𝟰.𝟱✰/𝟱✰
"𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 : 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯."

This book catches your attention from the very beginning. I love only a few select scifi books and pick them up rarely. So this one was quite a surprise.
Let's talk about the Mc character first ;
Zetian is a girlboss and so unapologetically herself. I loved her internal monologue and her thoughts mirrored my own at times. She's so morally grey, reckless and fierce, you can't help but root for her.

Zetian : says something
Me : HIGHLIGHT THAT RIGHT NOW!✍🏼

The other characters (also love interests) have their own attributes that makes them standout. I couldn't choose between them. They are both opposites of each other but I love them both.
This is the only love triangle I approve of.

I found it a little hard to wrap my head around all the action scenes (my brain has its picture imagination limits okay). This world is very compelling (the Chrysalises and how they work and how the elemental magic is a player in it). The ending was like a gut punch and now I cannot wait for the second book.

There are a few TWs to be aware of mentioned in the beginning of the book
Violence and torture, Thoughts of suicide,
Alcohol addiction, Conversations on sexual assault (no on page depiction)

This will be one of the best science fiction novels of the year. Wu Zetian is an unforeseen women who is found to have a strong affinity for being able to pilot a Chrysalis mecha type fighter which are normally controlled by a male pilot with female “concubine” assistant. The battle scenes are exciting and are supported by political intrigue that pushes to maintain the historical power structure in this alternate China type society. Through in a possible love triangle and I’m excited for more.

I have no words to describe how utterly compelling and addictive this YA fantasy about a girl who vows to kill the boy responsible for her sister´s death in a world where boys drain girls of their energy to pair up with giant mecha and battle against invading aliens was.



I was hooked from the first page and read this book in less than a day. This book is nonstop action with short chapters that make you fly through the book as you follow Zetian on her journey to get close to her sister´s killer only to actually end up killing him and discovering she´s an Iron Widow, a girl capable of draining men of their energy instead of the other way around. In this patriarchal misogynistic society we can't have that so she is instantly paired up with the most powerful boy who will surely kill her...except she doesn´t and she plans to overthrow the entire system.



I enjoyed her character, she wasnt extremely naïve or extremely cynical and was still trying to help women by playing into the system. We get to see her as she quickly learns not everyone is able to just shrug of societal rules and risk death or harm and how not everything is black and white when it comes to this system. In the way of development, she didn't really have any. While she did learn to not judge too quickly she was still the same angry and vengeful girl she was in the beginning, it wasnt a problem however because I liked where she is as a person. My dear Shimin... how I love that boy, his character was also very interesting and I hope to get to know even more about him. He deserves all the cabins in the woods.



The qi system and the interaction with the mechas was pretty entertaining and had me imagining the most iconic images, it was a bit hard at times but nothing too complex. There are so many things that we have yet to discover about this type of energy system that I am excited to get into its sequel! Likewise, the world itself and the combination of old and new was a breath of fresh air.



As for the romance, I was super excited because it is a poly romance in a YA fantasy and it was so cute. I really enjoyed their dynamic and need more from these 3! In the way of building that romance in a traditional way, it wasnt like that at all so I didn't really feel that romantic vibe at all more like partners so meh



Finally, the revelations and the battle scene were....wow



I highly recommend you check this book out.

If I were to describe "Iron Widow" in a few words, they would be, "perfectly imperfect". On the one hand, I drank this book up, reading it quickly once I sat down and gave it a chance. As I'm wont to do with books I find engaging, I did find myself skimming some sections to get to the resolution of the conflict. But there were so many aspects of this that SHOULDN'T have worked for me. But somehow...it still did!

With most YA, I am on here complaining about how slow the plot develops, with expositions that seem to span hundreds of pages. But "Iron Widow" drops the reader right in and resolves the inciting incident rather quickly, morphing it into a larger conflict in record time. Further into the book, I found a similar pace, with almost every issue or problem being resolved in mere pages. So for once, a faster pace DIDN'T work for me in many places. But there were definitely scenes I appreciated not having to read (e.g. anything decided by a council). That all said, I would have been upset had Zhao omitted anything from book one, saving it instead for book two in order to just describe a slow, tedious process for the sake of immersion or something.

My only other qualm that I normally don't have with YA fantasy/sci-fi was the dialogue. Because of the faster pace, as I mentioned before, I found myself speed reading a bit. Usually that means I speed through descriptions of setting or character to read the dialogue (and key scenes of course!). And usually the dialogue is enough to capture the characters' voices and seem authentic and engaging. There were scenes where the dialogue was fantastically written, but much of it was clunky and awkward in my opinion.

Despite feeling a bit less enthused about the writing style of this one, I still gave it a good rating because what makes this book good is the story. It has a lot of potential to turn into something epic in future books, and I kept thinking about these characters and their world for days after I put it down. I can nitpick and unpack why this book wasn't a "perfect" read, but nevertheless, it was thoroughly enjoyable, and I will reread to finish up the series!

Xiran Jay Zhao blends elements from Pacific Rim, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Chinese history to give Iron Widow the most compelling and engaging read.

Strong Foundation
The fact that Iron Widow is inspired by China’s only female emperor, Wu Zetian, is incredible. Now, Iron Widow is not historical fiction but instead blends history and futurism to make the story work.

There are practices in this novel, such as foot-binding that do not take place much, if at all, nowadays. Furthermore, I think it was powerful of Zhao to bring this bit of history to light because it does highlight the rampant sexism and misogyny going on in the novel.

There is no balance in power in this novel; the women are supposed to be subservient to the men. Ying and Yang, Zetian knows this but does not like it. Being a concubine-pilot costs Zetian her sister’s life, and Zetian is determined to figure out why the balance tipped so much in favor of men. Women are constantly asked to sacrifice themselves daily in giant robots to help the men win battles.

However, Zetian refuses to be fodder. Using a historically influential figure gives the story its richness and strong feminist edge to draw in the reader.

Excellent
Iron Widow is, without a doubt, engaging. Zetian is a compelling character with her resilience. She is constantly standing up to her family and against the sexism that has built their society from the beginning.

Zetian resents her family, first for crushing her feet to practice foot binding and then sacrificing her sister and herself as concubines for money.

Her entire journey begins as revenge, but her strength motivates her to do more, to be a weapon against a society that would keep women subservient and beaten down.

What I also loved alongside Zetian’s journey was the romance and friendship that blossoms between the characters. The polyamorous relationship gives the dynamics such an excellent stage for them to develop.

There is such an insurmountable amount of respect between these characters, making them a team you want to root for.

These are unforgettable characters who love one another and respect one another, keeping up the flow and momentum of the story. That is what makes them so incredible.

Final Thoughts
Iron Widow is a remarkable novel. Utilizing a strong female character with roots in history while layering in futurism allows the plot to tackle misogyny and sexism in a compelling and forthright way.

I actually started writing notes at a quarter of the way through the book. It was intense reading (and I had no idea it was 400 pages, it flew by fast!) But I still loved it. I did have my issues with the book, but it thankfully came with trigger warnings listed at the front! (I wish more authors would do this!)

Trigger Warnings: misogyny and femicide, rape mentioned, physical and emotional abuse, suicidal ideation, alcoholism, blood and gore, murder, torture, torture of a child

This is not a book for the faint hearted or those easily offended.

Wu Zitan is a girl fixing to go off to war for her family, as she has no desire to be married. She also doesn’t want to die but it’s common knowledge that girls don’t live long upon serving the men in the army. Wu Zitan is only going so that she can get vengeance for her Big Sister who was killed recently. (Unsure if this is a SPOILER) she succeeds… and falls into worse trouble.

I loved Wu Zitan’s character. She was strong willed despite shit after shit flung at her, and she still triumphed against all odds though that cliffhanger was definitely not what I saw coming. I had suspicions for something else entirely but it’s nice to be surprised. I liked that there wasn’t a love triangle. I won’t say anything because I don’t want too many spoilers. But I’m happy for how the relationship turned out. The books cliffhanger is still frustrating and I need the second book. I can’t begin to rate this highly enough but I believe it’s earned it’s rating!

My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book. I definitely look forward to the sequel!

Thank you Penguin Teen, Netgalley, and Ziran Jay Zhao for sending me an eARC of Iron Widow to read and give an honest review.

"Be their nightmare."

Content Warnings:
- Violence and Abuse
- Torture
- Suicide Ideation
- Discussion & references to sexual assault (though no on-page depictions)
- Alcohol addiction

The girls of Huaxia dream of being a One True Match to a Chrysalis (giant transforming robots powered by qi that battle Hunduns, mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall) pilot so they can be elevated in life and serve their country. Most often though, these females are just concubines and can't handle the mental strain; they die.
When 18-year-old, headstrong Zetian offers herself up as one of these concubines, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and their concubines, which no one expected, and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is then called the "Iron Widow," a feared and silenced kind of pilot simply for being female - she has more strength than the male and therefore kills THEM instead of herself.
To tame her unnerving yet high mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, a murderer, but also the strongest pilot out on the field in Huaxia. But now that Zetian knows what real power feels like, controlling a Chrysalis on her own, she will not give it up so easily. She misses no opportunities to leverage their valuableness and infamy to survive. At least, until she figures out exactly why there is unfairness towards females in their society AND can stop more girls from being sacrificed.

First of all, the characters were well-written. I loved Zetian's fire, though sometimes I thought it was a bit much and that her emotions clouded her judgment. I didn't see much character development in her - even in the beginning, she was headstrong and fiery. I didn't really feel that the other characters had much personality besides going through some trauma or being kind like Shimin and Yizhi.
Secondly, the plot was fantastic. There was a lot of action and the pacing was on point. I think the polygamous relationship was an interesting touch as I've only read one book with that once before (Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare).
Thirdly, the worldbuilding was okay. I think there was just a LOT of it in Iron Widow. In the beginning, I almost stopped reading immediately because the words didn't make any sense to me (it was a bit of an info dump with "Chrysalis", "Hunduns", etc.). The world felt very dystopian to me, but I don't think it's on Earth, so I'm not sure if it would be dystopian then. There is a lot of extra technology, so if you like sci-fi books, this is a great new release for you.
The second half was my favorite part with all of the action and the subplots. I also enjoyed the ending - it was definitely mind-blowing, although I didn't like that Zetian became "Queen". She seemed a bit crazy at the end and more totalitarian than before. I look forward to reading the sequel!

Well, I genuinely wanted to like this book but it wasn't for me.
Aside it from being a classic chosen one trope where this one girl more powerful than all other girls who are discarded because they're not important enough and it's supposed to be this big feminist move. The book is more tell then show. There is no explanation for anything. One moment Zetian is trying to avenge her sister and the next moment she is somehow mentally stronger than everyone else.

The aliens and humans are on war or something it is never explained why, the universe isn't explained nor is their system. Word building doesn't exist. The characters aren't really strong enough, they just get monologues that explain their motivations otherwise we barely know anything about them. For a book that was promoted as a feminist story there are barely any actual conversations about how and why women are treated the way they are nor are there any other female characters the ones that happen to appear were just there to be jealous of Zetian but hey, Zetian has a witty feminist dialogue for every sexist comment so that's enough.

The romance sadly was not for me. It was very insta love something I'm not a big fan of. I don't thinknI would be reading the sequal because I don't care enough about any character or the plot.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book.

In a world where girls are disposable, living and dying for the convenience of men in the home, the boudoir, in the building of empires, one girl defies the ages-old custom, determined to avenge her sister’s death even if she dies too.

This book is MANGA in novel, rather than graphic novel, form, and thus a tale of blended spirit and mech tech, of young men with tortured psyches and young women who can reach them when nobody else can. There are plenty of exciting, easy-to-visualize battle sequences. But when our young heroine, Zetian, is paired with the most violent pilot in the Imperial Army, all her unprecedented spirit power may not be enough to save her.

The story is fast paced and very readable, with gentleness and friendships as well as brutal training and individual striving against obstacles that seem insurmountable. While its roots are firmly in MANGA, the novel form allows a depth of insight into the main character and her society that would be lacking in a graphic novel. Zetian is both engaging and repelling; we want her to succeed even when we don’t approve of her methods. The male characters are less developed, serving (unusually) as tools for her instead of her for them. In that sense it’s a subverting book, determinedly flipping the accepted social order on its head even while Zetian maintains a public façade of meekness.

The tale’s Chinese cultural roots are deep and wide, from the ancient custom of binding girls’ feet to the newest ways that media empires shape public perceptions in support of state objectives. Embedded racism in this post-disaster society serves both individual and Imperial aims as all lower-designated (refugee) racial groups are weak separately, their mutual antipathy fostered to keep them from making common cause against the dominant elite.

A worthy read that doesn’t hesitate to burn down the patriarchy both individually & collectively.

Content warning: physical & psychological violence.

Everyone needs to read this book! I loved the characters and references to history and it just made me incredibly happy!

3.5*

Well, this was a ride and a half. Looking for a brutal, vengeance, take down the men and all patriarchy feminist perfection, with the best part a true love triangle in all its poly shipping glory; then Iron Widow 100% wins in all.

Zetian is pretty rash. Doesn't hold back with her thoughts. Which is both a pro and a con. But 100% works with her character. She's out for revenge and man does she get it and more. She's fun to read from but also somewhat frustrating because you want to stop and think before. Just sometimes. This is where her BF's come in. Yizhi is a childhood friend, rich, and adores her. Li is tragic and a cinnamon roll.

What really held me back, ultimately, was I couldn't grasp the world and what the hell the sci-fi elements, the Chrysalises were. They're like robots and it all ties into like their being and some sort of like level of their "magic type soul power". It was really confusing and IMO lacked a lot of proper description. I was really into the book to start with. Quickly got through 100 pages. The vengeance dripping off the page got into my head and was like YES KILL EVERYONE. DIE MEN DIE. Then I was like wait, what in the hell is actually happening here. Who are they fighting? Why are they fighting? What the hell is a Chrysalises? And well all those questions remained questions. I'm really hoping a reread will help me figure this shit out. Because that ending was a perfect way to make me need the sequel.

This book has everything you would want from a fantasy mecha adventure. The author describes it as power rangers meets Pacific Rim and that description fits like a glove. The way the main character uses her enemies to get what she wants is extremely satisfying. You won’t regret picking up this book. Don’t wait.

Thank you so much @NetGalley and @penguinteen for gifting me a copy of Iron Widow.

🤖 Mini Review 👾
Wow, just wow, there is a lot to digest in this book.

I have been super excited about reading this book for a while now. This story is different than anything I’ve ever read. It took me some time to get into, mostly because I was still trying to figure out the world and how everything worked, but once I did I was hooked. I ended up buying the audiobook yesterday so I could finish it and thought the narrator did a superb job.

-Reasons why I liked Iron Widow-
👾Asian author & Asian representation
👾Characters inspired by historical figures across Chinese history
👾Unique story and characters
👾Intriguing plot
👾Fantasy/scifi

I gave this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 If you liked The Handmaid’s tale and Pacific Rim I def recommend it!

Yooooo. I love any book with an unapologetically, righteously angry female lead and this one did not disappoint! Also, Zetian is a disabled heroine who kicks ass! I don't think I've ever read a book with such positive disability rep, which is partly on me but, let's face it, mostly on publishing. Add to that the Asian aspect and I was already hugely predisposed to loving this, even before I laughed and cried and empathized my way through reading this terrific speculative fiction novel.

Wu Zetian is a frontier girl on a mission. After her beloved older sister dies at the hands of Yang Guang, a male ace mecha pilot, Zetian decides to enlist so she can assassinate her sister's killer. She knows that doing this not only condemns the rest of her family but also forsakes the guy she's been secretly seeing for the past three years, rich city boy Gao Yizhi. But vengeance is more important to her than anything, even love.

It's something of a surprise to arrive at training and discover that her spirit pressure, the ability that allows people to pilot and transform the mechas, is high enough to immediately qualify her to partner with Yang Guang. But it's only her iron will and murderous intent that allow her to climb out of their mecha later alive, the sole survivor of a process that usually takes the lives of the female concubine-pilot while leaving the male pilots unscathed.

At first, the army is scandalized, especially since Zetian staged her survival as a triumph, entirely out of keeping with the docility expected of women in Huaxian society. When she refuses to back down, they partner her with Li Shimin, the most powerful pilot in the army but also a boy with a reputation as a savage patricide. Zetian is fully ready to kill him too if she has to, but discovers a surprising kinship between them. As the pair slowly bond over the abuse they've each suffered, they begin to fight back against the suffocating restrictions and expectations placed on them both, in the process uncovering fearful truths about the world they live in.

This book is so fast-paced and so filled with twists and turns that I only figured out something that should have been glaringly obvious to me from the beginning at about the 80% mark! I mean, Xiran Jay Zhao audaciously gives the game away from the very start, in one of the slyest acts of misdirection I've ever seen. The world-building is incredibly smart, and the characterizations, particularly of Zetian, deeply felt. I totally empathized with Zetian's teenage desire to burn the world down, and appreciated how intrepidly she evaluated the costs and made her choices. Her difficult relationships with almost everyone -- while still acknowledging that the lessons they were teaching her were all valuable -- was an intelligent if possibly unpopular authorial choice. I felt it was in keeping with the amount of anger and bitterness that not only Zetian but also so many of the people surrounding her were using as they fought for their physical survival, never mind the psychological will to self-determination that was constantly under threat by a milieu that promoted conformity in a way that trampled on women especially.

And hello, wow, did I love the inversion of a love triangle into a polyamorous throuple! There were certain parts where it did feel like the romances were fast-forwarded, but given the physical and mental bonds the trio built and the pressures they were under, I'm not surprised that they all fell in love so quickly. I was absolutely crushed by what Shimin did in the final battle, and I'm completely on tenterhooks to see what happens next!

I really hope Zetian holds onto her righteous fury in the next book, and doesn't have it stupidly doused or diminished as in one of my <a href="https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2019/01/16/kingdom-of-the-blazing-phoenix-rise-of-the-empress-2-by-julie-c-dao/">most disappointing sequels</a> of the past few years. But I have faith in Ms Zhao's ability to hone in on the morally correct while challenging the corrupt, hypocritical systems that view certain people as "lesser" and thus expendable in the pursuit of maintaining society. There were so many excellent little lessons in Iron Widow on the value of rage and empathy both. It was SO GOOD and I can't wait for more!

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao was published September 21 2021 by Penguin Teen and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9780735269934">Bookshop!</a>

Inspired by the story of Empress Wu, Iron Widow spins a sharp, angry scifi novel around Zeitan, who starts as a mistreated girl out for revenge and ends as a woman ready to take on the gods. Magical mecha armor requires two pilots - a boy and a girl. When Zeitan's older sister is murdered by her copilot, Zeitan enlists in order to kill the boy. Her success shocks the nation and threatens to expose the horrible cruelty and misogyny underpinning the piloting system. Sent to certain death, Zeitan becomes known as the Iron Widow when she survives. Has Hunger Games vibes, including the obligatory romance plot - but this one is wonderfully unconventional, and a twist I will be happy to geek out about when you've read it!

Wow.

This book is fantastic.

It is a sci-fi reimagining of China’s first female emperor’s rise to power. This book is fast paced and pulled me in right away. I literally couldn’t put the book down after I started it (I might have stayed up very late one night finishing this).

While reading the book, I did find myself wishing that it was longer. The book definitely flows well and hits all the points that it needs to, But I would have welcomed another 200 pgs devoted to just worldbuilding and character development.

I wasn’t very familiar with Empress Wu Zetian prior to reading this books, but I did do a bit of research after I finished and I’ve enjoyed reading more about the women who inspired this book. I love when fictional book make me want to go and research various topics that come up in the text. That’s is actually one of my favorite things about reading.

Overall, I would defiantly recommend this book and I am so excited for the sequel!!!!

Thank to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a eARC in exchange for a review!

From an objective standpoint, this is a very good book. The world is incredibly well-crafted, and the themes are sure to resonate with a lot of readers. There's a lot of angry feminism, a lot of very cathartic scenes where women stand up to men. I would recommend it to people who were really big fans of the dystopian YA genre back in the early 2010s, but who are looking for something that skews a little bit older.

With that said, I didn't personally enjoy Iron Widow as much as I thought I would. While I appreciated the action scenes and the worldbuilding, I did not feel like enough care was put into developing the characters and their relationships. Because I didn't care about the characters, I found myself a lot less invested in the plot. And that's a shame, because I can tell that a lot went into this book! I really wanted to love it! Also, this is my own fault, but I was mislead by the fact that this book was tagged LGBT - after seeing that and reading the summary, I wrongly assumed that there would be a sapphic romance, and went in expecting that. I was disappointed. But again, that's on me for going in with the wrong expectations.

Overall, I think this is a very good book, but it just wasn't for me. I tend to prefer books that are more character-driven, and this one just didn't have enough interesting characters for me to really be invested.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also plan on purchasing a finished copy from Illumicrate.*

This. Book. Is. Amazing. The story starts in Zetian's hometown, where she has a plan to become a pilot's concubine in order to avenger her sister's death. In this world, pilots fight in transforming robots against mecha aliens that attack their land. But a male pilot isn't strong enough to power the robot on his own. Female concubines are strapped in the robot too, providing the pilot with their mental energy, which often leads to the woman's death. This was the fate of Zetian's sister, and she volunteers in order to kill the pilot that murdered her sister.

She does kill him, in a fierce battle of wills that earns her the title of "Iron Widow" and sentences her to serve the Iron Demon, Li Shimin. Coupled with Shimin and her childhood friend (oh yeah, this book is polyamorous and queer), Zetian fights to uncover the truth about the pilot system to prevent the needless deaths of the female concubines.

One criticism I had about this book was how easily like goes for Zetian. Despite being a woman, a murderer, and a prisoner, she gains allies and power very quickly, though we don't really get to see those relationships develop. And while I do love a woman who gets her way (Aelin [Throne of Glass], Nina [The Court of Miracles]). some parts of Zetian's story just seem unbelievable.

Regardless, it remains an amazing story, and I am very excited for the sequel. Did I mention the cliffhanger ending? Book 2 cannot come out soon enough.

5 stars.

One of my most hyped releases of the year is Iron Widow by the absolutely flawless Xiran Jay Zhou. After bothering Penguin for several weeks (I love you, Penguin~) I was able to get my hands on a beautiful physical copy of the ARC. Now, believe me when I tell you that you are not ready for Iron Widow.

In a world overrun by large parasitic creatures called Hunduns, Zetian has lost her big sister to the military and her death has only brought pain to her and her family, resulting in increasingly horrible treatment towards her. Making the decision to enact her revenge on the pilot who murdered her sister, Zetian signs herself off to the same fate as a concubine used as fodder to pilot the Chyralises against the Hunduns. What Zetian doesn’t know is that her abilities far outweigh that of what the Sages of the army have told her.

I can honestly say that this book was perfection from start to finish.

Iron Widow is a permission slip for people to be angry, to be unforgiving, and to say “No, fuck you.” As Zetian is used and belittled and controlled over and over again, she begins to learn that the only person who can shame her is herself. The only person who can tell her what to do is herself. She is absolutely a badass to look up to as she refuses to be anything other than her powerful self and will subdue anyone who gets in her way. Her rage is so raw and visceral that it made my blood sing especially considering the reasons she is mad. The injustice is rampantin this book and I have never seen a lead in a YA novel – or potentially any novel really – who seeks to change the world as much as Zetian does.

Meanwhile, this book also has one of the greatest romance subplots I have ever read in my life. Bad ass bad boy with a sunshine heart? Check. Wholesome sunshine study boy who is ruthless on in the inside? Check. A female lead that doesn’t want to need to choose between the two and instead and truly wholesome and functioning polycule forms? CHECK! Iron Widowis one again the first example I’ve read of a truly healthy relationship in YA and it’s actually between three people!

So I truly want to say thank you to Xiran. Thank you for this beautiful book that is a permission slip to be angry. A permission slip to take your life by the goddamn horns and take what is yours. To love how you want to and be who you are. Thank you for giving the reminder that we don’t owe forgiveness or compassion to those who have genuinely abused us and that found family is no less legitimate than blood relatives.

Thank you for this incredible book that is going to mean so much to so many people who have been put down and stuffed into boxes of expectations. For fans of Pacific Rim and Darling in the FRAXXwith the feminist anger of Handmaid’s Tale, please pick it up when it hit shelves.

TRIGGER WARNING NOTE: Please be aware that this book does contain instances of foot binding, abuse, sexual harassment, alcoholism, and extreme withdrawal.

<b> “Female. That label has never done anything for me except dictate what I can or cannot do.” </b>

This book is a phenomenal and unapologetic look at and journey to dismantle the patriarchy. Blending fantasy, dystopian, and sci-if together, Zhao brings us a masterful debut where me has (basically giant transformers) are piloted by men using women as Qi batteries. Oftentimes, this results in early death for women, the concubine pilots, who are enlisted with the sole goal of utter servitude and obedience.

<b> “I have no faith in love. Love cannot same me. I choose vengeance.” </b>

Zetian, a woman thirsting for revenge after her sister’s murder, is a breathtaking main character. She is flawed, ugly in the twisted and warped ways that single minded hate and vengeance can make you into, and far stronger than even she realizes. When her plans for revenge don’t end her life as she planned, she’s trust into the spotlight where the men in power want to use and abuse her, while those around her feel threatened by the power imbalance she may represent.

<b> “You insecure men, you’re afraid. You can force us into compliance, but, deep down, you know you can’t force us to truly love and respect you. And without love and respect, there will always be a seed of hatred and resistance. Growing. Festering. Waiting.” </b>

Throughout Zetian’s journey through survival and political games and intrigue, I loved her most when she was her grittiest and ugliest. She isn’t some idealistic, pretty heroine. In fact, she doesn’t even start out wanting to be a heroine and she ends up much more an anti-heroine in the end. While constantly anchoring her rage back to the society that devalues and condemns her and its women to servitude and death, Zetian begins to grow into herself, seeing the world around her for how it really is, and slowly making bonds and connections of her own.

I loved the introduction and use of Li Shimin and Yizhi, two men who each offer Zetian something different, a strength that complements her and helps her continue to grow past her initial feelings of blind anger. Zhao expertly uses Shimin and Yizhi to sharpen and focus Zetian and her plans, creating a triangle of sorts that instead of being weighed down with petty drama, is actually used to help each character flourish. There’s great LGBTQIA+ rep that doesn’t feel forced, and ultimately offers us more compassionate and softer sides of Zetian. Shimin and Yizhi each have their own compelling backstories, trauma, and secrets, which I can only hope we will dive into more in the next book. Their addition kept my on my toes, wondering if either would try to usurp the other or dominant and manipulate Zetian. Yet she remains the ringleader and driver, aided by Shimin’s brute force and hidden compassion, and Yizhi’s resources and strategy.

The society and men in power, the system in place, felt very reminiscent of the Handmaid’s Tale which the author points to as a comparison or inspiration, and it very much felt like its own characters - it was wholly horrifying and captivating.

<b> “Shame. That was their favorite tool. A tool to corrode me from the inside until I believed I could only accept whatever lot they threw at my bound feet. It didn’t work. Despite their best efforts, I find myself worthy of happiness. Everything they’ve used to bind me, I will turn against them. My looks are an illusion to snag their attention. My decadence is a bait to stir their outrage. My perfect partnership is a lie to keep them obsessing. The very force of their judgment and hatred will make me unstoppable.” </b>

Lastly, the ending. Wow. I was anxious and seriously sweating the entire time. So many big moments, revelations, and twists happened I damn near suffered whiplash. While some theories I maintained throughout the book were confirmed, others were broken wipe open and the epilogue was both perfect but infuriating for leaving us on such a cliffhanger. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?!?!?

It was so so so good. It was deliciously wicked and satisfying, justice in quite brutal terms is meted out to an extent, and I relished in Zetian’s glory. However the story is far from over and Zhao did was great job of leading us all the way through one journey, just to show us that that was merely round 1 in what is sure to be a brutal war.

All the stars. And that cover! It’s gorgeous. Don’t hesitate to pick this one up and don’t worry about the sci-fi aspects. Zhao walks you through it all flawlessly so it never feels too alien or cumbersome, but only heightens the storytelling. I’ll be snapped a hardcover of this beauty and anxiously awaiting book 2.

Thank you netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for my eARC!