Even from the first page you know this is gonna be epic. A seamless blend of mythology, history, and science fiction by an author who knows very well what they're doing. The story of China's only empress is masterfully weaved in with giant mecha and monsters and epic battles. Definitely gonna read book 2!

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this one! Being so fast paced and action filled made it very easy to accidentally read for way longer than intended. The action scenes were where this book was strongest. It was so easy to get lost in every aspect of the battles, and really feel Zetian reveling in her own strength. I also enjoyed the characters- their dynamics were interesting and I was thrilled to read about an actual love triangle (instead of the love “V” featured in so many YA novels that we just call a triangle). I loved the three of them and their relationship, and I had fun with the overall plot and characters.

Iron Widow brought a lot of refreshing ideas and concepts to the genre; I appreciate it.

This book was very blunt and to the point at times. This isn’t a bad thing, inherently; for a story that is so rooted in anger and noncompliance, there were many times that being blunt and to the point worked in it's favor. I liked how unyielding Zetian and this story was. Absolutely loved getting a protagonist who was so sure of herself, outright angry. At other times, the bluntness left me feeling like I was missing a level of depth that I really wanted out of this story. In terms of writing, many scenes were straight to the point, and in terms of plot and concepts, a lot was just touched upon and not given the deep dive I would’ve enjoyed.

Throughout the book I wanted a deeper understanding of the main conflict in the book, we saw the battles, but we were missing the why. For the last 20% or so the lore of this world was definitely expanded on in a way that was exciting and is a good build up for much more in the rest of the series. I still wish there had been more of the characters understanding of the conflict throughout the book, though. I also wanted more about Zetian’s motives, and how she grew to be one of the few people who recognizes and does not accept the injustices women and girls are put through in this world.

What I least enjoyed was the prose. During action scenes, like I said, this book was very strong. I absolutely see the battles taking place and it was well done. Elsewhere, the prose felt very simple and at times didn't match the tone of the scenes. Quite a few scenes that I felt were supposed to be serious and high tension had characters using casual like “guys” “weird” “basically”, etc.

I also just have to say that the author's note made me cry. Though this book may have fallen short in some aspects for me, I can see it being important to a lot of people.

Overall, I wish this book had more depth in world-building, character motives, and writing. If you're looking for a very literary, lore heavy book this is probably not for you. However, Iron Widow was just plain fun, and unabashedly itself; this felt like a much needed addition to the YA genre.

Couldn't finish this one. One of my favorite things about good fantasy is world building but I just felt very lost in this book. I could never really see anything that was being described to me. We're dropped to quickly into this world of giant monster's fighting other monster's we never get any time to acclimate to what this world even looks like. While certainly action packed the plot never really moved beyond "kill the monsters" for me and, while I acknowledge I'm not the right audience for this, I simply didn't care enough about the characters to get invested in their tangled love lives.

I'd say my biggest issue is with Zhao's heroine, Zetian is just to "ahead of her time" to feel real. She's just so mindlessly angry all the time while literally everyone else behaves in a way that at least seems more normal in context of the world they're all in. Actually traveling on a journey with Zetian as she comes into her power would have been terrific. Watching her find strength and realize she's better than the men around her would have had a much more powerful impact than just watching her rage over and over.

There were also a lot of obvious parallels to other dystopian teen novels, most particularly "The Hunger Games" and it was very hard not to just picture those other books the entire I was reading this.

I really did like the concept here and Zhao's writing is very strong but I just couldn't get on board with this one.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is the story of Zetian an 18 year old concubine and she's here to avenge her murdered sister and smash the patriarchy. Set in a sci-fi world with a giant robots, a war with aliens, polyamory, an ancient Chinese society, and timely social commentary. It's action packed, fast paced and a complete delight to read. Giant robot wars are not my thing but I'm 100 percent invested in Zetian using them to kill terrible men and take over the world.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is a truly unique book unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Our main character, Zetian, is an unapologetic feminist bent on acquiring power for herself and justice for the hundreds of girls killed during battles against Hunduns. If you are looking for a light, easy read with a likable protagonist, then Iron Widow isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for an unconventional, thought-provoking book centered around morality, redemption, and power struggles, then you’ll love this addictive sci-fi seeped in Chinese mythology.

The society that Zetian resides in is outwardly misogynistic, and women are treated abdominably. That’s likely part of the reason why the two boys Zetian grows close to are so indearing and refreshing. At first I was a little annoyed with the direction the romance was progressing in. There’s nothing more annoying than a teenage love triangle revolving around an entitled, brainless girl who simply can’t make up her mind between two guys who are significantly better than her, or vice versa. This book flipped that trope on its head and created an open relationship between the three main characters. They were all openly queer and in love with each other, which was pretty cool to see.

The questions raised by Iron Widow revolving around concubines and consorts were definitely valid and accurately aimed at today’s society. Implied sex and rape scenes were present throughout this book, and there are also descriptions of torture. While uncomfortable to read about, these topics need to be addressed, least fiction become a reality.

The complex world building and descriptive writing style are definite draws to Iron Widow. The way the landscape and Hunduns are described definitely draw mental pictures in the reader’s mind. The final scene in the story is simply unforgettable. It left me craving more, and I can’t wait for a second book.

Iron Widow is an unconventional and unapologetic novel. I would definitely recommend it to YA and sci-fi readers because of the fast plot and the important questions it raised.

I received an ARC of this novel curtesy of Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada, opinions are my own.

<b>REVIEW TIME!!</b>

Iron Widow is a sci-fi novel that follows the main character, Zetian, in an ancient-chinese inspired setting. Zetian is based on the only female emperor of Ancient China.

Before we get into the review, I’m a critical and cynical person by nature. <b>I want to say that I enjoyed reading this book and 100% recommend it to anyone on the fence about pre-ordering this book (or reading it, if this is after publication).That said, those thoughts might not come across in my review, so just know that I liked this book and you should read it too.</b>

This review is going to be broken down on 6 things:

-Plot
-Characters
-World-building
-Thoughts
-Criticisms
-TL;DR

<i><u>Plot:</i></u>

This book was very easy to follow, and a pretty quick read for me. I ended up finishing this book in much less than a day, which is something that I often do anyways, but I couldn’t put this book down.

The book strikes a good balance between storyline, relationships, and all other aspects of books. I would say that there are a few surprises scattered throughout the novel, but nothing that is far-fetched or doesn’t make sense.

I will say that there are certain scenes in the novel that weren’t fully detailed, so I had trouble visualizing it in my mind, but it didn’t affect any other parts of the novel. Just me trying to create the scene shot-by-shot in my dreams/memories so I can revisit it later, lol. Please note that this is in relation to the advanced readers copy of the book, this may not be the case after publication.

<i><u>World-building:</i></u>

Kinda bad summary of the world:The world is focused around the idea that women (yin) are more docile, and are supposed to be the balance/mediator to men (yang) and their erratic and primal behavior. Men in this world pilot machines used to fight of Hunduns through their qi and spirit pressure. There's a lot explained in the book, but essentially the woman pilot always dies at the end of the battle.

<I>"Yin and yang represent the opposing forces that churn the universe into life. Yin is everything cold, dark, slow, passive, and feminine. Yang is everything hot, bright, fast, active, and masculine."</I>

Zetian signs up to enlist as a concubine (a woman pilot) to enact revenge on one of the most respectable/powerful pilots in the army. You see, he killed her older sister when she was sold off into the army.

And that begins the start of a very immersive and mesmerizing novel.

<I>comments about the world building</I>

I love that, because this world is so clear-cut and definitive in terms of biological sex, that there is a scene acknowledging those who are intersex. I do wish that some sort of commentary was made for the enby/trans people, but I hesitate to say that it should be included because it doesn't really make sense to add that in (in terms of the scene that it occurred in).

Tbh I was a little confused about the nuance in the world, but I understood everything that was going on, and the entire book is easy to follow. So, if you're someone who doesn't like sci-fi because of the science part of the book, I recommend this as a lowkey sci-fi novel! I'm not the biggest sci-fi fan but I really enjoyed this book.

As previously mentioned, this book is influenced by ancient-chinese culture. As a fan of Xiran Jay Zhao (from her Mulan-live action YouTube video) and as a Chinese-American who has traveled to China far more times than I can count, I can tell you the ancient-chinese aspect of this book is accurate! Unfortunately, so.

The thing that interested me the most was that Zetian (the main character) had her feet binded when she was a child, something that happened to Chinese women as a way to enforce the patriarchy ✨. Throughout the novel, we can see Zetian struggle with the pain she feels when she walks, but it doesn't define her and it doesn't stop her. I don't have much else to say about it, I found it an interesting (in a positive way) choice and it added more depth to the novel and Zetian's character.

At times there were specifics about the world that weren't extremely clear to me, but I don't think it was necessary to know every detail of how everything worked. That's the case for many novels that throw you right into the middle of a new fantastical world, and that's the case for this novel.

<i><u>Characters:</i></u>
I loved all of the main characters from this novel. At no point was I not rooting for them. <i>They’re all the bicons (bisexual icons) we have been waiting for.</i>

Zetian reminds me much of Jude Duarte (from The Folk of the Air), looking to gain power and feast on the sounds of her enemies...

The other 2 main characters? I'll refrain from writing about. I feel like it might go into spoiler territory.

The only criticisms that I had for them was that I wish they were more fleshed out, and that they had a bit more nuance. I think the way they're portrayed in the novel is great! I'm just a very character-driven person and wished we spent more pages developing the relationships and characters. ONCE AGAIN, THE BOOK DOES THIS! I just wanted ✨more✨ personally.

<i><u>Thoughts:</i></u>
How did this book make me feel overall... Here are some of the comments I made while reading this book:

-<i>Me, for a brief, brief moment: damn this isn't going to end well for one of the love interests and it's gonna be me who gets burned because I always fall in love with the one who gets rejected.

-THIS SHIT IS SO GOOD 😪😪😪</i>


This book really came in to make sure I didn’t fall into the depths of second-lead syndrome. And I will be forever thankful. I haven’t read many books that have polyamory, and I think that’s a real shame.

<b>I would also like to say that there are some BANGER quotes in this book, I would love to add them here, but please note that I'm quoting the arc. So, these quotes may have been changed/redacted:</b>

<I>
"But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance." (tell me this DOESN'T give off Jude vibes)

"He’s strangling someone with his own chains."

"If this were any other occasion, I’d be laughing. Perks of refusing to play by the rules: you don’t have to choose between the boy who’d torture a man to death with you and the boy who’d welcome you back with pastries after."

"My killer boy, my sweet boy. The final line in this triangular formation we’ve been dancing in, making us stronger than ever."


</I>


<i><u>Criticisms:</i></u>
At points I think that the writing is a little-too straight forward.
I have never been the type to love first person pov, so it took some getting used to for this book.

The vernacular/informal language used in this book threw me off sometimes. I couldn’t tell if it was a commentary about Zetian’s personality, her birth status, or just Xiran Jay Zhao’s writing style. However, I would like to add that the copy of the book I read was an advanced readers copy, so this might have been touched up from now to publication.

<i><u>TL;DR</i></u>
READ THIS BOOK! MMM CHINESE CULTURE MMM POLYAMORY MMMM CHINESE-CANADIAN AUTHOR

Iron Widow has one of the most intriguing elevator pitches in the YA sphere: in the words of the author herself, “it’s a Pacific Rim x The Handmaid’s Tale retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, featuring mechas inspired by East Asian myth creatures and piloted by a sexist, boy-girl piloting system.”

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the gritty, dirty history of the real Wu Zetian and her rise to power, you can imagine the trials faced by a concubine who started as a fixture in the emperor’s harem and then became emperor herself, as well as the powerful men she had to resist at every stage. Zhao’s reimagined Zetian has no fewer obstacles in her way — in fact, she has an extra one: in the male-dominated world of Huaxia, concubines do not only exist to serve and please the pilots that the army assigns them to. They’re also expected to go smiling to their inevitable deaths in battle.

I was most apprehensive about the way that this book — namely the main character — would approach the concept of feminism. One of YA’s gravest pitfalls is how one dimensional its lens of misogyny often is. I couldn’t count on two hands how many books I’ve read where a female main character becomes the only woman in her world to achieve some awe-inspiring feat (which is only made possible by her imitating a man), and then finally becomes accepted by the male characters who have mocked and degraded her throughout the entirety of the story: characters whose respect for women is conditional on how impressed they are by them. These books are lazy, and, quite frankly, make me dislike the main character for being made to adapt to the male standard of what is respectable.

But Zetian? She’s an angry feminist. It’s about time we got angry feminists in YA.

More so than the worldbuilding or the fight for survival that the plot of Iron Widow revolves around, this book’s exploration of how women function and interact with each other in such a blatantly misogynistic world fascinated me. Zhao does not write women that are unrealistic, women who bravely defy the patriarchy and refuse to cave to a society that hates them so much. Instead, many of them do what it takes to survive: they adapt to their environment, and even perpetuate their own oppression. When all you’ve ever been told is that you exist to bend and serve, you will accept it. I appreciate that message, because I feel it’s one that isn’t discussed enough in fiction or the real world. Women can absolutely be perpetrators of misogyny, often in the name of preserving some idea of “honor” that was created by men who don’t believe we have any honor at all.

If I were to have any complaint about Iron Widow, it would be the romance, although this is more a matter of personal preference than poor execution. If you like reading about less conventional relationships and you’re instead interested in characters who step outside of the bounds of monogamy, the romance in this book might appeal to you. For me, however, a hopeless romantic who likes to let books delude her into believing that soulmates exist and we are all destined to find one person who will love us forever, that aspect of the story didn’t particularly satisfy me.

Iron Widow is the first book of a planned duology, so it’ll be interesting to see where the story continues from here. With most novel retellings of historical figures and old myths, the end of the first book in the series is where the plot diverges the most from the source material, and I predict the same will happen with this duology. Of course, if Zhao really wants to lean into the history aspect, Zetian will be having children and murdering them soon. However, I think it’s safe to say Iron Widow 2 will continue expanding on the themes laid out in the first book, from the harm purity culture does young girls to the question of how actually good the self-proclaimed “good” men are when they do nothing but stand aside and watch the degrading treatment of women in society.

When a novel gets compared to Pacific Rim and the Handmaid’s Tale, my expectations for said novel automatically skyrocket. Iron Widow delivered the vengeful, feminist, patriarchy smashing novel 16 year old me would have died to read, and adult me loved every minute of.

Hands down, Wu Zetian was my favourite part of this novel. In the past when I have been promised an angry, unrepentant girl lead, I have been disappointed. This was definitely not the case with Zetian. Her furious ambition and drive resonated with me, and as the novel progresses, you get to see more of the tender (if not soft) parts of her as well. She takes absolutely no crap and I love her for it. Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi were great as well, as the secondary characters we saw the most of.

The worldbuilding and plot were solid, and despite a few blips in the pacing and direction, well executed. A heads up: this universe is heavily entrenched in misogyny and other trauma. I’m normally quite particular about misogyny as a conflict device, especially in speculative fiction (it’s one of the main reasons I will DNF a book), but to me the misogyny and oppressive systems were challenged enough by the main characters to make the trauma worth it.

While Iron Widow shouldn’t be considered a romance—it’s quite dark and focuses heavily on the sci-fantasy elements—I also appreciated the open inclusion of a polyamorous romance. This is one the first traditionally published novels I’ve read (and maybe the first YA one at all) that normalizes poly relationships as opposed to a love triangle.

The premise of this novel is quite binary, and one of my only critiques was the lack of gender diversity beyond the stereotypical man/woman split. I would have also loved to see Wu Zetian form a strong and healthy friendship with another girl, but I’m holding out hope for the next book.

Overall, Iron Widow grabbed me and didn’t let me go. Despite some minor critiques, I devoured this book and love the world and premise Xiran Jay Zhao has put into the world. I will be eagerly awaiting the next entry in the series.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the scifi polyam young adult book you have been waiting for! From thought-provoking paragraphs to intricate world-building to characters with layer upon layer of complexities to a dazzling romance between three people, readers will surely find this one as a refreshing read in the genre.

Zetian is every bit the heroine in most young adult fiction we have all read at first until she is tested again and again in this magnetic debut from Xiran Jay Zhao. It has themes akin to those in mecha-anime that I find compelling and intriguing. Things get more exciting once the other two characters were introduced. It's pretty fast-paced from there on and packed with action. The plot, characters, and writing really made this stunning debut a delight. I could not put it down. Lovers of the scifi will find this a step into the usual scenarios present in this genre.

The pitch for the regular person on the street is that this is “a Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale reimagining of the rise of the only female emperor in Chinese history”. And even though that spoke to me, what spoke to me louder was the alternate pitch the author put out: it is more like the anime DARLING in the FRANXX but with a story based in the gongdou genre (Chinese palatial harem tales like the hit C-drama Story of Yanxi Palace), both of which I am more familiar with than I care to admit.

Iron Widow is the first eARC I have ever requested. I actually opened a NetGalley account for it and I did it precisely because I felt the same as the author. I believe there is a lot of potential to the boy-girl pilot system introduced in DARLING in the FRANXX which can be used as an interesting device to explore concepts of gender and sexuality—a potential that I felt the show did not live up to and I was absolutely not a fan of how the female pilots are basically oriented on all fours in front of the male pilot, who is seated and would “steer” the woman by the hips (yes, like that). I am also a total sucker for magical world-building which ties intimately to the themes of the story, like Steven Universe‘s Fusion which fuses two or more characters and the resulting individual is a representation of their relationship and the combination of their strengths (a concept which is itself a reworking of gattai or 合体 from Dragonball).

But, if we are to step away from all the pop culture that Iron Widow draws generously from, I’ll describe it as a story about giant qi-powered transforming robots called Chrysalises which are controlled by the power of heterosexual spooning, and humanity uses these machines to defend themselves in a war against the invasion of a sentient species of wonton (okay, it’s the other way around—wontons are actually possibly named after the alien Hunduns). Human society in this world is a patriarchal hellhole for women and if The Handmaid’s Tale is the Judeo-Christian version of that, Iron Widow is the Chinese cultural edition. There are so many misogynistic things said about women in this book that is still being said to Chinese girls and women today! I am a Chinese dude, but I’ve heard them within earshot often enough and I have no doubt that Ms Zhou is absolutely drawing from personal experience here.

Wu Zetian is a teenage girl who is being sold to the army as a “concubine-pilot” and is one of the countless girls who will pilot a Chrysalis along with one of the celebrity male pilots (who accrue fame as battles are livestreamed across the nation). She is being paired with Yang Guang, who she believes murdered her older sister who enlisted before her. The thing is, female pilots are often sacrificed in the piloting process for power and girls rarely survive the ordeal so the female sex is literally grist for the war mill, aside from basically serving as sex slaves for male pilots in their private harems. Zetian had specifically wanted to join up so she could avenge her sister, hopefully before she can be used up in a fight.

It may not be to everyone’s taste but I find Zetian to be a very compelling main character who displays plenty of agency in her thoughts and actions. You can’t rightly call her a good person either as she commits some pretty morally questionable acts throughout the book. It is, however, incredibly exhilarating to read how she handles everything the world throws at her, standing up against impossible challenges as she does everything she can to survive. Everything she learns about the system becomes her ammunition to subvert or destroy it. She reminds me very much of the protagonist of another book I read recently: Baru Cormorant from Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant. They are both involved in socially unacceptable romantic relationships. They are both trying to dismantle a massive bureaucratic power structure from within. They are both forced to commit atrocities in service of their own ends.

I absolutely love the way that the author incorporates so much Chinese historical and mythic references in Iron Widow. The qi-based magic system is drawn directly from Five Phases (五行) which consists of the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water, and the Chrysalises are based on Chinese mythological creatures like the the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Headless Warrior (it’s wild—look up “Xingtian” who was beheaded but continues to fight using his nipples as eyes and his navel as a mouth), and the four Auspicious Beasts such as the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, the Black Tortoise, and the Yellow Dragon. Practically all the characters have names taken from historical figures and reads like a who’s who of Chinese history, even though they only share a passing thematic resemblance to their namesakes. One of them, a club bouncer called Yuchi Jingde, made me laugh because he shares a name with a Tang dynasty general who is worshiped today as a door god.

There are also multiple allusions to Chinese cultural/historical practices which are familiar to me through years of soaking them up in Chinese and Hong Kong period dramas like the idea of nine familial exterminations (株连九族) where one’s immediate and extended family is executed for serious crimes like treason. There is also the ancient practice of drowning adulterous couples in pig-cages which functions as a sort of informal method of honour killing in Iron Widow for disgraced women. These are not modern pig-cages mind you, but a sort of tiny restrictive bamboo basket that is only big enough to hold one pig or a pair of adulterers. I grew up eating pig biscuits during Mid-Autumn Festival which usually come in their own little individual pig-cages made of bamboo or plastic. Ms Zhou also mentioned “fried dough sticks” or Chinese crullers in Iron Widow but she didn’t mention their cultural significance—they are also called “oil-fried devils” in Cantonese because they are suppose to represent a traitorous historical couple and we’ve been symbolically deep frying them in hot oil for hundreds of years now. Yeah, we Chinese have some pretty hardcore snacks.

A choice Ms Zhou made that I like very much is in highlighting the horrendous outmoded Chinese practice of foot binding where girls’ feet are deliberately broken and bound into deformed “lotus feet” as a sign of status and beauty, but often leave the women suffering lifelong disability. Even though the practice did not exist in the real Wu Zetian’s time, the teenage Wu Zetian of this book underwent this process and the descriptions of her feet in the book is not pretty: three of her toes had fallen off and they exude a festering odour hidden by her bindings and perfumed shoes. The book absolutely does not shy away from showing how it hobbled her, and causes her constant pain much like what the original Hans Christian Andersen Little Mermaid experiences with her newfound feet, which was described as feeling like “walking on sharp knives”. In response to criticism of unrealistic hyperbole, Margaret Atwood often remarked that every horrendous thing that happened to women in The Handmaid’s Tale have already happened before or are happening now, and Ms Zhou can absolutely make the same boast with Iron Widow. It may be hard to believe, but Chinese women really went through all this shit (except dying to power up giant mechas, maybe).

Now the author is pretty upfront about this so this isn’t a spoiler: I am all for how Ms Zhou deals with the perennial YA love triangle trope. Wu Zetian is placed in a position to choose between two hot boys and she simply remarked “a triangle is the strongest shape”. Maybe some YA fans are into the push and pull of triangular romances but I am just glad this did not become a source of angst and drama that drag on for pages and pages. I like how vividly the author imagines most of the action sequences as well, and if they ever adapt this book into a visual medium (like an anime), I’ll watch the shit out of it.

Iron Widow is an absolutely fun read which I completed in just two days, and it is an impressive work for a debut. I was reading the last 3rd deep into the night because I simply could not put it down. That being said, I think there is a tendency for Ms Zhou to tell rather than show, and to overload certain parts with exposition. I can see that it comes from a barely restrained eagerness to show off her world and her research—which I actually enjoy but they sometimes mess with the pacing. The middle part feels a little flabby but final bits absolutely made up for that. While I understand the idea of social and media engagement is a huge theme in YA fiction (and in Chinese culture) today, its inclusion in Iron Widow isn’t saying anything new that The Hunger Games didn’t already say more than a decade ago. And I think Ms Zhou did a great job setting up every twist and revelation ahead of time, but sometimes she did too good a job of it that I feel a bit impatient waiting for the text to catch up to what I already worked out myself. Other than Wu Zetian, Li Shimin and Yizhi, there isn’t a lot of depth to all the other characters so I find it a little hard to feel anything about their actions (even the two lover boys feel a little too perfect sometimes). As a very, very minor nitpick, I also feel like Iron Widow could have differentiated itself from its source of inspiration more. It is a little on the nose to have the Chrysalises have bestial Standard forms which would ascend to their humanoid Heroic forms, much like the FRANXX mechas, while also making allusions to the one-eyed, one-winged jian (鶼) as a metaphor for pair bonding.

Iron Widow is a power fantasy in the best way possible. It is an absolute cry of frustration at how our society is organised and how echoes of its strictures in the name of tradition still reverberates in this modern day and age, and it is written with the sincere wish that one girl who is strong and determined enough, who is placed in the right place at the right time, can claw her way to the top and set it all on fire. If Zetian shares anything with her historical namesake, it’s in her utter defiance of the odds. I am hooked and I look forward to the sequel which I hope won’t be too long a wait. I want to see if the author would explore the piloting system outside of heterosexual and cisgender paradigms. I want to learn more about what the gods are really about behind the scene. I want to know when the Azure Dragon is going to show up because its absence in this book is conspicuous ay eff. But most of all, I want to see what Wu Zetian is going to fuck up next because she is one bad bitch and every morning she wakes up, she chooses violence.

P.S. The book comes out on 21st September 2021.

As I'm writing this, I'm coming off the euphoria that was Iron Widow. With immaculate pacing, we're quickly introduced to a world in which girls are used as tools to support their male counterparts and to our protagonist. I love how Zetian's initial goal to achieve revenge transforms into one to tear down the entire system, and how the politics of this world are integrated into the story.

I never felt like there was heavy exposition thrown at me, which would've weighed down the story and there's so much potential for expansive world building. Most of all, I love our protagonist so much. She's multifaceted in ways women are, harsh and fiery but also tender and, at the core of her, a good person. I especially appreciate how her ruthlessness was tempered, but that there were no super (for lack of bette words right now) preachy moments about empathizing with those who would rather maintain the patriarchal system they live in then do anything else.

Shimin, the pilot who becomes Zetian's partner, was such a surprise to me. I expected more of a one-note character at first, but he's also a complicated and good guy who's potential to live a better life were ruined because he refused to look the other way. The push and pull of his relationship with Zetian was a delight to read and I was so invested in them understanding and helping one another.

Last but not least, Yizhi rounds off our trio. He's exactly what you want him to be but has an unexpected side we haven't quite cracked yet. His love for Zetian and affection are perfectly done, but he's more than that and more than a love rival. I don't have much else to write about in his case other than...he truly is a good boy.

I couldn't love the whole book because the last third kind of threw me off in terms of plot, but it's still an incredibly fun and fascinating read.

I've been waiting for this book since the moment I first heard about it, and it did NOT disappoint. The plot is relatively straightforward at first, Zetian enlists as a concubine pilot in order to kill the pilot that killed her sister. She arrives, succeeds in killing the pilot, and is now dealing with the fallout. Along the way she finds allies in Yizhi, a rich boy she knows, and Shimin, the pilot she's paired with. There's also an alien element that plays out in a way I was not expecting. What I loved most was the main trio of characters, and Zetian in particular. Zetian is a lot of things, she's angry, vengeful, cunning, and uncompromising in these traits even as the world tries to vilify her for it. She's a wonderfully written character and I look forward to seeing how her character evolves in future books. Which is hopefully coming soon, because after that cliffhanger I really need to know what comes next.

All of the fun and excitement of a mecha anime with none of the baggage, IRON WIDOW is a wild ride that sucked me in from the first page. Between the characters, the non-stop action, and the real-world commentary, I could not put it down!!

I wanted to like this book. I found that the synopsis and prologue were intriguing, but I lost interesting reading the first chapter. The writing was good but for some reason the first chapter lost the tone and intensity of the prologue. I only made it two more chapters. I feel like the ideas were too similar to the Steel Crow Saga.

GORGEOUS COVER AND A BEAUTIFULLY DONE BOOK!
I love all the characters especially Shimin. I like their relationship but the way Tian-Shimin and Shimin-Yizhi develop their feelings towards each other is not natural at all. Anyway this still a pretty good debut book. I can't wait for the finale and the cliffhanger ending tho...I hope for more explanation after the bloody epilogue. I hope Shimin's still alive!

i have not been utterly consumed by a book in a while. i cannot stop thinking about this one. about the characters. about how attached i am to them.

"iron widow" is the fantasy book i've been waiting for. it's so easy to loose yourself in this story, because it's so well crafted. the characters are so so well-written that's impossible not to fall in love with them. don't get me wrong, they're not /good/ characters by any means. they do awful stuff.

i loved the way the MC rebelled against what society expected her to be. i loved how she chose to be cruel and fight for what she deserved. it's a story that needs to be told. women are still looked down upon just because they had the misfortune of being born one. stories like this one are important.

i loved the romance. it's an actul love triangle. as in poly relationship. and it's so cute pls. grumpy × soft × grumpy. they're very loveable.

the plot was amazing. it's perfect if you like anime because it's very similar to those mecha animes. i loved the idea of chrysalises and them being piloted by humans.

do yourself a favour and pick this book up when it's out because it's GOOD.

thank you to netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Everyone else go home, I have a new favourite book.

I’m not kidding when I say that this— in it’s pre-published state, even— is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read. From the execution, the characterization, the plot, the writing, the concept, the inspiration, the romance, even the fucking author (who has a brilliant goodreads post about her choice to include a front-running polyamorous relationship in the book, as well as notes about Iron Widow in general.), I have been positively blown away. You could literally probably knock me over with a feather right now.

To start, as a Chinese person, this book means a lot to me on a superficial level. It’s inspired by Chinese history, mythology, and culture, and reading it felt validating in a lot of ways, even though it was by no means a totally accurate representation of China/Chinese culture at any point. It was just really nice to see a fantasy/sci fi world inspired by China and Chinese history. And on that level, the worldbuilding was fantastic. I felt truly transported the whole time I was reading, even though I have a tendency when I’m going through books really fast to skim over certain parts. It was immersive and intriguing, and I loved every minute of it.

The characters and plot sort of go hand in hand here, because Zhao has created a plot that relies very heavily on Zetian and her own personal experiences, motivations, and beliefs. Trust me when I say that literally no one else would do things the way she does, and that creates space for my absolute favourite type of book: well-written science fiction that’s character driven. Literally a heaven on earth for me. And what makes it even better is that both the plot and the characters, I can totally jam with. Which, like, never happens. Seriously, this is an anomaly. And yet, I think I’d like the plot (techy magic feminism combined with high stakes and Chinese mythology/lore) and the characters (fully fleshed one-of-a-kind queer magic outcasts) on their own. So, put them together, and I am in love. Which is exactly what I am. I shit you not, this has seriously thrown me for a loop, because, I repeat: THIS. NEVER. HAPPENS. Can it get any better than one (1) badass bitch, one (1) traumatized warrior, and one (1) soft-hearted strategist joining forces in lovemaking AND fighting to usurp a misogynistic, oppressive government while fighting in a war??? I! Think! Not!!!!

(On the topic of the characters, ohmygod I am so intensely in love with Zetian. She could step on me and not only would I thank her, but I’d devote my whole life to her. Frankly I’m considering doing it anyway. She hits that line of morally grey so fucking well, and not only is it incredibly relatable, but it’s also fucking hot. And super realistic and important to the plot, so kudos to Zhao, but, like. FUCKING HOT!!!)

The romance, I will never stop screaming about. This is the first poly relationship I’ve seen on-page between main characters that’s healthy, well-written, full of chemistry, and unapologetically queer. I’d shake Zhao’s hand for a job well done if I could see it through my tears.

Twisty, suspenseful, action-packed, rickety and fun, this book is literally everything you could ever ask for and more (including that freaking awesome cover). I’m literally begging you: read it. Buy it. Support this author and her incredible work. I’m certain that it’s only a higher reach from here, and I cannot wait to read this book in hardcover and see what comes next.

I want to started off by talking about how badass this cover is. 🔥 right? This book started a little rocky for me, I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with the setting details at first, but once I got into it, I was enjoying it, but then it took this weird turn of becoming a little Hunger Games-ish where the two main characters were going on a promo tour? Like I felt like I lost the storyline there, but then we came back around and the final parts were pretty awesome. Zetian is a POWERFUL QUEEN, love her and how she doesn’t take any bullshit. GIRL POWER ALL OVER THIS BOOK PLZ. I loved how there wasn’t a typical YA love triangle between her, Li Shimin and Yizhi and it was really beautiful how their relationship grew. That ending was like 😱 no nonsense, and I am excited to see what happens in the next book! I actually thought this book could have benefited from different points of view, with the different chapters for each of the three characters. I think I would have connected to Shimin and Yizhi more? But I know Zetian is the main focus, so I get why it’s all from her POV.

This book is described as Pacific Rim meets Handmaid’s Tale, like I said I think I’d throw it’s a little Hunger Games in there too. It’s dark as hell, with a little dark humor and a little romance thrown in. It’s a recommend from me!

Keep an eye out for this one in September 2021! 💕🔥

📣POLY COUPLE📣POLY COUPLE📣POLY COUPLE📣POLY COUPLE📣
Hey guess what?
✵•.¸,✵°✵.｡.✰ 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕒 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕡𝕝𝕖✰.｡.✵°✵,¸.•✵

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I think I have a new favorite book and I’m buying this as soon as it comes out.

I’m ashamed to admit I’d never heard of Wu Zetian and if you haven’t either I’m begging you to find out who she is and then read this because she was an absolute legend.

Anyway on on to the book
If you couldn’t tell there is a healthy polyamorous couple in this book. There’s no jealousy and they all love each other equally (and not in the way parents say they love all their kids equally but really have a favorite)
We got friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and (sort of) rivals to lovers, so we’ve covered all the bases of good love tropes. If you disagree I’ll hit you with this book so hard you’ll be seeing patriarchy smashing for weeks.

The main character was stubborn at the beginning but not cruel. However she was repeatedly put in positions that forced her to become hard and cruel and ruthless.
Making her country better for the women. That was her main goal the entire book and she didn’t let anything get in the way of that. She was willing to change herself into someone people would be forced to listen to because it was worth it to her if she could make things better.

I can’t express how much I loved the love interests. We have a good boy and a bad boy and I would die for them. One is willing to torture a man to death with her and the other will make them cookies afterwards.

The world building is based on Chinese history and the author took that and made it into an epic fantasy world that is so intricate and complex I would read a history book about it. Just give me the timelines of battles and monarchs reigns. I promise I will read and love the entire thing.

If I haven’t gotten that idea across, I loved it.
tl:dr^^^

I feel like before I say anything else about this book, I’d be remiss not to address the fact this book is just pure crack. I could not get enough of it, and I can’t believe that I now have to wait over a year for more!

Upon reading the synopsis, I was enamored and unsure how the author would pull it all off. While reading, I was still just as enamored and questioning just how they were doing this. Because this book was so intriguing, so gripping, so freaking good, and I was absolutely amazed with the tale they wove within the page count.

My big three criteria that I like to spend time reviewing are: world, characters, and relationships, and on all three fronts I was so utterly impressed. The writing flow and dialogue were also so addicting, crisp, and clear to follow. I read an unfinished review copy, but I never got confused, even in places where the paragraph structure was a bit off. It’s absolutely brilliant.

This book tackles feminism in such a unique and vital way. It made me so furious at times, and so empowered at others. I love these characters with my whole heart, they made me laugh and cry, and I can’t wait to read about them again in book two. I 1000% recommend picking this one up upon its September release!