Cover Image: Iron Widow

Iron Widow

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Member Reviews

“The thing I dream about most is being with you.”

I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews about this book, so I was scared going in about my reaction to it. But I loved it. I really enjoy the plot and the characters and the romance. I thought the work building and technology was interesting.

It did take me a couple of chapters to really get used to the tone and the world. But I think that was probably just a me problem.

I loved the romance. Like I hate love triangles because I’m always like “they could just all be together.” And well…they finally did what I wanted. I really liked it all. I love slow burn so I would have been fine if it took even longer for it to happen, but I liked the pace that was done.

Also, people always talk about wanting morally grey female protagonists and then they get them and complaint about it.
I also can’t explain how much I hate the term, Mary Sue. Like never use that term when talking to me. It’s so so stupid.

I liked Zetian I thought she was cool. And I love female rage and just completely losing it so I’m here for it. Let her do what she wants. Like yeah, she has flaws (I guess) but so? Like if she didn’t have flaws, you’d complain about her not having flaws. I don't get the hate.

"Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance.”

The ending was interesting. I'm deciding how much I like it, but I definitely don't dislike it. I feel like it might have been a little bit rushed, but it was fine. It hurt a lot though but then the epilogue was crazy. It gave me a little hope, but I guess I'll see in the next book.

I’m very shocked by all of the negative stuff I heard. But I shouldn’t be shocked that certain authors are held to a different standard than others.


Initial thoughts:
What the fuck. Holy shit.

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I was absolutely delighted with Zetian as a protagonist. She's crafty, wily, and 100% lethal. This is a book about vengeance, first and foremost. For Zetian's sister, for herself, and all the girls who came before her. Zetian sees no way forward where those in control make a more equal system and society-- so it must burn.

But she's not alone in her line of thinking, nor the only one willing to die to make it happen. Both her childhood friend/boyfriend, Li Shimin, and her co-pilot, Gao Yizhi, have also been touched and affected by the misogynistic system, in different ways. Their own experiences-- one from outside of the cruel piloting system, the other from within-- show Zetian the different facets.

The three of them work well together, and find not just solace but a sense of belonging, trust, and-- ultimately-- love. Though the story is told solely from Zetian's point of view, she sees the growing relationship between Yizhi and Shimin, and the three of them communicate their feelings to each other quite well. The polyamorous romance between the three of them is quite sweet, considering how different the three of them are, especially personality-wise.

The fights between the Chrysalises always had me literally leaning forward in my seat in anticipation. The action is quick, clear, and always had me enthralled. The changing Chrysalis forms really reminded me of Digimon and their evolutions.

The ending twist is very reminiscent of Ender's Game. As someone who likes to speculate and guess at what twist is likely to happen, this really took me by surprise (to my utter delight)! It completely changes the game for the sequel. I can't even begin to guess what's going to happen because there's so much potential and possibilities!

Xiran Jay Zhao has outdone theirself with their debut book. I am absolutely thunderstruck. I am both desperate for the upcoming movie adaptation and extremely wary about how wrong it could go.

100% recommend this book!

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From start to finish, the book absolutely captivated me and left me hungry for more. I finished in one sitting and did not sleep. Absolutely amazing.

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Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Are you looking for the absolute richest sci-fi you've ever read? Are you looking for the most unique world, full of characters that you will love immediately, and the most amazing plot ever? Then look no further my friends!

I can't say enough good things about this book! To start with, the characters are so loveable and relatable from the very beginning. Zetian represents so many of us and the experiences we've had in life, and she's so badass while she navigates it all. Her relationships are so real as well, and I love how genuine they are. I have issues with insta-love because I need the genuine connection, and this definitely was not lacking.

The plot is a little too good for its own good. Toward the middle I felt like it was dragging a bit, but it sucked me right back in and I absolutely need the next book right this second or I just might die. It had me near tears and then had my jaw on the ground.

The world is one unlike anything I've ever read, and that combined with the historical Asian culture was just so beautiful. I loved learning about the worldbuilding, but I also loved learning about the culture. It was such a rich story with depths that so much fiction simply doesn't have.

Everyone run to get this book right now! Join me in the countdown for the next one!

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In Huaxia, it is a high honor for a young girl to be selected as a concubine pilot. The supporter paired with a male pilot of a Chrysalis, a giant transforming mecha used to battle massive aliens lurking behind the great wall. When Wu Zetian's sister is killed as a concubine, she vows to sign up and avenge her sister's death. Which she surprisingly does by killing her sisters copilot while psychically linked, becoming a fabled Iron Widow (a female pilot who is able to sacrifice male pilots during battle). So, she is partnered with the most powerful male pilot, the convicted murderer Li Shimin. However, together they are so powerful they may be able to overthrow the whole terrible piloting system, if they can learn to trust each other first.

This novel is brutal, but so fantastically written. The rage of Zetian bleeds off every page and pulls the reader along with it. You are bound to Zetian's fate as she continues to defy the odds, to laugh in the face of convention, to destroy the world that told her she was worth nothing. Zetian is an icon! She is everything I wanted, no needed, her to be in the face of a completely misogynistic society. Her ferocity builds and breeds more. She has known her life will always end in death at a young age, or subjugation to a brutal husband, so nothing can really scare her. It makes her bold, gives her the ability to challenge those that would keep her in her 'place', in their 'box.'

The history and backstory for this world is fascinating. The mechs made out of former alien skin. How they can be transformed into animals and then large creatures using the minds of male and female pilots. The Yin and Yang system of piloting. The power dynamic, the fact most male pilots are stronger and therefore kill their female copilot. Those few women who are equally matched with men, giving small hopes to future female concubines that they could ever survive the horror of piloting. The powers of qi, and how you can wield it (example: fire, water, earth). It was all mapped out so perfectly, I could imagine every moment of Zetian's first instance of entering a mech. The mind world, the control, the pain, the destruction. And as the story unfolds, truths come to light, and the rage within you begins to build along with Zetian.

Li Shimin was surprisingly the most gentle character in this story. He is a reluctant fighter, forced to pilot knowing he is killing girls every time he fights. He is sad, hardened, and unresponsive. But, meeting Zetian stirs something inside of him. His protective and respectful nature win out, showing Zetian a true hero with a big heart who has been fighting battles with the world and himself. I love him as a character so much, he is a true cinnamon roll.

The third character in their triangle, Gao Yizhi, seems to be a soft city boy, but in reality oh boy! He was one of the most surprisingly fun characters, who works hard behind the scenes in order to protect Zetian. He is loyal and devoted to her, even while he can never fully grasp the intricacies of how the world, and the beliefs he has been raised with, actually hurt women the most. But, he is willing to do anything for Zetian, and in turn Li Shimin. The three work so well together, forming a deep bond in the face of death and adversity.

I love the growth in Zetian, as she moves through the world from poor farm girl on the edges of society, to concubine sacrifice, to powerful fighter. She begins to see that girls are not the only people who are sacrificed in this system of oppression. While girls have the worst of all punishments and lives, young men too are thrown into a piloting program that does not see them age past 25 (when their usefulness wanes). The regime is so flawed and Zetian must rethink her whole world view in order to fully understand the deep seated horrors that this Kingdom puts many of its poor through.

This world is meant to break down people like Zetian and Li Shimin completely. But these two mean to tear it all apart, piece by rotten piece. I am enthralled and I need the next book now! This is definitely one of my Top 5 reads this year so far!

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an earc of this title in exchange for an honest review.

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I found this book confusing when I started it which caused it to sit unread until I forced myself to pick it up but once I did, I enjoyed the main characters strength to revenge the death of her big sister. However, I just finished this book a couple of days ago and can’t remember the ending.
I received this as an eARC and submitting an honest review. Thanksto netgalley, publisher and author.

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This book is such a ride, so much fun, and deserves all of the hype and accolades it receives! I love that the love triangle stays a triangle, the characters are true to themselves, and the action vivid on the page.

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I know there’s been a lot of hype for this one but I DNF-Ed it. I couldn’t get into the story or the characters. I might try again later because maybe I was just not in the right headspace to read it

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I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it wasn't for me. I loved the Chinese inspired setting and the LBTQ+ rep and enjoyed the relationship but that was not enough for me to enjoy the story. The main character Zetian felt like a huge hypocrite the entire novel. She was supposed to be this huge feminist who cares about the concubines and women in general, but doesn't actually do anything to help them, and puts down every other woman in this book besides herself. She claims she only wants revenge for what happened to her Big Sister who was a concubine pilot, but that is resolved within the first 50 pages of the book. The relationship between her and her sister is never fully explained so I never fully understood why she wanted to avenge her death so badly. She gets one taste of power and will stop at nothing to take it for herself, even if it means going against her own morals to do so. She tells herself that she is going to save all the pilots and wants to stop the act of women being used as concubine pilots but looks down upon and kills said women for no good reason other than she doesn't like them. There was no explanation or descriptions of the actual plot of the book which were the Hunduns. What do they do? What do they look like? Why are they fighting the humans? The description of the Chrysalises was not properly explained so I didn't understand how they were created, how they were piloted, or how they transformed. I was disappointed in the way this book was described as a feminist novel but it's really anything but.

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Gorgeous and brutal and wonderful and awe-inspiring. Adding this to my list of "good for her" femme-led horror and thrillers.

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I don’t think I could have chosen a better book to start 2022 off with. I could not put IW down, and I read it in one day. I loved the characters and the world. It was a fast paced, yet easy to follow read and I cannot wait for the sequel.

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I grabbed Iron Widow during a short window of time while it was Read Now status, and had absolutely no idea what to expect. I rarely go into book blind, but I'm glad I did here, because Iron Widow was a wild ride. The blend of Chinese mythology, science fiction, and giant mecha was so unexpected - yet somehow it worked so well! I was swept away by the action, the polyamory, and the character's quest for revenge. Very excited to see what Xiran Jay Zhao comes out with next!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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What an incredible fantasy story! This book held so much beautiful Chinese history and so many strong female characters. Also this book deals with a polyam story? Love this representation of relationships as well! Cannot wait to see where this story goes.

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I loved this!!! It took me completely off guard. This is one of the most truly unique fantasy books I've read in a long while. I loved that it took all the standard tropes and flipped them around in the best way. The characters were relatable and I cared for all of them. I didn't fully grasp *all* the elements of the spirit metal stuff but I didn't feel that it took away from the story. I love everything about this story and I can't wait to read the next installment. I have no idea what direction this will go.

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Finally, a book brave enough to ask: What if THREE people could be drift compatible? "Iron Widow" is "Pacific Rim's" plot meets "The Hunger Games'" critique on the media meets Chinese history, which is a long way to say that this book might as well have been written just for me. Zhao blends historical and futuristic elements together seamlessly to create a world that feels both familiar and completely alien. And what an ending! I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel!

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I really enjoyed this book -- honestly, a lot more than I was even expecting. I heard a lot of good reviews, so I had to read it for myself.

This was such an interesting concept, the comps to Pacific Rim were especially accurate. My favorite part of this book was the twisting of many YA Fantasy/Romance tropes that are stale and overused -- the chosen one and a love triangle are the ones that come to mind immediately -- and turns them on their head for the better.

I really can't wait to read more about this world!

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Originally didn’t give feedback because I DNF, but it’s hurting my feedback ratio, so my problem with this was that I was so confused and found it hard to imagine everything so I had to stop, but the characters seemed interesting and so did the world. I also never rate books I DNF but this makes me.

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This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

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I recognize the author from her YouTube videos and this book did not disappoint! The concept is so cool and I like the characters a lot, especially that Zeitan went dark at the end. I loved the mech aspect, but I fully admit, I did need some help visualizing it. Very ready for the next book!

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I would say 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I’m still reeling from all the twists and turns! In the first place, this book is horrific in the treatment of women and that horror really powers the MC, Zetian. It was hard to read at some points and I had to put it down more than once—NOT BECAUSE IT WAS BAD! I just couldn’t handle it. There was just so much awful stuff happening!
That being said this book as a whole was riveting and fantastic. It was a bit like esports shows where you get these cool fight scenes with upgrades and status bars. Other parts where more political and, because of the MC’s lack of information, we end up learning a ton about this world and their mixed magic-tech that really drew in my interest. I feel like I’ve really gone through something from reading this. Emotionally, the story put me through the ringer.
I honestly don’t know how I’m going to survive a second book. That ending was both expected and unexpected. Expected because during the battle with the hunduns, I kept thinking about Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and had to consider whether this corrupt and (occasionally) downright evil government was actually doing something good by attacking these creatures. But it was unexpected because I honestly wasn’t sure where it was going to go—especially with a hovercraft from “the gods” was involved. It was suspicious, but I was still too emotionally compromised to really figure out where this was heading.

Things I really liked:
-the relationships between Zetian and her triangle/the throuple (it worked both privately as an intimate relationship and publicly as a political and social power)

-how much of a badass Zetian is. Her growth and discovery of her power is amazing

-shimin’s recovery because he was abused so badly and worked so hard (I could cry)

-the exploration and creativity of the qi and spirit power, the creation of an interesting magical and mechanical force that plays with Chinese beliefs and history

-the author. I just love their whole vibe



Things I struggled with:

-the massive and wide scale abuse of women (just hard to read)

-some of the fight scenes where I’d think I understood what was happening and then something would happen an did have no idea what was going on. It only happened a few times but it happened.

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