Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this was WILD! I really enjoyed this book. The world it was written in was really unique, and the three main characters were great. Zetian is ruthless in the best possible way. I really appreciate that it had such a great polyamorous relationship, and the commentary about gender inequality was really well done and so very relevant. I found myself giggling uncontrollable at so many parts because the characters and twists it took were just so wild. And that TWIST at the end of the story, such a cliffhanger, I can't wait for the sequel!

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<p>Review copy provided by the publisher.</p>
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<p>Do you want a retelling of the story of Empress Wu as a teenage mecha pilot? because that's what this is. It is a retelling of the story of Empress Wu as a teenage mecha pilot.</p>
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<p>Do you need more information than that? <em>Okay but WHY though</em>. SIGH. FINE. It is an utterly ferocious flail against institutional sexism, "a triangle is the strongest shape" comes up in context, the Four Symbols get mecha forms, and there are aliens for the mecha to fight in dramatic battles. But really: Empress Wu as teenage mecha pilot, that's the sort of pitch that sorts out the people who want it from the people who don't pretty fast.</p>
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<p>(I am a people who do.)</p>
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<p>It makes me sad and angry that Zhao needed an author's note saying that the institutional sexism examples in this book were Chinese because that's the culture they were drawing on in this case not because Wow Those Sexist Chinese Good Thing No One <em>Else</em> Has Institutional Sexism. They were absolutely right that they <em>did</em> need that author's note, because people absolutely <em>would</em> make that inference, and by "people" I mean "a certain subset of racist white people unfortunately too large to ignore." I wanted to stand whitely next to them and make mean faces at anyone who did make that inference. Institutional sexism: it's not just for one culture! It should be for no cultures, but here we are! In any case: if you can't cope with portrayals of institutional sexism at the moment, put this aside until you can, but if you want to watch Wu Zetian absolutely trouncing the sexists, with help from lovely people of various genders, on with the show, here's <em>Iron Widow</em>.</p>
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★★★★☆ 3.9758

❞𝑭𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒅𝒐. 𝑵𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑵𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏. 𝑵𝒐 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒚, 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒊𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑵𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒚𝒆. 𝑵𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒔𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅, 𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒚𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚. 𝑰𝒕❜𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝑰❜𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝑰❜𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒍𝒚, 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒍.❞ /q

Mixed feelings? That’s an understatement.


18-year-old Wu Zetain has lived her life under men’s presumptions. And although it is not “normal” for her to be having these thoughts in Huaxia, Zetain thinks about what life would be like without these constant stereotypes for women. What if she could live her life like a man? But, no. She has one thing on her to-do list. Which is to kill her sister’s murderer. Yang Guang. The most popular pilot in Huaxia. When her family sells her to be a concubine for Yang Guang in order to pay for her brother’s bride, Zetain finally gets revenge. Zetain’s spirit pressure becomes unrealistically high and is forced to work with Shimin. As she discovers new areas of life she didn’t think were possible, Shimin and Zetain get closer and they work to kill every Hundun they ever encounter. /srs

The plot was all over the place. Apart from being confusing at some places, it was good. Sure, it wasn’t neat or orderly and one event didn’t cause another (making most scenes useless) but it was good. /lh

The Writing was very unique. It wasn’t my favorite but I did quite enjoy it. And although the author used quite a lot of metaphors while describing things (which from time to time can be annoying) it wasn’t as annoying as I thought it would be. In fact, I didn’t mind the constant metaphors used in almost every sentence. Especially because it was done fairly well. /gen

❞𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑴𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔.❞/q

The character dynamics were interesting, to say the least. Apart from the threesome going on- the romance and relationships between Zetain. Shimin and, Yizhi was spectacular. Some things in the characters were confusing like- How it’s a constant reminder that Shimin has a lot of guilt that he is dealing with. But we don’t actually see him grieving. I know that everyone grieves in a different way but based on Zetain’s actions- It’s more obvious that Shimin is grieving. When in truth we never see him sad or mad or any other emotions that would indicate that he is grieving for Wende. The only thing we see that still haunts him are his dreams and he has no actual control over that. Another area that’s confusing is the love triangle. And I mean an actual love triangle where all the 3 characters like each other. Throughout the entire book, it is never showed that the characters like each other (apart from Shimin & Zetain / Zetain & Yizhi). So we don’t see any chemistry between Yizhi & Shiminbut apparently they do like each other? Maybe there is something I’m missing but giving each other 1 complement is not any indication of chemistry.

❞𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆.❞ /q


Zetain is a very admirable character. Apart from the fact that she is a raging feminist, she is one of the funnest characters I’ve followed. In this book, we see her in-depth character growth over time as she realizes more and more that she is being used by men. She was a very open character and so it wasn’t hard to guess what she was thinking. Sometimes I was confused if she actually was a feminist because she made snide remarks about other women when she’s supposed to empower them. But over time that was part of her character development and she started being more mindful about what she said.

❞𝑾𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝑾𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆. 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆. 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆. 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓.❞ /q

The Ending actually made me realize the book was part of a series. I didn’t know that until I reached the end -which by the way is still driving me crazy- that ended horrifically. So I’d have to say the ending was breathtaking and it left me hungry for more.

Overall this was a somewhat enjoyable read. And even though these books left me with more questions than answers. It was equally fun and I can’t wait for the next book in this series. But until then Wu Zetain RULES. As always I apologize if my review was offensive or disrespectful to you. And if so please let me know how I can fix that. Thank you for taking the time to read this review. /pc /lh


❞𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑶𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒔? 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆-𝒖𝒑 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅? 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕, 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖.❞ /q

|Triggers- Rape (mentioned), emotional abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse, misogyny, ableist language, beating, alcoholism (addiction), fat-shaming, blood, death, loss of a loved one, guilt, grieving, depression, sexism, torture|


~Till Next Time!
📚 Ꮢҽαԃ σ⨍⨍ ɾҽαԃҽɾട! 📚

How do I even begin to describe this story? I'm not sure words would do it justice, but I enjoyed every moment and I cannot emphasize. that enough. The world-building is intense, and I had to start out writing little notes for myself because of unfamiliar terms, but what fantasy book doesn't have the same process? It was probably a little easier for me because I grew up reading and watching xianxia, but it's not difficult to follow because the author is thorough in her explanations, it's just a little overwhelming at the beginning. I also want to emphasize that this is most definitely not a historical fantasy, but a sci-fi story with Chinese cultural and historical elements implemented into the worldbuilding. There is a lot for me to talk about, yet none are spoiler-free so I'd at least like to say that one of the things I loved about the story (other than the large fighting mechas) was the love "triangle" because the setup to it was perfection, and we all needed the polyamorous representation without the explicits. Although, my favorite aspect of the story is our female protagonist, Wu Zetian, who stays unapologetic while fighting her way through the patriarchal system, yet also trying to dismantle said system by the roots to prevent future female subjugation. You'll cheer for her the entire way, trust me.

This book was quite the ride. I am beginning to really enjoy sci-fi/fantasy with real world history entwined into it. Iron Widow incorporates elements of the first and only female emperor of China. In this world there are enemies called Hunduns where select people must fight against, by pairing a male and female together to pilot a kind of “power ranger” like machine. Though in this case it is more detrimental to the pilots as it feeds off their literal energy or qi in this case. Women are seen as less in this world and often die in battles. Our main character loses a sister to this very cause and gets herself selected to exact revenge. Her plans eventually grew much larger from there…

Characters (9.5/10): I tend to be quite picky with my female leads, but I have to say, Wu Zetian is awesome. She does not take crap from anybody. She is ruthless, intelligent, and ambitious, and I love it. Her relationship with the other two main characters is really enjoyable to read. Yizhi is wonderful and kind. His level headedness is a great buffer to our other two in this trio. Shimin is an interesting character. He is introduced as some kind of bloodthirsty murderer, so it was great to get more of a backstory and discover how much truth there is to this first impression. The side characters were memorable as well and each had distinct personalities and goals.

Plot (10/10): The plot starts out as a simple revenge story, but quickly descends into something much larger. I really loved how this story progressed and the themes it covered. Throw in some betrayal and political intrigue and you have got quite the thriller. It is always fun to read about women who fight against those that oppress them.

World (8/10): In this first book we got a nice picture of the class and gender structure. I do like the addition of the footbinding. It is neat to see history mixed with sci fi/fantasy. The author did a great job at using footbinding in women, amongst other things to portray the gender imbalances in this world and how the men see themselves as superior. One character even mentions how it is fine for women to sacrifice themselves but that would never be expected of the male pilot. I am sure in the next book we will see even more worldbuilding. The last few chapters gave us a little snippet of what is still to come.

Magic (9/10): At first look the “magic” seems to have similarities to others. You have the spiritual type of energy known as qi and everyone has an element they have more affinity to. But I really liked how the author took that style of energy/magic and incorporated it into the characters using it to pilot these giant animalistic machines. I do not recall reading anything like that before. It seems like a “magic” you would see more in movies or anime, but the author did it quite well.

Writing (8.5/10): I thought the writing was really great. I did find some of the battles a bit hard to follow, and with all the stuff going on inside the characters mind. Then again, I find battles/fights often hard to follow even in other books, so this may just be me.

Entertainment (9/10): I was kept thoroughly entertained. I did not find any lulls in the narrative. Action or intriguing dialogue was always taking place. The character interactions were great, the twists were great, and the politics were great!
A big thanks to the author as well for not making another typical love triangle. I mean, I guess it was kind of a triangle, but a polyamorous one. Much better than the overused one where the girl must choose between two guys storyline!

Total (9/10): I highly recommend you check out this book! It will keep you hooked from the start and the characters are great.

HOLY COW THIS BOOK!!! I mean, I'm not sure exactly what to say other than READ IT!!! It was brought to my notice by a friend that loves any book that is Asian inspired, and I decided to give it a try despite the comparison to Power Rangers. It honestly has a kind of dystopian Neon Genesis Evangelion feel to it, although the main character is not a whiny boy but a very feminist bad*ss female. I highly highly recommend this, even though it ends on a semi-cliffhanger and we all must suffer the wait for the next book.

Most unique story I’ve read in some time! This book is a great mixture of YA science fiction and Chinese culture. The strong characters show that perseverance and determination can change the most harsh circumstances. I definitely recommend this book - I suggest 13+ due to non-consensual sexual scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 for the concept of this book! Really amazing, and I could instantly see it being a movie (or anime). But for me, I kept wanting it to be an adult book, with slower focus on characters instead of action. But that's a me problem!

4 Stars

Going into this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I first heard about this book, the concept grabbed my attention from the start. I mean, a sci-fi world inspired by Chinese history, a polyamorous relationship, and fighting back against oppressive patriarchy and gender roles forced onto her by society. That sounds like the best book ever!?

Zetian was a great choice to make as the main character of this book. For most of her life, Zetian’s path is always laid out for her. Either she would become a concubine for the army or have to marry a wealthy man. Instead of rolling over and taking this, Zetian does everything in her power to help the girls and women in her society from being oppressed. She doesn’t let anyone get in her way and is determined to change her society. She took the feeling of revenge and anger using that to push herself to fight for women in her society, which I loved so much.

The plot was very fast-paced, but it felt a bit off to me. Some parts were very fast-paced, and I flew past those moments unable to put down the book. Whereas, other moments felt very slow and took me forever to get through. I wish that the plot had more consistent pacing, either having a medium or fast pace. The pacing was a minor problem, but it did bother me when it became more noticeable.

What bothered me was the worldbuilding. If you mess up the worldbuilding in any way, it affects how the story flows and creates confusion about the setting. There is a lot of info-dumping at the beginning, which was very confusing to understand. I was like, “wait, what?” and “I’m confused, what is this again?” I kept having to re-read the lines about the world to make sure I understood the layout. Usually, the info-dumping doesn’t help me immerse myself, but as I kept reading, the worldbuilding improved. It was easier to read and become so much easier to understand how this world worked, especially the technological aspect.

The worldbuilding is very expansive and has many moving parts that are crucial to the story. The intricate details added in were very creative, unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Young Adult books. You are being Immersed in hi this world of transformer-type aliens that are invading a human world. The only way to stop them is with qi-powered chrysalis (again, similar to transformers) powered by male pilots that use female concubines as a battery. I mean, doesn’t that sound so interesting?! You can tell that the author put lots of thought and time into the world, wanting to make it grab the readers’ attention from the start.

One of the most unique aspects of this book is the love triangle present. But this isn’t just a regular old love triangle. This love triangle morphs into a polyamorous relationship. It was a new and refreshing take, and I would love to see it more in YA since we should have a diversity of all types of love.

I wish that the relationships developed a bit more, so I could connect with the love interests, and sometimes the relationships felt very rushed. One of the love interests that Zetian has a relationship with gives me a slight enemy to lovers vibe, where the other one gives me a friend to lovers vibe. I enjoyed how they accepted having a poly relationship and never got jealous of one’s relationship.

I enjoyed both love interests very much, and I was glad that they were different from one another.

Yizhi was such a cinnamon roll, but he can take care of himself and always wants to take care of those he loves. We didn’t get too much information on him since Zetian knew him before the book began. Shimin is shown as the villain, the iron demon, but as the story goes on, we see he has a softer side and has been through lots of trauma.

The representation in this book was plentiful and amazing! We have queer rep, which was great to see as always, and Poly rep with a mlm relationship. We also get discussions about gender roles and gender identity, which I enjoyed very much! We also have a disability rep because Zetian had her feet bounded when she was younger making it difficult for her to walk and uses a wheelchair for most of the book.

I know the author met lots of resistance with including a poly relationship, but I applaud Xiran for taking a daring move.

Overall, even though this book had some flaws, I still had a great time reading this book and recommend you pick it up once it releases.

TW: murder, torture, mentions/threats of rape, abuse, suicide ideation, alcohol addiction

Thank you to NetGallery for providing me an ARC of Iron Widow in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book. I was already intrigued by the summary but this could have easily gone wrong. The intro chapters are well done as they introduce us to Zetian's life. This was a great setup for the mysogynistic world the characters live in. And this world is pretty bad. It is also a good introduction to how strong willed Zetian is.
The book just continues to gain momentum after Zetian goes to the war zone. And the chapter where she first pilots a Chrysalis is epic. Zetian is such a strong character throughout the story but she also grows and changes while still keeping her goals of saving the women as a driving force for her actions.
I also liked the supporting characters and felt that the relationships were well developed and worked well. The ending was just as exciting as the rest of the story and I now have to wait eagerly for book 2.
This book would make an incredible anime, I would love to see it adapted. The book is very violent so if you are not fond of that then I would avoid it. But, if you like giant robot anime or Manga and strong female characters then you need to read this book.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early.

Xiran Jay Zhao has created an epic, futuristic sci-fi historical blend! The powerful characterizations and unflinching look at the brutality of the world makes for a book that really has something to say.

Characters: 4.5/5
World building: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Setting: 5/5

I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I was going to. I fell in love with the characters and world in the first couple of pages and was very excited when I realized it was poly.
The main character Zetian is definitely one of my favorites I have ever read.

I very much enjoyed this book and will be buying it when it comes out!
Thanks to the author for giving me an Arc in turn for a review

Iron widow met it's expectations. It is a story of young girl, Zetian, from patriarchic family, who joins the battle with a sole goal to revenge her sister's death, eventually stands out due to her amazing Qi (life force), fighting skills and ends up becoming a great leader. It is a sci-fi meets historical fiction, with an alternative world, battle fields and rebellious female lead rising up the ranks.
What didn't sound relatable to me is that there is no other girl who matches her capabilities and there isn't any formal/informal training involved for the skills she uses in battle in the right moments. These would be good to know details in the sequel, when it is coming.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book.
My rating - 3.5

I was given an eARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review but lets be honest I may or may not have built up an online foot print as book reviewer to gain early access to this book. I've been excited for this title ever since Zhao announced it back in April, I mean come on a science fiction reimagining of the life of Wu Zetian described as the Handmaid's Tale meets Pacific Rim, sign me the fuck up!
I am happy to report the novel did not disappoint in the slightest, It is a page turner from start to finish and I read the entire thing in 24 hours. I will say however that I believe it takes little from the Handmaid's Tale, a fact that Zhao freely admits to in the author's note at the beginning of the novel. Instead it reads more like a mature version of The Hunger Games, one that focuses less on the pretty dresses the protagonist wears and more on navigating a fraught court politics. I love every way Zhao handles the topics touched on by the novel from foot-binding to the concubine system to even their inventive take on the traditional YA love triangle. The twist at the end of the novel has left me wanting more and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.

the most fun i’ve had reading in a cool minute. i didn’t know i needed this book in my life until now. i love zetian sm, she’s so unhinged!! shoutout to netgalley for the ARC

IRON WIDOW has been one of my most anticipated releases for 2021 and it did not disappoint! I was originally drawn in by the comparisons to PACIFIC RIM and HANDMAID'S TALE, both of which I love.

Before going in, I thought this book sounded really similar to another 2021 YA sci-fi release- GEARBREAKERS by Zoe Hana Mikuta. However, Iron Widow totally stood on its own and I loved it for that reason.

The world building was absolutely incredible. It really felt like Huaxia was a real place. Along with this, I so loved the feminist tones in the book and how it dealt with some really difficult concepts.

Overall, loved this book! Can't wait to reread it in the final version when it's released.

Shining mecha suits controlled by mighty warriors channeling qi... and their lovely concubines... fight off hordes of aliens threatening to overrun the civilized world. Or at least that's what the government wants you to believe is the story in Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow. But Zetian knows better, because when her Elder Sister left to become one of those concubines, she never made it back; she never made it into battle at all. So Zetian decides to follow in her footsteps and get revenge - only to discover that there's much more to the war than the official story. As she learns to channel her qi and pilot mechas, she also learns that nothing is what it seems, including love, honor, and even murder. Packed with heart-pounding battles and the most unexpected love triangle I've come across, Iron Widow kept me on the edge of my seat, and touched me deeply at the same time. I can't wait to read the next installment in this adventure inspired by historical China... with aliens.

I wouldn’t have thought an imperial Chinese history-Pacific Rim mashup would work. But it really does work. Empress Wu has always been a fascinating figure to me. Her ruthless rise to power and expansive reign was so different from the support act role most royal women served. Reimagining her as a vengeful anti-heroine/badass warrior was extremely entertaining. Wu’s raw, bloodthirsty drive can feel off-putting at times, but that’s kind of the point. She’s no worse than any number of fictional and real-life male anti-heroes. The compelling world of Iron Widow is a steampunk reimagining of patriarchal imperial China. It’s sci-fi that feels like historical fiction. Potentially a good choice for someone who is dipping their toes in the sci-fi genre. I’m not sure if I get specific The Handmaid’s Tale elements from this book, despite it being marketed as such. Both feature rebellious female protagonists and take place in an authoritarian, misogynistic state. But so do a lot of books, so I think the comparison ends there. It loses some marks for some stilted dialogue and for the overwhelming font of exposition. However, a world as creative and expansive as this does require some explanation for the reader. I also found some of the battle scenes tricky to follow, but it’s an occupational hazard of writing combat scenes. Overall a gripping read. Very interested to continue the series after the shocking needing. Also
Spoiler
bonus points for queer representation and throuples
(4.25 stars)

This book blew me away. I honestly wasn't expecting much - the description made me think this was going to read like Pacific Rim fanfiction - but it far supersedes the mecha robot tropes and really establishes a whole new world and fascinating setting. Our main character is Wu Zetian (yes, like the empress), and she is the kind of girl who chafes at patriarchal expectations.

In the world of Iron Widow, girls are recruited(/sold) into the forces to help pilot giant mecha suits called Chrysalises to fight the Hundun alien invaders. But the girls are less mecha pilots and more like batteries lending their life force - qi - to male pilots during battle. And they are often drained entirely, left dead for the glory of their male counterparts. Zetian's sister is killed in this way, and she gets herself conscripted to get revenge, but realizes she's far more powerful than the famous male pilot responsible for her sister's death. In fact, she's more powerful - and willful - than most everyone, even yoked and hampered by her broken and bound feet, her status as a peasant, her status as a woman in a deeply patriarchal and misogynistic society, and the way the Chrysalises are built altogether. But nobody really knows the whole truth of their world....

I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did, but Zetian is such a compelling character, and her relationships with Yizhi and Li Shimin were fascinating. I think this is the first time I've seen a love triangle set up like this only to be resolved by polyamory, which was a surprise to read but a delight too, because it grants a new and different perspective. The worldbuilding is equally fascinating, because they are in ancient China, but not. Wu Zetian is like her historical counterpart, but not. This is not historical fiction, it isn't just about robots, and it isn't just about overcoming prejudices - somehow this book is much more than the sum of its parts and I can't wait for future installments.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for giving me access to the ARC for an honest review.

I have the largest book hangover from this book. It did everything right and more and was honestly one of the best Fantasy/Sci-Fi books I have read since An Ember in the Ashes and The Poppy War.

The story follows Wu Zetian, a teenage girl, forced into the Patriarchal Pilot system that sacrifices female pilots (concubines) to power large mechanical robots called Chrysalises. These bots are used in battle to defend Huaxia from attacks from a species called Hunduns. The weeb review on the author's website describes the battles as "a bunch of furries engaged in a Dragon Ball Z fight" and I feel like that says everything I can't.

Wu Zetian enlists as a concubine to try and murder the male pilot who murdered her beloved big sister. In her first battle, she ends up turning the tables and killing the pilot inside his own Chrysalis. But because she exited the male pilots Chrysalis unscathed, she is labeled as an Iron Widow.

The story follows Zetian working to disable the Patriarchal pilot system for good. Yes, it does in fact involve the killing of many men, so it's kind of a win-win.

This book had an amazing plot and was written in the most loveable way possible. For a debut book, this surpassed all of my expectations by a mile.

Also, this book is obviously a commentary about the systematic misogyny ingrained in our modern world. So, if this is Xiran Jay Zhao's plan for the Feminist Agenda, I'm all for it.

Seriously though, this book was beautiful, had amazing Polyamorous and Achillean representation from the Love Triangle turned Poly, and I just cannot wait for the next book. Go Read It Right Now.


Thanks again to Penguin Random House Canada for giving me access to this book. It was easily one of my favorites.

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