Iron Widow is a story that has one of the most unique world I've ever read. Influenced by Chinese history and mecha science, it explores everything from how power influences us to creating a powerful allegory for societies willingness to disregard women's well being for the advancement of men. The story was interesting and the setting created a tense atmosphere where I felt personally invested in Zetian's journey and the plight of all the women and girls of Huaxia.

This book is fabulous and I'm so sad I'm going to have to wait for a second book!
We Zetian is a fantastic main character - so unlike any MC I've read. She is well aware of how hard she has to struggle to get what she wants and deserves in life. She recognizes who and what institutions have put her and generations of women in a horrible situation; and has no qualms about doing what it takes to fight that system. Lovers of bad-ass fantasy women will adore her and her arc in this story.
Speaking of character arcs, I'm so intrigued by Yizhi and the potential his character holds. He's unlike typical love interests in that so many fantasy novels have 'badass' main characters and a love interest with either a heart of gold or a dark/sarcastic personality. Yizhi manages to exist in a really interesting grey area - I can't wait to see how his 'darker' side will come out in future books.
The writing is approachable, witty, highly descriptive, and addictive. I ripped through this book in a couple days - I just couldn't stop reading it! The combination of magic and technology is unlike any other magic system I've ever read - it's complex yet understandable.
This book is packed full of action, emotion, intrigue, compelling romance, and wit. It's simply addicting!

I love how this book. Zetian is such an interesting and complex main character. I felt her anger and her fear like her feelings were my own and found myself chuckling at every other thing she said because she is really good at clapping back. I also love how the love triangle trope was subverted and wasn't written in a cliche way. I usually hate the trope so if this book made me like it, it must've done a really good with it. 5/5:)

My heart is POUNDING. This is not a short book, nor a light/easy book, but I absolutely inhaled it over a couple of hours. If you like the idea of chaos + giant mecha warriors + unapologetically violent vengeance + political intrigue but make it sci-fi + polyam + epic alien battles + simmering feminist commentary, then may I present THE IRON WIDOW? This is queer PACIFIC RIM meets historical China-inspired ~rage in book form~ and yes, I am now ready to split the world apart.

The worldbuilding here is so rich and complex, it's impossible to comment on without doing it a major injustice. Xiran Jay Zhao is one of the most daring writers I've come across in recent YA; not just because they've created a madcap world combining history and far-future tech and fantastical power systems. Wu Zetian is a brilliant, diabolical heroine who, like the rest of the novel, does NOT pull punches. Morals? Forget it. Is there a lesson here? Consider teaching it to my GIANT MECHA WARRIOR BIRD. (The lesson is patriarchy = smashed, literally.) The polyam rep is also something I've never really seen in YA before, and it was done incredibly well. Why choose between the soft boy and the bad boy when you could simply have both?

Basically, I'm furious that I'm going to have to wait ~forever~ to read the sequel, because my mind has been unraveled AND blown and I'm not sure how Xiran expects us to sit patiently until. (checks Goodreads) 2022. But if you're looking for an adrenaline-pumping read that will make you want to punch something, then I very much suggest checking out IRON WIDOW in September. 4/5

Iron Widow is...*speechless*. It's thrilling, fierce, and passionate.

"Pacific Rim meets Handmaiden's Tale" is a perfect way to describe this book. You don't think this two elements could meet but they do so beautifully.

Fans of Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender will certainly fawn over Zetian from Iron Widow. She is merciless, clever, and chaotic. When it comes to Zetian, her actions are neither good or bad. What one may think is bad, she thinks of it as a means of survival. What one may think is good, she thinks of weak but a necessary action. Zetian easily joins the class of complicated female characters that you can't help but fall in love with.

Iron Widow is filled with rich portrayals of representations. From the Chinese culture to the polyamorous romance, I thought it was perfectly executed. As a Chinese American, it was wonderful reading and experience a voice that I could relate to and recognize myself in.

I am dying for the next sequel to Iron Widow!

Thank you so much to Penguin Canada!

WOW! Okay I’m not going to lie, I didn’t go into this book with high expectations. The description seemed all over the place but I was intrigued by the idea of such prominent figures in Chinese culture being placed in this dystopian setting.

I am SO SO HAPPY I got to read this beautiful story. The plot was fantastic, the pace was engaging, and the characters were complex and powerful. I love the world building and culture in this story that smashes the patriarchy every chance it gets. It was refreshing to see the growth and turmoil that Zentian experiences in navigating what her values and morals are in a world that tried to strip her of any agency.

Also I cannot express how much I hate love triangles and so this approach was appreciated although more mature for a YA novel. I applaud the author for sticking with her vision for this novel and cannot wait to see where it goes next.

Wow. I don't really know what I expected from this book, but it absolutely blew any expectations I had out of the water. It was so interesting and well done, and I CANNOT wait for the conclusion.

Big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review!

I've been trying to review this book since I finished it two days ago and all the keeps coming out is the text equivalent of shrieking. Let's try one more time.

This. Book. Is. So. Good. From the INSANE worldbuilding to the wonderfully three-dimensional characters, to the hell-yeah-feminism plot, to the absolute annihilation of stereotypes and cliches, Iron Widow is everything.

Our MC is Wu Zetian, China's only female empress from the 7th century, reimagined as a farm girl in a future-dystopia, the China-inspired country of Huaxia. Zetian sells herself into the army to avenge her big sister's death, who was murdered by one of the army's pilots. No one but Zetian cares though, because this isn't just any old army; Zetian lives in an oppressive patriarchy where her country buys girls to live as boy pilots'concubines, fulfilling all the duties you'd expect when not in battle, and acting as a source of Qi, basically their life force, during battles, battles which consist of the boys piloting giant mecha robot fighters against invading aliens while the girls sit unconscious and hope the boy's mind doesn't consume theirs during the battle.

Ok, so the plot itself is awesome and horrifying and intense. The book felt big for 400 pages, in the best way possible, with near constant action but not SO much that it became overwhelming or tiresome. The writing is very good, though it is written in a pretty typical YA voice which I tend to enjoy but I know can be a turn off for some. I've seen some reviews mention the Zetian just seems angry, and she absolutely does, but it's completely understandable, justifiable anger and I think it makes perfect sense for her character and what she's been through. I loved Zetian and thought she was an excellent, fresh take on a YA MC, especially her morality, or lack thereof.

Most of the side characters were wonderful as well, and I love, love, love that Zhao eschewed the typical love triangle for polyamory. That was unexpected and exciting. There were a few characters I wished we could've learned more about overall, but, and I don't want to give any spoilers so I'll just say I enjoyed the relationships that occurred and felt they were natural to the story.

I'm not usually a tech-y sci-fi or robot fan but the Chrysalises, the giant mecha robot suits the boy-girl pairs pilot, were extremely cool and Zhao manages to introduce and continue to use them in a way I didn't find at all exhausting, which sounds snarky but is actually huge because I generally find robots and battle scenes exhausting. But the element of the Qi being used to control the spirit metal that the Chrysalises were made from, plus the horror of the concubines, forced to sacrifice themselves to the boys' minds during battle, it all just had me hooked so hard. I'm already dying to read this book again but I'm going to wait for my hardcopy when it comes out so I can admire the gorgeous cover every time I pick it up.

This whole book is 400 pages of Zetian trying to absolutely destroy the patriarchy and it's a completely beautiful thing but it gets *dark.* As mentioned, her morality is maybe a little shaky and she does some things that might go a little far, too characters that almost definitely deserve it, for understandable reasons.

I definitely recommend Iron Widow to fans of YA sci-fi and dystopian who like strong female characters, lots of action and who can stomach more than a small amount of violence. This book is possibly the best of read all year and I honestly might even put it in my top 10 books of all time, it's really that good. So good I couldn't put it down; a 400 page book would normally take me about a week to read but I finished Iron Widow in under three days.

Holy hell, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is a good book. I devoured an eARC in less than 24 hours and now need to sit down for two hundred years.

This YA combines fantasy, magic, and Chinese culture with mecha robots, futuristic technology, and actual f*cking aliens. I didn't think it could be done, but somehow all those elements actually work together.

Also, did I mentioned the threesome?

I could not put this book down. A sci-fi world with aliens and mechas, inspired by Chinese history and mythology? I screamed when I saw that I got this ARC.

After her sister's death, Wu Zetian offers herself up as a concubine pilot in order to try to get vengeance on her sister's murderer. She gets her revenge by killing him through the psychic link between pilots, a previously publically unthought-of feat that gets her labeled an Iron Widow. To try to tamper her power, she gets paired with the Iron Demon Li Shimin, the strongest pilot in Huaxia.

If you're picking up this book, be sure to read through the author's note and the warnings. This book delivers on being dark. It explores the themes of gender, power, sexuality, and revenge. It delves into female rage so well, and the ways that women often aren't allowed to be angry. Zetian is very much a morally grey protagonist who has a lot of (understandable) fury at her sister's death and at the role that society has dictated she be due to being a woman. She's allowed to be brutal and bloodthirsty and unapologetically powerful by taking exactly what she wants against the wishes of the very society that would rather crush her while telling her exactly how precious women are.

Finally, a love triangle that is an actual triangle! You don't see polyamory in YA much at all, and I was glad to see it here, especially the slow way that the relationship as a triad and between each pair of characters developed organically. Learning more about Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi through Zetian's lens and their various growth arcs was so fun.

This is Zhao's debut, and I was incredibly hooked on her writing, her prose kept me reading non-stop until the middle of the night. AND THE ENDING. Oh my god, the ending. I gasped when I read it, then immediately went to see when book 2 was. I can't wait to pick up the conclusion to this duology and all her other books in the future.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the ARC.

First of all, I'd like to say a gigantic thank you to Netgalley for the E-ARC of this book in exchange for a truthful review.

This book was absolutely incredible.

Xiran Jay Zhao has crafted a gorgeous and brutal world that takes hold of you and refuses to let go. Her masterful use of language, and the Chinese history that has been so beautifully woven into the story will keep you eagerly turning the page to find out what happens next, and it is absolutely worth it.

Her handling and portrayal of the misogyny was so infuriatingly real, but intermingled with that was a thoughtful discussion about taking control of your own body and your destiny, and it was a thing of beauty.

Xiran Jay Zhao took the love triangle trope and turned it into what every love triangle trope should be - a beautiful polyamorous relationship, with communication and no jealousy. The conversations about sexuailty and gender identity were handled beautifully.

The characters were complex - they had strengths, and flaws, but you still couldn't help but to fall in love with them, and root for them the entire time.

This book was mind bogglingly amazing, I am so excited to purchase a physical copy of it when it comes out, and I need book two like I need air to breathe, as the ending of Iron Widow was perfect and left me reeling. It'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

This was an unexpected and unimaginably appreciated experience that gave me literary tingles and emotional catharsis. I so badly want to wax poetic about the main character and how she may be the realest, most grounded character I've ever had the pleasure of reading about but the essay that would require is beyond my abilities.

This book is going to shock readers in September. It is going to make people uncomfortable. It is going to force people to look inward and question internal biases that maybe even they didn't realize they were holding. This novel is therapy for women like me who grew up after being told to be "more" feminine at every stage of their lives. What does that even mean? What does that mean when people can embody any combination of masculine and feminine energies and fluidly shift through those proportions based on situational needs?!

Let me just tell people why they should run, not walk, to pre-ordering this masterpiece.
- giant mechs.
- An actual love triangle that had me rooting and hooting the entire time.
- this is a villain origin story (depending on how you look at the main character of course. By the end I was shrugging and saying "same")
- Actual tears streamed down my face. Crying probability is high.
- Descriptions of scenery/various settings are so vivid! I'm a sucker for an author that can give you one sentence of description to ground you perfectly in the room with the characters and move on.
- The ending! MUCH TWIST, VERY GASP!

10/10 recommend!

Iron Widow. Wow. I can’t wait for the second one to come out! I’m so invested!!! I managed to read this one from NetGalley.
The story starts out a little slow and you have no idea of the rollercoaster you’re about to be on. There’s so many emotions that went into this book and you can absolutely feel them! You love to hate and hate to love these characters. By the end, I loved them so much!
I highly recommend Iron Widow if you are looking for a powerful female when she is told to be everything but!!

this is an amazing book, the romance is adorable and is the first true love triangle that I've ever seen, I can't wait for the next book to come out or for the next arc of the series to come. The book was full of twists and turns and easily competes with Six of crows which is one of my all time favorite books, over all a 4.90/5 stars, though I do hate how rude the main character Wu Zetian is to Li Shimin, that is my only problem with this book.

OMG! Can I just say Wu Zetian is my all time favorite warrior hero. If you want a positive female character who laughs in the face of the patriarchy and societal constructs. You have found her!!

"Shame and humiliation are self-imposed emotions, and from here on out, I choose not to feel them." This book was full of so many inspirational self reflections (quotes).

This incredible brave, kick ass human has had enough of the crap women have had to deal with and is not going to let them win.

ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR WANT TO READ IN GOODREADS!

All the strict thinkings and societal norms of a hundred years ago (?) China with a futuristic huge Robot Chrysalis', it makes you not know exactly what year you are in, so it's an alternate universe.

Side note: I want an alternate universe with a matriarchy just for fun.

I definitely think this book is for everyone. I was so giddy over the love triangle that just popped up. Not your average love triangle.

My mind is still blown by this book and by the Epilogue holy crap wtf! I'm not sure how long it will take me to process this beautiful book! 😍😍 Oh goodness will there be more?!?!

I may have more succinct words later but I need this physical book in my library for sure!

Thank you penguin teen and net galley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

“And, in the end, isn’t that all dignity is? The boundaries and values you decide for yourself?”

This is pitched as Pacific Rim meets Chinese History and Myth and it delivers.

I don’t know where to start—this is everything, everything I want from books.

-Morally Gray female Main Character, who’s a kickass feminist but develops over time. The amount of love I have Wu Zetian is immeasurable. She’s angry and fierce. She a survivor and a victor. She is the moment.
-Polyamory. Less love triangles, more threesomes. Is the message. “Love is infinite.” You’re damn right.
-soft bois and angry bois, these Boys mean the world to me as well. They’re layered and nuanced and even though you view them through Zetian’s lenses you fall in love with them
-bisexuals.
-Giant Monster battles.
-sprinklings of historical context and sparking my urge to Wikipedia everything about the inspiration.
-nuance discussions on femininity. The feminist agenda is vocal and gruff. It’s not steered away from and sometimes it a Qi blast to the face but it never feels hollow.
-Smashing The Patriarchy.
-Twists! Seriously. TWISTY TWISTS.

Some Caveats:
-Wu Zetian is going to be a polarizing lead, you will either love her or hate her.
-This story is action heavy and can feel disjointing (hopefully the final copy will include a map and a Qi cheat sheet and some hierarchy information)

Overall, this is probably one of my favorite reads of 2021 and I’ve preordered my copy.

TW: murder, violence, torture, misogyny, mentions of sexual assault and rape, suicide ideation, alcohol addiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the plot, but did not like the throuple. I think it is fine to pretend it would work out, but for teen readers I think this idea could become insidious.

Literally amazing. 10/10 stars. would read again. Literally pacific rim in china and is amazing and stressful and lovely and everyone needs to read this book and I want a 5 movie deal.

WOWWW, this was the wildest, most original story I have read in a LONGGG time. The blend of sci-fi + fantasy + historical chinese elements was A+. The world building and magic system was incredible and I was VERY INVESTED in the story.
I did want to note that there are some trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, which isn't surprising given the reference to The Handmaid's Tale in the synopsis.

You have 3 main characters:

Zetian the Iron Widow, the logical + lethal MC with a need for justice/vengeance.

Li Shimin the Iron Demon, the strongest and most controversial male pilot with a ~mysterious~ past.

Gao Yizhi, the calm and intelligent son of the most successful media mogul in Huaxia. Has a heart of gold and is a sweet, supportive cinnamon roll.

Zetian was a great MC, she was hot-blooded AND calculating -she knew exactly what her goals were and what she stood for. She did not back down or make herself small, nor did she allow herself to be manipulated. It was FANTASTIC to read her scheming, every time she learned new information or was forced into a new role she paid attention to the long term loss and gains, and readjusted her plans. The love interests Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi were also very interesting and I enjoyed both their relationships with the MC Zetian. This story is very high stakes, and that ending blew my mind. I cannot WAITTT to get my hands on the sequel. This was an extremely impressive first installment for a debut author.

3.5 stars rounded up.

According to Xiran Jay Zhao this story is "Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in a polyamorous reimagining of China's only female emperor.”

This is a vengeance fueled, sci-fi, feminists unite, powerhouse of a story. It has a polyamorous relationship over the usual YA love triangle.

Zetian is a peasant girl who’s suffered through the death of her older sister, and painful foot binding. She has been repeated told that her looks are the only thing she has of value to her family. She graphically describes her grandmother breaking the bones in her feet at only five years old. This start to the story helps the readers understand the level of anger Zetian feels. EVERY STEP she takes is a reminder of her worth. I could feel the rage pouring off Zetian throughout the book, she has her own agenda and everyone better get out of her way.

It’s a little confusing, but there are aliens that battle humans in giant mecha-machines. These machines use qi (pronounced “chi”) energy to power them. Young men with high qi ratings are chosen to serve as the pilots for these massive fighting machines. Young women are forced to serve (usually by their families) as concubines and co-pilots...but really they are sacrificed and almost always die. Zetian is chosen as the next co-pilot to share her qi energies with the pilot she’s sworn to kill.

As much as I enjoyed the world building and set-up, the characters felt mostly flat. The only relationship that had some depth was with Yizhi. He’s from a rich family and knows he can’t be with Zetian, yet he cares for her in the only way he can. If Yizhi is the rich, pampered love interest on her left, then Li Shimin, the Iron Demon is the criminal, beast on her right. These two men perfectly balance her. I wish the relationship between Li Shimin and Zetian had been more fleshed out. I also didn’t get much in terms of emotions from Yizhi and Li Shimin. I understand this is YA novel, but there was one tiny paragraph with mention of a m/m relationship. Why do they like each other? Where are the emotions??

While this is a completed story, there a cliffhanger that will lead to the next book.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, NetGalley, and Xiran Jay Zhao for the ARC to review!