout. Xiran Jay Zhao brings the much needed POV to this genre. The Iron Widow is truly an inspiring work, and I can't wait for the next book.

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Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Iron Widow is exactly the type of fantasy I wanted to read. It has mechas and the brutally unapologetic, powerful and true badass, Wu Zetian. She has become of my favorite protagonists ever. She is vicious, strong, brutal and rightfully angry at how the world has treated her and how it has bound her into these shackles. Xiran Jay Zhao's writing was utterly powerful and I could feel Zetian's anger through the pages. I want more books like these where girls are unapologetically brutal and vicious and bite back. And I know, even though I've just finished this book, I'll be going back to reread it again soon. It's pretty much going to become my new obsession now.

I highly highly recommend this!

All you need to know going into Iron Widow is that it's Pacific Rim meets Handmaid's Tale but also make it polyamorous.

This book was on a whole other level. The action was phenomenal and made me want to power a humongous robot like body. But what took this book above the rest were the characters, their development and the relationships they built. Almost everyone starts of hating each other but the amount of change that takes place in them all is astounding. Zetian is probably the most stubborn girl you will ever meet and I love her so much for it. The world in it made me so disgusted for the treatment of women and you just cannot help but root wholeheartedly for her. The emotional ride I took was crazy. I definitely grinned like a maniac at different points but I also shed a few tears. The ending made me so mad that I'll have to wait a while to see what happens and what in the world is going on. For me, this was a 5/5. If I could go higher I would.

If you like enemies to lovers, want to change the world so girls aren't dying for nothing, and are ready to desperately want to be a pilot but no way would you ever want to live in that world, then I have no doubts this is for you.

I received a digital copy of this book free from Netgalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

Iron Widow had everything I love in a book, and I truly never wanted it to end. It was so refreshing to see a female protagonist get fed up with a life surrounded by sexism and the patriarchy, and refuse to submit to those ideals, no matter how immoral. Wu Zetian was angry and ruthless, and overall fed up with everything, which made her so fun to read about. The world building was incredible, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit about the Crystalises (the giant mechs), the world, and the characters. My only qualm is that I wish the book did allow more time between Zetian, Yizhi, and Li Shimin, and further developed their own dynamics, but aside from that, the three of them worked so well together, and were great to read and learn about.

"Iron Widow" was one of the most engaging, well paced, and heart pounding books I've had the pleasure of reading. It was impossible to put it down, the connection with the story and characters was palpable. Initially the draw of the book, for me personally, was the addition of Wu Zetian - the historic female emperor of the Tang dynasty of China turned main character into a book lauded as a cross between 'Pacific Rim' and 'The Handmaid's Tale'. (Also Handmaid's tale is covered in Western puritanical culture where this is distinctly Chinese and I feel like exists in its own realm and shouldn't be compared but I get it). But after delving head first into this powerhouse of a book, there was so much more to love than just this phenomenal character. The book is neither historical fiction or alternative history, it's something else entirely which made it even more of a pleasure to read. It's sci-fi that has scooped up precious bits of Chinese history and legend and woven them all into a tale of great magnitude and fierce feminist pride.
Almost immediately, 'Iron Widow' creates a visceral connection with the reader, and like Zetian, keeps a death grip on you until the very last word on the very last page. The story tackles some really intense issues with unwavering strength, poise, and rage. Often, it was the rage I enjoyed the most. It's so rare to find a book that doesn't skitter around women's anger, doesn't try to dampen it or cool it down. Here though, Wu Zetian embraces and wields her anger like the Chrysalis she powers. She is not ashamed - instead she turns shame on its head and mocks it for what it is. A tool for control. Deftly, Zetian picks apart each hypocritical, misogynistic construct. It was part of the glittering beauty of the book. Wu Zetian is a character unlike any other I've read before and I really enjoyed that uniqueness. She is a true morally gray character, but still, she has her own moral compass. She knows exactly what she wants. She is not irrational, but she is still emotional. She does not need to trade one for the other. It was what made it so difficult to put down the book. The drive to know how the story continues, how the characters continue permeated my life for the entire 24 hours it took to read. Every word felt so careful, so purposeful to the story. The symbolism was magnificent. The one scene when the trio are frying buns in the wok felt so real, I could perfectly imagine the smell of the frying food in a steamy kitchen. It made me love these characters so fiercely. I cried, there were times I laughed, and times when I murmured an endless stream ' oh no oh no oh no' but couldn't fathom stopping from reading. Writing this review was a bit difficult even, because a part of me didn't know where to start and what to touch upon, I still feel that I haven't covered everything I wanted to. I had so many thoughts reading this, so many things I wanted to say, but it boils down to: 'Iron Widow' was magnificent in a way English does not have words for.

This books is absolutely incredible. It's unlike anything I've ever read, yet it still feels so familiar. I love the writing style and the plot and the characters, they're all amazing. Having this feminist tale where the women actually get their vengeance is amazing and I feel like other books don't hold the villains to the accountability they deserve. This book did that. This book gave everyone what they deserved with no remorse and it's actually incredible to see. Also, there aren't many polyamorous relationships in the media, so to see a book as incredible as this one feature one made me so incredibly happy. It's so diverse. The main characters are queer and I love that it's rooted in actual history because I feel like, even though I learned a lot reading this book, I still want to research more. Especially, I want to learn more about our main character's namesake. If Empress Wu was cool enough to inspire such a badass main character, I definitely want to know more about her.

Everyone needs to read this book once it comes out. Everyone.

This story was exhilarating. Action, scheming, magic, f/m/m, fighting the patriarchy and rage… SO MUCH RAGE. Flawed female MC that refuses to be used by men or back down in her quest for vengeance and power. It was so well done, and so engaging that I just devoured this story and can’t wait for the next installment in this series. Just blisteringly good.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review

As soon as I heard this book compared to Pacific Rim, I was immediately intrigued. The concept was incredibly original and I was impressed by the intriguing blend of the fantasy and SciFi genres.

The strongest part of the story for me was the characters. They were all uniquely interesting and their dynamics were incredibly fun to read. I withhold my judgment of the relationship until I’ve read the next book. I do not feel like I can accurately judge my feelings on the dynamic when there was very little page time dedicated to it. I will say the relationship was very obvious and I knew what would happen as soon as the characters were introduced. I loved each of the main characters in the trio and am both scared and excited to see how they grow in the next installment.

Despite my love for the characters, I struggled with Zetian’s perspective at times. Despite having a more advanced view of women’s roles in society, I felt like she could be incredibly naive and close-minded. I want more information on her motives and I hope to see some character growth. Though I recognize not every main character has to be likable I struggled to connect with the story from her blunt and stubborn perspective. There were many times throughout the story where I found myself wishing Iron Widow was multi-POV. I feel like it would have added a missing layer of complexity to see this world from Li Shimin and Yizhi’s perspectives as well.

My biggest critique of the story is that it felt very simple at times. With such an interesting concept I wanted more world-building and a more extensive exploration of certain concepts. The whole concept of an Iron Widow was barely explored. I also think there was room to talk about the concubine-pilots. As a reader, it felt like the world did not exist beyond what was written on the page.

The events of the novel felt like a series of events lined up in a row. I did not feel like anything in the book was pushing them along or tying the events together. When I’m reading a book I want to feel like I’m watching events happen in another world. I want to forget that it is words on paper and I want to feel a sense of realness and complexity. It was very clear to me that Iron Widow was a book written by a person which made it really hard to engage with the story.

I also had a huge problem with the epilogue. In my opinion, an epilogue is meant to spark the reader’s interest in the next book. Plot twists and major reveals need to happen in the story. The plot twists in the epilogue felt tacked on and random. I would've liked to see more lead up to them as it felt cheap to completely change the context of the story in the epilogue.

The world-building and the execution of the plot left a lot to be desired. However, the characters and the concept were engaging enough that I will likely pick up the next book in the series. While I personally wanted more from the book, I can see many other people enjoying it.

This is a fierce, fabulous find (with a gorgeous cover). Very original premise with excellent execution and world-building and lots of action. Plus an ACTUAL love triangle (which I gather the author is taking some heat for including.) Personally I found it refreshing.

I loved that this book was unapologetically feminist. Yes, the book takes place in a society in which the gender divide is wide, but the author continually makes observations about gender that rings true for any society, any age. Like this one...

"How do you take the fight out of half the population and render them willing slaves? You tell them they're meant to do nothing but serve from the minute they're born. You tell them they're weak. You tell them they're prey. You tell them over and over, until it's the only truth they're capable of living."

Anyway, there's a lot to love about this book. But it's not quite an easy read akin to The Hunger Games, (a book I think it shares a vibe with). The culture, the Chrysalises, the use of Chi, may be foreign to some audiences, but it still adds up to a compelling story. There is a very visual sense of storytelling that I think would make for an interesting film adaptation.

There were two other things that I think really set this book apart for me. For one, it's not noted in many reviews, but our heroine is disabled from footbinding as a child and uses a wheelchair for much of the book. I've NEVER seen a lead character in YA who lives in a differently abled body. The fact that, in this world, she's able to fight with her spirit and her mind was a totally cool idea.

As mentioned above, I thought the love triangle was well done (not at first, but it got there.) I loved that the book didn't really center on the main trope of "who's she gonna love?" but instead said, "how about they all love each other?" I also loved that there was "offscreen" sex that was both an important plot point (as some of the plot discusses virginity) but also NOT a plot point (since this book isn't so hampered by determining who she's going to pick, who sleeps with whom.

So if I liked it so much, why not five stars? Well, I didn't really dig the ending: the Game of Thrones finale vibe, the throwing of lots of last minute hoops to quickly set this puppy up for a sequel. Up until the final pages, a story that felt pretty natural, suddenly felt awfully contrived. I didn't hate the reveals, just hated that they came fast and furious in the final pages. But overall, a cool read.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be gushing about this book for the next year, holy crap!! I loved the atmosphere of this book, the political intrigue, THE MECHS… just everything. It didn’t shy away from topics like rape, autonomy, sexism, sexuality, the works. Adding in an intricate plot and the sheer amount of Zetian’s female rage rounds out the book and makes me so excited for the sequel.

*Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Penguin Teen, for the chance to read and review this amazing and brilliant book!

TW: rape, sexual harassment, feminicide, physical and psychological abuse, alcoholism, torture, murder, suicide ideation

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

In Huaxia, the boys' dream is to pair up with girls and pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots and battling the mecha aliens beyond the Great Wall. None seems to care that girls often die from the mental strain. When 18 years old Zetian decides to offer herself up as concubine-pilot isn't for glorious dreams, but to assassinate the pilot responsible for her older sister's death. Unexpectly she manages to kill him through the psychic link between pilots, reveling herself as an Iron Widow, a powerful and feared female pilot. Paired up with the strongest pilot and a murderer, Li Shimin, in order to tame but use her mental strength, Zetian is determined not to cover, not to be used and abused. She is tired of seeing more girls being sacrificed and she, her best friend, Yizhi and Li Shimin start to investigate why the pilot system works in misogynist way and what exactly is going on in their country

Iron widow is a brilliant and powerful story, with unforgettable characters, set in a world where mecha and aliens exist and where the battle for the humanity and freedom is fought both in the mecha and in the human world.
The worldbuilding is magnificent and intricate, mixing history with robots, misogyny with rebellion, aliens with publicity photo ops and stunts. In a glittering world hiding the festering wounds in it, Zetian and her friends and partners are brave, reckless and fearless in their desires, revenges and wants.

Zetian lives in a misogynist and cruel world. All her life she's been taught how to be, how to act, how to please, from her crushed and bound feet, to her grim future: to be a wife, a servant and a mother or to be sacrificed as concubine pilot. In a world where female are underestimated, abused, sold and hurt, Zetian refuses to be oppressed.
When her plan to assassinate her sister's murderer goes too well, she learns to appreciate and love the taste of power and her world and possibilities broaden. She's not powerless, she's not tamed and she will do anything in her power to stop more girls from being sacrificed.
Her character is one of my favourite (in the book and ever). She's reckless, fearless, sarcastic, strong and she refuses to conform to the society and what people expect from her.

Zetian stands out as a brilliant and powerful character, but she's not the only one. Her best friend and her partner (and more) Yizhi and Li Shimin are also captivating characters. Yizhi represents her past life, the tender friendship and love and the bond between them is so strong they are inseparable, even through changes and discoveries.
Li Shimin is a intricate and complex character and the reader learns to know him through Zetian's, overcoming with her the misconceptions and lies about him, getting to know the real Li Shimin and the unjustices and abuses he suffered.

Zetian's relationship with Yizhi and with Li Shimin is one of the most brilliant and powerful I've ever read. I didn't know there would be a polyamorous relationship and it's the first I've read that made me appreciate the love triangle, without useless dramas, jealousies and misunderstandings. Zetian, Yizhi and Li Shimin complete each other, each of them complex with their past, fears, desires and loves and the characterization is truly amazingly written. I loved their bond, how they strongly love, support and help one other through everything, how they always have each other backs.

"Love can be infinite, as much as your heart can open." (quote from the earc, so it can be subject to changes)

It was moving and empowering reading how Zetian slowly starts to realize and discard the lies she's been told since she was born and to love and appreciate herself, to accept love and friendship. How she refuses to be smothered and to hide her power and intellect, to accept what the society and the men decide for her future and her life.

"I've been told endless lies since I was born. That I was not kind enough, considerate enough, humble enough, honorable enough, pretty enough, pleasing enough. And that if I failed to meet the needs of those around me, I didn't deserve to live. Propaganda. All of it. Propaganda to keep me chasing after the approval of others on my bound and broken feet, as if being a good servant is the only thing I should be proud of." (quotes from the earc, so it can be subject to changes)

The story is a strong feminist one, mixing powerful and strong characters fighting for the truth and freedom, to be themselves, to love who they want, to live the life they choose and not what others decide for them, soldiers and pilots fighting against aliens, myths and lost Emperors, lies and machinations in a compelling and thrilling story that left me breathless.
I can't wait to know what will happen next, after this ending! This book is empowering, brilliant and I recommend it to everyone!

The concept is absolutely KILLER, with all the elements — Chinese historical figure(s), action sequences like Pacific Rim, oppressive patriarchy in the style of harem stories (or The Handmaid's Tale), media spectacle and main triad dynamic reminiscent of The Hunger Games — interwoven for impressively cohesive worldbuilding and (at least in my opinion) pretty great representation that's integral but not overpoweringly central to the story.

However, the narrative flow is frequently put on hold for a paragraph or two establishing the whole setup, and there are countless moments where the narration sidetracks into "how is this wildly inequitable system so entrenched and accepted? well, this is why" philosophizing/ borderline preaching, which can be distracting and/or tedious.

And I really wanted to like the characters and their dynamics, because they seemed cool! There's thoughtful exploration of morality and culpability and trauma which I appreciated on a theoretical level, and significant development over the course of the novel. But to be honest I found them fairly archetypal, maybe a bit flat?

All that said, overall this was a really engaging and unique read; I am definitely excited to see how the second book will build on this foundation!