A bisexual, polyamorous book that tackles gender issues written by a nonbinary Chinese author with a lot of Chinese cultural and historical aspects was everything I didn't know I needed before times of trouble, when Xiran Jay Zhao comes to me speaking words of wisdom. Despite not having explicitly nonbinary characters (as of yet! High hopes for the second volume), there's something intrinsically... trans in the way this story was told and the reimagining of Wu Zetian, the only woman ruler in Chinese history, was portrayed. My own nonbinary identity was an important asset for my understanding and interpretation of this book, an experience I'm glad to have gone through.

"Iron Widow" is both a character driven and a plot driven story, both equally attention grabbing. The analysis on the society, Zetian's efforts to succeed in it while the whole structure she's inserted in is against her, as well as the reflections about family, where the line is drawn between good and bad when choice is an illusion, and the complexity of what's seen as redemption and corruption are groundbreaking.

As for the characters, they're all well rounded and developed, complex enough that you can't fit many of them into a box. Their morality compass is as messy and chaotic as they are, which was a delight to read, and- wow. Just wow. It took me some time to get the hang of it, something that I usually go through at the start of sci-fi and/or fantasy books (it's overwhelming to have an entire world to figure out, which makes everything, basically, kind of confusing), but I promise you it's worth it. It hasn't even been released and I already can barely wait for the next one!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Oh. My. God. This book has literally landed itself into my favorites self. 5 stars, EASILY.

As the description states, Iron Widow is a mix between Pacific Rim and the Handmaid's Tale with plenty of original contributions. It features a bisexual protagonist and a polyamorous romance (f/m/m), which is just. right up my alley, and it's done so well. I love Zetian with my whole heart – she's literally SO great and just doesn't really care about what people think! Originally driven by revenge, she then shifts to toppling down the entire system and starting fresh. And her character arc throughout the novel is just so chef's kiss. And, no spoilers, her two love interests are pretty great too, but she's the star of the show here.

I love both Pacific Rim and the Handmaid's Tale so the plot was a perfect mix of the two. The author does a brilliant job creating a world that is both new and familiar to the reader. The writing is brilliant and I could not stop reading this – I only put it down when I had to sleep and picked it up as soon as I could the next day. I really, really enjoyed this novel and can't wait for the next one. While I was sort of guessing what the ending cliffhanger might be, I didn't exactly figure out what happened until I read it with my own two eyes. How am I supposed to wait until next year for this???

5/5. Needless to say, I'll be buying a physical copy of this book when it officially comes out on September so I can display it on my shelves.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this book. That said, this review is based on an uncorrected proof, and details may differ from the final copy.

What I liked: Slightly angry girl goes absolutely feral and we're rooting for her. Polyamorous queer relationships, and east asian lore weaved into a futuristic scifi setting.

What could have gone better: I wish we had more of our Heroine's sister beyond "she's already dead when the book starts and inspires the protagonist to fight" especially because the trope of a woman who dies to inspire the protagonist is criticized in the book.

What I wish would be scrapped: The part of the introduction from a man's point of view. Defeats the whole point of the book and lucky it was short or I would have lost interest completely. If it was rewritten from a media or copilot or family of the copilot's perspective it would be much more gripping. There were also some stray remarks that distracted more than they developed the story, such as the etymology of the word 'wonton' in this world.

Overall, I believe the finished, polished version of this book will be five stars and will rate accordingly.

[This review is on goodreads.]

Maybe I was not the target audience, but it read a bit younger for me! I usually like these type of plots, and can understand why someone would pick this book up of course. Everyone has their own tastes, and I’m starting to understand that a little better.

Of course, I think the messages in this book are super important, and I would love to give this book another read in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

the official feminist manifesto, it’s true!! it means so much to me that i got to read a science fiction book with bi rep (not to mention mcs are East Asian). this truly was a breath of fresh air; even the romance was untraditional according to our current society’s standards. AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON THAT PLOT TWIST ?? HELLO ??

i need book 2 in my hands right now.

10000000000/5 stars!

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

That. ENDING.

THAT WAS THE CLIFFHANGER OF ALL CLIFFHANGERS.

Full disclosure, I'm not the biggest sci-fi fan, but Iron Widow has everything I loved, especially my favorite aspects from shounen anime, that it felt like such a niche read - weebs unite!

Without spoiling the plot, the characters fight in Mechas reminiscent of those from Gundam/Code Geass, but aren't sentient during piloting so it's also reminiscent of Attack on Titan (screams SASAGEYO).

The battles play out like a Dragon Ball fight, and the Chrysalis transformations reminded me of Power Rangers/Digimon.

Honestly, if you have no anime background, this will be the wildest read EVER, especially if your idea of sci-fi is "space stuff".

Iron Widow's greatest triumph is its consistency with a specific narrative: FUCK THE PATRIARCHY.

Zetian is probably my favorite female leads of all time. Many books claim to have the "down with the patriarchy" but Xiran Jay truly looked at every aspect of the patriarchy especially the way women perpetuate and enforce men and their power, and the struggle to break free from mental chains placed on your thinking from being raised in such patriarchal societies.

This book is BRUTAL. There's no sugar-coating the horrors these girls face as concubines meant for slaughter... the feet binding Zetian was subjected to by her own family...the overall injustice and inequality that women face to be kept down and beneath the feet of men.

I loved that Zetian grew as a character. That the development was gradual, that she learnt to love her boys, because fighting the patriarchy DOES NOT equate to hating men.

So yes, this is poly, and excellent poly might I add. Our characters came together so organically and at no point did I feel like the MxM pairing was fetishized by Zetian.

So let's talk guys: whew, I can't choose and why should I? Zetian didn't.

Yizhi: ugh, not me thinking he was gonna be the soft pretty scholar boy, when in reality, he was the strongest, mentally that is, incredibly self-assured and open-minded. 50% of why this poly works is because Yizhi laid down his policy at beginning: his heart has no room for jealousy.

And then there's Shimin: the beast, the brute, the convicted murderer, but who turned out to be the soft boy??? Shimin carried so much guilt, and harbored real demons and I just wanted to hug him and tell him he deserves the world, he deserves happiness.

So as a REAL LOVE TRIANGLE, these three balance well. Zetian is like Shimin in many regards, prone to violence and anger and self-doubt, and Yizhi had the world of patience to soothe Shimin, to weather Zetian.

I also honestly loved the world building. Any questions I have, I'm sure will be answered in the next book because that cliffhanger holds SO MUCH POTENTIAL.

Hands down, this is an all time favorite.
I can't believe this is a YA debut.
Anime fans, poly fans, you'll love this to pieces.

TW: mild cursing, violence, gore, attempted rape, alcoholism.

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

Have you ever read a book where you wished the main character would just go balls to the wall in their quest for revenge? No redemption arc, no softening towards the enemy, no mercy, only vengeance. Enter Wu Zetian, the feminist nightmare of her horrifically sexist and oppressive society’s dreams.
After volunteering as a concubine pilot to avenge the death of her older sister, Zetian discovers the extent of her inherent power, one that is vital to the war effort against the aliens that threaten her world.
I throughly enjoyed reading this book but wouldn’t say I loved it. The premise is epic and exciting but ultimately the execution fell short of impressive.
While I admired Zetian’s bravery I was frustrated that she is presented as the only female in the entire world who fights back against the patriarchy. All of her allies are male and when she tries to enlist other powerful women to her aid they aren’t interested. I would have loved to see other strong female characters teaming up with Zetian or at least a deeper exploration of why the women don’t feel they can safely rebel.
Another issue I had was that the prose was fairly juvenile at times which pulled me straight out of the story although the battle scenes were very well done.
The society itself is fascinating and I loved the historical Chinese influences woven throughout the narrative. I wish there had been more descriptions of the cities and how things worked because I felt confused about what everything looked like. I also felt like the plot meanders along without a clear destination until the last 10% of the book which is setting up for the next installment. More dedicated world-building earlier on would have been really helpful.
One of my favorite parts of this was the fantastic representation! Not only do we have a non-Western cultural backdrop but we also see diversity in relationships and individual sexuality which I greatly appreciated.
Overall I had fun reading this and feel like it was a great debut by a talented author. I look forward to reading the next one in the series!
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

16+
The hits:
Poly characters
Lots of trope reversals
The fighting robots
Character arcs
Pacing

The misses:
I wish there were less f words so I could safely shelve for younger students —sex scenes are all off page
I had a hard time visualizing the battles but that’s possibly on me and not the writing.

Wow! Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is probably one of the most imaginative novels I have read in a while. Right off the bat, I was very intrigued by the idea of incorporating traditional Chinese elements into a futuristic setting. Admittedly, I was a little doubtful of how well these two concepts would mesh, however Zhao's skillful descriptions definitely left me wanting to see more of this world. As for the characters, Zetian's strength and independence surpasses that of many characters that fall within the same genre. Although I cannot say I agree with all of her thought processes, she did make for a very interesting character to read.

“Be their nightmare, Wu Zeitan.”
Iron Widow is one of the most fantastic sci-fi fantasies I’ve read in a long time. Our main character, Zeitan, is not just morally grey- she’s out for vengeance. This book tackles the patriarchy head on with teeth bared and claws out. The pacing of this story is fast, without a moment of lull between plot points.
Considering this book is a debut, I was floored by the merging of culture, sci-fi, and fantasy aspects. It was all incredibly well done.
Generally, I am the first one to hate a cliff-hanger of an ending. However, Zhao cleverly wrapped up the plot and set us up well for the next book. This has me highly anticipating it, while still feeling satisfied with what I got. This was hands down one of the best books I’ve read in 2021, and I can’t wait to see more from this author.
Full review July 19th, 2021

Xiran Jay Zhao chose violence and I, for once, could not be more thrilled. This is an absolutely stunning novel that weaves reimaginings of historical figures such as Wu Zeitan, China's only ruling empress, with sci-fi/space opera concepts like mech suits piloted by qi and (redacted -spoilers). Genre mashups that successfully interweave science and the mystical can be tricky to pull off but when done right, they're often spectacular. THE IRON WIDOW is spectacular.
Coming out of four years of conservatism wherein a group of men and their female allies tried to convince the rest of us that we should revert to our midcentury ways, a novel that started with rebellion and went on a rampage was just... so. Damn. Satisfying. Was I enraged for our protagonist? I was. So many times. But watching her use her mind, develop her skills, find her allies, deprogram... this may be a young adult novel, but even at 42 it made me consider my own habits and wonder if there aren't some responses I should be reframing.
My kids aren't quite ready for this one but I've ordered a copy, despite having read the ARC, for when they are. I can't wait to share it with them.
I had thought THE IRON WIDOW was going to be a one shot but the end felt... primed for a sequel. Now that I've read it, I am most definitely hoping book 2 is already in the works.

Even from the first page you know this is gonna be epic. A seamless blend of mythology, history, and science fiction by an author who knows very well what they're doing. The story of China's only empress is masterfully weaved in with giant mecha and monsters and epic battles. Definitely gonna read book 2!

Couldn't finish this one. One of my favorite things about good fantasy is world building but I just felt very lost in this book. I could never really see anything that was being described to me. We're dropped to quickly into this world of giant monster's fighting other monster's we never get any time to acclimate to what this world even looks like. While certainly action packed the plot never really moved beyond "kill the monsters" for me and, while I acknowledge I'm not the right audience for this, I simply didn't care enough about the characters to get invested in their tangled love lives.

I'd say my biggest issue is with Zhao's heroine, Zetian is just to "ahead of her time" to feel real. She's just so mindlessly angry all the time while literally everyone else behaves in a way that at least seems more normal in context of the world they're all in. Actually traveling on a journey with Zetian as she comes into her power would have been terrific. Watching her find strength and realize she's better than the men around her would have had a much more powerful impact than just watching her rage over and over.

There were also a lot of obvious parallels to other dystopian teen novels, most particularly "The Hunger Games" and it was very hard not to just picture those other books the entire I was reading this.

I really did like the concept here and Zhao's writing is very strong but I just couldn't get on board with this one.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is the story of Zetian an 18 year old concubine and she's here to avenge her murdered sister and smash the patriarchy. Set in a sci-fi world with a giant robots, a war with aliens, polyamory, an ancient Chinese society, and timely social commentary. It's action packed, fast paced and a complete delight to read. Giant robot wars are not my thing but I'm 100 percent invested in Zetian using them to kill terrible men and take over the world.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is a truly unique book unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Our main character, Zetian, is an unapologetic feminist bent on acquiring power for herself and justice for the hundreds of girls killed during battles against Hunduns. If you are looking for a light, easy read with a likable protagonist, then Iron Widow isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for an unconventional, thought-provoking book centered around morality, redemption, and power struggles, then you’ll love this addictive sci-fi seeped in Chinese mythology.

The society that Zetian resides in is outwardly misogynistic, and women are treated abdominably. That’s likely part of the reason why the two boys Zetian grows close to are so indearing and refreshing. At first I was a little annoyed with the direction the romance was progressing in. There’s nothing more annoying than a teenage love triangle revolving around an entitled, brainless girl who simply can’t make up her mind between two guys who are significantly better than her, or vice versa. This book flipped that trope on its head and created an open relationship between the three main characters. They were all openly queer and in love with each other, which was pretty cool to see.

The questions raised by Iron Widow revolving around concubines and consorts were definitely valid and accurately aimed at today’s society. Implied sex and rape scenes were present throughout this book, and there are also descriptions of torture. While uncomfortable to read about, these topics need to be addressed, least fiction become a reality.

The complex world building and descriptive writing style are definite draws to Iron Widow. The way the landscape and Hunduns are described definitely draw mental pictures in the reader’s mind. The final scene in the story is simply unforgettable. It left me craving more, and I can’t wait for a second book.

Iron Widow is an unconventional and unapologetic novel. I would definitely recommend it to YA and sci-fi readers because of the fast plot and the important questions it raised.

I received an ARC of this novel curtesy of Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada, opinions are my own.

<b>REVIEW TIME!!</b>

Iron Widow is a sci-fi novel that follows the main character, Zetian, in an ancient-chinese inspired setting. Zetian is based on the only female emperor of Ancient China.

Before we get into the review, I’m a critical and cynical person by nature. <b>I want to say that I enjoyed reading this book and 100% recommend it to anyone on the fence about pre-ordering this book (or reading it, if this is after publication).That said, those thoughts might not come across in my review, so just know that I liked this book and you should read it too.</b>

This review is going to be broken down on 6 things:

-Plot
-Characters
-World-building
-Thoughts
-Criticisms
-TL;DR

<i><u>Plot:</i></u>

This book was very easy to follow, and a pretty quick read for me. I ended up finishing this book in much less than a day, which is something that I often do anyways, but I couldn’t put this book down.

The book strikes a good balance between storyline, relationships, and all other aspects of books. I would say that there are a few surprises scattered throughout the novel, but nothing that is far-fetched or doesn’t make sense.

I will say that there are certain scenes in the novel that weren’t fully detailed, so I had trouble visualizing it in my mind, but it didn’t affect any other parts of the novel. Just me trying to create the scene shot-by-shot in my dreams/memories so I can revisit it later, lol. Please note that this is in relation to the advanced readers copy of the book, this may not be the case after publication.

<i><u>World-building:</i></u>

Kinda bad summary of the world:The world is focused around the idea that women (yin) are more docile, and are supposed to be the balance/mediator to men (yang) and their erratic and primal behavior. Men in this world pilot machines used to fight of Hunduns through their qi and spirit pressure. There's a lot explained in the book, but essentially the woman pilot always dies at the end of the battle.

<I>"Yin and yang represent the opposing forces that churn the universe into life. Yin is everything cold, dark, slow, passive, and feminine. Yang is everything hot, bright, fast, active, and masculine."</I>

Zetian signs up to enlist as a concubine (a woman pilot) to enact revenge on one of the most respectable/powerful pilots in the army. You see, he killed her older sister when she was sold off into the army.

And that begins the start of a very immersive and mesmerizing novel.

<I>comments about the world building</I>

I love that, because this world is so clear-cut and definitive in terms of biological sex, that there is a scene acknowledging those who are intersex. I do wish that some sort of commentary was made for the enby/trans people, but I hesitate to say that it should be included because it doesn't really make sense to add that in (in terms of the scene that it occurred in).

Tbh I was a little confused about the nuance in the world, but I understood everything that was going on, and the entire book is easy to follow. So, if you're someone who doesn't like sci-fi because of the science part of the book, I recommend this as a lowkey sci-fi novel! I'm not the biggest sci-fi fan but I really enjoyed this book.

As previously mentioned, this book is influenced by ancient-chinese culture. As a fan of Xiran Jay Zhao (from her Mulan-live action YouTube video) and as a Chinese-American who has traveled to China far more times than I can count, I can tell you the ancient-chinese aspect of this book is accurate! Unfortunately, so.

The thing that interested me the most was that Zetian (the main character) had her feet binded when she was a child, something that happened to Chinese women as a way to enforce the patriarchy ✨. Throughout the novel, we can see Zetian struggle with the pain she feels when she walks, but it doesn't define her and it doesn't stop her. I don't have much else to say about it, I found it an interesting (in a positive way) choice and it added more depth to the novel and Zetian's character.

At times there were specifics about the world that weren't extremely clear to me, but I don't think it was necessary to know every detail of how everything worked. That's the case for many novels that throw you right into the middle of a new fantastical world, and that's the case for this novel.

<i><u>Characters:</i></u>
I loved all of the main characters from this novel. At no point was I not rooting for them. <i>They’re all the bicons (bisexual icons) we have been waiting for.</i>

Zetian reminds me much of Jude Duarte (from The Folk of the Air), looking to gain power and feast on the sounds of her enemies...

The other 2 main characters? I'll refrain from writing about. I feel like it might go into spoiler territory.

The only criticisms that I had for them was that I wish they were more fleshed out, and that they had a bit more nuance. I think the way they're portrayed in the novel is great! I'm just a very character-driven person and wished we spent more pages developing the relationships and characters. ONCE AGAIN, THE BOOK DOES THIS! I just wanted ✨more✨ personally.

<i><u>Thoughts:</i></u>
How did this book make me feel overall... Here are some of the comments I made while reading this book:

-<i>Me, for a brief, brief moment: damn this isn't going to end well for one of the love interests and it's gonna be me who gets burned because I always fall in love with the one who gets rejected.

-THIS SHIT IS SO GOOD 😪😪😪</i>


This book really came in to make sure I didn’t fall into the depths of second-lead syndrome. And I will be forever thankful. I haven’t read many books that have polyamory, and I think that’s a real shame.

<b>I would also like to say that there are some BANGER quotes in this book, I would love to add them here, but please note that I'm quoting the arc. So, these quotes may have been changed/redacted:</b>

<I>
"But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance." (tell me this DOESN'T give off Jude vibes)

"He’s strangling someone with his own chains."

"If this were any other occasion, I’d be laughing. Perks of refusing to play by the rules: you don’t have to choose between the boy who’d torture a man to death with you and the boy who’d welcome you back with pastries after."

"My killer boy, my sweet boy. The final line in this triangular formation we’ve been dancing in, making us stronger than ever."


</I>


<i><u>Criticisms:</i></u>
At points I think that the writing is a little-too straight forward.
I have never been the type to love first person pov, so it took some getting used to for this book.

The vernacular/informal language used in this book threw me off sometimes. I couldn’t tell if it was a commentary about Zetian’s personality, her birth status, or just Xiran Jay Zhao’s writing style. However, I would like to add that the copy of the book I read was an advanced readers copy, so this might have been touched up from now to publication.

<i><u>TL;DR</i></u>
READ THIS BOOK! MMM CHINESE CULTURE MMM POLYAMORY MMMM CHINESE-CANADIAN AUTHOR

Iron Widow has one of the most intriguing elevator pitches in the YA sphere: in the words of the author herself, “it’s a Pacific Rim x The Handmaid’s Tale retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, featuring mechas inspired by East Asian myth creatures and piloted by a sexist, boy-girl piloting system.”

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the gritty, dirty history of the real Wu Zetian and her rise to power, you can imagine the trials faced by a concubine who started as a fixture in the emperor’s harem and then became emperor herself, as well as the powerful men she had to resist at every stage. Zhao’s reimagined Zetian has no fewer obstacles in her way — in fact, she has an extra one: in the male-dominated world of Huaxia, concubines do not only exist to serve and please the pilots that the army assigns them to. They’re also expected to go smiling to their inevitable deaths in battle.

I was most apprehensive about the way that this book — namely the main character — would approach the concept of feminism. One of YA’s gravest pitfalls is how one dimensional its lens of misogyny often is. I couldn’t count on two hands how many books I’ve read where a female main character becomes the only woman in her world to achieve some awe-inspiring feat (which is only made possible by her imitating a man), and then finally becomes accepted by the male characters who have mocked and degraded her throughout the entirety of the story: characters whose respect for women is conditional on how impressed they are by them. These books are lazy, and, quite frankly, make me dislike the main character for being made to adapt to the male standard of what is respectable.

But Zetian? She’s an angry feminist. It’s about time we got angry feminists in YA.

More so than the worldbuilding or the fight for survival that the plot of Iron Widow revolves around, this book’s exploration of how women function and interact with each other in such a blatantly misogynistic world fascinated me. Zhao does not write women that are unrealistic, women who bravely defy the patriarchy and refuse to cave to a society that hates them so much. Instead, many of them do what it takes to survive: they adapt to their environment, and even perpetuate their own oppression. When all you’ve ever been told is that you exist to bend and serve, you will accept it. I appreciate that message, because I feel it’s one that isn’t discussed enough in fiction or the real world. Women can absolutely be perpetrators of misogyny, often in the name of preserving some idea of “honor” that was created by men who don’t believe we have any honor at all.

If I were to have any complaint about Iron Widow, it would be the romance, although this is more a matter of personal preference than poor execution. If you like reading about less conventional relationships and you’re instead interested in characters who step outside of the bounds of monogamy, the romance in this book might appeal to you. For me, however, a hopeless romantic who likes to let books delude her into believing that soulmates exist and we are all destined to find one person who will love us forever, that aspect of the story didn’t particularly satisfy me.

Iron Widow is the first book of a planned duology, so it’ll be interesting to see where the story continues from here. With most novel retellings of historical figures and old myths, the end of the first book in the series is where the plot diverges the most from the source material, and I predict the same will happen with this duology. Of course, if Zhao really wants to lean into the history aspect, Zetian will be having children and murdering them soon. However, I think it’s safe to say Iron Widow 2 will continue expanding on the themes laid out in the first book, from the harm purity culture does young girls to the question of how actually good the self-proclaimed “good” men are when they do nothing but stand aside and watch the degrading treatment of women in society.

When a novel gets compared to Pacific Rim and the Handmaid’s Tale, my expectations for said novel automatically skyrocket. Iron Widow delivered the vengeful, feminist, patriarchy smashing novel 16 year old me would have died to read, and adult me loved every minute of.

Hands down, Wu Zetian was my favourite part of this novel. In the past when I have been promised an angry, unrepentant girl lead, I have been disappointed. This was definitely not the case with Zetian. Her furious ambition and drive resonated with me, and as the novel progresses, you get to see more of the tender (if not soft) parts of her as well. She takes absolutely no crap and I love her for it. Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi were great as well, as the secondary characters we saw the most of.

The worldbuilding and plot were solid, and despite a few blips in the pacing and direction, well executed. A heads up: this universe is heavily entrenched in misogyny and other trauma. I’m normally quite particular about misogyny as a conflict device, especially in speculative fiction (it’s one of the main reasons I will DNF a book), but to me the misogyny and oppressive systems were challenged enough by the main characters to make the trauma worth it.

While Iron Widow shouldn’t be considered a romance—it’s quite dark and focuses heavily on the sci-fantasy elements—I also appreciated the open inclusion of a polyamorous romance. This is one the first traditionally published novels I’ve read (and maybe the first YA one at all) that normalizes poly relationships as opposed to a love triangle.

The premise of this novel is quite binary, and one of my only critiques was the lack of gender diversity beyond the stereotypical man/woman split. I would have also loved to see Wu Zetian form a strong and healthy friendship with another girl, but I’m holding out hope for the next book.

Overall, Iron Widow grabbed me and didn’t let me go. Despite some minor critiques, I devoured this book and love the world and premise Xiran Jay Zhao has put into the world. I will be eagerly awaiting the next entry in the series.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the scifi polyam young adult book you have been waiting for! From thought-provoking paragraphs to intricate world-building to characters with layer upon layer of complexities to a dazzling romance between three people, readers will surely find this one as a refreshing read in the genre.

Zetian is every bit the heroine in most young adult fiction we have all read at first until she is tested again and again in this magnetic debut from Xiran Jay Zhao. It has themes akin to those in mecha-anime that I find compelling and intriguing. Things get more exciting once the other two characters were introduced. It's pretty fast-paced from there on and packed with action. The plot, characters, and writing really made this stunning debut a delight. I could not put it down. Lovers of the scifi will find this a step into the usual scenarios present in this genre.

The pitch for the regular person on the street is that this is “a Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale reimagining of the rise of the only female emperor in Chinese history”. And even though that spoke to me, what spoke to me louder was the alternate pitch the author put out: it is more like the anime DARLING in the FRANXX but with a story based in the gongdou genre (Chinese palatial harem tales like the hit C-drama Story of Yanxi Palace), both of which I am more familiar with than I care to admit.

Iron Widow is the first eARC I have ever requested. I actually opened a NetGalley account for it and I did it precisely because I felt the same as the author. I believe there is a lot of potential to the boy-girl pilot system introduced in DARLING in the FRANXX which can be used as an interesting device to explore concepts of gender and sexuality—a potential that I felt the show did not live up to and I was absolutely not a fan of how the female pilots are basically oriented on all fours in front of the male pilot, who is seated and would “steer” the woman by the hips (yes, like that). I am also a total sucker for magical world-building which ties intimately to the themes of the story, like Steven Universe‘s Fusion which fuses two or more characters and the resulting individual is a representation of their relationship and the combination of their strengths (a concept which is itself a reworking of gattai or 合体 from Dragonball).

But, if we are to step away from all the pop culture that Iron Widow draws generously from, I’ll describe it as a story about giant qi-powered transforming robots called Chrysalises which are controlled by the power of heterosexual spooning, and humanity uses these machines to defend themselves in a war against the invasion of a sentient species of wonton (okay, it’s the other way around—wontons are actually possibly named after the alien Hunduns). Human society in this world is a patriarchal hellhole for women and if The Handmaid’s Tale is the Judeo-Christian version of that, Iron Widow is the Chinese cultural edition. There are so many misogynistic things said about women in this book that is still being said to Chinese girls and women today! I am a Chinese dude, but I’ve heard them within earshot often enough and I have no doubt that Ms Zhou is absolutely drawing from personal experience here.

Wu Zetian is a teenage girl who is being sold to the army as a “concubine-pilot” and is one of the countless girls who will pilot a Chrysalis along with one of the celebrity male pilots (who accrue fame as battles are livestreamed across the nation). She is being paired with Yang Guang, who she believes murdered her older sister who enlisted before her. The thing is, female pilots are often sacrificed in the piloting process for power and girls rarely survive the ordeal so the female sex is literally grist for the war mill, aside from basically serving as sex slaves for male pilots in their private harems. Zetian had specifically wanted to join up so she could avenge her sister, hopefully before she can be used up in a fight.

It may not be to everyone’s taste but I find Zetian to be a very compelling main character who displays plenty of agency in her thoughts and actions. You can’t rightly call her a good person either as she commits some pretty morally questionable acts throughout the book. It is, however, incredibly exhilarating to read how she handles everything the world throws at her, standing up against impossible challenges as she does everything she can to survive. Everything she learns about the system becomes her ammunition to subvert or destroy it. She reminds me very much of the protagonist of another book I read recently: Baru Cormorant from Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant. They are both involved in socially unacceptable romantic relationships. They are both trying to dismantle a massive bureaucratic power structure from within. They are both forced to commit atrocities in service of their own ends.

I absolutely love the way that the author incorporates so much Chinese historical and mythic references in Iron Widow. The qi-based magic system is drawn directly from Five Phases (五行) which consists of the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water, and the Chrysalises are based on Chinese mythological creatures like the the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Headless Warrior (it’s wild—look up “Xingtian” who was beheaded but continues to fight using his nipples as eyes and his navel as a mouth), and the four Auspicious Beasts such as the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, the Black Tortoise, and the Yellow Dragon. Practically all the characters have names taken from historical figures and reads like a who’s who of Chinese history, even though they only share a passing thematic resemblance to their namesakes. One of them, a club bouncer called Yuchi Jingde, made me laugh because he shares a name with a Tang dynasty general who is worshiped today as a door god.

There are also multiple allusions to Chinese cultural/historical practices which are familiar to me through years of soaking them up in Chinese and Hong Kong period dramas like the idea of nine familial exterminations (株连九族) where one’s immediate and extended family is executed for serious crimes like treason. There is also the ancient practice of drowning adulterous couples in pig-cages which functions as a sort of informal method of honour killing in Iron Widow for disgraced women. These are not modern pig-cages mind you, but a sort of tiny restrictive bamboo basket that is only big enough to hold one pig or a pair of adulterers. I grew up eating pig biscuits during Mid-Autumn Festival which usually come in their own little individual pig-cages made of bamboo or plastic. Ms Zhou also mentioned “fried dough sticks” or Chinese crullers in Iron Widow but she didn’t mention their cultural significance—they are also called “oil-fried devils” in Cantonese because they are suppose to represent a traitorous historical couple and we’ve been symbolically deep frying them in hot oil for hundreds of years now. Yeah, we Chinese have some pretty hardcore snacks.

A choice Ms Zhou made that I like very much is in highlighting the horrendous outmoded Chinese practice of foot binding where girls’ feet are deliberately broken and bound into deformed “lotus feet” as a sign of status and beauty, but often leave the women suffering lifelong disability. Even though the practice did not exist in the real Wu Zetian’s time, the teenage Wu Zetian of this book underwent this process and the descriptions of her feet in the book is not pretty: three of her toes had fallen off and they exude a festering odour hidden by her bindings and perfumed shoes. The book absolutely does not shy away from showing how it hobbled her, and causes her constant pain much like what the original Hans Christian Andersen Little Mermaid experiences with her newfound feet, which was described as feeling like “walking on sharp knives”. In response to criticism of unrealistic hyperbole, Margaret Atwood often remarked that every horrendous thing that happened to women in The Handmaid’s Tale have already happened before or are happening now, and Ms Zhou can absolutely make the same boast with Iron Widow. It may be hard to believe, but Chinese women really went through all this shit (except dying to power up giant mechas, maybe).

Now the author is pretty upfront about this so this isn’t a spoiler: I am all for how Ms Zhou deals with the perennial YA love triangle trope. Wu Zetian is placed in a position to choose between two hot boys and she simply remarked “a triangle is the strongest shape”. Maybe some YA fans are into the push and pull of triangular romances but I am just glad this did not become a source of angst and drama that drag on for pages and pages. I like how vividly the author imagines most of the action sequences as well, and if they ever adapt this book into a visual medium (like an anime), I’ll watch the shit out of it.

Iron Widow is an absolutely fun read which I completed in just two days, and it is an impressive work for a debut. I was reading the last 3rd deep into the night because I simply could not put it down. That being said, I think there is a tendency for Ms Zhou to tell rather than show, and to overload certain parts with exposition. I can see that it comes from a barely restrained eagerness to show off her world and her research—which I actually enjoy but they sometimes mess with the pacing. The middle part feels a little flabby but final bits absolutely made up for that. While I understand the idea of social and media engagement is a huge theme in YA fiction (and in Chinese culture) today, its inclusion in Iron Widow isn’t saying anything new that The Hunger Games didn’t already say more than a decade ago. And I think Ms Zhou did a great job setting up every twist and revelation ahead of time, but sometimes she did too good a job of it that I feel a bit impatient waiting for the text to catch up to what I already worked out myself. Other than Wu Zetian, Li Shimin and Yizhi, there isn’t a lot of depth to all the other characters so I find it a little hard to feel anything about their actions (even the two lover boys feel a little too perfect sometimes). As a very, very minor nitpick, I also feel like Iron Widow could have differentiated itself from its source of inspiration more. It is a little on the nose to have the Chrysalises have bestial Standard forms which would ascend to their humanoid Heroic forms, much like the FRANXX mechas, while also making allusions to the one-eyed, one-winged jian (鶼) as a metaphor for pair bonding.

Iron Widow is a power fantasy in the best way possible. It is an absolute cry of frustration at how our society is organised and how echoes of its strictures in the name of tradition still reverberates in this modern day and age, and it is written with the sincere wish that one girl who is strong and determined enough, who is placed in the right place at the right time, can claw her way to the top and set it all on fire. If Zetian shares anything with her historical namesake, it’s in her utter defiance of the odds. I am hooked and I look forward to the sequel which I hope won’t be too long a wait. I want to see if the author would explore the piloting system outside of heterosexual and cisgender paradigms. I want to learn more about what the gods are really about behind the scene. I want to know when the Azure Dragon is going to show up because its absence in this book is conspicuous ay eff. But most of all, I want to see what Wu Zetian is going to fuck up next because she is one bad bitch and every morning she wakes up, she chooses violence.

P.S. The book comes out on 21st September 2021.