Characters: 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars!
Vibes: 5 out of 5 stars!
Plot: 3 out of 5 stars!
Enjoyment: 4 out of 5 stars!
OVERALL: 4.25 out of 5 stars!

Okay so where is the sign-up form to marry, I mean, all three of our main characters? You all know I am weak for complex characters and Xiran Jay Zhao just took that to a whole other level. Zetian, Shimin and Yizhi have such strong and different personalities and they are, well, not always morally correct. They are pretty ruthless even and you know what? Good for them! I am soft for them either way…

But Iron Widow is a refreshing debut in so many ways besides its characters, too. YA is so full of tropes and while I love lots of them, some are pretty annoying or even problematic. While reading this, I often felt like the book was challenging the problematic tropes and turning them into something powerful. Nothing but respect for Xiran Jay Zhao.

And yeah…the feminism was everything I wanted. The author really didn’t beat around the bush which made it all blatantly honest and — even though this takes place in a world very different from our own — so true to our (unfortunate) reality. It hurt to see all of this injustice, but I was also glad that the truths were there, no matter how shocking.

I could literally feel Zetian’s rage because, well, we shared it.

While I could mostly feel Zetian’s emotions very strongly, I do wish we’d seen and felt more of her grief. She’s doing this stuff to avenge her sisters’ death, but I can’t help but feel like we as readers didn’t even get a glimpse of what their relationship was like, and that’s a bit of a missed opportunity in my opinion.

Now, you all need to understand this very urgent need I have…The need for an Iron Widow adaptation. Like. Right now. Xiran Jay Zhao writes in a perfect tone for this book and it’s all very vivid, which caused my brain to not only make me read everything but also see it. That wasn’t always pleasant because some of the descriptions are…yeah. But I can assure you this would make a BANGER of an adaptation!

The romance though…it definitely went beyond my expectations. Iron Widow includes a polyamorous relationship that really works as a triangle. All three of them are very much in love with each other and I’m just so emotional. I was scared I would like “these two” together more than “these two, but that luckily wasn’t the case because Xiran Jay Zhao is a genius.

The thing with their romance is is that they don’t come in pairs, but as a group, and I love that.

I do have to be honest though. If you ask me anything about the world-building, my brain will just go blank. I did not understand a lot about what was happening…a lot of the times. I actually read the book twice and the last 20% thrice, even, but I still have no idea. I could just be the dumb one but…yeah.

As for the ending…Xiran Jay Zhao straight up messed with me and my poor brain. I’m honestly terrified for the sequel because what in the hell was that.

I am bowing down to Xiran Jay Zhao because they DELIVERED with their debut! It was an intricate, unique and important story that was just so well crafted. From the characters and their complexity, to the feminism that drives this book; it’s a book you absolutely can’t miss out on!

That only leaves us with one question (actually dozens of them but most importantly): sequel please??

Oh and if the author happens to be reading this: I’d give up everything for a chance to read the draft of Iron Widow that is even darker and R18-rated, thank you.

One-sentence pitch: To avenge her sisters’ murder and save other girls from getting sacrificed, Zetian challenges the patriarchy “where male pilots of giant magical mecha are worshipped, while female pilots must serve as their concubines” and offer their lives for them.

One-sentence review: Side effects of reading this book may include absolutely losing your mind, whispering “wtf” under your breath repeatedly, being in love with Zetian, Yizhi AND Shimin, and of course: no longer seeing the difference between the words “Iron Widow” and “epic”.

Definitely read it if: you want more badass female characters, you like characters who aren’t morally correct (yet NOT problematic!!!), you want to smash the patriarchy, too, or if you’re interested in reading about a polyamorous relationship.

Maybe skip it if: you don’t like complicated stories or aren’t a fan of/have never read science fiction books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Penguin Teen for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I first heard about Iron Widow, I remember being very intrigued. From the cover to description, this book was generating tons of early hype. Usually that worries me, unrealistic expectations are set and very rarely does a debut release live up to those expectations. This, however, absolutely did.

Wu Zetian is a heroine for the ages. I loved her to pieces, and she is SUCH a breath of fresh air for all of YA/Fantasy. Ruthless and cunning, I was in awe of her and everything she did. The world building was also out of this world. I felt like I was there and not an outsider looking in. There is so much Chinese culture & history woven throughout this book as well. As brutal and dark as this could be at times, it was lush & gorgeously written. I can't wait to find out more about Huaxia's history & it's politics.

Romance is not the forefront of Iron Widow, and I'm so glad it wasn't. Usually I love smut and romance-heavy books, but the romance was done perfectly and it didn't take away from the brilliance of the story itself or the characters.

This book was not afraid to kick ass and take names, and it did exactly that. Xiran Jay Zhao, I bow down to you.

“He should be the Iron King, and I should be the Iron Queen. Yet Iron Demon and Iron Widow is all they'll let us be.”

Bring on book 2!!

To save their country from alien invaders, boys of Huaxia become pilots of huge transforming mecha called Chrysalises. But the boys do not have the power to pilot these mecha alone... they need a concubine... a woman... to siphon qi from. Unfortunately this arrangement is often fatal for the woman. But because the government pays very well for these sacrifices, poor families from all over Huaxia offer up their daughters in the hopes that their deaths will benefit their sons.

This is what happened to 18-year-old Zeitan's older sister. Except her sister died at the hands of her pilot=husband and not in battle, which meant her family got nothing. Now with vengeance in mind, Zeitan offers herself up to the very man who murdered her sister. And she succeeds... but not in the way anyone expected. During battle, she kills him through their psychic link, earning herself the title of Iron Widow.

Enraged, the powers that be pair her up with their strongest pilot, Li Shimin. Shimin is a murderer... a man who killed his own family. He's an alcoholic. And no woman has survived a battle with him.

Until Zeitan.

---

Okay who's ready for some trigger warnings? Because--Oh boy!-- does this book need them. Triggers for: Rape, domestic abuse, foot binding, sexism, misogyny, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, murder, physical abuse, alcoholism, substance abuse, gaslighting, parental abuse, spousal abuse, major character death (I mean...*points to the blurb*), and more I've probably missed. Please make sure you're in a good place before reading this.

Also this review will contain some spoilers. But they're good spoilers. The kind that will likely be important to potential readers.

Now that I've gotten the warnings out of the way, I need to gush about this book. It's so freaking good, y'all. Like seriously good. Like I want all the fanfic for it now. First off, it's a novel written by a queer Author of Color. We totally need more of this, and I'm happy to see a book that is rooted in Chinese culture and mythology playing with so many tropes.

I absolutely adored how this book flipped a lot of tropes on their ears while at the same time playing a lot of them straight. This book read like a fanfic, but that is not a bad thing. It means that the book was readable and could appeal to an audience who wants something familiar while also having their alternate universes. Because that's what this is. An AU of Chinese history and mythology with sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal elements. If you like that kind of thing, you will love this. This is the kind of book that readers of the Hunger Games will love. Seriously. I got so many Hunger Games vibes from this., and I loved it.

This is also a YA fantasy novel that goes "Nope! No love triangles for you! We're going to have some healthy polyamory." and I am 100000000% here for it. Like seriously... no more love triangles... give me polyamory instead. And it's an equal triad. Squeeeeeeeeee! Like seriously. Readers do need to note that there are closed door sex scenes. What that means is that there is implied sex on the page but nothing is shown. There's some kissing and heavy petting, but that's about it. Nothing too explicit. And nothing that would take this out of YA.

So let's talk characters. Zeitan has a very Katniss feel to her. She's protective of her family to a point. But moreso she's protective of those that she's deemed as innocent and those who have been wronged by the system. She starts out as focused on only one goal -- kill the man who killed her sister. And when she succeeds, she discovers a new goal -- save the women who are sacrificed/murdered by a system that chews them up and spits them out like cherry pits. She's strong, but she's also flawed. She's powerful... but she also has bound feet so cannot fight physically. She is a disabled heroine who kicks butt and takes names. And she's also human. Her character growth is great and I am here for it.

Then there are the love interests. The first is Yizhi: a rich, scholarly boy from the capital. He's very much a beta hero. The kind of guy who is safe. Gentle. He's a good doobie who is willing to let Zeitan take the lead. Then there's Shimin. He's darker. An addict. He's your brooding YA hero. with a twist. He's closer to the alpha male archetype but also not fully there. He lets Zeitan take the lead as well and he owns his mistakes. He knows he's got blood on his hands and that he has to atone for it. He's like a mix of Gale Hawthorne meets Han Solo. I loved him. I loved them both.

There's a lot of heavy and difficult themes in this book. But I never felt that things got too heavy-handed. The story is compelling and it's definitely got reread value. It's the kind of book that makes you think while being entertaining. Honestly, I feel like this is book for everyone.

So of course I'm going to give this...

Five Stars

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley

This wasn't for me- I got lost- but then I'm not the target reader, Much praise to Zhao for taking on Chinese mythology and history as well as all the other issues. It reminded me of how I feel in Marvel movies- not really understanding what everyone is fighting over but along for the ride. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

This book was so good!

Everything about it evoked the wonder I had for story when I was a child.

There's action, anger, character agency... so much all wrapped up into one. The emotional intelligence in this book was off the charts.

Zetian, the main character really goes through it in this world and I love how her feelings throughout are described. We know why she is angry or sad. We see when she gives in to her feelings and we see why she does. There are so many instances of her standing up for herself, but also experimenting with mercy and what that looks like in her world.

The romance is 12/10 and is different than your typical YA. Not just in the sense that it is a polyamorous but in the sense that the characters own up to themselves and are weathering through things together.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. For any fan of action packed animation stories and high intensity emotion.

ARC procured from Netgalley, thank you Penguin Random House Canada

I admit, the moment I saw the pitch for this book I was sold. I'm a sucker for some fun with historical concepts and I grew up absolutely enthralled by mecha anime and there's one thing I expect with that sort of premise: the robots must be big and the emotions must be bigger. While I hadn't seen the series that in specific inspired the author (Darling in the Franxx), I absolutely expect some sort of large scale social or political commentary woven in -- it kinda comes with the territory.

While I won't say that the reading experience was flawless and there were definitely some scenes that I thought were handled a bit ham-fistedly in the dialogue, the overall experience reading was an absolute blast. It was exciting to have a protagonist that was set up to be bitter and ruthless and have the greater arc of the story not be about making her rage toothless and bring her to a kinder and brighter place. I understand that might not be to every reader's liking, but I dig it.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that, being an immigrant from China myself, certain scenes hit me like a ton of bricks. There's a fair bit here that struck very close to home -- some echoed in my direct family, others echoed in my extended. It made emotionally connecting to Zetian pretty easy -- she has a pretty limited arc herself through this book, instead we're mostly peeling the first few layers of the onions that are our three leads and gaining perspective over time, but I absolutely understand the grounding qualities of her character.

It's not going to be for everyone but the mecha weeb in me is absolutely happy having read this.

Well this book was crazy! Crazy amazing! I was cringing in parts because the description was that good. The world building is amazing, I felt like I was immersed in this world every time I was reading. I enjoyed learning about different Chinese customs throughout this story, I understand the book is based very loosely on different historical figures. Great book.





I just reviewed Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

1.5/5 rounded up to 2— This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I ended up so disappointed. A short synopsis of my feelings are that highly interesting lore does not make up for a lack of character development, inconsistencies in themes, and poor writing.

Positives:
- The lore and magic system on Chinese principles and culture is SO interesting and I enjoyed learning about it at the beginning.
- The romance aspect was interesting because polyamory representation is rare, but both men were so wholly unlikable that I wish she ended up with no one. That being said, I prefer mediocre representation over no representation, and I do feel like it was handled well despite me hating the characters involved.

Negatives:
- Everything that’s set up in the first half falls apart the second the main character faces it. There are no real challenges and the book’s own lore is constantly doubled back on. For example, it’s set up that the main character lives in a highly patriarchal society but when she gets to the palace she is frequently listened to, respected, and gets her way, even when speaking to high ranking male officials. Sometimes all she does is ask and a conflict is resolved for her??? This made absolutely no sense to me and took me out of the story.
- In fact, there are no stakes at all. Every “issue” is resolved within a few pages and it makes the conflict boring. You know after about two minor conflicts that everything will end up working in the main character's favor so you just don't care.
- The original thing the main character wants, revenge, is completely forgotten a third of the way through and replaced with a general irreverence for the patriarchy, but I honestly feel that the revenge plot line was more interesting.
- Written like a fan fiction; not much in the way of creative word use and highly repetitive. On top of that, all of the adults, even ones with high ranks and official titles, converse like children. It is so dialogue heavy, and most of the dialogue is extremely contrived.
- This book is supposed to be feminist but the main character is a “not like other girls” type and she does not have one singular interaction with another woman that doesn’t go poorly. There is no female empowerment or camaraderie message because all the interactions she has with other women are negative. There are numerous examples of this with the. other concubines in the beginning, the other queen pilots, her sister, her grandmother, etc.
- I never know wtf is happening in any fight scene. The descriptions are so convoluted and jump from over explaining to under explaining. I had to go back and re-read some sections only to realize that the piece that I’m missing wasn’t explained.

All in all, I wanted to like this book and I just couldn't. Highly disappointing and part of the reason I've stopped picking up books written by Youtubers is because they frequently end up with these sorts of results.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The summary:

The publisher's blurb about this books is "Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers." I've not watched nor read Pacific Rim, but I can see, somewhat, why The Handmaid’s Tale gets used as a hook. The "...blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers" seems to be the most accurate part of the blurb. I will say, there's a lot of interesting things going on in this story. It is also what I'd call "brain candy" and not completely in a bad way. Let's just leave my summary with a pretty solid 3 stars and say that there are some pros and cons, to be discussed in the actual review, shall we?

The review:

As promised in the summary, this book is a pretty solid 3 stars, with some pros and cons, and falls squarely into the "brain candy" category for me, although, it didn't have to. Some might say shouldn't have, as not all YA does for me.

The pros:

My Chinese history knowledge is not extensive, but even I've read a bit about Wu Zetian and she sounded like one tough woman, so I was thrilled to see this twist. Also, I'm not remotely versed in mecha anything, but ... giant robot-y things that are controlled mentally? Ok, cool. Even the generic plot of "woman fighting the patriarchy" was right up my alley. For those of you looking for romance, there is some, it's not all "man with woman full stop," and the romances in general aren't a predominant theme, which is nice, especially for YA.

The cons:

After the above pros, the worldbuilding, story, and characters feel very flat. The most depth you get is from Zetian and Shimin and trust me, you don't get a lot of depth with them. I know somewhat why the worldbuilding was a little flat, to set you up for the surprise at the end but, even that was somewhat predictible and no excuse for the shallow worldbuilding.

Overall, my complaint is that it felt like a lot of things in this book were skimmed over. Setting this story in the time, place, and space that it was in, more information (while avoiding the dreaded info dump) would've done wonders. Giving the characters more than one or two defining bits would've been awesome.

Last thoughts:

Overall, if my pros lined up with your pros, give this a whirl. Keep your expectations for understanding things low, go with the flow, and I think you'll be pretty ok. You may not like some things that I didn't mention, that's cool. You may really like some things that I was lukewarm on, which is also cool.

Honestly, maybe before you buy/borrow this book, check out Lexi's and Lucie V.'s reviews. They went into a lot more detail and said somethings better than I could've.

This book is damn near perfect. I love the mixture of Chinese mythology and history with Gigantic Robots. I would never have expected this but I want a million sequels. Full to the brim with unbridled feminist rage, interesting character dynamics and super fun and dynamic writing. Truly cannot recommend this enough

So my first thought surrounding this book is that it is one of the best books I have read in 2021. Like it will probably be in my top 10 list (maybe even top 5). I managed to read it in about 48 hours or less it was so addicting.

I absolutely loved Zetian as a main character, she has put her mind to a task and refuses to give up until it's complete. She is very defiant and doesn't agree with society in the way it runs and fights against it in various ways.

I really also loved Yizhi and Li Shimin who are the main male characters and Zetians love interests. Both of them are strong characters who each bring their own uniqueness to the story and really help Zetian with her plan and support her in said plan.

I love every interaction between all of these three main characters, especially with the fact that this book has a love triangle WHERE THEY ALL CHOOSE EACHOTHER, yes you read that correctly, it has poly rep which is something I personally have only seen in one YA book before.

When I think of these characters my brain just goes into a mush of saying I love them so much and overall how much I love this story.

The ending of this book had me physically in shock like umm give me book 2 immediately because I'm left with about a hundred questions I need answers to right now.

I will be recommending this book to absolutely everyone and already plan on re-reading it (probably before the end f the year if I'm being honest)

This was an amazing book! It is perfectly described as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaids Tale.
I can't wait for the second book because damn the cliffhanger was mean

2.5/5
TW: misogynistic violence, death, murder, torture, gore, abuse, threat of rape, alcoholism, racism

In this reimagining of Chinese history, Empress Wu Zetian's origins are supplanted into an alternate futuristic world in which hunduns terrorize society. Hope for a safe future lies with the pilots of giant mechanical beasts called chrysalises — controlled with the strength of their pilots' qi — which clash with the hunduns whenever they attack.

In this deeply misogynistic society, male pilots are heroic celebrity figures while the girls serving as their concubine-pilots are expendable and face almost certain death in each battle. After her sister loses her life as a concubine-pilot, Zetian commits herself to killing the pilot responsible for her death, setting off a chain of events that thrust her deep into the pilot system and public eye in unforeseen ways.

I was initially drawn to this book on the promise of it being packed with defiant, feminist rage and a bisexual polyamorours love triangle. I was further sold after discovering Xiran Jay Zhao's youtube channel which I earnestly recommend checking out, regardless of my feelings towards this book.

Now, onto the book...

At its core, Iron Widow promises more than it delivers. There was indeed ample feminist rage and a bisexual polyamorous 'love' triangle but neither was sold in a way that I could really get on board with.

Zetian grapples with the horrific and violently misogynistic society in which she lives, but does so while seemingly having the same furious revelations every couple of pages. She regularly spouts feminist lines of dialogue or thoughts that feel like they're meant to come across as cool and revolutionary but also get old very quickly. She interacts minimally with other women and the relationship that seems as though it ought to be at the core of the book — her relationship with the sister whose death has shaped the trajectory of her life — is virtually non-existent.

The love triangle, though refreshing in its polyamorous nature, didn't do the job of truly convincing me on all three interpersonal dynamics at all. Zetian and Yizhi have an existing relationship that doesn't get explored much, Zetian and Shimin's dynamic held so much more potential than it lived up to, and the relationship between Yizhi and Shimin felt so incredibly underdeveloped that it was hard to care about. Each of the relationships felt like instalove which was a serious disappointment.

The battle scenes are lengthy and repetitive, the pacing and and plot felt directionless for a large chunk of the book, many of the characters felt one dimensional, and ultimately my complaint all around is the same: this book, for all its ambition and genuinely interesting themes and moving pieces, winds up being so simple and almost didactic in its messaging.

All that said, this is a debut novel with some very real promise. The last third of the book brought some interesting turns to the plot and kept me interested in continuing the series. I really appreciate what Iron Widow sets out to do, I'm just hopeful for some added maturity and depth in book two.

What a wild ride this book was! It became a "Read Now" option on Netgalley and so we all grabbed it to buddy read. Our chat has just been full of "!!!!!!!" since we started it, and I'm so beyond glad we found this book and author.

I can't summarize the book any better than the publisher has, so I suggest you read that here. Zhao asked herself "what if Pacific Rim took place in a sexist ass world where women became collateral damage in a battle against giant aliens" and she answered it in the most badass way possible.

Zetian is... there are no words for her. She exists in a world where every possible variable has been molded to keep her down and yet she stands all the taller for it. She demands the life she deserves, and even when she's resolved to not get that at the book's start, she demands payment for her own departure to death. Her family didn't care about her life and when her sister is murdered, she knows she is the only person who can and will seek justice. There is a courage to Zetian that I see so rarely in female protagonists - a courage rooted very fairly in fear but persevering anyway, a flower growing up through concrete because it has to.

The plot felt unconventional in that it doesn't follow a typical structure. I kept waiting for it to hit pauses and find certain story beats but it didn't - it just kept going and forcing me to pay attention.

I can't spend too much time talking about the characters of Li Shimin and Yizhi Gao without spoiling the book but... please just read this for them and Zetian. There is something so beautiful about these three that can't be described because it must be experienced. I loved the dynamic and would have accepted this as an 800 page book if it meant more scenes with them.

This is an incredibly feminist book, as should be expected from its premise. I can't understate this though: please go into this book expecting it to be a feminist book with feminist quotes and graphic sexism against women. I don't think this book loses anything for being as on-the-nose as it was (and it was definitely in your face), but I don't want anyone to expect anything differently. It's not like that girlboss scene in Endgame though, it's more like when you get to watch Scarlet Witch fucking wreck someone after they knocked her down. That fear you see in Thanos' eyes when she comes at him? That's what this book feels like. Female vengeance pressed into pages with ink that I'd shoot into my veins if I could.

It's obvious that this author loved Pacific Rim and took a lot of inspiration from it, but the way she describes the Chrysalis and the mechanics of the yin-yang seats, this becomes her own world very quickly. It felt, to me, like when an author gets permission to write their spin on a popular character. This is Zhao's sandbox now. Readers get kinda dropped into the world but there's plenty of cultural world-building and descriptions that simply make sense. I don't know how to explain it, but sometimes an author is describing something technical and I'm left BAFFLED at how it's all supposed to work, but here I was completely on board. Plus it uses mechanics and aspects familiar to me - I knew what qi was and I just pictured all the Chrysalis appearances to be like.. mechanical Sailor Moon transformations. I highly recommend that imagery by the way, 10/10.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC!

3.5 stars

Iron widow has been my most anticipated book of 2021 and I was tremendously excited to start reading it. The premise and polyamory definitely captured my attention and made me super delighted for this book! Now while I found it a good read, I didn’t necessarily think it was a great one.

The plot felt kind of all over the place and was hard to follow (I will say that the plot twist at the end did surprise me!). The world building was pretty good but could have been more explained and elaborated on. I was confused with a lot of terms and character names due to many info dumps, but was eventually able to somewhat understand what/who everything/everyone was.

What I can definitely say is that I was very intrigued by the characters. Characters have always been the most important part of the story in my eyes, and I think Xiran Jay Zhao does a pretty good job at writing a good cast of characters. I thought Zetian, Yizhi and Shimin were very good main characters and I adored their dynamic!

I think that overall, it was a decent debut novel. Not necessarily a favourite of mine but definitely one i’m interested in following. I will definitely be picking up the second novel to see where the rest of the story goes.

Fueled by seething rage and unquenchable desire in the peasant-turned-mech-pilot, Wu Zetian, Xiran Jay Zhao devastates in their YA science fiction debut, Iron Widow. Drawing from Chinese culture – social, political, religious – Zhao blends brutal reality with mythology, unleashing a powerhouse in the re-imagined Zetian, drawing from the only female emperor’s roots in a lead character determined to make a difference by bringing down the patriarchy, playing to her strengths as a woman, undervalued and overlooked.

As the youngest child of a poor family on the Huaxia frontier, Zetian is nothing but a bartering chip in her family’s eyes. She exists to be pretty, to bare children, to serve. The greatest goal she could achieve is death, her battle price an expectation in a world dominated by the Chrysalis-Hundun war. To pay her for her brother’s bride price, Zetian is encouraged to enlist, pressured by her family to be the picture of femininity in order to be chosen as a sacrificial concubine pilot, a necessity in the war to take back Huaxia beyond the Great Wall. Destroyed by years of fighting, Chrysalises – massive mechas inspired by mythological beings, powered by qi, and capable of majestic transformation – are Huaxia’s only hope. Drawing from a host of mech anime, including, most notably, Darling in the Franxx, Zhao intricately pieces together Chinese history with climatic animation in male-female co-pilot pairs, a necessity not only to regain Huaxia’s stolen territory, but to survive.

Written with exquisite detail, Zhao brings mythological beings to life, transforming gods into mechanical monsters powered by qi, manipulated by those with high mental fortitude, or spirit pressure, with high numbers most commonly found in young males. It is in this yin-yang pairing that Zhao explores themes of misogyny and sexuality, from the harsh reality that women are often nothing but qi batteries to the idea of “balanced matches” and “bonded pairs” beginning with pilot seat position, accommodations, and clothing, and ending with high tech malleable armor, pilot ranking systems, and untold secrets. In a world where most women are destined to die on their first flight, Zetian’s fierce determination, unwavering will, and strong desire for vengeance win, granting her a new title when she comes out on top of Huaxia’s most beloved pilot, Yang Guang.

Zetian’s recognition as a pilot-killer is anything but positive. Consistently undervalued in the face of a male-dominated war effort, she is placed with Li Shimin, the Iron Demon, after enacting her revenge on her sister’s murderer. Iron Widow and Iron Demon meet with trepidation, rumors swirling about the half-Rongdi outsider that is Shimin. Though he possesses the highest current spirit pressure, he is an high profile convict turned reluctant pilot, captured, tormented, and abused for his refusal to obey. With a rugged, cold exterior, Shimin is judged for his broadcasted past, patricide paired with alcoholism, but unearths a strong desire for vengeance and women’s rights when placed alongside the fierce, unflinching powerhouse that is Zetian. In a world where men only want one thing (power, born from recognition inside of a Chrysalis), Zetian and Shimin are a clumsy force to be reckoned with, enemies turned lovers in a moving exploration of power and discovery, born from the desire to dismantle the pilot system from within.

Despite being declared a balanced match to the public, Zetian is no Iron Princess; she struggles every step of the way to pilot alongside Shimin, determined to claw her way to the top, even if it means pushing herself to her mental limit each time. Cooperative training sessions – ice skating, dancing, and flying – bring the duo closer together, albeit grudgingly, each wary of a past that haunts them. Mental balance is necessary if the Vermilion Bird is to transform into its ascended forms correctly, and inherently stubborn natures make matters near impossible until vulnerabilities come to the surface, pasts turned present in the mental spirit realm their bodies inhabit in the Chrysalis cockpit, the duo pushed out into battle long before their allotted rest period is up time and again in an effort to break them down, despite their unmatched power amongst Huaxia’s ranks.

When Zetian’s long-time friend and love interest, Gao Yizhi, enters the picture, Zhao demolishes any semblance of a love triangle immediately, encouraging open sexuality instead in the gentle understanding that Yizhi exudes. As the son of one of the wealthiest men in Huaxia, Yizhi’s connections have allowed him to follow Zetian, whom he met and fell in love with on the outskirts of the frontier. Unruffled by her fierce determination and rage, Yizhi fits in seamlessly, soothing and encouraging the Iron couple through exhaustion, addiction and suicidal ideation.

While it would be in his best interest to follow the lead, Yizhi joins Zetian and Shimin in their quest for vengeance on the patriarchy, becoming a necessity that allows the duo to connect on an emotional and mental level by lending qi and triggering the Vermillion Bird’s heroic form successfully. “A triangle is the strongest shape,” after all, and Zhao pens a poly romance laced with sexual tension, desire and understanding that is exceptionally sweet, allowing the characters to explore themselves in a way that encourages personal growth, each dynamic unique, enriching and distinctly separate from the other.

Tender romance, intense battles and unforgettable conquests send the reader on an unforgettable journey of betrayal and brutality in the quest for answers and equality. As the world comes crashing down around the trio, Zhao deftly explores history, dismantling the dystopia in a knock-out ending that challenges everything you thought you knew about Huaxia.

Written with lush, vivid detail that brings old gods to life in breathtaking mechs, rich attention to detail vies for power with a fiercely determined plot, vengeful characters, and an unforgettable romance. Stunning until the very end, Zhao is a force to be reckoned with, her words enticing and exciting in equal measure. There’s beauty in language, and Iron Widow is a work of artistic madness that longs for an anime adaptation of its own.

Although Zhao writes from the lens of Chinese history, detailing misogyny and the brutal expectations placed upon women, from foot-binding to subservience, they speak for all women in Zetian’s incessant fury and determination to gain control of her mind, body and destiny. Zetian’s relentless journey is equal parts exhilarating and empowering, making Iron Widow an impactful, impeccably paced debut that solidifies Zhao’s place on my auto-buy list.

Full of historical easter eggs, well-realized, mythological mechs, and surprising sensuality, Iron Widow offers a scathing examination of the patriarchy through a legendary female lead.

SMASH THE PATRIARCHY! From the very beginning of this book, you know that Zetian is out for blood, specifically the blood of the man who killed her sister. What starts as a revenge tale turns into a feminist adventure where Zetian turns her entire world upside down. There were so many quotes in this book that just made me scream hell yes. The scathing commentary on how women are treated vs. men and how expectations will differ was probably my favorite part of this entire book. I also loved that Zetian never apologized for being who she was, she just was herself and wasn't going to change unless she could use it for her own gain. I wasn't sure how I would do with the sci-fi part of the story but I actually really liked the concept. The last 15% of the book was where I deducted one star. There was so much going on towards the end that I had a hard time following what was happening plus cliffhanger but that's my only con for this book. Also, I don't think I've ever read a Young Adult book that so casually has a poly relationship in it and I AM HERE FOR IT.

Really excellent book that kept me on my toes. Many thanks to Penguin Teen for an advance copy through NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange of a honest review!

Content warnings: gore, torture, sexual assault, mentions of rape, feminicide, alcohol addiction.

My honest review is: INCOHERENT SCREAMING. That’s it, that’s the summary of my feelings while reading this book.

Iron Widow is amazing. The ultimate “fuck you” to the patriarchy and all the Pacific Rim vibes got me deceased and then ressurected. I had no idea I needed this book until I finally got to read it.

I wasn’t expecting the first person POV, but it did wonders. Wu Zetian is just angry, SO ANGRY, and she’s right to be. Her journey throughout the book was extraordinary, and nothing she does is meaningless or without a reason: she wants to change things in her country, and she will do whatever it takes.

Although I think this book could have been even more extraordinary if it was aimed for an adult audience (with more exploration and depth to its dark themes), I am very pleased that a younger audience is given the chance to read about morally grey characters, unhinged female heros, polyamorous relationships developed in such a natural way, and discussions about gender roles and media manipulation through Zetian’s lens. She is not neutral about it. And neither are we, readers, who accompany her life-long suffering.

Besides Zetian, we have as protagonists Gao Yizhi, Zetian’s friend and crush, and Li Shimin, the strongest pilot in the Chrysalis program, paired up with Zetian. I absolutely loved how their dynamics worked, and how they were developed both as individuals and as a team. Triangle truly is the strongest shape. Also, Yizhi is one of the few rich men who deserves rights.

I can’t say anything more without giving spoilers, so I’ll just scream about one more thing: THE BATTLES?????? AMAZING. The action scenes were so well written and one of the strongest points of the book for me. I could picture everything.

There are a few tiiiiny things that I wish were more developed, but this is only the first book, and it ended with a BANG. I can’t wait to read the sequel!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<b>What I liked:</b> I am actually a descendant of someone Wu Zetian assassinated. As in, he tried to run away from her but she sent people after him, found him several hundred miles away from the capital, and had him offed anyway. I was curious how the writer would make her sympathetic without glossing over her machiavellianism. The result is that Zetian is an antihero and the book feels very much like The Hunger Games if Katniss was shrewd and had no problem getting her hands dirty. Mechas! Drama! Good times all around.

<b>What I was meh on:</b> I guess this is true to historical form, but Wu Zetian basically has no female friends in this story. It's a little disappointing.

Okay, so in all fairness this will probably not be a problem with people who are unfamiliar with Chinese history/myths/legends, but it was extremely jarring to have characters with the names of famous people. I shrieked when I saw that the chief strategists were named Zhugeliang and Sima Yi. It's just *weird.* Like having a mecha sci-fi story, but the engineer is named Leonardo Di Vinci, but it's not Leonardo Di Vinci.

<b>How's the romance?</b> It's a thruple! That in itself was a unique, subversive choice by the writer. Everyone is attractive and appealing in their own way. The sweet brainy one, the tortured emo one, very good.

<b>Okay, but are there PoC?</b> Yup. Everyone is fantasy Asian here. I also appreciated the disability representation for multiple characters in the story, including the main protag.

<b>Bottom Line:</b> Iron Widow is a fun, history inspired take on a Mecha + Dystopian Propaganda story. It's references to ancient Chinese culture messed with my sense of verisimilitude, but overall did not detract from a fun romp in a unique fantasy world that subverts many YA tropes.

Iron Widow combines elements of science fiction and fantasy in this gripping, relentless, unique and fast paced story. Xiran Jay Zhao takes the history of Empress Wu, the only female emperor in Chinese history and reimagines it in the tale of Wu Zetian, an 18 year old who is determined to avenge her sister's death. The world has been under attack from mechanized aliens, the Hundun, and in Huaxia, it is the goal of young men to become pilots of Chrysalises, huge transforming fighting machines. In order to help the male pilots, female concubine-pilots are used to help power the Chrysalises which usually leads to the death of the subservient female pilot. Wu Zetian has volunteered to become a concubine-pilot in order to kill the top male pilot who is responsible for her older sister's death. However, Zetian discovers during her mission that she is incredibly powerful and she realizes she has an opportunity to remake the world and save many girl's lives.

Zetian's story reels you in right from the start with many familiar elements from Chinese culture alongside the fantastical descriptions of the Chrysalises and the spirit metal armor used by the pilots. Zetian's constant struggle with the misogynistic culture that surrounds her, from her father's treatment of the women in her family to the use of the concubine-pilot, infuses the entire story. From feet-binding to the subservience that this culture requires truly makes you understand why Zetian makes the choices she does. She is ruthless and determined not to let this patriarchal society keep her from using her power and leverage in saving the lives of the other female pilots. Her relationships with Li Shimin and Yizhi humanize her and provide touching moments when she discovers all that Shimin has been through himself. This really is a marvelous story and after THAT ending, I cannot wait for book 2!!!!