Unlike anything I’ve ever read before, Iron Widow is vivid, fun, and full of feminist power. I loved it! I was first drawn to it by the cover, and then I read the blurb and thought it sounded fantastic. Closer to the time I was going to pick it up I saw a few reviews by fellow bloggers, and one of them talked about how much it felt like anime, and went into detail about that. Now, I have nothing against anime but I don’t watch it, really, so I started to get worried that this book would go over my head. That I’d miss what it was trying to do, so when I did start reading it was with some hesitance. I needn’t have worried, as you might have guessed by my opening line! I can see exactly what that review meant, especially as I could visualise it all so well, and I think it’s perfectly adaptable to a visual medium – I’d love to see a film or series of Iron Widow. But reading it was just as exhilarating. The first 30% or so, I will admit, went a little slowly, with the author setting up the character of Zetian and the world she lives in – a futuristic China or China-adjacent society plagued by giant mechanical aliens called hunduns, where young men with high qi are valued as pilots of Chrysalises, battling robots made out of the husks of hunduns and attuned to one of the five elements: fire, earth, metal, water, or wood. Women, on the other hand, are valued only as a source of qi, there for the man to drain her of all she has to offer, a worthy sacrifice in this never-ending war.

Zetian lives on the frontier, near the Great Wall, and knows the only thing her family value her for is sacrifice: either as an obedient wife to another cruel man, or as a concubine to a pilot, as her big sister became. And she is ready to take up the role of concubine, because she has finally found a reason to throw away her life as everyone has been pushing her to: she will avenge her sister, who died not by the hands of her pilot, the second strongest in current existence. Zetian is a difficult narrator sometimes, because she has not had a very happy life, and she is angry and full of hurt, but I was one hundred percent behind her and while I did not enjoy her pain I revelled in her journey to power and loved the strong message the author put forth through her.

Once I understood the setting, the character, and the stakes, I was fully in, and I found it hard to put the book down. It’s fast, and I loved the action, but I also loved the moments in between when Zetian is coming to terms with her situation and the time she spends getting to know the two boys she finds herself with – yes, dear reader, this does sound like the beginning of a love triangle, and I was apprehensive, but without spoilers let me just say I was delighted by this situation. And I was delighted by the two boys as well; Yizhi is the rich scholar who has known Zetian for three years, visiting her in the forest near her home in secret, showing her the notes from his studies, and giving her an escape. Li Shimin is the highest ranking pilot, but he’s also a convicted murderer who killed his entire family and is only alive because of his qi level – as it turns out, though, he’s more than he appears on the surface and when his and Zetian’s wounded souls collide they might just find a way to survive a world that wants to silence them both. I loved both Yizhi and Shimin, and the way they both support Zetian on her revenge rampage. Top notch.

At first, I let the character driven aspects take focus for me, and the world and the tech system became background, but as the story progressed and I understood it more it became one more fascinating thing for me to discover; the fashion aesthetics, the mystery of the hundun and the way their bodies become the very weapon humanity uses to fight them, the mysterious gods who occasionally provide blessing and technological advances in exchange for metals, the legend of the great Emperor, most powerful pilot in history, who is believed to have frozen himself in the heart of a volcano, awaiting the cure to his illness. This and other little details all pulled together to create an intriguing setting, and led to a fantastic and shocking finale, with a final twist that almost made me scream. I don’t want to give too much away, but the final page and the reveal it brings elevated the entire book to an even higher level, and I am now dying to read what comes next!

It’s hard to place this book into a single genre, and I think that’s part of its strength: it can fit into teen because of its young protagonist, it’s got a lot of sci-fi elements, leaning especially towards dystopia, but it also has the feel of a fantasy in some ways, with the mechs and the qi-flow blurring the line between technology and magic. Also, as mentioned before it will definitely appeal to fans of anime and manga. If any of those things sound exciting to you, I urge you to pick it up because it’s a game changer and an incredibly fun read with a powerful message.

Title: Iron Widow
Author: Xiran Jay Zhao
Publisher: Rock the Boat
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Recommended for: fans of unhinged, selfish protagonist, Poppy War (similar to Rin—angry protagonist fighting in a war)
CW: death, war, torture, murder, reference to sexual assault (no on-page depiction), misogyny, suicide ideation, and alcohol depiction

Let’s do my typical Gush / Gripe and then I’ll get into more details with everything.

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• Addictive to read. The writing style is simple and straightforward.
• The relationship developing into a polyamorous relationship, exploring different avenues and boundaries of romantic love.
• I did like how this book made me think about it even a few days later. I love it when books do this.

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• I didn’t feel grounded in the world. Despite this being in a new, vast world, I failed to see beyond the pages (this could be a me thing, though).
• Wish there were more development in the polyam.
• The take on “smashing the patriarchy” in this book.

𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄
I appreciate how this story develops a love triangle into a polyamorous relationship. I liked that. However, I wished the relationship had more depth into it. As readers, we witness the characters interact and develop however, I feel like the romance could have had more build-up especially between everyone and Li Shimin. In saying that, I did like how it explored more avenues in love and to not be bound by just one person and have the ability, trust and openness.


𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃-𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆
I loved the premise of this story (sci-fi Chinese inspired world), however, I just wished there were more descriptions and world-building. I wasn’t too familiar with what was chrysalis and what they really looked like until I googled images. I do like the straightforward prose, but I didn’t feel grounded in the world whilst reading this.

𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐘 (AKA my biggest gripe) (minor spoilers, ahoy!)
I just have a few qualms regarding Zetian and the narrative: whilst I’m aware this is fiction and Zetian nor the author is not here to “teach” the reader anything (a common emotional and mental burden for many minorities), I can’t help but question how this is a “smashing the patriarchy”.

This is supposed to be smashing down the patriarchy but I feel like it’s just killing evil men.

I failed to see how this was a feminist read because it does not bring women up. Zetian questions the world and the systematic evils whilst simultaneously looking down on other women, especially those who live a life that is viewed as a traditionally feminine role (being a mother, married, etc.). I thought the point of equality should be women could choose their paths in life “traditionally feminine” or not? Furthermore, there are hardly any positive female relationships throughout this whole novel. Zetian speaks of love for her “Big Sister” (am unsure of her name) yet we the audience never experienced nor witnessed their relationship other than a few flashbacks here and there. How can this ring true to us? Despite Zetian being “for women”, she has very few positive female relationships and interactions. The majority of Zetian’s relationships with women are negative or end negatively. Furthermore, she looks down on others due to their choices (what about survival and social conditioning?) I do hope this means there’s room for growth or exploration in future novels.

One thing that rubbed me the wrong way was how the notion of traditional femininity (for example through the sister and the one kind friend) is questioned then rejected and then deemed as “the bad choice”. Instead, reacting in anger and fully rejecting femininity is the “right answer”.

It feels so… binary. There’s no nuance. No discussion. Yes, perhaps finding true equality is to break down the systemic oppression and foundation. Perhaps the answer and the actionable steps will be messy. However, what Zetian truly wants is freedom and choice for women. Yet, she looks down on other women should they choose to marry or have children?

Also, there’s no discussion regarding her love interest’s complicity in this world. One killed his family due to a horrible circumstance, he feels bad about hurting women… The other, well, his mother was killed by his evil father so naturally, men = bad. Finding Zetian and her morals made them realise, that yes, women do get a say???!!

Whilst there is a passing acknowledgement of privilege and guilt of both her love interests… that’s it?

In a world where everyone is indoctrinated to think and therefore act a certain way for many generations, where did they gain this insight? I can understand Zetian’s thought process as she’s endured the hardship. But the men? They are most comfortable in this world. They have the most to gain. Especially, the rich love interest. How did he dismantle his thinking? His mother died? Right, that would fuel his fire to hate his father and to jump onto the father issues bandwagon…

𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬:
From Zetian’s point of view, her family has failed her due to their complicity and their treatment towards her. In response to her family failing Zetian, she kills them. I can’t get over how Zetian kills her own family. In cold blood. Yes, her family wasn’t good to her. I’m not here to defend either action, because there is no excuse for abuse. Let me reiterate: there is no excuse for abuse.

I wanted to scrutinise Zetian and her relationship between her mother (and grandmother). Zetian states she would want a better life for her mother and grandmother… but let’s look a little deeper, shall we?? Zetian states her mother plays the role of being subservient to the father.

“It’s not about having it easy. It’s about keeping peace in the family.”
~ Zetian’s mother to Zetian

“She’d [the mother] step cautiously around him [the father] as if he were a bomb, worrying about her every move for fear of setting him off.”

Hmmm… this quote and scenario reminds me of abuse… Walking on eggshells with your partner, being afraid, not being able to be open, difficult to say “no”, partner dictates everything… Yeah, it sounds like abuse. Perhaps the mother is a victim of abuse and remains complicit in it towards Zetian. However, it’s important to note how hard it is to get out. So hard!! How can her mother and grandmother break such a vicious traumatic cycle?? With no therapy or support or knowledge? In a world where women solely rely on men (their husbands or male members), how will they survive? How? Zetian wants her mum to create a scene, to fight back for her. But how? There are no resources. There is no help. Whilst Zetian may not be afraid to die, that doesn’t mean other people want to. Zetian vilifies/looks down on her mother (which, sounds like the mother is a victim of either domestic/emotional/mental abuse). There’s no redemption for them. Just death. I…

“You tell them over and over, until it’s the only truth they’re capable of living.”

The rage is natural and understandable. However, challenging and breaking down systems with cold blood murder and no remorse or afterthought? I really don’t think killing people in cold blood is the answer. Because it begs the question, who gives you authority to deem who dies and who doesn’t?

“It is not me who is wrong. It’s everyone else.”
~ Zetian

Whilst I enjoyed this, these characters are definitely not the heroes.

I really am convinced that this is a villain origin story, which I don’t mind. In fact, I love selfish female main characters!!! But don’t sell this to me that this is how you smash the patriarchy—with NO rationale logic, no compassion or empathy for anyone but your love interests.

Zetian is flawed and unhinged. As an audience, we see her wrath and rage. It’s palpable. It’s understandable, even. However, I don’t think she’s someone we should deem a hero. I cannot agree killing innocent is the answer to smashing the patriarchy (friends, this is a war crime help). Nor do I agree with the whole hypocrisy of it all.

“I’ve destroyed the Kaihuang watchtower. I did not care who was in there.”
~ Zetian

The thing is, I don’t mind questionable morals and morally grey characters (love unhinged and selfish characters) but what really unsettled me was the fact that the narrative never questions Zetian’s actions or morals. Instead, we’re positioned to think that every move Zetian calls for a cheer and that THIS is how you break down the patriarchy. Yay! You killed your only female friend because she betrayed you (never mind the fact that she had her two toddler children held as hostages). Yay! You killed your own mother! Yay! You tortured and killed a man! Yay! You tore down a whole fucking tower with people in it. Innocents? What’s that! War crime? Never heard of her!!!!

There is literally this quote right here:

“New bargain: defy us, and all of you and your family will die!”
(Whoa, what the heck?!)

For a topic as complex as breaking down systematic misogyny and the patriarchy, I feel like there needs to be a range of discussion, a messy journey of learning and unlearning and questioning everything including yourself. Everyone needs to take the internal journey and intentionally address their own bias and comfort. Unfortunately, this did not happen to that extent throughout the novel.

There’s no nuance. There’s no conversation. Just rage and death.

Despite my gripes, I do hope that this means there are consequences and growth in future novels. I am curious to see where this will go.

𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
✔ Pacific Rim / Zoids / Gundam Wing / Neon Genesis Evangelion / mecha vibes
✔ Poly love triangle (finally!!)
✔ Unhinged main character taking on the patriarchy with her own bare hands in her own manner
✔ inspired by East Asian mythology and historical figures

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: misogyny, sexism

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of unhinged, selfish protagonist, Poppy War (similar character dynamics—angry protagonist fighting in a war)

𝐂𝐖: death, war, torture, murder, reference to sexual assault (no on-page depiction), misogyny, suicide ideation, and alcohol depiction

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher (Rock the Boat) for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Please check out my blog for the full review. Also, I have included an original music piece that was inspired by this book: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦

I adored this book. The plot and characters were amazingly devolved / created. Iron Widow is different from anything I have read before. I will definitely be rereading Iron Widow and I cant wait to see what Xidan Jay Zhao does next

So this was one of the books I was most enthusiastically waiting for. And it didn’t disappoint.
The setting, the characters, the plot, everything was just marvelous and well written.
I would recommend Iron Widow literally to everyone!

Iron Widow was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and this was such a nice ride.

From the beginning, I was super excited about this book as some aspects remind me a lot of Pacific Rim and this film is part of my favorites. Moreover, a poly relationship in a book?! I’m in.

I really enjoyed the world and characters of Iron Widow, but I do have to say I have found the story to be rushed quite a bit at times which didn’t allow me to really enjoy all of it. I’m really really excited for the second book though! Just hoping things won’t be as rushed and we’ll have the time to enjoy this crazy entertaining world and its characters.

The Hunduns, mecha aliens dedicated to destroying humanity are a constant threat to the people of Huaxia. Giant robots known as Chrysalises are their only form of defence, powered by the qi of the men and women who pilot them. Unfortunately, most of the concubine-pilots die from the mental strain of operating them. After her sister is killed by a well-loved pilot Wu Zeitan enrols to enact her vengeance. No one expects her to overpower the pilot, killing him through their psychic link. A woman this powerful must be controlled, but Zeitan isn’t ready to give up her chance at changing the system that devours them. Iron Widow wields its fast pace into an explosive, cinematic read that’s difficult to put down. The Chinese-inspired worldbuilding is wildly entertaining. Although a little more detail would have been useful, the lack of info-dumps kept the pace moving at breakneck speed. The way this book tackled the gritty reality of misogyny and the levels of violence women face in a world that barely views them as human was unflinching. Zeitan was ruthless, powerful, and determined to rip the system down, and that was brilliant to see in a character. Unfortunately, the lack of major women characters was disappointing considering the books anti-patriarchal theme. It gave Zeitan slight ‘not like the other girls’ vibes, which would have been easy to offset if she wasn’t the only main-cast woman. More backstory on her relationship with her sister may also have been effective here. Iron Widow was a piercing, action-packed read, and despite my small criticisms, I believe it’s a sparkling example of how Young Adult Sci-Fi is doing some amazing things.

Breathtaking.
Striking.
Stunning.
Suspenful.
Tender.
Revolutionary.
Exciting.
Overwhelming.
Wonderfully developed.
Intelligently written.

Not enough words to describe the literary excellence of this story. Took a while to grip, but once it all clicked I could do nothing but turn the page and finish it on a high. Will certainly be recommending this at the library.

What an elegantly executed, ambitious novel! This book was a RIDE. Think all the badass futuristic action of Pacific Rim entwined with rich detail and specificity inspired by imperial China. And also, feminism! Empowerment! On no-one’s terms but the protagonist’s own. I also want to thank the author for killing the love triangle trope. It’s dead. Finally.

I came across the novel Iron Widow through social media and I immediately thought it was going to be a best seller. The amount of press and marketing I’ve seen supporting this book is quite shocking for a YA sci-fi debut, so I knew the publishers were really betting on it.

The first thing that caught my attention about the book was its astounding cover, which suggested a story full of magic and lead by a powerful woman, and what else could we ask for?

When I started reading the book I was completely hooked, I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I was reading, but sadly, after the first half of the book I lost a bit of interest. It wasn’t because the book got boring but because it focused more on the romance than on the other plots, which I found to be more interesting and fresh. Smashing the patriarchy, getting revenge and piloting Chrysalises to fight aliens are way more interesting plots than the overused love-triangle trope.

Nevertheless, if I think about the plot as a whole, I did enjoy both the concept and the execution overall, even if there is a cliffhanger at the end that I didn’t like as much, but I guess we’ll have to see what the author does with it in the sequel.

The characters were probably my favourite part of the book, I loved seeing morally-grey characters in a YA book and I loved getting to know them and their circumstances. They were nuanced and complex enough that they felt real and I probably liked them because I tend to like villains more than heroes and these characters are not villains but they definitely aren’t heroes either, perhaps we could say they are the perfect antiheroes.

I really enjoyed reading Iron Widow and even if there are some things that I didn’t like about it, I will definitely pick up its sequel when it comes out because I want to find out more about Zetian and the future of Huaxia.

This book was a phenomenal read! From the first page we are thrown into this incredibly vivid world that Xiran has created and I loved every second of it. Zetian has become one of my favourite characters and I love the trio so much, they are pure chaos and I am here for it!

This is set in a world where women are considered worthless and only there to sacrifice themselves for the male pilots or to be good wives and mothers. By good I mean silent and obedient. Zetian has had enough of this and after the death of her sister she vows to get revenge and does so in the most spectacular fashion and in that moment I fell in love with her.

I loved seeing Zetian and how she battled against the systemic injustice that women are subjected to on a daily basis and the pure rage she felt. I related to her a lot; I understand her rage. I loved how it was shown in the book and through her. She has every right to be angry but what I loved most was watching her opinions and thoughts about how to become empowered changed and grew as she learnt more and interacted with different people in different situations. How that impacted how she fought for herself and for women’s empowerment everywhere. This book is honestly such a powerful read and had me feeling all the emotions.

I especially loved her internal conflict of how can she fight for empowerment and yet love and care for a man and be vulnerable with them. Her learning it isn’t an either or situation, she can have both. There is so much depth to her character that we see more and learn more about her as the story goes on and I just need everyone to read this book.

The discussions on misogyny and patriarchy are done so incredibly well and we see just how deeply these views have impacted women in so many ways that are completely invisible to men. There’s also discussions around how the powerful and wealthy just continue to grow in wealth and the poor become poorer. Honestly there was so many interesting and nuanced discussions in the book but it didn’t take away from the plot and suspense of the story. It just added more layers to it.

I loved the mechas and the battle scenes, I would love to be able to see this in a film, I think some scenes would have some breath-taking visuals and it was all described so vividly that I could picture everything. We learn about the world through Zetain, Shimin and Yizhi who all come from different situations in life. All three characters are morally grey and despite some of the awful things they do, you can’t help but root for them. Especially as everyone seems equally monstrous.

The build up to the ending had me on the edge of my seat and the second half especially had me completely hooked and I thought I knew what was happening but the ending still left me completely shook and I was left screaming! I am ridiculously excited to read the sequel and honestly I don’t know how I’m going to wait a whole year for it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Wow. This is one of my favourite books of the year so far. Zhao has created a fascinating alternate history version of China, with a narrative that is Pacific Rim meets feminism. Zetian is the epitome of a strong female character and the relationships between her, Yizhi and Shimin are note perfect. I'll be recommending this book to everyone I know, and I can't wait for the rest of the series.

Such a unique book!!! Loved the characters and the whole way everything happened. The author hooked the reader until the very end. Daaamn, book two will be even better, can't wait for that to happen.

Iron Widow first came to my attention due to the slowly growing anticipation online. While we had some brilliant Fantasy novels featuring fascinating female characters come out this summer, Iron Widow was poised to take us by storm this fall. And take me by storm it did! I fell right into this novel and now feel slightly bereft, having finished it. Thanks to Oneworld Publications and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Xiran Jay Zhao makes it very clear at the beginning of this book that this is not meant to be seen in any way as a semi-historical or alternate history kind of novel. Iron Widow is its own thing, taking inspiration from Chinese history and mythology, but setting it in a different, fully realised, world. Iron Widow feels radically different from so many other fiction I have read, in that it truly feels like Zhao took what she wanted and created something totally new. Her mind! Usually I would say feminism or women's rights are a theme in a novel, but in the case of Iron Widow they're the novel's raison d'etre. Every page of this novel is full of rage about the crimes committed against women, the ease with which they are put down, the cruelty with which misogyny is institutionalized. Despite all of this, Iron Widow is also a majorly fun read. While I can't quite explain this fine balance, perhaps I can show an example. The title of the first chapter made me laugh, until we got to the end of the chapter and I fully realised what it meant. And then it almost made me cry.

Zetian has it all planned out. She will volunteer as a concubine-pilot and kill her sister's killer, consequences be damned. Things don't go quite to plan, however, when it turns out Zetian is not just a determined young woman, but also a woman capable of matching, even surpassing, her male co-pilots chi. Instead of taking down one man, Zetian now has to think bigger. But, as a wise man has said in at least three reboots, with great power comes great responsibility. Zetian is one of my favourite female protagonists in ages. She is so angry, so hurt, so sad, and she lets these emotions guide her. She feels the pressure to apologise for them, absolutely, but every time she feels herself instinctively bow to the system she snaps back up, stronger, angrier. She sees her anger, recognizes it and lets it fuel her. She makes horrifying choices with major consequences, but she does so knowingly. She is fully prepared for the world to burn, as long as the fire stops the hurt being perpetrated. Iron Widow is a bit of a rallying cry to kick down barriers, to smirk in the face of assholes, to go as low as they are willing to go, but it is also major fun.

I adore Xiran Jay Zhao's mind! She literally gives us so many things with Iron Widow that I wouldn't even have dreamed of asking for. When I first heard the novel described as a "Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale" I honestly wasn't quite sure what to expect. How could that possible be combined without either losing the fun of Pacific Rim or the seriousness, nay urgency, of The Handmaid's Tale? Well, Zhao manages it. Zetian is all snark, but she is also an open wound, hurting with every step. The balance Zhao strikes with Zetian, between the hurt and the anger, is stunning. I adore her. Also, Xiran Jay Zhao is the only one to understand how a love triangle is meant to work and to make.it.work! I am so here for polyamory to sweep YA. Let a girl have both! Let the boys have both! Iron Widow moves between quite a few genres, being solidly fantasy while also working within the sci-fi genre. It is Queer YA and it is a social critique. It isn't afraid to be ridiculous and it is also deadly serious in its ambitions. All these things come together into a solid 400 pages I raced through breathlessly in the middle of the night. When is the sequel coming out? I needed it yesterday!

I utterly adored Iron Widow. It gave me everything I could have asked for, from battles between massive machines to condemnations of the patriarchal systems. Do yourself a favour and jump on board, you won't regret it!

Iron Widow is the opening instalment in this epic, richly inventive, eponymous young adult historical series that blends Chinese history, mythology and mecha science fiction into a compulsive read. It reimagines the true story of the only female Chinese emperor as a thrilling space opera and follows a young concubine-pilot determined to dismantle the patriarchal system following the brutal death of her beloved sister. In the kingdom of Huaxia, a Chinese-influenced futuristic society, we are introduced to 18-year-old Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, and chart her rise to prominence. Humankind is suspended in a state of perpetual war with the Hunduns, who appear as large buglike entities that have been created to fly efficiently and attack when needed, and they have developed a terrifying power that humans are most fearful of. The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labelled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead. To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed. This is a bold, inventive and thoroughly spellbinding fantasy from the moment you pick it up as you are led on a dark and dangerous adventure as Wu plots her sweet, sweet vengeance.

This book has something for everyone; it's amazing, brutal, unique, and horrific, and there was so much queer and Asian representation and so many difficult topics, themes and situations handled really well. The characters are primarily ambiguous, which I always adore, in the sense that they are morally grey, and this made them so much more intriguing as you never quite knew what they were going to do next. The complexities of their personalities meant they were each multi-faceted, flawed and therefore real, raw and relatable characters which made them all the more engaging to follow and admire as they came of age. Bloodthirsty and tender, full of power, powerlessness and determination, I could hear Wu Zetian roaring her vengeance call long after I finished this thrilling sci-fi extravaganza. The action never lets up and the tale has many delicate touches that add a refreshing originality to the plot and make it feel exhilarating and so, so special to read. Fighting through both physical and mental battles, science fiction and East Asian myth combine in this dazzling retelling in which you can't help but cheer for Wu and her fierce form of feminism as she tries to move heaven and earth against the intensely patriarchal military system. Highly recommended.

When we first meet Zetian she is filled with impotent rage. She sees how girls and women are treated in her world and feels the injustice of it all, but doesnt know what to do about it. Until a personal tragedy gives her the impetus she needed and the thirst for revenge.⁣
Zetian was a very interesting character, and though I didnt always agree with her decisions I could see what was driving her to make them. The author mentioned she is loosely based on the only Chinese Emperor Wu Zetian ( yes I fell down a google rabbithole. Fascinating historical figure) and the Zetian of Iron Widow is no less fierce and strong willed, and it was hard not to root for her.⁣
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The secondary characters are entertaining and I look forward to them being developed further in book 2. The dynamics between all the characters were compelling and I am intrigued to see where it goes and how it will all play out. ⁣
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The Author has done a fantastic job of creating a world where myths and lore coexist with sophisticated technology. I hope book 2 elaborates more on how Chrysalises (giant robots) came about and why there is so much around them that is unknown. ⁣
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This is a dark story, about a girl just trying to avenge a death, but then who gets a taste of all that she could have and so grows into so much more to take it. If you love fierce, unapologetic heroines and unique storylines then I think you'll definitely enjoy this one!

Oh my GOD I loved this book so much! It was everything I expected and more! I loved the setting, the plot, the characters, everything! I can't wait to read more from this author!

The characters though historically based, are taken into an alternative universe created by the author and then deliver a story that is epic in every way. Wu Zetian herself in this book says 'nope' to every single bad idea society can put on a woman and does it, and does it with aplomb, with an energy that I can only dream of.

The world that this author creates in this book is just as incredible. The idea of the Chrysalises is inspired and the blending of new and, myth and tech together is truly so well done in this book, and with such good characters this book is taken to a whole new level.

It has its issues, sometimes it feels simplistic language-wise, however I can overlook this for an amazing plot, the first well-written polyamorous relationship I've seen in fiction and a world that is so well constructed and makes me want so much more from it. The last page of this book is as powerful as the first and you should read it.

This book is getting all kinds of traction on social media, so I was excited to read it and see what it's like. It's advertised as Pacific Rim - a movie I haven't seen but know the basic plot of - meets The Handmaid's Tale - a series I follow with more or less enthusiasm depending on the series. There are also shades of Transformers, a franchise I know a bit of. And, of course, it's based (very) loosely on Chinese history, a subject I know very little of. So how do all these elements come together?

Unfortunately; messily. There's a good story here, but it's buried under a lack of worldbuilding and two 'surprise' twists that I saw coming. Nothing is really explained, in my opinion, it's just thrown at us - oh, there's a fight between a giant robot and a small robot, right. One's an alien? Ok. Now the not!alien one is transforming! Uh huh...I'm sure that a lot of readers were able to follow along, but I had a lot of trouble with it.

It wasn't enough to turn me off; I want to keep reading the series and see how people deal with the not!twist revealed near the end. The language used was great and some of the descriptions were amazing. I really felt the cold in the mountains near the end, and the descriptions of the luxury apartments were fantastic. I wish the worldbuilding and the qi system had been explained better, but there's room in the next book (and the one after? Is this a trilogy or a duology?)

Overall a good, but not great read, but I'll be looking out for more and I think other readers won't have the problems I did.

As so wonderfully put by the author "ENFORCE YOUR LAST PATHETIC GENDER ROLE, PATRIARCHY".

This was genre-bending, rule-breaking and incredible. Amazing world-building and complex characters. I was completely hooked from page one.

The arresting cover is what first drew my eye to Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao , it truly is a beautiful work of art. Reading the synopsis intrigued me enough to prompt a request for a copy, and I am very glad that I did. This is a futuristic blend of fantasy and science fiction with an East Asia inspired setting. A battle is raging between humans of Huaxia and an alien species, and the most powerful weapon in the human's arsenal are the chrysalises, giant transforming robots that are controlled by pairs of male pilots and female concubines. The combined Qi forces of the pair power the robot, but often the concubine dies in the process, something that infuriates our heroine , Zetian. Determined to avenge the death of her sister she signs up to be a concubine, but when the unthinkable happens and she overpowers her co-pilot, killing him instead of dying herself she gains the title Iron Widow , and is paired up with the most powerful, and dangerous pilot of all .
This is an action packed thrill ride that seems like it would be ideal for adaptation as a film or video game. The characters are well developed and the complexity of their relationships is a breath of fresh air. I was expecting a cliched love triangle but the way the story played out. was so much more interesting and unexpected, and was perfect given the characters involved.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.