There are too many ways to adequately describe how Iron Widow turned out to be the best science fiction novel to enter the literary world. Zhao was able to blend a patriarchal dystopia with giant creatures and even more giant egos. With characters unafraid to make a stand and embrace their darkness, Iron Widow is timeless and magnificent.

Thank you, Penguin Teen and NetGalley, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay . . . so I tried to read this book a few weeks ago, and I just couldn't dive into it and relate to the characters as much as I wanted. But for my endless love for dystopian books, I thought to give it another try, and I'm so glad I did. I actually found myself enjoying the story more than I thought I would.

The primary issue I had previously with this book was with the prologue. It threw me to a battlefield without me knowing anything about the characters, and that was why I couldn't relate emotionally to the story to keep on reading. But once the scene was over and Zetian came along, it was another thing. The action scene in the prologue was vivid, and it was written brilliantly, but I think that starting with chapter one might help get the reader's attention much better.

I liked that Zetian was a strong female who wants revenge and justice for her sister. Even when she was a gray character and always angry. I found myself rooting for her since she talked about her lotus feet. Aside from the plot, I found it eye-opening when the author talked about that particular subject. I knew, of course, that in China, girls tend to have smaller feet, but I never thought to learn about how and why they were like this, so I went to search for answers, and what I read was heartbreaking.

Back to the story, the plot was fascinating, action-packed, and well-paced. I was glad that there was no "love triangle" as most of the YA books are. I laughed and cried with the characters; my favorite was Zetian, of course. The story ended with a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to read the next book!

Overall, this book was enjoyable. I recommend it to everyone who likes action-packed sci-fi/fantasy stories.

4.5 stars

Xiran Jay Zhao. My oh my what an amazing book you have written that I don't even know where to begin the review!
Iron Widow was a rollercoaster of a book that I didn't want to end. Wu Zetian was such an entertaining character to read because very rarely do you read a book with the female character on violence and I loved it! Li Shimin truly warms my heart and I didn’t trust Yuxhi in the beginning but he grew on me (triangles are the strongest shape after all!) I love that I got the romantic journey I wanted in this book and I think it could not have been done any better.

The descriptive nature of the book made it so easily to visualise what things looked like from the qi to the ying yang realm to the Vermillion Bird. Some of the fight scenes did a get a little bit confusing but when you have big mecha structures fighting, I guess that’s pretty accurate.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and majority of the characters in it. The epilogue though????? Xiran you did not have to do us like that!!!

I can’t wait to see what happens next

I wasn’t completely sure if I was going to read this book but I am so happy that I did. Zetians character is amazing and her adventures seems so cool. The world building in this novel was magnificent and allowed me to get an insight into the word a lot quicker, I understood what was going on at all times and was never behind. I loved how Zetian wasn’t a damsel in distress and could solve her own problems but when she needed help she would ask for it. I’m not usually a fan of dystopian sci-if novels but Xiran has changed my perspective on them completely . If your looking for a book with a strong female protagonist and a little romance then this is your book!

What a wild ride. Definitely recommend this one for reading. If you're looking for a redemption arc, this isn't it. But if you're looking for badass vengence with a side of mecha-fighting, this is totally your jam!! If you want a job done right, you've got to do it yourself.

As a girl trapped in a hyper-traditional, patriarchal society, Wu Zetian has few hopes and dreams. The best she's got is to avenge her sister's murder by killing the man responsible - after which she entirely expects to die. Instead, she finds herself villified but surviving up the ranks of the "army's" mecha-fighting force. But as she rises, she continues to uncover more and more secret and profane injustices, adding to her vengence hit list.

Within all this violence, there's a bit romance with a very sweet poly f/m/m love triangle. As Zetian says, sometimes you're lucky enough to find a boy who will help you torture someone to death and a boy who will make you pastries when you're done.

#ironwidow #netgalley

This book was unlike any other book that I've ever read, the storyline was intriguing and suspenseful. Definitely a thrill ride!

Things to Know:

-Strong Female Lead
-Action-Packed

Huaxia has been infiltrated by mecha aliens called Hunduns. This has been the story of life for as long as 18 year old Zetian can remember. The way that humans have dealt with this threat is developing Chrysalises. The Chrysalises are giant robots which are piloted by a man and a woman, a pilot and the pilot's concubine. The concubine has a very low survival rate. The concubine typically loses control of their minds and once the Chrysalis is powered down she is no longer able to breathe on her own. Zetian joins the military to be a concubine to get revenge after her sister was killed as a concubine. Zetian swears revenge on the pilot that killed her sister. Her revenge comes in a way that she was not expecting. She ends up battling the pilot in their minds and winning, successfully killing the pilot and taking control of the Chrysalis. This feat earns her the title of Iron Widow. Once Zetian tastes this power that she possesses she vows to do everything that she can to ensure that another woman is not sacrificed for a man’s victory in a Chrysalis.

The fact that Zetian is polyamorous is very refreshing. The love triangle trope is overdone, and other sexual orientations aren’t represented enough in literature in my opinion. I am happy that Zhao chose this route rather than a stereotype.

I got major Pacific Rim, Attack on Titan, and Ruby/Sapphire/Diamond Weapon (Final Fantasy 14) vibes from the book. The way the Chrysalis is piloted reminded me of the titans from AoT and the weapons from FFXIV. I am a big fan of all three of those things so I really enjoyed this book!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the female heroine aspect of the book. Even if society demands certain things of you doesn’t mean that you need to conform to their standards. Be yourself and don’t apologize for it.

You should read this book because there is a strong inspiring female lead! The plot is just amazing and I can’t wait to read more from Xiran Jay Zhao. I was really excited to read this one just from the description and it did not disappoint! If you are a fan of sci-fi, Pacific Rim, anime, or just enjoy a wonderful heroine I suggest you read Iron Widow ASAP!

“I hate the way I’ve contorted myself into what people thing a girl should be, ready to please, ready to serve. Yet I love the power it’s given me, a power that lies in being underestimated, in wearing assumptions as a disguise.”

I loved this book far more than I expected to! I gave up my carefully scheduled eight hours of sleep to read way past my bedtime. I love Zetian, Yizhi, Shimin, and this world, and technology. The characters feel real and complicated, the Worldbuilding is rich and interesting, and the plot was perfectly paced. I cannot wait for book two!

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a digital galley of this book to read in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. Iron Widow was a FANTASTIC read. Described as Pacific Rim meets the Handmaid's Tale, our heroine Zetian aims to take revenge on the misogynistic society that enabled the death of her older sister. However, this goes leaps and bounds over what we know Zetian's goal to be.

It has been a while since I have read a book with the best definition of a morally gray main character but, oooh boy, does Zetian fit the bill. But the situation is, you're rooting along with her the whole way. As least I was, as a fellow woman. Young girls are basically sent off to die in the war against the Hunduns, but their male counterparts are lauded for strength of mind and will. Until Zetian becomes more powerful than them all, and they don't know what to do with her.

And on top of all of this, there is a poly relationship situation happening? Something I did not see coming? I was torn between what I thought was going to be a simple love triangle with more angst than usual but it led to something entirely different all together. Freaking fantastic, I could not get enough.

This book knocked my socks off. It's all of my favorite things packed into a single OMG story and WHEW. Definitely my fav 2021 book release to date. We have a disabled heroine whose first instinct is just to murder everyone up. A murderer hero who's actually really soft. A sweet hero who's super cunning and ambitious. Yep, you read that right. This is a POLY ROMANCE. Be still, my heart! Add in the mech battles and the really excellent worldbuilding, and this is a winner across the board. I loved it.

This is my favorite kind of YA book, one that I can't put down and wanting to read instead of doing whatever else I'm supposed to be doing. It flew by and I wish I could read the next book now! I loved watching the Zetian's rage and the interactions between the main characters. Only minor criticism I have is that the flow of some of the action scenes could be improved but it didn't get in the way of enjoying the scenes. Overall, a great reading experience!

The love the writing style and the entire story. I love stories that have strong female leaders who oppose the patriarchy, especially in fantasy worlds. This was very well done and definitely worth the read.

The Handmaid's Tale meets Pacif Rim and gives rise to a sci-fi fantasy about a woman that does not accept to be considered less than any other man.
It is a very well-written and original story, one of the best books that I read in 2021. I love that the writer decides against the love triangle, but instead pursuits the idea of polyamorous love.
If you liked the destructive path of Rin in The poppy war, you will most definitely love Zetian and her revenge path.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc!!

WOW. This is realistically a 4 star, but I am rounding up to a 5 solely based on vibes. So there's that. I'm such a professional reviewer.

This book grabbed me by the throat and did NOT let go - it was angry, fast, and fiercely feminist. There's a V cool polyamorous 'love triangle' (ie the two guys are also in a relationship), the world is hella cool and the ending BLEW ME AWAY.

My only complaint is that I was.....very confused. I knew what was going on, but I could not picture the world in my mind to save my life. I could have benefited from some more description, but this was clearly a plot-driven book so that's ok.

I loved how the historical elements like foot-binding were woven into a 'futuristic' sci-fi story, the world was very unique and I will be thinking about this book!!

This book is hard to review without just gushing, that's why it took me a while to write this review after finishing it to write this review.

Zetian is one of those protagonists that I can see people either hating or loving. She is very unapologetic about her goals. She really is willing to do whatever it takes to reach them. She still changes her mind about people after he learns more information. Yet she still doesn't make excuses for those people and doesn't buy into all the bullshit.

Shimin, he was surprisingly complex. When his character was introduced I wasn't sure what to really expect of his character. I thought he was going to be a bit of a stereotype of 'brooding buff guy' as a foil to the 'gentle soft boy' for the other male love interest, Yizhi. But he's not. He's really a big softie who has a lot of his own past trauma.

Yizhi, he wasn't in this book as much as the other two characters, it's clear that his father is trash and treated him pretty poorly and he had a rough time growing up despite being from a "good family". I hope he plays a larger role in the sequel. I like his character and while he is more gentle than both Zetain and Shimin, he's not weak in any way.

I found the antagonists in the government more compelling than the invading force. But I kind of like that. Sure, I would have liked the invaders to be more than a background threat. But I think that might be something reserved for future books in the series considering that epilogue.

I will say this, the writing is fairly simplistic and straightforward, but that's not to say it's poorly written. I am very excited to read the sequel when it comes out.

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

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is a fantastic debut novel and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it early. This book pulled out all the stops: mechs, a healthy polyamorous relationship, killing the patriarchy, MECHS! I loved how fast paced the action sequences were, and the refusal to let the romance fall into the typical love triangle trope was a much appreciated change. However I was disappointed with the somewhat simplistic writing style and lack of depth to the world building.

The story follows Zetian’s gradual rise to power after she emerges as an Iron Widow, the name given to girls who kill their male pilots in battle. As someone who loves all things science fiction, the plot was what really drew me in. Psychically linked pilots who fight in a spin of Yin/Yang makes for some great battle scenes. The author wrote fast paced action scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat, and this is where I felt like their way of writing really helped the story.

Unfortunately, I felt like the blunt way of writing that the author uses did a disservice to the rest of the book. Scenes that felt like they should have been emotionally important fell flat because I felt like I couldn’t get “into” the moment. The last thing that brought this book rating down for me was the world building. Now don’t get me wrong, the world itself that the author created was fascinating. I just felt that there was no depth to the information. We are presented with a relatively large info drop at the beginning of the book, then the middle introduces small details, and the end is another huge info drop. I would have preferred if the author had spaced out the world building a bit more, and Included more showing, less telling.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishing house for sending me an advanced copy. This book was a solid four star read and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Chinese history, mechanical renditions of Chinese mythological creatures, and angry girls with power in their hearts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Rating 4.5

To be honest, the synopsis of this book didn’t pull me in. It became available as a “Read Now”, so I decided to take a chance. I’m so glad I did. I loved the book. It became one of the most interesting stories I’ve read all year. The size proportions threw me for a little bit, and I couldn’t help but facepalm every time I read “Hundun”. It was just one of those words that I got hung up on every time. The beginning is also I little rocky to start. Once Zetian leaves, this story truly takes off. I had a hard time putting it down. I definitely recommend this book and will be getting a copy of my own.

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Rating: 4/5
Trigger warnings: abuse, violence, torture, alcohol addiction, sexual assault(referenced)

Favorite Quote/Excerpt: “He doesn’t own me. Nobody does. They may think they do…..they can’t really control what goes on in my head, and I think that frustrates them to no end.”

Summary:
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it is to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.(Netgalley)

Thoughts:
I finished this in one sitting. Forget that it is 400 pages. Can we just say ‘Bravo’ to Xiran for an awesome debut novel!
This story was not at all what I expected. First, let it be known, somehow, I totally missed the part about robots!? I try to go into most books with virtually no idea of the storyline, so between the cover design and hearing that this was inspired by Empress Regnant Wu, I went into this assuming it would be your familiar ancient Chinese culture inspired fantasy…boy was I wrong – and I couldn’t be more satisfied.
The creative liberties that Xiran exercised in this book were original and I loved the mix of magic and mechanics.
Our main protagonist, Zetian become one of my favorite new characters. I adored the fact that she was completely and totally unapologetic. If you are looking for your usual meek, timid, or naïve, chosen one trope, this is not the book for you. Zetian is angry, vengeful and is determined to get her revenge. She is wholly committed to equality for women, and I absolutely loved how this subject was approached and written. No sugar coating, just cold, hard truths. I found myself rooting for Zetian and the women of her world on more than one occasion.
The plot was easy to follow and was somewhat predictable, but again – the creative take and writing of this book compensated for any predictable elements.
This is not a romance story, although it does have some romance. I wasn’t particularly interested in that part of the story; however, I will say – this book really does focus on some serious subject matters (mainly misogyny), and kudos to Xiran for writing it so well.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. I rooted for the characters and the self-awareness of Zetian was very refreshing. The writing style was simple – however considering this is a debut novel, I really looked forward to the next book of the series and see how the writing improves. This is sure to be a favorite of many and I am so glad I was given the opportunity to receive this ARC and review it.

(Posted on Edelweiss) (Posted on B&N, pending)

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

How do I even begin to describe how incredible this book was. Iron Widow is perhaps the best YA Sci-Fi novel I have read this year, and perhaps even of all time. The premise, magic system, characters, action sequences, and themes blew me away and everyone needs to read this book when it comes out this September. 5 glorious whole stars from me.

Iron Widow is set in an alternate sci-fi world with characters inspired by historical figures from across Chinese history, where mankind has been fighting the Hunduns, giant mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall, for over two millennia. The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle Hunduns. Nobody bats an eye that the girls often die from the mental strain of the battle. Nobody, except 18-year-old Zetian, whose older sister died in battle. She offers herself as a concubine-pilot to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. Labeled an Iron Widow, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

This book was action-packed from start to finish. Every single chapter contained one crazy event after the other, and I truly was clinging onto each word at the edge of my seat. The harrowing battle sequences were described in such vivid detail that I felt like I was fully thrust into the Chrysalis along with Zetian and often found myself holding my breath because the stakes were so high.

I also love the characters in this book so much. Zetian, Yizhi, and Shimin have the most heartwarming relationship. And yes they're poly!!! This was my first time reading a book with a poly relationship and the three of them are so incredibly sweet and supportive of one another. (There were also so many funny one-liners between these characters that actually made me laugh out loud even when things were getting so intense). There’s no ounce of jealousy or drama--they just genuinely care for each other and it was so great to see. After all, the triangle is the strongest shape ;)

And lastly, I can’t end this review without talking about THE AMAZING THEMES OF THIS BOOK. In Iron Widow, the entire construction of the Chrysalises is built on misogyny and the notion that girls are supposedly weaker than males. Zetian’s quest in this book to fight for all the girls that lost their lives in battle and stop more girls from dying reflects the struggle of so many women around the world. Her upbringing and the way the women in her family are treated at home is also reflective of how much internalized misogyny there is in our society and how so many women were told from Day 1 that they mean nothing, thus causing these women to slowly start believing that they’re worthless. And this is also one of the root causes for the intergenerational conflict that happens within families, another parallel to the intergenerational conflicts that occur in real life between immigrant parents and their children.

I’m also so appreciative of the way Xiran Jay Zhao wrote Zetian’s arc as a character. Forget any other morally grey MC you’ve read in a book before--Zetian is the definition of morally grey. She is truly a force to be reckoned with. She doesn’t let ANYONE, and I mean anyone, get in the way of achieving her goals, no matter how much she’s supposed to care for this person. Her ending in this novel is one of my favorites because she truly gets to break free from everything and everyone that was holding her back in the beginning of the novel, without having to sacrifice herself or her powers to do any of it. So many sci-fi/fantasy novels have the female main character give up their powers, their spirit, their character, etc. just to further the arc of their male love interest, but Zetian truly just gets to live for herself and herself only in Iron Widow, which is why this book is such a great feminist novel.

In short, Xiran Jay Zhao is truly a genius storyteller and a master of creating such intricate worlds and lovable characters. This book deserves all your attention!

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD I LITERALLY CAN'T COPE!!! The characters balance perfectly on the edge of moral ambiguity, and the strong girl-power themes were so inspiring. Even though I conceptually "knew" what was going to happen (in broad terms) based off of history, the end of the book still left me in tears. This book is such an inspiring and poignant commentary on the world, everyone needs to read it. Although fair warning-- this book does end on a major cliff hanger 😬 (IM SO EXCITED FOR BOOK 2)

Set in a sci-fi/fantasy world where humans are constantly battling against Hunduns using machine-like avatars called Chrysalis which are powered by their Qi.. Wu Zetian lives in a poor Frontier village, and after much pressure from her domineering family, she sells herself to the pilot who killed her sister--but wait! Instead of being a compliant battery to be drained by the pilot, Zetian plans to kill him to avenge her sister! This sets off a series of event where Zetian becomes increasingly girlboss and continually defies all societal expectations despite the inherent barriers against females.

Objectively, Wu Zetian is not a good person. She frequently conducts morally-objectional acts, but somehow, you can't stop rooting for her. Both Li Shimin and Yizhi are the perfect foils for her. At first, when the love triangle appeared, I was a bit worried since I ABSOLUTELY hate it when authors pit two characters against each other, often completely destroying the ethics of one to make the other seem "better.." BUT THEN XIRAN JAY ZHAO CONTINUED TO ASTOUND ME! I would never have believed that there would be a throuple in a YA novel, BUT THIS FULFILLED ALL MY DREAMS AND DESIREEEESSSS!!!

The social commentary is weaved so artfully into this book. Especially, with so many YAs shying away/ completely perpetuating misogynistic conditions, and the few contemporary books that attempt to broach it are overwhelmingly written in a very White/Western view, this book is a standout. Xiran Jay Zhao brings the much needed POV to this genre. The Iron Widow is truly an inspiring work, and I can't wait for the next book.

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Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review!