<i>[Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!]</i>

<b>Trigger/content warnings for Iron Widow:</b> violence and abuse, suicide ideation, mentions of and discussions about sexual assault and rape, alcohol addiction, and torture. This book deals with sexism, misogyny, and femicide as well.

Looking for more BIPOC authors to support? Love mecha sci-fi? What about morally gray female characters? Tired of the standard love triangle trope in YA in which the female protagonist ends up having to choose between two different male love interests even though so much pointless drama could be avoided if they all just dated each other instead? If you said yes to any of these questions, then this book might be right up your alley!

First, I want to talk about things that I appreciate about this book. I love the amount of Chinese culture and history is weaved into this story. It makes me want to learn more and do my own research, especially now that I know the main character Zetian was inspired by the only empress in China’s history.

Additionally I love how this book encourages breaking gender roles and criticizing the society you grew up in. Just because you were raised to think a certain way or believe that something to be true, that doesn’t mean it is.

Of course, I need to mention the aspect of this book that initially made me interested in reading it, and I feel like many readers will appreciate this too. This is not really a spoiler since Xiran Jay Zhao has openly talked about it, so don’t worry. Anyway I cannot stress enough how much I love the subversion of the love triangle trope in Iron Widow. Typically in stories, we have an MC who’s a girl and she has two potential guys in her life who she could end up with. The reader or audience is then forced to pick a side, which honestly I’ve always found kind of dumb. However in this book, Xiran Jay Zhao pretty much said screw all that and had the female protagonist have two boyfriends who are also each other’s boyfriends— Love that for them! Even though going into this I knew this was going to happen, I was a little afraid how it would be executed, but I think it was actually done really well! It didn’t feel forced to me at all. It was so refreshing to see a polyamorous relationship at the forefront of this book.

While I do highly recommend this book, it does deal with some heavy topics that some readers might find triggering, as I have noted at the beginning of my review. So please keep that in mind before reading.

All in all, I enjoyed this book so much. Yes, I did get annoyed at certain points due to the misogynistic societal norms being depicted in this book, but Zetian being unapologetically herself rather than doing what was expected of her all the the time, made it so worth it.

I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel, especially after THAT rollercoaster of an ending, my goodness.

Please go read Iron Widow, taking into account the trigger/content warnings, when it gets released; I desperately need more people to see how great this book is!

AHHH! I finished my ARC of this book at an ungodly hour of the night and my mind was obliterated! It's amazing how this combines so many aspects of ya/sci-fi/fantasy/romance that *feel* familiar while twisting them in a way that is so so original and surprising (I've genuinely NEVER seen a lot of the things in this book done before). By the last 20% of the book I had no idea what to expect and was in a daze going along with the amazing ride the author takes the reader on. Let me tell you (while attempting not to spoil) - it did not disappoint. I loved the unique strengths and development of each main characters. The incorporation of some Chinese historical elements and the discussions surrounding sexism, gender identity, sexual orientation, and being an ethnic minority were wonderful. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book!

Have you ever heard of a premise so damn cool that you are actually in awe by the sheer imagination it took to even come up with such an idea for a story? Because that’s how I felt from the moment I heard about Iron Widow. The summary alone was enough to have me screaming about this upcoming book to anyone who would listen. Then came the absolutely gorgeous cover and my excitement for this book only grew. I must have done something to deserve being approved for an ARC. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Iron Widow was one of my most anticipated books of 2021… and after reading the ARC it has become one of my absolute favorite books of the year.

This book was everything. It was vicious and violent and breathtakingly fantastic that I did not want it to end. It’s been a long time since I’ve finished a book and immediately wanted to re-read it right then and there just because I wasn’t ready for it to be over - and Iron Widow was that book for me. I felt Wu Zetian's rage, and rather than be horrified by it, I cheered her on again and again. As for Gao Yizhi and Li Shimin... I just wanted to hug those boys the entire book.

AND THAT ENDING! No spoilers but damn. Brav-fing-o Xiran Jay Zhao. That sound you hear is me continuously clapping. It's going to be tough to wait until next year for the sequel but I don't doubt it'll be completely worth it.

this is everything i have ever wanted in a book. it is absolutely incredible.

i’ve never read a book with a poly relationship before, but i thought it was handled perfectly and made sense for the characters and their situation. also, they make a cool as fuck team.

zetian was so incredibly ruthless and badass. and FANTASTIC disability rep, by the way. it’s hard not to root for her and love her. she’s a character unlike no other. (i find sometimes in books with a “morally grey” female main character, she usually changes and becomes soft at the end. this is not the case with zetian and it was so refreshing)

my one issue was the lack of backstory with the worldbuilding and the hunduns. i have many many questions but i’m wondering if this might have been intentional based on the ending of the book, and things will finally be revealed in the next book.

this series is going to be absolutely amazing and so so unique. i can’t wait to watch it take over the reading world, because it definitely will.

I was totally hooked by the description alone! When I heard it described by someone as "Pacific Rim meets Handmade's Tale" I instantly knew I had to read it. This book is closest to the Science Fiction genre complete with jealously ridden MFM love triangle!
You guys! I seriously could not stop reading this book! It's that good. I cannot wait until the book is published this fall so I can buy a hard copy! Look at that gorgeous cover!

#NetGalley #IronWidow
I thank NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review :)
All I have to say is this....everyone pick this book up when releases.
You absolutely will not be disappointed 🙌🏼

Pitched as Pacific Rim meets the Handmaid's Tale, Iron Widow is about a woman, Wu Zetian, who enlists herself as a concubine-pilot to assassinate her sister's murderer. A series of events take place which eventually lead to her being paired with the notorious and controversial pilot, Li Shimin. Since I haven't watched either Pacific Rim or the Handmaid's Tale, I would pitch this book as a reimagining of the rise of the only female emperor in Chinese history, if it were in the form of a Mecha anime. Furthermore, this book breaks down so many barriers in YA publishing. From the concept and world-building to the representation of relationships and gender, this book is not your typical YA book.

Let's start with the world-building and concept. World-building in YA is often unimaginative and unoriginal. I want to beg these authors to watch a freaking shonen anime for once and take notes. Fortunately, this book, being that the author is a weeb, delivered. Iron Widow does not shy away from going beyond the imagination. Even, the author wondered if they were high creating the concept of this world (lol) but I AM HERE FOR IT. The world-building is kind of a mesh between ancient China and the modern world with technology and mecha.

What really stood out for me, though, and I feel like will stand out for most people, is the main character. If you know me, you know I absolutely devour books with unhinged, morally-grey protagonists and Wu Zetian is just that. She is mean, vicious, unapologetic, narcissistic, foul-mouthed, arrogant, and ambitious. Not to mention, she is a raging feminist. Basically, she is everything that could trigger a cishet white traditional man. This book, though YA, does not shy away from being absolutely vicious and violent. Aside from all of these admirable traits, Wu Zetian does not care to conform to society's norms. And this can be seen in the polyamory relationship in the book, as well as the sexuality and gender of the main character.

Now, the ending, aka one of my favorite parts, second only to the assassination plot line. It COMPLETELY blew me away. It served some of my all time favorite tropes.

Although I do have a few criticisms, I feel like the author did an excellent job for this debut. I would highly recommend this if you wanna read about vicious female protagonists and a book with anime influences.

Received an e-arc from Netgalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review

I kept seeing this mentioned on Twitter and how it incorporated Pacific Rim, Darling in the Franxx and ancient Chinese legends and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the strong female lead and her relationship with both of her partners.

If I were to describe Iron Widow in one word, it would be aggressive. Unapologetically, unrelentingly aggressive. And I’m here for it.

The story starts with a murder. We follow a reimagined story of Wu Zetian, the only female Empress of China, as she plots her vengeance against the system that killed her sister. In her world, where giant Chrysalises fight mecha aliens bent on destroying humankind, girls are expected to be subservient, docile, quiet. They are expected to sacrifice and suffer for the greater good, often dying in battle against the Hundans. She quickly finds that she is capable of doing so much more; she’s more than a concubine-pilot, more than a source of energy for the war effort. Who she becomes could not only end the fight between humans vs monsters, but the demons that plague our own society as well.

Throughout the book, she takes agency of her own sexuality. Girls only play a serving role in this society and are never given choices, but are forced to support the male figures in their lives. We quickly meet the two love interests in the book, but she flips the script on this expectation as well. In the same vein, she is threatened by attempts to shame her for being a woman, a sexual being with needs and desires, and she quickly takes that down, too. The author does not shy away from these topics, rather she insistently reminds you that women are power with agency, too.

This book reflects on the upbringings and expectations that society expects of girls. Growing up in an Asian household, I saw too much of the same struggles I experience in Zetian. She rejects these traditional gender roles, and with her ever-increasing abilities, she does not back down from her power. History knows Empress Wu as an ambitious and ruthless ruler; Iron Widow explores why she was able to do so using her wit and cunning. I adore that Zetian is absolutely nothing that is expected of her. She often plays the role of monster and while she is unashamed of the part she plays, she still remains true to her beliefs. Women who are portrayed as ambitious in the media are too often vilified for the same aspirations men have. Zetian is unapologetic about the power she wants, the image she portrays, and the destruction of female expectations she leaves in her wake.

As the author’s debut novel, I am thoroughly impressed with how complex the story was while interweaving her message throughout. We know Zetian is ambitious, but we also learn why she is motivated as such. I felt the pacing was a bit off at certain parts, however the story never felt slow. It was a roller-coaster the entire time and yet I still didn’t expect the plot twist at the end. As a massive fan of Pacific Rim and Darling in the Franxx (heck yeah to giant robots punching aliens in the face), this was such a fun blend between dismantling traditional expectations in a futuristic society.

The premise of the book is what really drew me to it. The idea of a young woman taking on the patriarchy, sign me up lol. But, it was not executed as well as I hoped.

Things included in the Book:

POV: the story is told from Zetian's point of view.

Romance: there is romance included, but I wouldn't say that it is the main driver of the plot. Especially when there is little time actually developing the romance. Also there is sex included but it is not explicit.

Main Character ratings:
Zetian: 3/5. I liked her but she was very contradictory. And even though I could understand her viewpoints, I didn't agree with her methods most of the time.

Yizhi: 4/5. I liked him; he was cute and nice. I could see why Zetian likes him but not sure why he loved her... We are introduced to these characters in the middle of their friendship and it always felt like 2 friends who love each other instead of a friends to lover trope.

Li Shimin: 5/5. Love him. Even though we don't get to see his point of view, (we do get to see some glimpses though) he is such a strong character. After everything he goes through he is still able to keep his morals and have hope. His story reminds me of the 2005 movie Unleashed.

Pros:
The world building. The concept is really cool, and even though it took me awhile to picture what everything looked like, once I did, it all started coming together.

The theme. I liked the idea of someone going against what everyone else does especially if it is "wrong." It's a theme that is used in many books and films, but Xiran does a great job!

Cons:
The romance. Aka there really is none. I thought the idea of a MFM romance could be good if it is done well. But... I don't think it was. As I mentioned earlier the romance between Zetian and Yizhi was very underdeveloped. And the romance between Zetian and Li Shimin was more of an instalove (kind of). I could see why she liked them. But don't know how they could like her. The boys' connection seemed way more believable.

Overall, it was an interesting story and it is still worth a read. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh. My. Gosh.
HOW DO YOU GIVE A BOOK MORE THAN FIVE STARS???
First of all, unlikeable female protagonist alert. I’ve never really understood that term though: Zetian is extremely murderous and I LOVE her for it. This entire book is taking down the patriarchy, but, like, literally, she murders a bunch of people. Like. That’s how it’s done. Also, Iron Widow has got to be the coolest title ever, for the book and for Zetian.
Obviously there was a lot of sexism in this book since it’s kind of half of the point, but Zetian is never portrayed as weak, even when she relies on other people. Shoutout to the author for “resolving” the love triangle how she did, I was not prepared to make a choice (the characters are poly, you can read more about the author’s decisions about that in her Goodreads review).
This book is inspired by Chinese history, which I’m not qualified to talk about, but it’s also a sci-fi/fantasy, which I’m quite familiar with. There was really complex, consistent world-building, and this might be the first sci-fi I haven’t been confused by in,,, too long.
I truly don’t know if this’ll be my favorite book of 2021, but it’s worth reading and all of you should!!!

Following Wu Zetian, we enter a distant world where these giant robots called the Chrysalises are the only ones that can defeat the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. Inspired by Ancient China, Chinese culture and history and China's only female emperor, Zhao creates a masterful sci-fi story with amazing world-building, an amazing set of characters, an equally stunning romance and of course masterfully weaving East Asia myth creatures. Zetian is a strong female character who, despite all the obstacles years of history and the society has put up against her, gets what she wants in the end and wins, despite it all. Following the premise of The Handmaid's Tale, the treatment of the girls in society will definitely open your eyes. Zetian is aided by two male characters who then are entangled at first, in a sort of love triangle typical in YA: both boys are in love with the girl and the girl has to choose. Zhao, on the other hand, puts an even better perspective on it: she makes it a polyamorous relationship, something rarely seen in YA but she weaves it into the story so incredibly well that you don't even need to blink twice.
**Thank you the publisher for sending an ARC in exchange of an honest review**

WOWWW, this was the wildest, most original story I have read in a LONGGG time. The blend of sci-fi + fantasy + historical chinese elements was A+. The world building and magic system was incredible and I was VERY INVESTED in the story.
I did want to note that there are some trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, which isn't surprising given the reference to The Handmaid's Tale in the synopsis.

To start, you have 3 main characters:

Zetian the Iron Widow, the logical + lethal MC with a need for justice/vengeance.

Li Shimin the Iron Demon, the strongest and most controversial male pilot with a ~mysterious~ past.

Gao Yizhi, the calm and intelligent son of the most successful media mogul in Huaxia. Has a heart of gold and is a sweet, supportive cinnamon roll.

Zetian was a great MC, she was hot-blooded AND calculating -she knew exactly what her goals were and what she stood for. She did not back down or make herself small, nor did she allow herself to be manipulated. It was FANTASTIC to read her scheming, every time she learned new information or was forced into a new role she paid attention to the long term loss and gains, and readjusted her plans. The love interests Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi were also very interesting and I enjoyed both their relationships with the MC Zetian. This story is very high stakes, and that ending blew my mind. I cannot WAITTT to get my hands on the sequel. This was an extremely impressive first installment for a debut author.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First off, when I read the description, I knew that I had to read this book, and added it to my to-be-read list immediately. Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale sounds like an amazing combination. In addition, the author is a first-generation Chinese immigrant, which is so similar to my own background. I think it's so important to support #ownvoices authors, especially those of Asian descent during this time. When I got the notification that I had been approved to read this ARC, I was so excited that I was jumping up and down. Thank you again to the publisher for this opportunity to review this book ahead of its release date!

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is an absolutely amazing, genre-defying book of feminist YA science fiction. In the author's note at the beginning of the book, the author notes that they were inspired by the story of the first and only female emperor in Chinese history. The plot revolves around 18 year-old Wu Zetian, who is a female pilot for giant transforming robots called Chrysalises. When I read about the robots in this book, I immediately imagined the robots in Gundam anime or the Transformer series. Although female pilots typically die from the strain of piloting these robots, in what is an incredibly misogynist system, Zetian is unusual in that her male co-pilot dies instead of her. She becomes known as an Iron Widow and then is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest male pilot in the corps. If this doesn't sound like an original, insanely creative plot, I don't know what is.

Here is an excerpt from the first chapter when we're introduced to Chrysalises for the first time:

"A lesser pilot would have had to fight off nerves to go meet them in battle, but Yang Guang wasn't fazed. At the foot of his watchtower just beyond the Great Wall, he compelled his Chrysalis, the Nine-Tailed Fox, to launch into action. It was as tall as a seven- or eight-story building and bristly green. Its metallic claws pounded across the earth, shaking it.
A Chrysalis was no ordinary war machine. Yang Guang didn't maneuver it with steering wheels or levers, like he would an electric carriage or a hovercraft. No, he became it. While his mortal body sat dormant in the cockpit, its arms around the concubine-pilot he'd taken to battle tonight, his mind psychically commanded every part of the Nine-Tailed Fox, making it pounce toward the incoming herd on the horizon." Far out on either side of him, the silhouettes of other active-duty Chrysalises raced forth as well."

Overall, Iron Widow is an amazing, stunning debut in YA science fiction. I highly recommend it for all fans of mecha anime series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, or readers of YA science fiction in general. I am so happy to give this book by an #ownvoices author 5 stars! Even if I weren't actively supporting authors of Asian descent right now, I was completely swayed by the original plot of this book, and I enjoyed reading it so much. I literally couldn't put it down and finished it within a day. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, you won't regret checking out Iron Widow when it comes out in September!

This book is very angry at the patriarchy and full of twists. I love the moodboard and the polyamory. I already can't wait for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen House for providing the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Um, to simply put it: just wow.

I can honestly say I never read anything like this before and love how the book totally deliver what the premise promised. The world building is phenomenal I love how Zhao mixed in the history she grew up with alongside sci-fi and blended them the way she did.

The relationship of the characters and their dynamic was so enjoyable but I think what I love most of all was just how angry this book was. It was just so unapologetically angry and furious, and it was just so nice to experience it all on the page like that.

I simply can’t wait to pick up the physical to read it all over again and to fully process everything that went down as well as looking forward to the second book. I’ll be impatiently waiting to see where Zhao decide to take the story next and how she choose to wrap everything up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC!

First off, WOW! What a book! I can honestly say I have never read nothing quite like this before and I mean that in the best way. This book was amazing and so so unique! I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!
Described as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaids Tale, this novel is truly in its own league and the main character Zetian is a complete and total badass that sucked me in immediately with her devil may care attitude and witty comebacks. She doesn’t give a crap about social conventions and taboo subjects because she’s just her rocking self and if anyone has a problem they can pound sand. What a character!
The world building is phenomenal with a mix of futuristic and ancient China vibes that blend together surprisingly well. I was amazed and hooked by this debut novel and will be anxiously awaiting book 2 as well as anything else this author writes!

Well done!! 5 Stars!

3.5/5 stars, rated up because f*ck the patriarchy. In short, Iron Widow is a fantastic debut, and I’m excited to see where the series goes.

What I liked/loved:
-a natural and healthy polyamorous relationship: I absolutely hate love triangles with every fiber of my being, and I greatly appreciate that Xiran Jay Zhao essentially said “No :)” and gave us the poly relationship we deserve. I also like that it’s not insta-lovey or toxic or selfish, as many YA romances tend to be.
-badass characters: I love Zetian as a character. She (and basically all the main characters) is ruthless and even a bit brutal. Maybe I’m a sadist, but I love that Zetian was willing to get down and dirty to get what she wanted. The book never tries to sell her as being misguided or misunderstood; she simply does what she wants, and what she wants is violence. Love me a morally-grey/anti-heroic/basically-a-villain protagonist.
-engaging world/plot: I wasn’t sure how mecha battles would play out through written word, but the battles and ‘magic’ (magic being used very loosely here) system were unique and creative and well-described. It doesn’t seem like it should work, but it does, and it’s great. I flew through this book so fast, and the pace never becomes dull. Everything about the world and its characters and its mysteries is simply entertaining .
-Asian diversity: not much to say here. As an Asian, I’m always down to have more representation.

What I disliked:
-the writing: the language/phrasing/dialogue was at times either extremely colloquial, just straight exposition, or (occasionally) cringey or cheesy. This book isn’t advertised as being historical fiction or anything of that nature, but using words and phrases like ‘basically’ or ‘yup’ really threw me off. This was only a major problem for me in the first, say, fifth of the book, and largely becomes unnoticeable afterwards, but it still happened often enough to bother me.
-motivations: I feel like most of the main character’s motivations were either not explored deeply enough, or were simply nonexistent. Zetian wants to avenge her big sister, yet this is merely told to the reader, and we are never offered anything from their relationship that would make me think, “Oh yeah, I can see why Zetian would want revenge so bad.” It’s just a very shallow excuse to move the plot forward, instead of offering real characterization. The two male leads, as far as I can tell, don’t really have any strong goals aside from just helping Zetian, which is a shame, since they’re such interesting people and can be great contrasts to each other/Zetian.
-the ending: I found the execution of the last 5-10% of the book was rushed and a bit too clunky. It feels like most of the story’s plot lines were simply abandoned to make room for the big plot twist - and ended up leaving a lot of questions unanswered in a very unsatisfying way.

All in all, this is a solid debut that adds a lot of diversity to the YA genre. If you think you may be interested, give it a shot, you’ll probably enjoy it!

Okay, this is technically a 4.5/5 star review but I'm still feeling the high off of this glorious badboy so rounding up to 5 we go!

How do I begin to describe this one? Well, the basic premise is simple enough: in the ruins of a Chinese-inspired civilization, the last dregs of humanity use boy-girl couples piloting giant mechabots to fight off monsters. Unfortunately, female pilots die off at alarming rates, and Wu Zetian's sister becomes one of those statistics. Determined to avenge her sister's death, Zetian enlists as a female pilot to hunt down her sister's partner, setting off on a path that will rattle the very foundations of her society.

This is a revenge story, a tale of one woman's rise to the top of a system that would see her destroyed. Zetian is not a good person, and I am just delighted by her every move. She's determined, ruthless, and cunning. She is vengeance itself, but she still walks the fine line between antiheroine and villain. I just love watching her go berserk on people. If you like characters like Rin from R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War, then Zetian is right up your alley. She's a flawed character prone to making mistakes, but not only does she apologize for them when she needs to, she learns.

Also, I don't know why exactly all these books about angry antiheroine Asian ladies are getting so popular, but I'm not mad. Gimme another 100 of 'em.

What bolsters this is her relationships with other characters. For an action-packed story about mechabots and kaiju, there's a lot of humanity at the core of the story. Amidst her fury, she is tethered by her co-pilot Shimin and her childhood best friend Yizhi. And indeed, the triangle is the strongest shape. I'm so grateful that Zhao managed to hold onto the polyamory aspect of this story, because the three of them balance out so well. And it's a nice middle-finger to a society that props up a deeply misogynistic form of polygamy. I just think they're neat. Shout-outs to Dugu Qieluo, as well! She's my favorite side character.

Aside from that, Zhao does a fantastic job of fleshing out the world, fusing a ton of Chinese mythology with sci-fi elements. She builds a world that celebrates Chinese culture while also criticizing its historic (and modern) issues of classism, racism, sexism, and censorship. Admittedly, the barrier to entry for me was very low because I myself am Chinese-American and therefore familiar with a lot of the mythology that she drew inspiration from. I definitely think that the "magic" system of the five elements + yin-yang of traditional Chinese philosophy that she uses will take time to get used to for Western audiences, but she explains it well enough. If you've watched any mecha anime, this will be pretty easy to get into. It was, after all, inspired by Zhao's own grievances with Darling in the Franxx.

My only caveats would have to do with some of the "twists" that happen later on as being a little abrupt (could use a little more foreshadowing) and the way the themes were often told rather than shown. The bigotry in this book is very overt, and I personally prefer stories where things are more subtly horrifying and constricting e.g. Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy. But all of that aside, I'm really really really excited for everyone else to read this sucker, and I can't WAIT for the sequel!

Penguin Teen (Penguin Random House) and NetGalley?? you sure you meant to accept me for this? it's too late i have already read this and loved this, thank you for your choice or mistake, (if it was an accidental click, understood, thank you.)

CWs: mentions of rape, torture, gore, physical abuse, emotional abuse,

Like many people, I heard about Xiran Jay Zhao through their educational tweets and later, their YouTube videos. From hearing them talk, Iron Widow was quickly placed high on my *to-read* list, and I'm very happy I was able to listen to their videos as they explained how they used concepts in their book, including elemental systems. I knew a little about Wu Zetian before, so I was really interested to see how Mx. Zhao would reinterpret her, as they've spoken about how much they think Wu Zetian is a badass.

Which, of course, she is. And incredibly so. Though the style might be more at home in mid-10s YA books (I felt as if I had to adjust my brain for it), Iron Widow is absolutely pushed to limits that the mainstream books refused to go-- or perhaps, *could* not go. Zhao seemed to revel in pushing those past boundaries and have *fun* while doing that, something that absolutely came across. It almost felt as if the *least* of them was the love triangled-turned-polyam-relationship!

There is anger, pushed to limits, raw and real and unapologetic. Nowhere do we feel as if the anger is undeserved, nowhere is it felt there is a reason to apologize for the anger. Wu Zetian is angry-- and she is *gloriously* allowed to be so. Her anger, her ambition, her hurt-- they all allow her to push from Iron Princess to Iron Widow, and her development followed easily.

The Chrysalises were fantastic too, and my brain was scrambling to keep everything in, to hold and to imagine. Xiran Jay Zhao did a fantastic job of letting reader try to hold images and descriptions in their heads. Mx Zhao did an incredible job as well, with developing characters-- they weren't one-dimensional, nor did it seem as if the the plot was shaped only by their needs at the moment. I thought the discussions of morality, of power, of hate and justice and breaking systems too, was incredibly done. You don't wait around, Wu Zetian says, waiting for things to happen, you do them yourself.
And this she carries through to the fullest amount. Completely recommended. An extremely fun read that sticks with you!

I can't wait for my next reread.