“How cursed, this cycle, and for what?
A world built from lies. A reality that isn’t real.
An impasse I can only break by growing strong enough to kill gods.”

After making a series of extreme and irreversible decisions during a whirlwind of world-shattering revelations and grief, Wu Zetian finds herself in the position of power that she has long desired. However, her seat of power proves more precarious than she’d like to admit, and she’s forced to share it with a cunning, frighteningly formidable male pilot of legend whom she cannot fully trust. Together, the pair must work on a knife-edge to succeed with the revolution she began and take down the system—and the gods—that have failed and exploited the people of Huaxia for thousands of years. As they do so, Zetian, at a disadvantage for being marked the “evil vixen” target of anti-revolutionaries, must also once again make her own bid for independent power and security; all while attempting to steal her half-dead lover back from the corrupt divinities that are trying to threaten her into submission.

Having eagerly awaited Heavenly Tyrant, the sequel to Iron Widow, for nearly three years, I was thrilled to jump back into the action the first book of the Iron Widow series left off with. However, I found that action to be somewhat sporadic, held back by slow pacing and what often felt like a meandering plotline. While the book understandably spent a considerable amount of time reestablishing the landscape of Huaxia following Zetian’s radical, desperate decisions at the end of Iron Widow, and then on consequent political conflicts, there were a number of extended scenes that felt unnecessary. Rather than adding significant value to the story, they hindered the tight pacing I loved so much in the first book, and obscured certain plot points and character arcs. That being said, this slow pace did allow for new characters and relationships to be developed, which I particularly enjoyed when it meant adding in more female characters such as Wan’er and Taiping. Older relationships, like that between Zetian and Qieluo, were also able to grow, and I appreciated characters getting a chance to address old wounds and wedges. Stronger themes developed alongside them, new perspectives and situations adding some much-needed nuance (including that of intersectionality). Zhao’s worldbuilding also got to shine in Heavenly Tyrant, expanding on both other civilizations and the qì system. Their humor did not dull in-between novels, either. Overall, though not perfect, Heavenly Tyrant left me wanting more, which Zhao will undoubtedly provide in future installments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for letting me read an e-ARC of Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao! If this is on your list of sequels to pick up (or list of series to start), I highly recommend it - the author delivers another amazing punch with the latest installment!

The author wasn’t kidding when they said this book isn’t a carbon copy of the first book, Iron Widow. While we explore new depths of feminine rage and the complexities of societal reconstruction, the plot is slower to develop and leaves readers wanting more with every chapter consumed. We bear witness as our main character, Zetian, reckons with the choices she’s made. Waking the powerful Qin Zheng (from another century entirely) causes ripples that even she can’t begin to fathom. He’s an absolute pain in the ass, but he’s also interested in making waves in politics and bettering the lives of the general public. She will do everything to break down barriers for women in Huaxia, but at what cost?

This sequel (and officially canon NOT final book) was everything I didn’t expect and exactly what I wanted it to be at the same time! While slower paced, Zhao keeps readers engaged and interested at every turn. Suffice to say, I absolutely cannot wait for another book because the cliffhanger on this one was absolutely unbearable. After all the publishing drama that they experienced for the second installment, I’ve got my fingers crossed that a third book doesn’t invite the same challenges for them.

A gripping and thought-provoking read that will captivate fans of science fiction, fantasy, and LGBTQIA+ stories, particularly those who enjoy complex, strong female protagonists, feminist themes, and Asian-inspired world-building, and are eager to dive into a fascinating tale of revolution, rebellion, and self-discovery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Xiran Zhao, and PUBLISHER for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

POV: Author writes a book set in fantasy historical China that is basically about problems they have with the world right now. Discuss.

The thing is: I think I would have liked this book a LOT more if it weren’t the sequel to Iron Widow, a book I enjoyed greatly (I 5-starred it, if I recall correctly, and talked it up relentlessly). I have no problems with political machinations, no qualms reading revolutionary manifestos, no issues with philosophy, BUT. I came to this book fondly recalling mechas and light-speed pacing and an intriguing poly couple and… well. If that’s what you hung your hat on, you might as well just read book #1 again, because none of it’s here.

The cold open with Qin Zheng was excellent. Honestly I would have liked more from his viewpoint even though I recognize that this is Zetian’s story. I suppose I would have preferred either more from Zheng… or nothing at all. Anyways. I was ready for the action to start off with a bang. Unfortunately the only real bang here was the slam of the executioner’s axe (literally). Not to say there isn’t action – it just happens in back rooms, not on the battlefield. For all of Zetian’s accomplishments and victorious ending in book #1, she still stands hobbled and constrained on all sides by men. The rage is real and understandable, but I’m not sure full martial law against dissent is the way to go. I am also not convinced that anything Zetian (or Zheng) enacted truly benefitted women the way it was intended to do. Drastic, abrupt social upheaval rarely ends well (or runs smoothly, to say the least) and Zetian learns that here. Repeatedly.

I missed Yizhi. I missed Shimin. I thought both of those characters really warmed Zetian in book #1. She is the sort of character who doesn’t care if she’s liked or not (clearly) but Yizhi’s and Shimin’s presence and interactions with Zetian made her more of a human as opposed to a rage-filled pillar of flame burning everything she touched. I didn’t think her new friends in book #2 had the same effect. I also missed the action level of book #1; I don’t need fight scenes every chapter but it’s nice to shake up the plot. The middle of Heavenly Tyrant became almost bogged down to a standstill point. Hopefully all the politics and philosophy will create a springboard for book #3 to move forward at a decent pace and a good mix of governing and action.
If this had been its OWN book, as I said, I would have liked it more. But as a sequel to Iron Widow? I was frustrated. ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Heavenly Tyrant has been a heavily anticipated novel for me since I first read Iron Widow. This is a series pretty far outside my preferred genre as it is heavy on scifi and futuristic elements. There is still a ton of that in this novel as we see Zetian navigate the different types of Chrysalises, with callbacks to her journey. It had been a few years since my read of Iron Widow and I did not reread before going into this one, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I was able to remember as I read along. The author did a wonderful job with that aspect, and I was excited to step back into this world with relative ease.

I think that if you were a big fan of Iron Widow this one might falter for you, and if you were not a big fan of Iron Widow, this is probably worth giving a read. The two books are night and day. Although still in the same world with similar obstacles to overcome, this is still very much different. We get Zetian in a higher position of power than ever before while still not having as much power as she deserves in her role. There is also a lot less of Yizhi, and every bit we saw of him from the first novel is so different in this one. I have to admit I did not like the direction it went with that, especially since this book shifts into how Zetian deals with Qin Zheng. Compared to Shimin and Yizhi, he is harsher and more cold. A truly morally gray character as he reclaims power, while still being a misogynistic man at his core. Zetian is already a character that shifts into a morally gray area so having her surrounded by people who are not so full of rage really tempered that for me, whereas here. It was all rage all the time and I felt a bit smothered. It just did not work for me personally. Shimin is also not a hugely relevant character in this one, which was a bit disappointing but at the end of the day this is Zetian's story.

I do also think this book could have been 100 pages shorter. There is a lot of repetition as we see Zetian learning to deal with Qin Zheng, the insurrection, building her own relationships with women into positions of power (though I did like that aspect). It was done repeatedly and with my eagerness to see where the book would go with Shimin and Zetian facing the gods, I was powering through, but neither ever completely come to fruition. There was just so much time spent elsewhere. This book also really hones in on politics which I enjoyed, especially all the complexities and how "solutions" always cause more issues. But this was also repeatedly said time and time again with no nuance. It was spelled out from top to bottom, and I just think the same points could have been made with more action and within the plot rather than discussed in conversations between Zetian and Qin Zheng. Over and over and over.

That being said, I did like this novel. I definitely preferred Iron Widow, but I think this one has its merits too. If you are looking for female rage, almost impossible tasks, and a politic heavy book, this will be for you. There is a lot of value within the pages and I'm eager for the next one.

An engaging and thrilling companion to Iron Widow, Heavenly Tyrant will have your attention from the get-go.

Picking up right where the first book left off, Heavenly Tyrant weaves in past and present within the story to connect the the protagonist, Zetian, with the emperor. Both of their perspectives light up many questions and intrigue as the story unravels delicately.

I will need some time to fully digest this novel, as I did with Iron Widow, but all I can say so far is: read this book!!

This was my most highly anticipated book of the year (and honestly the last several years since the cliff hanger of the last book); However, I felt that I could really feel that Zhao's heart wasn't in this story. I was a bit sad that there was a bit of a character assassination of our main trio, and felt that it wasn't fully understandable the reasoning. I also felt like the new romance element was a bit frustrating because we had built up this beautiful poly-triangle to end up with nothing. It was both too short and too long for the story it was trying to tell, and I was a bit disappointed that it ended on another cliff hanger. I did like that there was an explanation of political and social concepts that a teen could understand, and because we follow Zetian we can see how she has to learn how to break out of the basic girl boss feminism, broadening her scope of care. I will read the third novel, mainly because I want my boy Shimin back.

I keep flip-flopping back and forth between this being a 2-star or a 5-star read, so we'll go with the safe choice of a 4-star rating.

Iron Widow was, without a doubt, one of my favorite debut books EVER. I still wax poetic about what a masterpiece it was, so Heavenly Tyrant had some big shoes to fill as the sequel. It... mostly got there? This is full of the same political critiques and feminist commentary as the previous book, as Wu Zetian finds herself forced to align with a man that she loathes in order to save the man that she loves from the Heavenly Court, and her country from falling back into the same useless political setup that she worked so hard to destroy.

A lot of this book was amazing! Wu Zetian and her chemistry with Qin Zheng (though she would hate to see me call it that), a fascinatingly complicated historical figure come back to life. There's an adage about meeting your heroes that fits well here, I think. The lore itself, with the development of the Chrysalis and why they take the shape they do, the slow discovery of the Hunduns, and the entire mystery of the Heavenly Court have mostly great payoff in this book. The political commentary is ramped up to 11 in this one, and it mostly hits its mark! I especially enjoyed the introduction of multiple new female characters who are amazing in their own rights.

On the other hand, Heavenly Tyrant felt like it had a serious case of middle-book syndrome. We end not too far off from where we started the book in terms of positioning and the overall plot. And, my favorite part of book one, the dynamic between Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi was entirely nonexistent in this one. This was perhaps understandable on some level given how we left Shimin in book one, but... we got next to nothing.

The good definitely outweighs the bad in Heavenly Tyrant, and I adored most of it! It was worth the wait for its release, and I'm certainly excited to see where the story goes from here!

Breakneck pacing and twitter-esque social commentary unfortunately hold this back from being the court intrigue soap opera of which it has the bones.

A captivating sequel that grabs readers' attention and holds it to the end, twisting and turning all the way. Wu Zetian is back, now dealing with the consequences of having woken the mythical former Emporer Qin Zheng. She must learn to deal with the real man behind the myths. While still dealing with the wounds dealt at the end of Iron Widow both mental and physical, Zetian must learn to navigate the complicated world of revolutionary politics and who to really trust. Plot twists and surprises abound, Heavenly Tyrants will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat as Zetian learns the price of revolution.

This was an amazing sequel to Iron Widow. Highly anticipated, Heavenly Tyrant was well worth the wait. I highly recommend anyone who loved Iron Widow to pick up Heavenly Tyrant immediately.

I am definitely going to have to marinate on this book more and probably re-read it, but my initial feelings are 5/5. It's amazing to see a sequel that addresses some of the failings of the first book (in terms of the actual events within the story, not the book itself) while also showing how the characters learn and grow from them. This book broke my heart at times, made me gasp out loud several of times, and honestly made me cry in my office at one point.

It was a beautiful written book and touched so much contemporary themes that makes it accessible to all types of readers. More than the first book, it shows how so many of these characters live in a shades of grey and I think readers are going to have to wrestle within themselves on which characters they grow to like.

I think that overall, any book that can make you feel so deeply about the characters, their plight, and the obstacles they overcome is a book worth reading. It's definitely a sequel that holds its own candle.

*Heavenly Tyrant* (Iron Widow, Book 2) by Xiran Jay Zhao is a thrilling continuation of the series, delivering even more action, political intrigue, and sharp social commentary. Picking up where *Iron Widow* left off, the novel delves deeper into the complexities of its fierce protagonist, Zetian, as she navigates the harsh and dangerous world of mecha battles, rebellion, and power struggles. Zhao’s signature blend of brutal world-building, feminist themes, and bold characters continues to captivate, offering a relentless pace and a narrative that doesn’t shy away from difficult questions about society, war, and justice. The stakes are higher, the emotional conflicts more intense, and the relationships more complicated. *Heavenly Tyrant* is a must-read for fans of the first book, as it expands the story’s depth while maintaining its electrifying energy.

An amazing follow-up to Iron Widow. Unsurprisingly and amazing discussion of power and gender. It was a long wait for this book, but I'm so excited to share it with readers in my community.

Heavenly Tyrant follows Zetian as she finds herself in the seat of power in Huaxia and has to share power with a dangerous man she can’t depose. The two have many different ideas about how they’re going to destroy the misogynist and corrupt system of their country. But Zetian has to work with him to take down their common enemy who holds one of Zetian’s loved ones hostage. With great political unrest undermining her at every turn, Zetian has figure out if she can find a way to be a fair and just ruler or succumb to ruling with fear and violence in her quest for vengeance.

Heavenly Tyrant picks up right where Iron Widow left off, which is such a relief after waiting so long for this sequel. Heavenly Tyrant is definitely one of my most anticipated books of the year and finally getting to read it was so exciting. It was so nice to be back in this world and getting to see more of it. The whole concept of this series is so unique and awesome. This sequel is definitely a much slower pace than Iron Widow, but I found I quite enjoyed the politics and the set-up this pacing builds up. There’s a lot of really important conversation that takes place that really mirrors our world.

Zetian is, as per usual, one of my favourite female main characters I’ve ever read. She’s so full of rage and vengeance while also having flaws and it just makes her such an enjoyable character to read about. I loved seeing her growth in this novel and I can’t wait to see where book three takes everything. I really enjoyed the introduction of Qin Zheng and thought he was a great addition to the story. His dynamic with Zetian was really interesting.

Overall, this is a really great sequel and if you loved Iron Widow, I’d obviously recommend checking this out! Can’t wait to see what happens in book three!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tundra Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars

After some quite drastic decisions, Zetian now finds herself with a lot of power in Huaxia. If not the most powerful person in Huaxia. However, those decisions showed her some dark secrets about her world that seem impossible to conquer. Those revelations are what force her to work with a dangerous man who helped her survive the previous battle.

As political unrest starts to take hold in Huaxia and revolution sparks throughout the country, Zetian has to figure out what side she is on. Can she become a good ruler or will she fall back on fear and violence?

Thanks to Tundra Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao! I have been eagerly anticipating the release of this book ever since reading Iron Widow back in 2021. For the most part, I’m happy to say that this sequel didn’t disappoint!

The pacing in this book is quite a bit slowed down from the first book, which I think was important for building the world and the revolution that Zetian ends up fighting for. There are a lot of parallels between the inequalities in Zetian’s world and the inequalities in our own. Zhao mentions in the end that this was purposeful; they really wanted to make capitalism the enemy. There were only a few moments where I felt like it was too focused on the politics and the explanations of why things had to change, but for the most part it was worked into the story well.

As with Iron Widow, a lot of this book is about the difference between the way girls and boys are treated. Zetian does make it her goal to change this for future generations, challenging other leaders in just accepting everything the way it was before. Zetian is still very angry in this book (understandably so), and that rage is definitely a focus of the overall story.

We get to meet some new characters in this one, and Zhao worked in some plot twists that make the story still feel exciting despite the slower pace. Even though I think this was originally supposed to be a duology, that ending makes it seem like there’s definitely going to be a third book.

If you’ve been eagerly anticipating this book like me, I hope it meets your expectations! I know it met mine.

I was excited to read this; I liked Iron Widow so much that we added 10 copies to our school collection for lit circles and book club. Book two in the series was a big no for me, unfortunately. I no longer liked the main character nor did I root for her. I hated the enemies to lovers plot.

I appreciate the ARC but did not enjoy this book.

I feel so bad, I DNF'd at 28%, beginning of Chapter 13. I believe I'm experiencing "Middle Book Syndrome" with this book. The soon to be released cover is absolutely stunning, but I feel that Zetian has lost her end game. From what I read, it feels rushed but not rushed... make sense? I understand that she needs to learn how to wield her new found power, but she doesn't have the same main goal as she did as in the beginning of the first book. Her main goal was to avenge her sister (which she did) and help all women, why did that change?? I know I will eventually come back to this book in the near future because I absolutely LOVED Iron Widow and knowing that this is not the absolute finished product of Heavenly Tyrant, things can definitely be different in the final copy. And if they are, then I truly hope that Zetian's main focus is found again and stuck with.
Also, book 1 started off so strong and the prologue for 2 was beautiful, I thought for sure we were jumping right back in to action packed dialogue, but to me it just seemed drab.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to release day. I am much obliged but I don't feel right leaving an actual rating.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.75ish/5 stars.

That rating pained me to give, but this was kind of a let down compared to Iron Widow. Like, I still loved it and the concept, but also 90% of the plot twists and changes and conflicts and everything else I was just like ?!?!?!!? It also felt like I was just reading a manifesto...which is valid and I also love seeing it in new adult/upper YA.

Zetian does find herself in multiple situations, and I do think most of the time she reacts fairly given that a lot of them take away her autonomy or her decisions...but it almost felt repetitive at some point. The whole "gods" twist also expanded a lot of the world building, but it's lacking the solid foundation to make it a meaningful world building. Nothing has been resolved...which also makes sense since apparently there are MORE BOOKS? But also it was frustrating at the end once again.

Okay, look, it wasn't bad but I didn't devour it like I did Iron Widow...it just felt....muddy almost? I still think this is ground breaking literature though, especially in its persistent commentary and criticisms of society.

It’s probably going to take a while for me to fully organize my thoughts on this book but here’s a first pass: Xiran knows what they’re doing. There’s so much here that works, that is spectacular. The character work is particularly commendable. Zetian’s justification machine whirrs on as she gains more power and distances herself from the direct consequences and daily turnings of violent revolution. She’s a truly believable teen empress here, both full of rage and flaws that limit her effectiveness amidst a system that, while attempting to liberate the working class, has forgotten that women are a part of it. The action sequences are, once again, stellar at every turn. I loved the zooming out into the greater world of Huaxia and the universe beyond, and while our girl has a country to liberate a part of me certainly wouldn’t be mad about getting more time in space later!

Speaking of, THERE IS A BOOK THREE?! where and when, because I’m concerned and excited in equal measure.

Now for why I’m not making this a 5 star read for me:

I think some of the book’s impact was lost in its somewhat bloated middle. The pacing and plot progression of the first and last acts had me in a chokehold, but there was some pacing trouble and meandering between them that I think could have used an editor’s touch. From what I understand there was some breakdown in the author/editor working relationship, and I hate to say the book did suffer from it. Books aren’t the sole brain children of one person, but are scaffolded by an army, and I do feel that loss here. I understand the zoom out that was necessary to show the far-reaching repercussions of seizing power via essentially a military coup, but some of it felt…kind of like it was copy and pasted out of a zoomed out timeline of the rise and fall of other authoritarian regimes. Especially since the counter-revolutionary movement felt so fangless and ultimately like, non-essential compared to the false gods and hunduns.

I support this series and this author and will continue to do so. Will recommend