I received an eARC from Penguin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; gratitude to the author and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity.

This review will contain spoilers.

This book was the most accurately hyped book I have read in the last decade; the premise as marketed is absolutely spot on and I am here for it.

I saw Pacific Rim when it came out (and the sequels as well, though I didn't care for them as much), and my main opinion was that aside from the criminal waste of Idris Elba's character (IYKYK), Rinko Kikuchi's character Mako Mori was underutilized and kind of ended up being a trophy for the main white dude, despite being a badass in her own right. Mostly, I just really wished that we could have had the story from her POV, and in a way, this novel really leans in to that sort of wish fulfillment, with much better representation,

The writing style is clear, educated, and entertaining, just as the author's YouTube essay's are (seriously go check out her channel if you haven't yet - it's a very good time). The world is well established, with just the right level of detail in the fantastical and the everyday. The relationships are so well done, and the themes explored are super interesting. I appreciate the sensitivity to cultural context; this book does explore some darker themes, but they are done tastefully and naturally (with no painful exposition dumps). I also appreciate the positive nod to alternative relationships; this story established the best and healthiest nascent triad relationship that I have EVER read in YA or other Sci-Fi/Fantasy works.

The villains in this book are proper villains, and at times, it is shocking for the protagonist to let out her dark side (but again, this book was very accurately described and her dark deeds are not entirely unexpected, and somewhat cathartic when they do occur.)

There was the almost inescapable set up for another book (or series) but as a standalone read it was very satisfying.

I do strongly recommend this book if you like mecha pilots, YA Science Fiction with well written action, and a strong female lead who makes reasonable decisions; If you enjoy this one, I also recommend Rachel Caine's Honors series, or for a more grown-up Sci Fi recommendation, Anne Leicke's Ancillary series.

I hereby predict it will at the very least get nominated for a Hugo Award, if not a Nebula. It's proper YA Science Fiction with a likeable and strong female protagonist done well, which in my experience is a pretty rare find.

4.5 stars

Iron Widow is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have read this year. Is it a perfect book? No, but I really don't think that mattered here. I absolutely loved every second of reading this, and even though I am now stuck waiting in pain for god knows how long until the second book comes out, it was 100% worth it.

The best way I can describe this book is that it is kind of like a Chinese history AU fanfic - all the characters are (loose) reimaginings of historical/mythological Chinese figures, but it's set in a futuristic mecha world with bits and pieces of Chinese culture, history, and lore scattered throughout. Our main characters live in a world where they're constantly under attack by these alien-esque creatures that can only be fought against with these metamorphic exoskeletons that are piloted by young men and women. It's honestly such an outlandish concept, and yet, it works. It is so incredibly fun, and all the historical references and characters were just really fun easter eggs.

My favourite thing about this book is hands down, the characters. Wu Zetian is kind of a terrible person, and yet I cannot help but root for her. She's so unapologetically angry - at the system, at society, at her family, at herself - and I love that about her. She knows what she wants, and she will do whatever it takes to get it. I also loved both of her love interests (and the fact that this is a poly love triangle), Li Shimin and Yizhi. In fact, I would say Li Shimin is my favourite character in this entire book. He's your typical bad boy with a tortured past, except he's not really a bad boy, and in fact, is a precious bean that must be protected at all costs. I loved their relationship dynamics, and Zhao did a fantasic job of just combining some of the best character/relationship tropes.

I also really appreciated the themes that this book touched upon, and how central to the storyline these were. While they were a touch too on the nose at times, I did like how this book really discussed and criticized the patriarchy and misogyny in this world, particularly from the perspective of a very self-aware character who is trying to topple the system while coming to terms with her own complicity in that system. I love that Wu Zetian is not presented as some sort of a "perfect feminist" or anything like that, but just a young woman who is a product of the society she was born in, and who is constantly questioning herself and just how deeply rooted these injustices are, both within herself and in the world at large. I also appreciated the discussions around gender and the role that gender plays in this world, and I am really looking forward to how Zhao will expand on these themes in the next book.

My one minor criticism of this book is definitely the writing. I felt like especially with the action scenes, the writing didn't always flow very well - at times, it felt like moments from the scene were just dropped, and it was a bit hard to connect point A to point B. I did also feel like some of the theming was a little too spelled out for my liking, and it kind of makes the flow of the scenes a bit unnatural. That being said, this is a debut novel, so all things considered, the writing is pretty solid, and I look forward to seeing the author continue to improve.

If it wasn't clear already, I highly recommend this book. I think it has everything a book needs - great characters, fantastic plot and pacing, great themes - and is very well executed. I am so incredibly attached to these characters and I am so excited to see where this series goes. If you are a fan at all of the mecha genre, or even just sci-fi (with some fantastical elements) in general, I really think you will love this book.

A reimagining of the only female emperor of China in space. The sci-fi aspect gave me Brandon Sanderson’s SKYWARD VIBES. This is a very gritty, dark, and wonderfully feminist tale.

Wu Zetian becomes a pilot concubine so that she can avenge the murder of Big Sister. In the process, she becomes the feared, Iron Widow.

Wu Zetian breaks the boundaries of expectations for females, pilots, and binary sexual relationships. She is a fierce character that refuses to feel shame and is ruthlessly power hungry.

Triggers: abuse, rape, violence, suicide ideation, alcohol addiction, and torture.

I'll start with my first impression upon finishing: damn, that was a great read, and I don't want to have to wait for the sequel!

I tried describing this book to a friend, and the best I could do was: in a world loosely inspired by medieval China (sorry, I don't know enough Chinese history to know the proper term for the period) people pilot robots that are powered by magic, use them to fight alien invaders, and a teenage girl tries to fight back against the social and military patriarchy. If that interests you even a little, find yourself a copy of this book, because no blurb or summary is going to do it justice.

I will note that I'm seeing this included in categories like "LGBT fiction", "Queer fiction", and so one, and although there's definitely an element of...let's call it non-straight romance...I don't think that's really a key part of this book. It's primarily about a girl who decides that enough is enough, and she's going to smash the patriarchal power structure (both figuratively and at times literally). Her rejection of the norm of monogamous heterosexual relationships is a piece of that, to be sure, but just a piece. If you're not sure, I encourage you not to let those categorizations hold you back. Read the book for yourself, I don't think you'll regret it.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m going to be honest, going in I thought there was no way this would be a five star read for me. I’m not an anime/ mech fan , so that part of the premise was a hard sell for me, but it was also compared to The Handmaids Tale so I decided to give this book a try.

Boy am I glad that I did. Sure, there was stuff in here that wasn’t tailored to my taste but what this book does really well is smash down some of the typical YA tired old tropes and breathe some real fire into the genre.

The protagonist is unapologetic, passionate and opinionated, which is honestly such a rarity in the YA genre these days. She’s allowed to be angry, reactionary, violent and powerful. There’s plenty of antihero male characters out there but it was so refreshing to see a female one that didn’t have her edges softened.

The poly mfm love triad was so much better than yet another love triangle. I love that there wasn’t unnecessary drama around it and hope to see more relationships like this in fiction in the future.

The book ends on a “hold your breath, then scream out loud cliffhanger “ which is leaving me starving for the sequel. Definitely worth 5 stars.

omg i’m obsessed so good. an artistic masterpiece. incredible. AHHH i loved this so much!! the characters are fantastic and i love how history is incorporated into this. while i loved the whole concept of this, i was bored at times which is why i docked off 1 star. as someone who’s half chinese i really appreciated this book :) and the ending was perfect!! 4 ⭐️

The female rage.... I adored it. Wu Zetian is everything I look for in a strong female protagonist, I absolutely loved the writing style, the plot, the relationships omg, The only thing I didn't like was the Zetian would refer to her older sister as "Big Sister". It felt more impersonal? But that may be a cultural/respect thing that I don't understand. This book is described as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaiden's Tale, and I, unfortunately, have not read/seen either. However, this book gave me very Ender's Game meets The Hunger Games vibes.

What can I say about this book that already hasn't been said. In the post #MeToo era, I feel like this is a significantly important book. This book is all about feminism, and how important it is for a woman to have autonomy of herself and her choices. The character Wu Zetian although based on an ancient queen carves out her own path in this beautifully written adventure through blood, sweat, tears, and grit. Her gumption helps her face the impossible walls erected by influential males in her community, while at the same time helps lead her to her loves who are both her support and pillar while also relying on her to help them out. As was written by the author in the book "a triangle is the strongest shape" and indeed the love triangle in this work makes each and every one of the three main characters stronger both in mind and in spirit. All in all a brilliant debut by author Xiran Jay Zhou, and I for one cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

Absolutely FANTASTIC. Science fantasy at its absolute best, with a female protagonist who takes exactly zero shit, a wonderful polyamorous love triangle, and a twist at the end that will leave you absolutely FREAKING OUT. I AM NOT OKAY. This may be the best book I've read so far this year. The writing was top notch, the pacing perfect, and the story itself gripped me from absolutely the first page. Zhao is a genius and I am in love.

DNF @13%
I normally give a book more than 13% before putting it down, but this wasn't for me which is such a bummer. This has a Power Rangers/Pacific Rim vibe in a sci-fi world inspired by Chinese mythology. While the world was cool and the plot had promise, I'm a character and writing style driven reader. This protagonist, understandably angry with her upbringing and circumstances, just acts like revenge and being JUST like the world she lives in is the only way to live. She's stubborn to not even care about her mother, who loves her but doesn't do what the protagonist thinks she should do. She doesn't have humanity in her, and I really need a character to be layered instead of just one note to care about them. Plus the dialogue felt too modern, in our time period, than in an alternate world. The writing was too jarring and took me out of the story instead of putting me into the story. Still try this if it sounds interesting to you, but this wasn't my cup of tea as far as writing style or characters :(

Lmao Xiran described this as 400 pages of female rage and I feel that. This story is more of a tell then show which if done a certain way I don't really mind especially with how fast paced the story was. The authors strong suit was definitely the battle scenes which were very well written and epic. I liked that everyone had could use more than one qi but gravitated towards one. I would lover for this to be adapted in any format. Li Shimin was fleshed out more than Yizhi. Shimin's backstory crushed me. He deserved all the love an happiness the would could offer. Yizhi was hiding things from the start and will play an even bigger role in the next book for sure. Their poly relationship was done well. I didn't know that was going to be part of the story but I'm on board. Shimin and Zetian needed Yizhi to bridge them together. I will admit that the world building needed a little more attention but I can forgiver that. That last twist messed me up big time. I had a sort of idea of how it was going to be but Xira took it a step farther. This book needs more attention and her YouTube channel is awesome as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read Iron Widow before its release. This was a phenomenal debut! I love Zetian's morally ambiguous character and how she slashes through societal norms without question. This story had me hooked from beginning to end and although I did not find the twists all that surprising they still made sense to the progression of the story. I thoroughly anticipate the release of the second novel as Iron Widow leaves off on a major cliffhanger. In the meantime, I recommend this to all sci-fi fans and people who love morally gray characters that shatter societal norms and strive for equality.

Iron Widow is truly a unique action-packed story! The world-building was rich and complex. I loved the sci-fi and Asian-inspired elements of the world the story is set in. Zetian is also a fierce and strong main character who immediately draws you into the story as she works to overcome gender roles. The only thing that I wished to see was more development with the romantic relationships. Overall, this was a great read that is perfect for YA sci-fi readers!

Iron widow is Attack on Titans with badass feminism, polyamorous relationship and Chinese mythology inspired setting.

Dear Xiran/Penguin Random House,

I kindly request you to take all my money and give me the next books ASAP or just tell me what Xiran has planned for the future books. This suspense is killing me. I need this information to survive.

Yours Sincerely,
Apoorva

PS: I'm a poor grad student, so I don't really have money, but you guys get my feelings. Also, this book has wrecked me and I wish to be wrecked further.

I'm in love with the world building. I loved how well written all the characters were. Wu Zetian is my new woman crush all day everyday. She's fierce, irritating, hardcore feminist and doesn't give a fuck about the world says. I LOVE HER. I'm going to buy all the merch there will be of Wu Zetian. She is written so well and accurately as a frontier girl. Her lack of understanding for quite a few things shows and it just makes her more human to me. There's nothing in her character trait that can go unexplained. You can see how her bringing up made her who and how she is in the timeline of the book. Zetian is destroying patriarchy here and I'm taking notes. Yizhi is the chocolate boy you want to go on a date or at least be friends with. His love for Zetian and Shimin is so strong and he is not shy with expressing that. (His dialogues were so freaking beautiful. I wish I got married after reading the book so I could include his words in my vows). Yizhi is the glue that holds Shimin and Zetian together. Li Shimin is damaged, wrecked and used but he has got balls of doing things even a fifty year old would think twice. He knows what's right and he stood for it. Together they make a triangle, the strongest structure in the world.

I found that the imagery of the book was a mix of hit and miss. I'm confused about how Hunduns look like, but certain experiences of Zetian were explained in such details that I felt I lived those with her. I loved the pace of the book and the dialogue between characters. I loved that instead of turning this into a love triangle with unnecessary drama we see a really heart touching polyamorous relationship. Li Shimin, Gao Yizhi and Wu Zetian just fit. They share these wholesome moments in the book and it made my belief in love stronger. I hope I see more of their relationship in the future books.

I love me a good revenge-driven plot and Xiran didn't disappoint. This story is action-driven and I love me some action. Though I did feel that the action was more of a video game rather than an actual battle scene. I definitely think this book needs another round of editing, but other than that it's *chef's kiss*.

Will I buy this book once it comes out in September? IN A HEARTBEAT and you should too,

An angry and empowering story filled with complex societal and cultural issues, like the oppression of women and the inherent privilege given to some, depending on where they’re from and their socioeconomic worth.
Our main character is this flawed, morally-grey, imperfect sort of girl, that is utterly relatable in her determination to not give in to expectations of her.
Iron Widow gave me really strong Hunger Games meets Fifth Season, by way of Pacific Rim vibes. Feminist and anti-racist and queer af, this book is going to resonate with a LOT of people. Can’t wait for the sequel.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Full feature for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

Wow. Just Wow. I received an E-Arc from Penguin Teen through NetGalley for my honest review... And my honest review is that I cannot recommend this book enough!!!

Wu Zetian serves as an incredibly complex protagonist: wholely imperfect, wholely relatable and wholely compelling. A character determined to challenge the status quo, always asking why or why not and charging full speed ahead in her dedication to changing her world. And the story? An absolute rollercoaster of action, twists and turns! I could absolutely see this translating on a screen. 100% Full Throttle.

That said, the layered familial/societal/cultural issues Xiran Jay Zhao addresses through following Zetian on her journey absolutely stopped me in my tracks despite the action--because I needed to take moments to consider certain ideas and constructs for myself and determine my own perspectives and opinions. (Sometimes even wondering how I might respond if I found myself under similar circumstances, and why?)

Altogether this book ticked so many boxes for me and I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel. (Can anyone lend me a Tardis post haste?) My only request is more Yizhi please! I desperately want more glimpses inside his head and feel like we have still only scratched the surface of his character.

Beautiful written, descriptive story of a young woman fighting the oppression of a male-dominated society.

Be their nightmare Wu Zetian.

How many females throughout history have been told they're a nightmare to deal with? Too difficult. Not demure enough. Not feminine enough? How many females have sacrificed pieces of themselves over and over and over again?

As many stars as there is in the sky I'd bet.

As Zhao explains, this isn't meant to be a book that perfectly encapsulates the varied spectrum of ways women have found themselves subjugated or oppressed. This is specifically written from the culture they are familiar with.

Its a kind of oppression that is different from the typical tales of Western history, but at its core is the same no matter what.

Women are less.

Here's the thing - Zetian isn't perfect. She isn't magically gifted with the ability to do no wrong, make bad assumptions or impervious to the consequences of her actions.

She recognizes that if she killed Yang Guang there would be ramifications for her family. She understood that if she got into a business relationship with a media mogul it wiuld necessitate certain compromises on her part. If she chose revenge she was sacrificing everything.

But understanding didn't make those choices easier. Nor did it bring sudden insight that made everything better.

Despite her driven passion to overthrow the oppressive system that has made her life miserable and sacrificed so many girls, she still has to fight what that system has hammered into her for 18 years. She has to find her own way, her own set of right vs wrong, her own dignity.

And friends, that's exactly what makes her their nightmare.