Cover Image: Iron Widow

Iron Widow

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This book is astonishingly good. I adored the lore and legend worldbuilding the author has created. I can't wait to read what else she writes!

Was this review helpful?

A fun book about giant fighting machines that draws loose inspiration from Chinese history and anime. Wu Zetian is a fun and extremely unhinged main character. It's action-packed with intense battles, both physical and spiritual, and reads as love letter to Chinese mythology and history with a heavy anime mecha influence.

Was this review helpful?

Iron Widow is brilliant m! I was completely blown away by the world-building and aspects of both old and futuristic values and beliefs from aching and the world the futuristic melding of modern war through physic battles. It was fantastic dark gritty and beautiful. I truly highly recommend it!

Was this review helpful?

Iron Widow is an incredible story about female strength, overcoming your fears/society's expectations of you, and finding your true self.

In Iron Widow we are following a young girl who lives in a society where females are expected to do one of two things - marry and become a mother OR become a "female pilot" that is essentially used as fuel in the battle machinery and die. Everyone is complacent to this even Zetian's family who already lost a daughter.

Zetian however is not satisfied with her options, so she volunteers herself as a female pilot in order to exact revenge on the male pilot who killed her sister.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I think that the characters interacted so beautifully together and I enjoyed the romance. I think it was just the right amount of romance for the action within the story to balance it all out. However, regardless of romance - I do wish we had gotten more "getting to know each other" scenes or the "build" to the romance. It did feel a tad like it came out of nowhere.

I cannot wait for the sequel and look forward to what we will see next.

Was this review helpful?

I went into this book not knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised! Once I got into it, I finished it in 2 days. I liked most of the protagonists and loved how the main character took back power over herself and her future, and also got revenge for everything that was taken from her and done to her. However, she was a little too morally grey for my liking. I understand wanting to do bad things to those that hurt you, but by the end, the lust for power got a little over the top. I still highly enjoyed reading and would recommend this to those that are interested in a different type of YA sci-fi book.

Was this review helpful?

Xiran Jay Zhao's 'Iron Widow' was one of my favourite reads from last year, and I am still thinking about it. The world-building, characters and lore were excellent and wonderfully written, and it was a book that I couldn't (and didn't) want to put down.

I am super excited about the next book in the series and looking forward to a re-read of 'Iron Widow' before book two releases!

Was this review helpful?

I like the mix of futuristic meets Chinese history meets girl power. I love that Zetian is hell bent on avenging her sister's death and has no qualms completing the task. I also love that she vacillates between wanting to protect her family and not caring about what happens to them. I am looking forward to reading Heavenly Tyrant, book #2 in the Iron Widow series (currently set to release August 2023) so that I can see what Zetian does next.

Overall, an entertaining story and I highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Love, obsessed inspired. After reading this via netgalley I bought a physical copy to share with friends and display in my collection. Very immersive, almost visual reading experience. Thank you for the chance to read !

Was this review helpful?

I LOVED THIS ONE.

my goodness what a wild ride.

I really enjoyed the characters, world, and honestly everything about it!

I couldn’t put it down!

Was this review helpful?

This book crushed me in all of the best ways, for one thing I am so happy to see a poly relationship in a YA book, I am also so happy to know that this is not a stand a lone, because the ending wrecked me and I could not handle it ending the way it did if I didn't know there would be more. This was hands down one of my favorite reads of the year.

Was this review helpful?

This book is soo tumblr lol.

Likes:
- how absolutely unhinged the three main characters are
- look I'm all for a good struggle over right/wrong, but sometimes having a character be totally chill with murder is fresh
- a super powerful dude who murdered his family? I knew he'd be depicted as hot and tragic and i was RIGHT
- I had a general idea of the twist, but what actually happened was a bit of a surprise
- the use of media/technology felt super natural and modern!

Dislikes:
- this book wasn't objectively good. The characters were one dimensional, their perspectives and beliefs just seemed "feminist!" without much thought about WHY they believed those things, and the second half of the book seemed a lot slower, bogged down by "girl power" lines every other paragraph

Overall, definitely enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! This book has such a combination of familiarity and complete originality that I don't think I've ever seen before. I love that Zetian is a character that doesn't back off and follows through no matter what. I'm really excited to see what happens in the sequel.

Was this review helpful?

I think I prefer the concept of this much more than the execution. There are some things that didn't sit right as I was reading it.

I felt like the whole message was a bit lost in character inconsistency, and then it was there it kind of beat you over the head with it. Odd pacing didn't do this story any favors either. We have this really cool science fiction world with robots and yet it never felt fully fleshed out. We could use more sci-fi ya and I wish I could say this was a hit for me. I think if it was a poly romance relying solely on the Pacific Rim vibes.....let's be honest, it was more than a vibe, this would have been better. I think trying to mesh that world with a Handmaid's Tale style just really muddled the whole story and execution.

I truly wish I loved this because the cover for book two is incredible. I have seen a lot of positive reviews for this one, so maybe it just wasn't a book for me.

Was this review helpful?

The story is amazing in itself, but the author's writing style feels very jilted and makes it hard to engage with the characters. The show don't tell rule really went nowhere with this one. I wished to like this so badly because it's based on the only female Emperor of China and she is my favourite historical figure. But except for the name I find nothing that makes the girl boss protagonist feel anywhere near the actual convoluted and complex historical figure that was Wu Zetian

Was this review helpful?

I've been wanting to read this one since I heard about it, and once I finally started I devoured it in less than three days. Fantastic, outstanding, will actually be getting a physical copy (and I rarely buy those anymore).
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

I have tried to read this book on numerous occasions, and at this point, I am convinced that it must just be me. I don't know if it's just a general lack in this particular sub-genre right now, but this one just isn't hitting for me.

Was this review helpful?

Xiran Jay Zhao has a wonderful YouTube channel where she speaks a lot about Chinese history, and the more I watched her, the more curious I became about her book. Considering how much I enjoyed her video on Wu Zetian, the first (and only?) woman Emperor of China (not just an Empress/wife, but a ruthless ruler in her own right), I knew that I had to pick up Iron Widow. I'm very glad I did. While this book may not be written for a person like me, I found myself really enjoying a lot of it. I feel like there's quite a stark difference between the YA genre and books about young adults. Iron Widow falls into the latter category, where the characters are teenagers, but the story isn't plagued by the ubiquitous YA tropes I remember reading again and again and again as a teen. Iron Widow is set in a very patriarchal sci-fantasy world where the country is plagued by attacks from alien creatures called Hunduns. In response, the country has learned the harvest the bodies of these creatures to make giant mechas to fight against them. These mechas—called Chysalises—are only truly piloted by men that exert high levels of Qi, though women 'concubines' are paired with the male pilots to supplement them with additional Qi at the cost of their own lives.
Our main character Wu Zetian follows in the footsteps of her sister and enlists to be a concubine, though her goal is to get close enough to slaughter the pilot who essentially killed her sister while piloting a Chrysalis.

As Zetian and her sister's killer are sent into battle before she gets the chance to kill him, Wu and her rage end up overwhelming the male pilot, and he dies instead of her. This has her branded a rare and dangerous Iron Widow—a woman whose strength surpasses a mans, and who will kill any man she's paired with for battle.

This story moves at a breakneck speed as we see the outcome of her survival. The story is quite interesting and fun despite its small scope. The characters in the story are great, and the interpersonal relationships we see develop and change between characters are well handled. The book does contain romance which I'm typically not a fan of, but oh my god, what a breath of fresh air this was! There was a love triangle!!! No, not what you're thinking. It's not the tiring hetero love V that we see over and over again. It's a true love ∆ where all three points connect and we see get to see love blossom between both of the men Wu is involved with. I'm sure some parents may be up in arms about "immoral and disgusting polyamory" in a book for teenagers, but honestly, this was sooo nice to see. A true triangle is rare to see, and there's NOTHING wrong with seeing three people love and respect one another, even if it's not monogamous.

The character work in this book was my favourite part. Especially the character of Wu Zetian herself. One thing that's so rare to see in a lot of fiction is an angry woman. It's almost like women aren't allowed to feel rage, but that's a core part of who Wu Zetian is, and she's driven by it. She feels rage at her family who see all daughters as nothing but tools to be given/sacrificed to/by the state in exchange for money. She feels rage at the society that venerates men so highly, regardless of their awful qualities they make no effort to hide. She's mad at the system. She's mad at the world world. If you're a fan of The Poppy War by RF Kuang and you liked finally seeing a woman who is allowed to be angry in the main character of Rin, then I think Iron Widow is a great book for you. If you like YA, or if you used to like YA but grew tired of it, I think this book is also for you.

It does have some flaws, it is a debut after all, but despite my need for deeper worldbuilding, I still found myself really enjoying this story!
Be sure to check it out, along with Xiran Jay Zhao's YouTube channel. I like to imagine that she is a relative of Emperor Wu, considering Wu was from the Zhao clan!

Was this review helpful?

Oh yeah, yeah, I see why everyone has been raving about this one. The masses did not lie.

Deepest apologies for taking so long to read this one, but I finally did, and I possess zero regrets. I don't watch anime, but I imagine that this book is how it would feel. Truly bigger than life and impossible to look away from. It is entirely otherworldly and dramatic and twisted, and I loved every single minute of it! I would be so down to see this on the big screen. Not once was I bored, and there were so many surprises that kept me on my toes and wholly invested in the story. Not to mention these characters have my whole heart.

The anger from Zetian throughout this book is breathtaking. I can't remember the last time I read a feminist 'smash-the-patriarchy' book that was this fiercely and rightly furious about the state of the world and the role of genders within it.

In Huaxia, boys are favoured in everything over girls, who can aspire to be little more than dutiful wives and mothers. Boys operate enormous robot Chrysalises, and the girls that accompany these pilots never survive the battles. The boys are 'stronger' in their spirit pressure and essentially squash the girl's mind as she holds him steady. It's not a partnership, but a sacrifice for a girl to become a concubine. That all changes with Zetian. She becomes a concubine to the pilot she believes murdered her sister with the sole purpose of killing him. And she does, stepping out of the cockpit and kicking his lifeless body to the ground. From then on, she is known as the Iron Widow, but the freedom she craved is still not granted to her. She is something to feared ... and controlled. But she won't back down, and I am obsessed with her.

I've never been a fan of love triangles, and the older I get the firmer I am on that stance. So imagine my surprise when the love triangle I thought was brewing is in fact a polyamorous relationship! And it works so well. How Zetian develops feelings for both Shimin and Yizhi is completely organic within the confines of the plot, and the boys coming together with her felt just as natural and right. Each boy offers Zetian something different, and I loved seeing how they all worked together in the Vermilion Bird. Did I like Shimin better? Yes. I think his personal story was far more interesting. So, sorry Yizhi. Second best for me is where you'll stay.

Not going to lie, the last chapter gave me a little bit of whiplash because the big reveal there came out of nowhere but you know what? I accept. Bring on book two immediately.

Was this review helpful?

Iron Widow by @xiranjayzhao

I read this book a while ago, and I still think about it. All. The. Time.

This is easily one of my favorite reads of the past year!

*****

Zetian enlists herself as a concubine-pilot, which is basically a death sentence for any woman, in order to get revenge for her sister's death. After a never-before-seen performance during her first battle, she is labeled an Iron Widow.

This performance and label land her with her next pilot, Li Shimin, the strongest and most-feared maled pilot currently fighting in the war, as he is currently imprisoned for murder.

Zetian, Li Shimin, and Yihzi (a childhood friend of Zetian) work together in incredibly determined and empowering ways in an attempt to change the patriarchal society that has ruthlessly claimed the lives of women for many years.

*****

I absolutely loved this book, and I cannot wait for the sequel, Heavenly Tyrant, which is currently set to release in August 2023.

Please - do yourself a favor and read this beautiful book.

Was this review helpful?

Iron Widow was a novel I kept telling myself I would read, and eventually I did read and I honestly could say switching to the audiobook really helped me. I enjoyed the narrators of the audiobook and I hope they come back for book 2, because I might be using that format again (who knows). Iron Widow is an incredibly fast-paced novel, and featured the first of hopefully many polyamory relationships in YA books.

Xiran Jay Zhao did not disappoint whatsoever. I loved how incredibly angry Zetian is and I love incredibly unhinged anger. That did not disappoint and by the end, I was just like, is that it now? Because I needed Heavenly Tyrant like yesterday.

I had to lower it to 4 stars mainly due to the very rough start, and the worldbuilding. There was quite a bit of infodumps, and it became a little dense in some places. I also want it to be exapnded, but I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Was this review helpful?