Thank yous o much to the publisher for giving me the chance to read this book. I have to say, though, that I had a hard time going through it. I think it's mostly due to the fact that my arc was weirdly formatted (both on kindle and on the netgalley app) and that I think I'm in a SFF funk right now. I was hoping this would pull me out of it but no.

To anyone reading this: don't let my review discourage you from buying or reading this book! It is super interesting and I will definitely buy a hard copy once it comes out and give it another try! The author is amazing and deserves all the support.

"For the eighty-three days since then, this confrontation has constantly occupied a portion of my consciousness, thrumming like a second heartbeat, playing out in ten thousand different ways" -Iron Widow

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. Iron Widow follows Wu Zetian, who offers herself up to become a concubine-pilot in order to find her revenge against the pilot responsible for her sister's death, and ultimately her quest in ridding the world of a misogynistic system that preys on the downfall of women like her.

I really enjoyed the general world of Huaxia, a postmodern, apocalyptic world. I enjoyed the idea of persisting technologies in super-tech cities juxtapositioned against the villages facing obvious hardships. The overall feel reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games in the capital city versus surrounding cities/towns/villages. I really liked the feeling of overall women empowerment, the idea that women can take back their autonomy & are not inherently weaker than men, as society often tells us. The main character was a good example of female rage and empowerment, while also having other characteristics that softened her and rounded her out. I also enjoyed the representation in regards to polygamous relationships.

Unfortunately I felt pretty disappointed by the story as a whole. While I was intrigued by the world of Huaxia I felt as though so much was unanswered. Overall, it felt as though much of the world, relationships, and situation was told to us, rather than shown. We were told about the aliens invading, but didn't understand their origin or what they were after, it felt as though the action was in place simply for the action. We were told about feelings rather than being shown them. We didn't quite understand what we were or weren't rooting for. Another disappointing element was the fairly quick resolution of what seems to be the main character's only motivations for her actions, we're then left scrambling for another reason to continue reading. I was excited about the prospect of representation for poly relationships, but I felt vastly underwhelmed with the development of connections on almost all portions of the relationship, furthered with very weak dialoguing to support the development of those connections. I felt the writing was not well done, characterizations were weak, dialogue felt almost childish. There were countless moments when dialogue and thoughts were written terribly, especially when seeing and compared to how well some descriptions and other moments in the book were written. I felt like I was dragging my feet through mud to get through the book. I did enjoy the maybe last 10% of the book, where I felt I had some semblance of what was going on and thought it was interesting, but I was only motivated to finish the book to finish it, not necessarily because I was compelled by the contents. In addition, I felt like there were far too many plot points with a few solved too quickly, a few dropped, and a few just wildly introduced

Overall, I did not particularly enjoy this book. There are enjoyable elements, but I felt disappointed by the lack of character and world development as well as the lackluster dialogue writing. I'm disappointed because the concept is incredibly exciting and I had very high hopes, and would loved to have seen so much more of the world as well as a better characterization. I would be hesitant to recommend this book. 2.5 stars rounding up to 3 because I believe this had potential and also want to promote the success of BIPOC authors

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Starting reviews is the hardest part, I seriously feel like I'm writing essays again and trying to come up with a CrEaTiVe AtTeNtIoN gEtTeR. Lemme just start by saying, if Iron Widow isn't on your TBR yet, what are you waiting for? I even linked it for your viewing pleasure, so DO IT. PUT IT ON. RIGHT NOW.

So real talk, this book probably would've made it onto my five star list, and when I tell you that is rare, I mean it. There were a few things that I really was like "damn, that could've been better…" Obviously, I'll go over that in the review, but I have such high hopes for the sequel, and it will probably end up being better and GAH I'M ALREADY EXCITED AND THIS BOOK ISN'T EVEN OUT YET?

The Good. Wu Zetian: our fabulously bitchy, strong ass female MC who actually went through with her assassination? Clearly she popped off. It definitely helps that she's basically Rin from Poppy War, just slightly more sane.

The romance. I was going through the reviews on this book and I noticed so many of them literally said the main thing about it, and I'm like "damn, I am so happy I didn't see these before I started, reading it without warning and slowly realizing it might happen was so nice." I feel the need to be creative, guess the right option, I guess.
a) one love interest dies
b) the two love interests fall in love with each other
c) throuple
d) love triangle

Okay, the plot. Basically, the book follow Zetian as she plans to leave her household in order to become a concubine for a certain Chrysalis pilot in order to get revenge for him murdering her Big Sister. She expected she would be killed on the spot after killing their beloved pilot, but things took a turn. She instead becomes the Iron Widow and was paired with Li Shimin, a different pilot who also happens to have the strongest qi—10,000—of anyone alive. Old friends make unexpected appearances. Secrets are disclosed. And we can't forget to shout "Fuck the Patriarchy" a few times.

Can I also take a moment to give props to my boy Yizhi. Like he really was a winking king who didn't bat any eyelashes at the number of psycho things the others (Zetian and Shimin) did. Like this dude was really just casually frying some buns while Zetian and Shimin were away torturing a man.

The bad. I'm not saying bad, the bad over there is for the vibe and the song. Obviously. There weren't that many things wrong with this book, but that's not to say that there was nothing. The info-dumps at the beginning were kind of annoying, but they weren't that horrible, I've definitely read worse. But, the world-building was definitely confusing. I'll be honest, fantasy worlds usually confuse me forever and I end up making stuff up just to convince myself I understand it. Mostly, all the things with the elements and the ying-yang relationship with the elements confused me the most. Also, I really wanted a description of the Hunduns that wasn't just the size? I ended up imagining hellhounds basically.

And the dirty. That's my outro for the vibe, guys, the vibe, i don't care if it doesn't make sense, you should know this by now. In conclusion (the essay is showing), this book is incredible, it's amazing, the next book will probably be five stars, and you should read it the moment it comes out. September 21, guys. Mark them calendars.

This books was just amazing.

I have been itching for a fantasy like this, and it did not disappoint. Our main character, Zetina, is really one of my favorite main characters I have ever read.
The story though, that was what made this story so amazing. I was never once bored. I flew through this book. It handled so many important issues in such a wonderful way, and I cannot wait for people to read this book and find out.

Cannot wait for the sequel!!

Transforming robot suits with elemental affinities? This book is begging for a visual adaptation. Graphic novel, comic, live action, they would all be awesome.

Zetian enlists as a concubine pilot for the army, where she will pair her spirit energy with a male pilot to power a large mecha-like Chrysalise to fight the barbarian hordes - and also exact vengeance on the pilot who killed her sister. However, the path of vengeance launches Zetian into infamy, and she is forced to work with a notorious criminal to save the country, her own life, and the lives of the countless girls sacrificed to power the Chrysalises.

"Fight...Because this is not how we deserve to die."


Zetian lives in a harsh world, and she is unafraid to be equally ruthless. She's not blind to risks, but she accepts steep terms and faces her problems guns blazing. She and her companions are portrayed as an intelligent threat to those around them, but there were moments where I just could not take them seriously. (Please, never hire any of them to conduct an interrogation.)

The blend of historic Chinese practices with a Hunger Games-esque high society/media routine and the Giant Magic Robots creates an interesting setting, for the story and the underlying critique of institutional misogyny. Many of the women are submitted to horrible expectations, and even Zetian doesn't completely see how bad some of their customs are when seen through our modern lens. Given those extremes, I wasn't a fan of when characters dwelt on microaggressions.

The prologue affectively info-dumps everything you need to know about Chyrsalises and the magic system. The writing does smooth out from there, except for the aforementioned moments of startling unintelligence from the characters.

I appreciate how Iron Widow is a self-contained story with strong hooks for the sequel. While the ending resolved many of Zetian's (and my) overall questions, it also opened up a whole lot of new ones, but I decided to set them aside and just enjoy the ride.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**

"My killer boy, my sweet boy."

The first 75% of the book was very strong and was going to be a 5-star read (Wu Zetian was a very refreshing main character), but towards the end, it felt like details that should have been introduced in the beginning were only just being put into the story. I had no idea what a Hundun was or what it looked like the entire time I was reading except for in those last few chapters.

Iron Widow is not for the faint of heart. It is a very dark, sad, horrific, and gruesome tale set in an extremely patriarchal world. This is a Chinese-inspired sci-fi where men pilot transforming-machines to fight off invading aliens. They pilot these machines essentially by subjugating women and sacrificing them in battle (that is a very oversimplified summary because it takes a lot to explain and indeed a lot of pages in the book are taken up by explaining how this works).

Wu Zetian's sister has been murdered by one of these pilots, and she decides to sacrifice herself to get close to the pilot, and take her revenge. She fights the patriarchy the entire way.

Basically, this book goes from 0 to 100 very quickly, and then goes even further off the rails. The action was fun, the polyamory rep was refreshing, but because of the immense world-building there is a lot going on and at times I felt that not everything was being done justice and felt somewhat underdeveloped. Also, while I loved and appreciated how unhinged Zetian could be (she's so strong and badass I love her), there were moments in her feminist (yay) anti-misogyny speeches where she minimizes or criticizes women who *just* have a family or *just* raise children and like...can we not? Tearing down the patriarchy and supporting women means, well, supporting women who want to raise children or want to be homemakers.

tw: gore (there is a very gruesome description of the abuse the main character suffered for those who are squeamish right in the first few pages of the book), murder, torture, mentions of rape, threats of rape, misogyny, femicide, suicide ideation, abuse, alcohol addiction.

I seriously can’t even form coherent thoughts after reading that because it was just so good?? I can easily see this being the biggest fantasy book of the year. This was art. And I don’t know how to review art. So this post should be interesting.

I’m not sure how to summarize this one because there’s a lot of background info you need about the world for it to make sense. But basically, Zetian is an Iron Widow, a woman who killed her co-pilot while inside a Chrysalis (a chrysalis is a giant battle machine that two people pilot using their qi). She set out to murder him as vengeance for killing her sister, and therefore is prepared for a death sentence. But instead of an execution, the army pairs her up with an extremely powerful and deadly pilot, Li Shimin. Now determined to survive, Zetian will stop at nothing to topple the patriarchal society she lives in.

Let’s start with the characters. Ohhhh my god, so much depth. Zetian was ruthless in the best way possible, I loved seeing her truly go after what she wanted (and deserved) and did not let anyone or anything stand in her way. Even when some of her choices were difficult to read, her absolute raw power and determination floored me. Shimin and Yizhi had so many layers. They were polar opposite bad-boy-with-mushy-insides and soft-boy-who’s-surprisingly-tough and both complimented Zetian perfectly. Shimin’s struggles were especially heartbreaking and his background was so detailed, it really added a whole other dimension to the story.

The message, once again was amazing. This is the kind of book that makes women (rightfully) believe they can do anything. It challenges the view of the male dominated world in every way. And while the author notes this theme is applicable in many places in the world today, they specifically write about misogyny in Chinese culture. They also discuss important issues like substance abuse, sexual assault, physical abuse, sexuality, and so much more. Plus, side note: it was especially cool that Zetian was inspired by the only female Emperor in Chinese history, and knowing that made the book feel even more real.

The world building was extremely vivid, and new to me. I’ve never heard of any book like this, which is amazing because fantasy as a whole for me lately has seemed very cookie-cutter. The Chrysallises were such a cool concept, and I enjoyed learning about different types of Qi and what they mean. I did get a little confused in spots, but I really didn’t care because everything else was just. So. Flawless. That twist ending blew me away. It sets up such an interesting conflict for the sequel, I seriously cannot wait for book 2. And the idea that someone my age wrote this masterpiece??? I could never. So much talent.

Honestly I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Even if fantasy isn’t your typical genre. You won’t be disappointed.

Intended audience: older YA
Pacing: medium-fast
Content warnings: misogyny, sexual harassment, mentions of sexual assault, murder, suicidal thoughts, abuse

This book was filled with vengeance and revenge. Normally I'm not super into mecha anime and content however whatever Xiran wrote was just very easy to read and comprehend and just vibe with. The writing isn't anything super fancy, but I think that's where it shines. Normally I read super flowery and lyrical fantasy novels and love themes of colonization, sexism, racism/xenophobia, with historical references to real-world events. However I think with having the mecha aspect not having super flowery writing helped me process it all better.

I think the plot of the book is strong, I really enjoyed the pacing, I absolutely demolished this book in 2 days. I love the characters and the love triangle and I have so many questions about book 2. I'm so excited to be able to reread this via audiobook once it releases and I look forward to the sequel.

This book was so good! It was action packed right from the start, and had a main character that is so easy to root for. She has a mission, and boy does she accomplish it. She is a heroine who rises out of adversity and discrimination and gets what she deserves. It was such a great book, with a great plot twist at the end. I am not sure if this is a series, but if it is, I can't wait for the sequel!

This book! It hit so many beats for me! Many thanks Netgalley and Penguin Teen for the eARC; I had a blast reading this and cannot wait for my physical copy to arrive. Wu Zetian is a legendary historic figure, as the only female Chinese Emperor. I first learned about her several years ago, and when I heard about Zhao's book, I was delighted. Zetian's dynasty, the Wu Zhou, successfully interrupted the Tang Dynasty for fifteen years, though she also reigned prior to this as regent for her son.

This book is billed as "Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale," and Xiran Jay Zhao re-imagines Wu Zetian as a mech pilot in a dystopian world where women are only mech "concubines," their qi (spiritual energy) used only as a battery for male pilots. Wu Zetian, obviously has other plans. The plot moves quickly, and Zhao keeps the tension high (but not overwhelming) throughout the book. A fantastic debut novel, this book has it all! Badass ladies, big strong boys who are actually softies, soft boys who can be incredibly badass, giant robots that fight monsters, p o w e r t h r o u p l e s (my DREAM), media manipulation, sexy photoshoots, and did I mention the power throuple??

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Iron Widow is a female driven story with an action packed and intriguing plot. It’s a reimagined story of Wu Zetian with themes and inspiration taken from Pacific Rim and The Handmaid’s Tale. While, it isn’t historically accurate there are several historical figures mentioned throughout the book that were well incorporated.

There are some sensitive topics to be aware of before reading, which include: sexual assault, rape, alcoholism, abuse, violence and gore.

The world building was well written and filled with a lot of details and descriptions. However, I will admit though that it did take me a bit in the beginning to fully understand the world and all the magic elements. The overall plot and story development was also well executed and filled with a lot of politics and action.

The main character, Zetian was an absolute badass. Such a strong, independent, and fierce heroine who strived to take down the misogynistic society and rules that were placed on her and other females. While, there wasn’t as much character development as I’d hoped, Zetian was still straightforward and unforgiving with her actions as she plainly stated her goals and thoughts from the beginning.

The romance in this book was my absolute favorite part. It includes a polyamorous relationship that I thought was well explored and written. Additionally, all the side characters in this book were fantastic as well.

I will admit that I was able to guess the plot twist fairly early on but I’m still extremely excited to continue with the series. Overall, an absolutely fantastic high fantasy read with a strong female character and story.

The premise of this book was so intriguing and was what immediately drew me in, with it being described as a cross between The Handmaids Tale and Pacific Rim. I’ve read a lot of fantasy but I’ve never read anything like this.

The characters were all so interesting but none more so Zetian, who may now just be one of the best characters I’ve ever read. I can’t recall another female character I’ve read who is so strong and unapologetic it. She knows what she wants and she’s going to get it.

The pacing was so well done. I never felt bored at any point. The story just kept building to that ending and wow, was it worth it. There was enough build up that I had my suspicions about what the twist was going to be but there was still enough for me to surprised by. The ending was so shocking and satisfying and yet left me so eager for the next book.

Fantastic, fast-paced debut. Loved it from start to finish. Unflinching and unafraid to push the envelope, I loved Zetian's voice and her unwillingness to be forced into choosing between one of the two available choices -- she goes for option three. Love it.

I felt every emotion Zetian felt throughout this book-the rage, despair, and longing. I loved how Xiran handled Zetian's relationship with her family and friends. And the cliffhanger! This book broke my heart but hopefully, the next book will put it back together again.

Iron Widow is a dark, intense, and absolutely incredible story. It expertly walks the line between far-future science fiction and fantasy, and I loved every page of it. This is an incredibly binge-able book. Every time I sat down, I found that I couldn’t stop reading until I completed the section; I had to know what happened next.
As someone who has watched Pacific Rim, I really enjoyed Zhao’s take on the idea of two minds melding together to pilot a giant robot. The “mind realms” that Wu Zetian must navigate are fascinating and unique, and I appreciated how they each presented Zetian with a different form of danger. While it is quite grim, I can definitely imagine a future dystopia where women are sacrificed as living batteries, used to power machines and lift up the male pilots’ glory.
Zetian shook that system up, and I was really impressed with her. While she certainly did and said some horrible things, she never lost sight of her goals. Zhao has definitely captured the kind of ambition and strong will that a female empress must possess. I am not Chinese and I do not know much about the history, but I really enjoyed this version of Zetian, as well as the yin/yang dynamic that has become so iconic, even in the western world.
I also greatly enjoyed how the 3 main characters—Wu Zetian, Gao Yizhi, and Li Shimin—interacted. Zetian may be the protagonist of the story, but the way these two boys supported her and each other was wonderful to read. While Yizhi initially seemed to reflect Zetian’s cleverness, and Shimin represented her rage, there was so much more going on beneath the surface. Zhao managed to make them all feel real, and I enjoyed how their personalities balanced each other when they were together.
Zhao’s commentary on love was very interesting to me, and I appreciate how they thoroughly dismantled the idea that a YA novel protagonist must pick one bond over another, and that love is inherently limited. I find that many authors often fall into the trap of making a ruthless female character simply incapable of love, but Zhao does not make that mistake here. While Zetian has a lot of righteous disdain towards the sexist organization of her society and her neglectful family, she also recognizes and appreciates those who lift her up and see her as more than just an object.
While I won’t spoil the ending, I will say that I am very impressed with it. Just when I thought the book had delivered all its punches, the last few pages gave a stunning twist that made me view the story in a new way. For the rest of the day after I finished reading, my mind kept coming back to the ending in disbelief.
Overall, Iron Widow is an incredible novel. Zhao is a talented storyteller, and I will definitely continue following their work. I have already pre-ordered this book, and I look forward to getting my hands on a copy. If you get the chance, I highly recommend sitting down and giving this book a read.

This book is featured in an article: https://imaginatlas.ca/catch-of-the-month-july-2021-trouvailles-du-mois-juillet-2021/

CW: foot binding, scenes of violence and abuse, suicide ideation, discussion and references to sexual assault (though no on-page depictions), alcohol addiction, and torture.

This book has been one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I was so excited to finally get to it. However, this turned out to be a surprisingly bumpy ride but ultimately, I think it was worth the wait.

I definitely had too many expectations from the book, probably a bit different than what the book actually was too. But truly understanding the author’s words about her book helped in tempering my idea of what it was gonna be and I went in with an open mind. I still can’t believe that this is YA because while it had the coming of age element, the story is brutal in many ways. The writing is very fast paced but it does take some time to get going, and I kept putting it down after reading a few chapters. But once the halfway mark passed, I got through the whole thing in a single setting. The plot itself is pretty straightforward and simple, and has lot of action sequences involving mecha fights - which were quite new for me because I’m totally unfamiliar with manga or anime. I can’t say the world building was a strong point here, but the ending has a pretty unexpected revelation, and I think we’ll get more of this world’s history in the sequel. The author also sprinkles the text with many popular names from Chinese history and classic literature, so if you’re familiar with those, you might find the references a lot of fun. I had read about Tang Dynasty a little when I watching the drama The Long Ballad and I had also gotten some background about the only empress of China, so finding those characters here and understanding how the author interspersed their real life events with her plotline felt very interesting.

But what stays through after finishing or even while reading the book is this utter feeling of rage, especially as a woman. The author has mentioned multiple times that the patriarchal society in this book is inspired by the social classes and customs of ancient China, and while knowing that history might make us feel better for having made progress, reading about the fictional life of a poor young woman of the time from her own POV is devastating. The way women are expected to be submissive and brainwashed about their inferiority and duty since being born doesn’t at all feel ancient, because haven’t we all experienced some milder form of it even in our lives. So when the heroine of this book wants to destroy this world that has brought nothing but pain to her, I only wanted to cheer her on.

Wu Zetian is basically a young ball of rage. She is anger personified - anger at her family who don’t actually care about her, only what honor or money or shame she can bring to them; anger at her society which forces her to live life in a predetermined box with rules and regulations, where she doesn’t even have an illusion of choice. But I liked seeing her transform from someone only wanting revenge at the cost of her life, to someone who understood the nuances of people’s actions, as well as using the limited power she has gained for the greater good. She is not the chosen one savior heroine we are used to seeing in YA fantasy - maybe she could have been in a kinder world - but here she is a destroyer and you can’t actually fault her for her decisions.

Li Shimin and Yizhi are the two love interests and wow it’s such a relief not being bogged down by a love triangle. Shimin’s backstory is truly tragic and all his struggles and feelings of guilt really tug at your heartstrings. Yizhi on the other hand is a privileged young master, who probably hasn’t encountered a lot of troubles in life despite not being the preferred son of his filthy rich father, but him turning out out to be a compassionate young man with a determined heart is a wonder. I found him to be the actual center of this poly triad and he really impressed me with everything he did. The romance doesn’t feel out of place at all in this bloody vengeful story - more like the only good thing keeping the main characters tethered to their humanity.

There frankly aren’t any other characters whom you can remember fondly in this book. You only feel emotions ranging from pity to loathing to fury depending on who it is, and it gives you immense satisfaction when some of them get their comeuppance.

In the end, this was a violent but entertaining read, maybe even a bit visceral and cathartic in how it left me feeling after I finished it. While taking down the patriarchy seems to be a common theme across many fantasy novels these days, I thought the abundance of historical and mythical figures, as well as the East Asian folklore inspired mechas were a unique and fun touch. And if you like it when women characters are allowed to express their most extreme feelings unapologetically, then you can’t go wrong with this book.

Book review: The Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

📚I really enjoyed this book overall. It reminds me a lot of Handmaid’s Tale (and maybe even the movie Avatar? 😅), and is action packed and unapologetically feminist. The MC, Zetian, is hell bent on taking vengeance against a male dominated world that has been cruel to her for her entire life. The battle scenes are incredible, and the whole idea of Chrysalises being piloted into battle by male and female, yin and yang pilots is literally the coolest. Shimin was hands down my favorite character. It’s also got a really interesting polyamorous relationship angle that I was honestly 100% on board with 💛

📚The only thing that held me back from giving this book 5 stars was that the rage and bitterness of Zetian was sometimes so harsh, it was a little hard to read at times. The ending also felt a little chaotic—but I think that’s the point.

Overall a GREAT read, and I will definitely be reading book 2 of this series whenever it comes out. I’ve already preordered my copy and can’t wait for it to come out on September 21!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: Iron Widow is an action packed, addictive story about revenge and taking down the patriarchy, that just so happens to have giant mech battles in a sci-fi alt world with characters and situations inspired by ancient China.

Recommended if you love women who don’t back down against the odds
Not recommended if you want characters that turn the other cheek
Recommended if you enjoyed Sanderson’s Skyward and want to try more YA
Not recommended if you find fast paced books exhausting
In a world where male mecha pilots sacrifice their female counterparts to use their qi in the war against the hoard of Hunduns, Wu Zetian is an anomaly, a woman who can do the opposite. At first Zetian is only out for revenge for the death of her sister, but her rage at the wrongness of the system that led to and allowed her death soon targets the system itself. Shackled to the powerful murderer and pilot Li Shimon, Zetian has to learn to work with him or be consumed by his sizeable power.

Zetian is angry, and it’s a righteous anger. The world is a terrible place for a woman, and she’s wronged again and again, by her family, by the pilots and by the strategists and sages who perpetuate the system itself. You can feel that anger simmer off the page, and it’s even more palpable for the fact that it’s got a basis in reality. Zetian does get some level of revenge – and doesn’t feel sorry for it in the least. That may put some people looking for a more noble protagonist, but in this world, I almost never felt that she was being excessive.

The setting has a lot of mystery to it. We don’t ever get a good handle on what the Hunduns are, and why they are attacking the humans is a lingering question for the reader, as is the true nature of the gods that covet the Hunduns spirit metal and give gifts of technology and knowledge to humanity in return. We do get some answers, but a lot of the stuff that is less pressing for the plot of this book is left for a sequel, which actually works pretty well for me. The mechas are a combination of a magic and technology, with the qi level of a person determining the amount of power they can use to operate and transform the mechas to higher forms. Everything feels quite anime in that regard – in the best possible way.

But the mecha combat comes second to the interpersonal conflict, and in this, the book shines even more. Zetian is abrasive, reckless, but vulnerable and not heartless. She has found a kindred spirit in Yizhi, a rich boy her age with a powerful father and a determination to be by her side no matter what. And her relationship with Li Shimin, a man with hidden depths behind the surface, is deliciously complicated and powerful. The three of them are great, and before you start worrying about YA love triangles, I’ll say right now not to. It does not go the way you’d expect.

And that’s a theme throughout the book – for those who eschew the YA genre for its perceived predictably, this book will surely change your mind. This books moves at such a pace that I barely felt it’s 400+ pages, and it frequently zigs when I expected it to zag, in ways that were both satisfying and dramatic. It’s a rollercoaster ride that just builds and builds all the way to an explosive and shocking finish. I think if you like the slower moments of world and character building that some fantasy leans toward you might find yourself a little frustrated here – there is some of that, but not lots – and while I think it works for the plot being told, I could see the complaint being made.

Iron Widow is bold, exciting and gut wrenching, a book that gets you to revel in Zetian’s victories despite their bloody cost, and rage against the injustices of the world. I would have read it in one sitting had responsibilities not got in the way. Read this book. You probably won’t regret it.

Rating: 10/10

Holy smokes this book was incredible! I legitimately was not expecting to be able to get into this as i've been on an *adult romance* kick but this book pulled me in and didnt let go till the very end AND I AM LEFT WANTING MORE! I dont even know what that ending was but i'm gonna need to go back and read it again because OH MY GOD.. My only complaint was that i was teased a 3way that was never provided BUT AGAIN THIS IS YA and its more my fault then the authors lol The description of "Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale" is accurate and done beautifly so! Xiran, i CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK 2!