Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC!

Alright everybody – gather ‘round for me to gush about what is my best book of 2021 so far. This fall is going to be a doozy, if only for the release of Iron Widow, which I am giving five solid stars. I was interested because I follow the author on twitter, and am now so glad I do.

Honestly, I have zero complaints. This book hits and keeps on hitting until the very last lines. I found Iron Widow unique in that it is overall greater than the sum of its parts, which include elements of wuxia dramas, vibes from franchises like the Hunger Games and Pacific Rim, and what it means to be a celebrity in modern Chinese entertainment, all rolled into one feisty girl’s battle against an oppressive patriarchal establishment. It was incredible.

In general terms of plot, I was amazed at the courageous storytelling. This book is not afraid to Go There, whether There is romantic plot lines culminating in canonical polyamory, action reminiscent of childhood favorites like Gundam and Power Rangers, or the dismantling of an authoritarian society rigged against girls. I found Zhao’s willingness to drag cultural skeletons out of the closet, like foot-binding of young women, ridiculous rhetoric about female virginity, and the nonconsensual keeping of concubine harems, absolutely refreshing.
I was equally enthralled when it came to the characters. Wu Zetian’s rage is familiar, even if her circumstances and social context are not, and it was thrilling and satisfying to watch her crush enemies. Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi were a perfect yin and yang of male protagonists to pair with Zetian’s might, and I was just wholly satisfied with the dynamics. These characters’ relationships really examine what masculinity and femininity are, if they can even be pinned down to specific concepts, and it was fantastic to read as someone who majored in gender studies!

I don’t want to say much more, but I could gush all day. I’ve been yelling about this book the entire time I read it, and expect I will continue to do so. If you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, I would certainly do that now.

I cannot stop thinking about this book. It handles female rage, polyamory, and original fantasy elements and sci fi elements so well. This is so much more than just your standard YA fantasy.

Wow this book surprised me! I thought it would be a standard YA fantasy but it was so much more. The heroine is so angry and fed up with society and it was so amazing to see her become ruthless and unforgiving with each chapter. And this is my first time reading a poly romance, and I will def be picking up more! It was handled so well and felt SO much better than reducing it to a hettie love triangle.

What. A. Ride. Seriously. This blew me away similarly to how The Poppy War did. I went in knowing very little and was absolutely stunned by the worldbuilding, the characterizations and the pains and trials each character goes through, how fleshed out and unique their perspectives are.

This is one to watch out for.

Thank you for the e-arc!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC! It's been a while since I've read a book all at once, was it really 400 pages?! I don't even know, it just flew by! I was nervously glancing at the clock wondering if I could finish it all before midnight last night (I did with just a half hour to spare!). My dreams were full of the world of this book too! I had read 13 percent a few days ago and stopped as I finished up another book, but finished off the rest of this all in one yesterday.

This book is like a lot of things, Pacific Rim, The Handmaid's Tale, Darling of the Franxx, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam, Digimon, Attack on Titan, and Transformers are all mentioned on Xiran Jay Zhao's website or in the book.

I knew this afterwards, but I first wanted to read it for Wu and mechs and the possibility of something I am not sure I have words for? I have come to love dramas like Guardian (queer subtext of a professor and a detective taking on the supernatural/aliens), The Untamed (two cultivators uncovering mysteries and power imbalance and each other), Eternal Love (ancient fox goddess finds love and a young prince), Ashes of Love (a flower goddess unable to feel love caught between dragon and phoenix princes) and Oh My General (a masculine woman general marries a feminine prince). I wanted it (wuxia?xianxia?) with aliens, or science fiction and fantasy. Iron Widow is that and more!

Wu Zetian's loss of Big Sister, loved and sold to be a concubine pilot who's mysterious death had not been in battle, ensured she won't submit: so she chooses death, the death of the pilot that killed Big Sister -and the death of three generations of the family that hates her for not submitting to be their ideal. Only Gao Yizhi is told her plan, a sweet rich city boy, who goes to meet her in the mountains and tries to offer a marriage to him instead. Zetian's not swayed and meets the Nine Tailed Fox Prince class pilot Yang Guang, unexpectedly she is tossed into battle as his Consort against the Hundun before he can bed her and before she can kill him. Unexpected to all, she survives becoming known as the Iron Widow.

Sages and Strategists don't give her the Nine Tailed Fox, instead they make her concubine pilot to the Vermilion Bird's Li Shimin, a criminal Chrysalis pilot, who's known as the Iron Demon for the dozens of concubine pilots he's killed while going into battle, each death he's felt and who's memories and thoughts were linked to his mind. Just as pilots feel the emotional deaths of the Hundun their Chrysalis once were.

To survive Zetian, Shimin and Yizhi plan a counterattack that takes them and the Chrysalis army to the Kunlun Mountains in the lost Zhou territory the supposed resting place of Emperor-General Qin Zhang in his Yellow Dragon, frozen and awaiting the cure to his pox. On such a legend as that and the mysterious unseen gods who demand tributes of girls, seeds, and Hundun metal husks in exchange for lost science, may all their fates rest.

May the triumvirate power coupling of Zetian, Shimin and Yizhi rise and thrive!

trigger/content warnings: murder, sexual assault, marital/partner rape (mentioned, not between primary couple/throuple), nonconsensual nudity, waterboarding, foot binding. alcoholism, domestic violence

I have been refreshing NetGalley for a long minute waiting for this book to come out and I was so happy to see that it a) finally arrived on NetGalley and b) that I was approved.

This book is intense -- from start to finish, you are given a complete picture of a world that is equal parts foreign and alien. The treatment of women, the devaluation for the safety and security of men, is such a recognizable element that it seats this book firmly into reality, even as giant living mech monsters battle a monstrous insect flood, even as people warp metal and magma with their qi. Xiran spins up a story that spans a continent, with the hopes of a civilization on the line, and still manages to bring it down to a personal level as well.

The characters in this are fascinating - from Zetian, who is on the road to vengeance, to Li Shimin, who harbors the secrets behind his dark past, to Zhinu and his porcelain skin (he has other traits, but that is the one that I remember the most). I'm sold on several aspects of this book from the get go - namely the fact that this is an actualized love triangle and also the giant flesh mechs fighting robots.

The parts that I'm less wild about are mostly in the form? There isn't a lot of room for the characters to breath and so you don't get the fullness of a developmental arc, specifically as it ties to the relationships between the characters. When betrayal comes, it doesn't necessarily feel earned because the audience never really learned to trust the characters that were doing the betrayal. Zetian suffers a bit from Chosen-One-itis, but this is an issue that is basically the bread and butter of YA. The final act twist? It's definitely sequel bait, but it wasn't really necessary. I'm already here - I'm already ready for the next book in the series. But again, these feel like issues of form rather than ones that make the novel suffer unduly.

Overall, this book is really excellent and I'm glad that I was able to grab a copy.

Holy cow, this was AMAZING! The author's note at the beginning was so good and I knew it would be an awesome story. The combination of fantasy and sci-fi elements, Chinese culture and history, made this an interesting, anger-inducing, and perfect book. I cannot recommend this enough and will be buying a finished copy when it comes out.

I say that this book made me angry because the patriarchy is awful and the way they treat women as disposable made me want to punch something. Thank goodness for Zetian and her unwillingness to lay down and die so that a guy can live. She's a hero and though she suffers for her insubordination, it doesn't stop her from fighting for women's rights. I loved her and it's so cool that she's based on the only female emperor China has had.

The plot is filled with action and there are no dull parts. Zetian and Shimin are either fighting each other, the hundun, or against the council who want them dead. There's also a bit of a love triangle, but it's not a typical triangle and made me happy. I hope we see more of it in the sequel.

I couldn't put this down and the ending blew my mind! What a debut! I am so looking forward to this being available to everyone so they can enjoy this fabulous book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the copy.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this arc in exchange for a honest review!

This is by far one of the best books I've read this year that I barely have any criticism, so I'm just gonna list some things that I loved about this book: the main character. Zetian is truly one of the best mc's I have read, she's amazing. She's really an one of a kind character.

Storyline throughout this book never bored me. Like the rhythm of the book changed from time to time but overall it was just. Really interesting without being too overwhelming at the same time.

The romance in this... We barely ever see any polya rep in books and in my opinion this was perfectly done. How they grow to love each other was so beautiful to read.

I'm so excited for this book to be released and be read by thousands because the way it handled misogyny and how it is to be effected by it was really spot on. It showed prejudice against women with all of it's ugliness and I think that's really important. The fictional situations that happens in this book are just daily occurings for women & other misogyny effected people and this really puts things into a perspective.

I physically cannot wait for the second book because the plot twist at the end is for sure going to keep me up for many nights.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not going to lie. I freaked out when I saw that I was approved to read Iron Widow. The cover is beyond beautiful. The synopsis made me want to dive into this book and forget the rest of the world. So, in other words - this book was AMAZING. Spectacular even. My mind was completely blown from start to finish. I'm not sure I will ever recover with what went down but I happily volunteer as tribute to dive into the next book. I don't even care what happens.. I just want more.

The world building? Amazing. The blend of everything? Also amazing. The characters themselves? Oh man.. I wanted to kill so many of them and practically cheered my ass off when certain people "disappeared". In it, you will meet Zetian (the iron widow), Shimin (the iron demon), and Yizhi (the cinnamon roll that finishes the triangle power). These three are a force to reckon with and I loved every page that they were on. Of course Zetian and Yizhi have the strongest bond since they sort of grew up together but with Shimin in the mix - well things just made sense.

Besides falling in love with them, so many secrets come out in this. Which made me extremely happy because this world kind of sucked. The way they viewed girls in general made me plot everyone's death. Everyone meaning the asshole males who were in charge of this shithole. Plus there was a ton of drama and evilness lurking at every corner. This was a page turner through and through.

I'm honestly sad that it's over because I seriously can't handle that cliffhanger one bit. So much happened throughout this that my mind went through some serious whiplash. To everyone that died, you should have known it was coming. You messed up and pissed off a certain female. I don't feel bad because she was tired of being underestimated. I hope there's more revenge from females now because they are stronger and tired of being pushed around.

BE THE NIGHTMARE GIRLS

xiran jay zhao is an amazing author. for a debut novel, this was absolutely astonishing. the world that she has built is so amazing and unique to anything i’ve read. the main characters are so likeable and had me attached to them the whole time. i am a chinese girl myself, and really found myself being able to apply myself in zetian. she’s so powerful and doesn’t take anyone’s sh*t, which i loved reading about.

the romance is super unique and i really did enjoy it. the three way relationship was written in such a beautiful way, and as a reader, it wasn’t forced on you, but i ended up liking it. it’s so different to the normal love triangle, and it gives poly rep, which is amazing! it opened my eyes to different types of romance. i’m so glad that xiran went this route because i don’t normally like love triangles, and this way, i don’t have to pick sides!

the cliffhanger at the end gave me chills. i need a second book. i will not be forgetting about this story anytime soon, i will forever be grateful that i got the chance to read iron widow early. will be posting my recommendation for this book on my tik tok soon! i really hope people will enjoy this as much as i did, it deserves all the hype!

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Iron Widow in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I'm obsessed with the fact that instead of going the love triangle route I thought Iron Widow was going to do, it opted instead to have all 3 components of the not-triangle just be in a poly relationship. It was a great (and far less annoying) subversion of a trope. I also loved that instead of pulling a "I want to kill you but then I fall in love", this book quickly nips that plotline in the bud.

For all that trope subversion though, I think Iron Widow is kept from excellence because of all the tropes it does rely on. Iron Widow takes place in a world where virtually all the female characters besides our protagonist are fine with being used as sacrifices for men to use in a war. I think you can write "an entire group accepts and embraces submission because of the way the status quo" is set up books, but for those to work you need to a) establish how government uses power/media to enforce the belief in that status quo or b) establish that rebellions do exist and the fear that group has to rebel through the defeat of those rebellions. Zetian is the only women we see who questions anything which not only makes the world seem unrealistic, but also calls into question how she developed those ideals in the first place. Maybe if we were shown how Zetian herself used to believe in her world's propaganda prior to her sisters it would have been easier to see her as an actual character, but as is she felt feminist because she was a strong, defiant women, not feminist because of actual character development or some form of actual examination about gender-based social structures.

The romance felt similar. I was fine with Zetian's relationship with her first introduced love interest since they have an established history, but it felt very "she and this character are suddenly in love because that's how enemies to lovers works" and "root for these characters because that's how childhood friends to lovers works" instead of actual developed, dynamic relationships.

I think this was good in concept, it just needed to be a bit more fleshed out in execution.

ust wrapped Xiran Jay Zhao's "Iron Widow" and I'm basically a living embodiment of the Elmo rising meme right now.

How much to get that ending done justice in a visual medium?
Also that cover art, damn.

Reasons to read:
-Justifiable reasons for revenge, which is my book drug of choice
-Mechs that I can picture so clearly
-Protagonist is out to burn down the world and get hers and I am HERE FOR IT
-The journey of realization about society and deciding to flip the table, start fires, and dance in the ashes is just good for the soul

Cons
-I finished it and there isn't more. Guess I'll stare at the ceiling and go through book withdrawals.
-I don't have a detailed diagram of all the Chrysalis, but honestly that is a value add that most people wouldn't want.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book so that I could review it!

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year—from the moment it was announced to the cover reveal, I've been so extremely excited to read this and I was beyond happy to get the chance to read it early. And it absolutely did not disappoint in any way at all. History is woven into this novel wonderfully, enhancing the story while also encouraging readers to continue their own research if they were interested. The main protagaonist, Zetian, is delightful in every way and the romance was VERY unexpected but also very welcome, with Zhao putting a twist on the typical love triangle trope. Also, as advertised, it very much does take inspiration from Pacific Rim so fans of that will love this book.

Don't forget to look up trigger warnings before reading this book as some topics do get sensitive at times.

I was given this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a review!

This review will contain spoilers. My rating is 5 stars.

This is everything you could want from a science fiction novel inspired by China’s only female emperor- Wu Zetian.

While it takes a lot of liberties and is obviously not a true historical recounting, it is a brilliant example of the power that woman can hold, even when pushed into a box and forced into submission. Wu is constantly surpassing what anyone ever thought imaginable- even herself. I found myself just eating up every page as she conquered the world, her her own fears, and understanding her emotions and her strength.

People like myself love to read about a brutally strong female lead who breaks the mold of moral qualms, but I also love seeing how Zetian allowed herself to have emotions and saw them as strengths as well. I really enjoyed how love and gender/sex were explored through her journey. Seeing how she challenged every notion and made a new family for herself- one that actually loved and respected her as a human- was beautiful. It’s truly an awe inspiring novel full of rage and power, yet a special brand of softness. Also lgbt polyamory!? We love to see that.

The world was very immersive and interesting to me. The Chrysalis’ are somewhat unique. Though they might resemble other science fiction robots (such as Voltron), they are different in how they operate and the material they are made from. The science behind the way the seats are made for “male” and “female” pilots is as interesting as it was devastating to discover! I also had my suspicion that the planet in the novel was not Earth! The last quarter of the novel was one mind-blowing moment after another!

I’m truly hoping the ending was a set up for a sequel, and I will definitely be reading it as soon as I can if there is one!

I read this 400 page book in one sitting because above everything, it's just so much fun. The Handmaid's Tale comparison is definitely apt but the book never gets overly weighed down by the violent patriarchal structures of the fictional pilot system. Even when the main plot is fuelled by Zetian's fury at this system essentially sacrificing her sister, it stays fast-paced, action-packed and very enjoyable. If you're specifically looking for a story about vengeful women as products of violent misogyny and patriarchy, look no further because Zetian is your girl.

The Pacific Rim comparison is also incredibly accurate; this is a semi-futuristic world where mechs are controlled by dual pilots through a mental connection, but male pilots are given an unlimited amount of concubines who usually die in the process. Zetian survives and in doing so, kills the male pilot who murdered her sister. It kicks off immediately and maintains an incredibly fast pace until the end. The scenes featuring these mechs were so vivid and fun to read. Action sequences felt very epic in scale but kept down to earth by the mental link the pilots are experiencing. Zetian and Li Shimin's dynamic was so interesting in these scenes but also out of them, especially at the beginning and once Yizhi is enfolded into their relationship, I loved it even more. This book does a great job of subverting expectations character-wise and Zetian's stubbornness against Shimin's guilt and Yizhi's devotion was very compelling and I flew through the book because of it.

Their relationship was well built (I did want more scenes of them figuring it out but that's because if you know me, you know I love polyamory negotiation) and managed to stay humorous and loving even when there is so much heavy subject matter tied in. In general, I just really liked a lot the romantic scenes between all of the characters and their individual relationships. The book built really substantial dynamics between Zetian and Shimin and Zetian and Yizhi and I suppose my only complaint would be that we don't see as much depth with Shimin and Yizhi's developing relationship, but that's a result of it being a first person POV and even though it's limited in comparison, their moments still got me.

It's not 5 stars for me because I did feel like some themes were a little heavy-handed and repetitive and as much as I like a theme in a book, I prefer it to be a bit more subtle. I did feel like sometimes the book was trying to hammer home a point that had already been made several times over. It's not a knock on the book objectively because the plot and worldbuilding relies on these themes and it's just a personal preference, but I did notice it. There's also very few women in this book considering the ideas it's presenting. However, I did really like that Zetian was allowed to be angry and vengeful and there's a lot of nuance in the idea of her reclaiming her agency and enacting revenge against men. She understands that it's not a fix to the system, but the book also doesn't patronise her or the reader for wanting that catharsis.

Overall, it's just so much fun with really gut punching ideas about women and a culture that doesn't value them. Twists towards the end also open up the world for an even more exciting sequel and I think if you're anticipating this at all, you won't be disappointed. Finally: I love one man and his name is Li Shimin.

After seeing the gorgeous cover reveal for this sucker, reading the author's super secret weeb-eyes-only review, and looking through their Twitter feed and watching their sass on Youtube, I couldn't WAIT to get my hands on this book. Polyamorous mecha pilots inspired by Darling in the FRANXX written by a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan?????? yes plz give me all of it

But this didn't do it for me, unfortunately.

There is a lot of promising stuff here that's needed in the YA genre right now - raging feminist ideas, angry unapologetic female protags, throwing out the idea of a love triangle in favor of a throuple, giant fucking Digimon mechs, cyberpunk flavoring with a coating of grime and "traditional" world views to lash back against, crazy anime fight scenes. Ugh. I enjoyed the concept of what was happening - like, I guess I enjoyed the bones, but not the meat?

Even though I spent 400 pages with these characters, in this world, I feel like I still don't know them or the world they live in.

I will be eagerly looking forward to what this author creates next, because they have the ideas and concepts DOWN but the actual nuance and world-/character-building were missing for me from this one. But there was fun to be had here and OMG THE FANART FOR THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE OUT OF THIS WORLDDD.

Coming into 2021, Iron Widow probably topped by ‘Highly Anticipated’ list. Between the absolutely bonkers “summary for weebs” Zhao provides, and their clear passion for Chinese history and culture through their various Twitter threads and Youtube videos, the love and passion put into Iron Widow is very clear. I have a somewhat shaky relationship with YA fantasy, so the months up to now was just me praying, ‘dear god please let me love this book’. And I’m so excited to say I ADORED this book!

As the marketing says, this book is anime as fuck. The mechas vs hundun battles are written so anime in just the best way possible. I got flashbacks to the mecha shows I used to watch, mixed in with some Deca-Dence vibes. I felt like I was reading an anime and it was just glorious.

As for the rest of the worldbuilding, I’m curious to see how it’ll be received. For me, a Chinese-American reading a book inspired by historical China, I’m familiar with the tropes and setting and my brain can easily fill in the gaps of imagination to really populate this world. For Western readers, I’d be really curious to see if the worldbuilding is considered ’empty’ or ‘confusing’ because this really does feel like it was written for an audience familiar with C-Drama setting tropes. That being said, there are so many mysteries and little clues scattered throughout the story that makes the ending sooo exciting. I’m extremely excited to see where book 2 leads. (let my gay dads fight!)

Along the lines of historical inspiration, seeing characters like Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang (actual historical figures + famous characters from Romance of the Three Kingdoms) with Zhuge’s iconic white feathered fan, and seeing Zhao’s personal take on those characters in this sci-fi world was really cool. Love that the west is slowly getting introduced to more Chinese classics. Likewise, I think every historical China inspired story is required to name drop Sun Wukong somewhere in the story and this particular rendition cracked me up because it simultaneously combines his traditional story in Journey to the West with the sheer cultural impact that story has in the millions of remakes and I loved that.

Wu Zetian my queen. I’ve talked before about how much I hate stories that are advertised with a “villanous” protagonist only to have said protag spend most of their time moaning about how they don’t want to be evil and ‘oh no I killed a guy gasp!” Wu Zetian has none of that. I think she’s now the most bloodthirsty YA protagonist I’ve had the fortune of reading and I adore her for it. Wu’s character growth, her bloodthirsty-ness fueled by that anger against the patriarchal society rigging life against the female concubine pilots, makes her one of the most compelling protagonists and determined protagonists. Bring on the corruption arc!

Like Wu, I also really adore her husband (Li Shimin) and boyfriend (Gao Yizhi). Both characters are really compellingly written, with strong determination to see their visions through (likewise, no bemoaning their past actions for a chapter. These are characters that commit.) With these usual setups with Female MC and Childhood friend boy next door Love Interest A and Edgy Dangerous Feral Boy Love interest B, I usually root for B. I was surprised to find that I actually liked A, Yizhi more. Partially because Yizhi isn’t actually that innocent cinnamon roll he first appears to be, partially because Yizhi knows he’s not a warrior, knows he’s not a mecha pilot. He’s a rich boy with too many connections and recognizes and works around those traits. Not sure if Western readers would immediately pick this up but generally in Asian media, tattoos == criminal activity. Also! There’s no competition between the love interests! No petty fights and misplaced anger, just recognition that a single person can hold love for more than one person.

Subversion, so much subversion. Iron Widow takes every popular YA trope and subvert them all. Obviously there’s the poly trio because love triangles are overrated. There’s also that traditional YA ‘big makeover scene’ that just feels different than the usual, ‘oh shit she’s pretty in a dress’ scene. Without going into spoilers, media interaction is an important aspect of this book and part of that media play is making these characters ‘likeable’ to the general public through photoshoots and interviews. As a running theme in this book, Zetian’s attitude is extremely pragmatic, rarely letting herself get caught up in the moment or in the fame and hype. That pragmatism is just so refreshing to see.

If I’m forced to say I disliked something it would be that the book rather bludgeon the reader with the social messaging. The main theme of this book is ‘man, the patriarchy kinda sucks’ and it’s not subtle. I’m generally not a fan of books that really handhold the reader with social messaging, leaving no room for interpretation. However, Zetian is a (justifiably) very angry character and Zhao very visibly translates that anger to the reader, which manages to make this approach work. It’s still not my favorite aspect, but unlike many other books that do this, it fits the character’s personality.

Overall, I rate this book a 5/5. Anime as fuck, seeped in historical Chinese influence, characters, and mythology, and one hell of a power trio! One of the best books of 2021 and I just can’t wait for the sequel

Did someone order a huge batch of morally grey? 'Cause it's here! And when I say 'morally grey,' I mean pretty dark grey!

The reader is thrown right into the action of this Chinese-inspired sci-fi, and I found that I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with all that was happening. But, as the story went on, I quickly found that I was able to start understanding better.

I rather enjoyed this book. It's definitely character-driven, which I like. Wu Zetian is clearly a very angry girl who has no qualms about doing what needs to be done to make things right, no matter the cost. She meets other characters and together they pull each other out of dark places and set out to take over the world.

The book does have queer rep, and it is refreshing to read a story that is entirely based on a non-Western culture.

The one thing that wasn't really for me was the polyamorous relationship, although it definitely didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I would definitely pick up the second book when it becomes available, because wow! That ending was something!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC.

Xiran has created a powerful debut book, a character and plot driven story I had too much fun reading

"Welcome to your nightmare."

All that is good in fantasy, Iron Widow delivers tenfold.

I'm really not sure what I can say to urge everyone to read this. Because honestly? This is just one of those things you have to experience for yourself to understand how unbelievably mind-blowingly brilliant it is.

And with that in mind, in no particular order, here are my thoughts:

"Pacific Rim meets the Handmaid's Tale" - Someone read that and tell me there's no way you're not intrigued. I dare you.

Zetian is willing to kill anyone that gets in the way of her revenge. She will take on the patriarchy and she will do it laughing. With her take charge attitude, she won't let anyone stop her from taking over her own destiny. She's the kind of woman anyone would be lucky to have on their side.

“I’m so tired of being a girl.” - You and me both, Zetian.

The romance was sweet and fragile and heartbreaking. We don't have enough healthy polyamorous relationships in YA. Someone remedy that, please.

Give me more East Asian-inspired books. Give. Me.

I love how Xiran Zhao took key figures and setting from Chinese history and made them her own.

Xiran Zhao's writing. *chef's kiss*

THAT. ENDING.

I don't think anyone will ever be ready for what Xiran Zhao has in store for us. In this installment and the next.

"It’s as if I’ve got a cocoon shriveled too tightly around my whole being. If I had my way, I’d exist like that butterfly, giving onlookers no easy way to bind me with a simple label."

"It’s hilarious. Men want us so badly for our bodies, yet hate us so much for our minds."

"Too bad. I am exactly the kind of ice-blooded, rotten-hearted girl he fears I am. And I am fine with that. May he stay unsettled."

"When you cherish someone for how amazing they are, you don’t pluck them from their roots just to watch them wither in your hands. You help them bloom into the incredible thing they’re really meant to be."

I received an ARC via Netgalley to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.