What a wonderfully intriguing and creative tale, especially for the author’s debut!!! The plot was completely unique and well executed, it kept me captivated from start to finish! The characters were likable and relatable and I had no trouble rooting for them the whole time!

Iron Widow is an explosive novel debut in set East Asian myths and history.

I loved Zetian — truly an inspiration for vicious, unapologetic, morally grey female characters. The way misogyny, sexism, sexuality and the patriarchy was spoken about was amazing. The idea behind this novel is so incredibly creative. I do wish that the main poly relationship was explored because I can't quite feel their connection. I can't for the next book.

It is hard to believe that this is the authors debut novel. It is outstanding and brilliant!
The world building to this book is mind-blowing, a science fiction novel inspired by ancient China with a world containing politics, giant robots, feminism and amazing polyamorous romance.

Zetian, Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi I loved all of them, the three of them have such a powerful polyamorous relationship. Unconditional love is always at the forefront of their relationship and of this story.

Zetian is wonderful heroine whom I appreciate from the beginning to the end of this novel. She's courageous, and while she can be somewhat impulsive, her instincts are keen and she always stays
true to her belief system.

It's just a perfect blend of action, memorable characters, vividly-imagined setting and I genuinely cannot emphasize enough how much I am DYING for the next installment of this series.

Big thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly don't know where to start with this review. Iron Widow has a lot going for it!

Iron Widow has sci-fi elements reminiscent of Pacific Rim, a dash of Chinese myths, and the three main characters (including our narrator) are based on Chinese historical figures. AND that's just the tip of the iceberg. This book also changes the typical love triangle into a poly relationship (MFM). Also our narrator is a strong female lead. And the entire setting is inspired by East Asia.

I thought this book was so cool! (Also I'm now a member of Xiran Jay Zhao's unofficial fan club) Zetian, Yizhi, and Li Shimin were great! Also their relationship dynamic was neat! Also, I think they're all my favorite characters? I actually couldn't pick just one!

All in all, I really enjoyed this! (yes, it is a little darker and there's a lot of sexism, violence, etc. due to the setting) And now I want to learn more about the history that loosely inspired this :) And I really need book 2 in my life now...

Many thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for this eARC. I really appreciated the opportunity to read this!

5 stars

I really enjoyed this! What a crazy ride, wow! I was wildly intrigued by the premise of this book, but I really did not expect the way it would smash right past my expectations. I'm hardly sure where to start. For one thing this book is just from start to finish an absolute howl of rage against misogyny and I was here for it. But despite that overarching scene it's definitely not limited to only that.

There was absolutely fascinating world building here, deep, in-depth and really well conveyed. I am utterly in awe and wildly intrigued and I was even before the conclusion thickened the plot. The Chrysalises are a fascinating concept, and the entire system clearly had so much thought put into the way it worked and felt, all of the sequences around battle and combat were extremely visceral. Really gorgeous prose.

The plot was wonderfully paced, it never dragged, never slowed down or lulled too much, something was always happening and it sucked me in so very hard and really didn't let go. But good as the plot was it would have been nothing without the characters.

The characters were beautifully realized. Zetian is just absolutely ferocious, and she manages for me to toe the line of being completely relatable while sometimes being a little horrifying. I loved it. Shimin and Yizhi are both likeable and fascinating in their own ways and the ways those characters were explored and conveyed were done beautifully. With regards to their relationship I was absolutely here for the way it worked. Please more of this and less of the anguished girl having -choose-. Let everybody choose each other more often.

So much happened in this. I have no real idea how long this book was because it moved so fast that it really did feel like reading an epic action movie. It didn't feel long in the best possible way and yet so much happened. This was a really great reminder of just how good YA can be. I thoroughly enjoyed it and let it eat most of my day.

I really can't think of a lot negative to say about it. This is a heavy book, I am not sure I'd suggest it for younger readers because there's a lot in it that's heavy and dark, but for older readers there's some really good food for thought here. In fact my one minor quibble is the fact that there's apparently going to be a sequel and the sequel is not out yet so I have to -wait- to see what happens next. Sign me up to read the next one as soon as I can.

3.5 stars

(I am an OwnVoices reviewer)

Iron Widow is good, messy fun. While I had some issues with the lack of depth of the world and characters at first, the pure entertainment and humor I got overall after reading Iron Widow made those concerns a complete non-issue for me.

It's been a long time since I've had such a blast reading YA from a 1st person POV. The author's humor and personality bleed through the virtual pages, and that's not a bad thing. The biggest thing Iron Widow has going for it is the impact of the personality of Xiran's Wu Zetian. She is unapologetic and never tries to justify herself or try to convince the audience that she's actually a hero. She's doing everything to save her own hide and while a lot of the things she does can be interpreted as villainous, Zetian never falls into this hero/villain black-and-white dichotomy that we often see. In fact, I love that this is lampshaded in the chapters involving the media and Gao Qiu - that really the hero/villain dichotomy is just storytelling and not a reflection of the true Zetian. The main character is fully aware of how bad her actions are, and yet the book let's the audience decide how to perceive Zetian on our own terms - whether you like her or hate her. This can be best summed up in the following quote: "There will be no redemption. It is not me who is wrong. It's everyone else."

As for Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi, I love them both. I love that there's a poly triangle going on between them and Wu Zetian. I only wish the Shimin x Yizhi part of the triangle weren't so insta-lovey. Given how fast the pacing in this book is, it's not surprising there wasn't a lot of room to breathe for any of the romantic relationships between the main 3.

Iron Widow is at its best when Wu Zetian proclaims that it's time to m-m-m-m-murder misogynists (yes, that's a Yu-gi-oh reference because I know the author loves YGO). The weak points can be easily ignored if you treat this book as something of a popcorn flick. I think this book is best enjoyed as a fun ride, but I think for those who are looking for something deeper or more literary this might fall short in the character and worldbuilding department. Overall, I enjoyed Iron Widow for what it is. It's not trying to be historically accurate or deep. It's trying to be a fun mecha anime/Chinese history-inspired hybrid mess as a vehicle for Asian girl rage and I am here for it.

On a final note, reading the author's note at the beginning of the book made me very emotional because Xiran states something that resonates with me. "I hope to counter the narrative that Asian girls are meant to be meek, pleasing, and submissive." They nail it right on the head that it is a NARRATIVE, not reality. We've been angry all along whether people acknowledge it or not, and I feel Iron Widow is a perfect manifestation of a lot of those feelings on (virtual) paper. So thank you Xiran for writing this. I'm glad this book exists.

Vengeance, Adventure, and Chinese history! Anyone who hasn't should probably go ahead and mark this book on your "to read" list! Iron widow is a sci-fi futuristic story inspired by China and Chinese cultural aspects. I had liked the idea of getting rid of the whole jealous love triangle trope, by having all three of the love interests falling in love with each other!
This book is inspired by China's only female ruler (Wu Zetian). There are also Chinese myths wrapped in! The book follows our main character who takes her place as a concubine to attempt to murder her sister's killer. The futuristic aspects brought something new and favorable. I had loved the idea of the plot and I know others will too. The writing was amazing. The book is filled with just the right amount of action in each chapter. Touchy topics (for some) were well describe in this book. Iron Widow is original and capturing. The romance was written well and was definitely not dull. The characters especially, our leading character was amazing, feisty, and well-developed. I honestly just adored this book! I can't wait till the sequels out.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: murder, death, torture, misogyny, abuse, mentions of rape.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me have an e-copy of this book.
eARC provided by Netgalley
All thoughts expressed are mine.
EXPECTED RELEASE DATE: September 21, 2021
REVIEWED 5/5/2021 & 5/6/2021

Big thank you to #NetGalley and #PenguinRandomHouseCanada for an ARC of Iron Widow to read and review.

I had seen some buzz about this upcoming book and the premise really drew me in. Mechs, check. Science Fiction meets Asian History, check. A female protagonist hell bent on overthrowing a patriarchal society, check! Wu Zetian is a young girl determined to avenge her sister’s death by offering herself up as a concubine-pilot in the service of the very pilot responsible. Her revenge comes very early in the book, earning her monicker, Iron Widow, but her story does not end here. She raises through the ranks both forging relationships and unlocking powers she did not expect.

I love this concept, it brought Gundam Wing/Attack on Titan vibes and I have to say, Xiran Jay Zhao did not disappoint when it came to the Mechs. The principals of the technology are well explained and accessible to readers. I actually would have loved a deeper dive into the science behind the mechs but perhaps Zhao is saving some of the mysteries for potential future books!

The reader will understand right from the beginning that gender inequality is a very pervasive theme. These are very real issues that have transcended time (and space) and Zhao also seamlessly combines both historical and present women’s rights issues in her world. Knowing that Wu Zetian was based on the first (and only) Empress made me root for her all the more. I would also love to highlight that Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi are in this novel and as a big fan of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Provinces) I gasped with delight.

Both Gao Yizhi and Li Shimin are delightful characters with their own unique and different backstories and how their paths intertwine with that of Zetian. I also enjoyed that the romance in this book was not what you usually find in the YA genre (in my experience, it’s an area I’m gradually reading more of!). Zhao wrote a polyamorous relationship and it was a pleasure to read characters who all love one another irregardless of societal norms or pressures.

Pick up this book when it comes out and give it a read, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this creative retelling!

Okay, I need to preface this by saying I enthusiastically requested this arc because Xiran is one of my all-time favorite influencers. Her commentary, videos, etc, I love them. But this book is bad.

TLDR:

-Feminist story
- Alt love triangle (MFM poly it seems?)
- Scifi/alt-history
- Chinese history inspired
- Big robots
- Bisexual rep

Back to the book itself, the tagline is Pacific Rim meets Handmaid's Tale (It does rely a lot on Pacific Rim) Zetian is a young girl who offers herself up to pair with a mech pilot after her sister is killed in battle ( a normal occurrence, as girls are more or less used as sacrifices in these battles to power the robots) She intends on getting her revenge.

If I could describe this book in any way, it would be blunt and thoughtless.

Zetian seems to be the only unyielding feminist in this world (and we have no idea why or how she developed such a relentless and strong belief system) She always has some strong, feminist thing to say, and is rarely afraid to speak up.

They are fighting against aliens, but most of the time this conflict isn't really explained, nor is the technology used to fight them.

Zetian's journey is like BOOM revenge BOOM i'm there BOOM I'm actually more mentally strong than anyone else here. The romance happens quickly and explosively. It's all very cliff notes. We don't really get time to marinade in the world- to understand it or the people who live in it. It's a lot of showing and not telling. We know the policies of the world are abusive to women, but the biggest conversations we have about it are "someone says something sexist, and Zetian responds with a cool, feminist thought". There isn't really a lot of world-building. There isn't a lot of character building unless someone gets a monologue where they explain their entire motivations.

The writing is also very surface level. It reminded me a lot of my own prose as a teenager. Here is a passage that really illustrates this:

"Sometimes, I've wondered if Yizhi's attractions extended beyond girls. We never dared stray into topics like this during our forest liaisons for fear of admitting there was tension between us, but I've wondered because of the way he would talk about certain male celebrities. Thinks like this are a very common topic of gossip back in my village, but honestly, I've been transfixed by pictures of women myself. "

The prose for the most part is very simple and almost feels like a teenager's diary.

So I've given the book some business. I do want to praise it for having a cool idea for the romance in terms of poly rep. I did not like Zetian's relationships with either love interest and felt that they were rushed, but the whole idea of poly romance is still extremely rare, and very exciting and daring on the part of Xiran Jay Zhao.

I could tell she put a lot of heart into this book, and I really try to be honest when I review things. I do hope it finds success so she will make a ton of money, but I was very surprised with how many more objective issues I had with the book itself.

I would recommend this for people who really liked Pacific Rim, folks who love all books with queer rep, and anyone who wants a Chinese inspired world

I honestly loved the characters in this book from Zetian to Shimin and (most of) the rest . Zetian is unapologetically herself which is something a lot of female main characters get railed for but I will not let anyone slander her. The talks about misogyny, body autonomy, and everything else that is wrong with just continuing with a patriarchal culture without question was absolutely amazing. The characters really carried this book. The fact that they just got rid of the love triangle trope by having it become a poly relationship was awesome(the triangle is the strongest shape).

My one biggest complaint was that the plot. The end seemed a bit cliché, especially for a sci-fi. Overall , the book felt more focused on the characters rather than continuing the story on. There was also a lot of info dumping at the beginning which I had a bit of trouble getting through but I also acknowledge I'm South Asian so I don't know much about East Asian culture(I did love learning about it! It was just a lot at once).


Overall, I don't think this is a book to miss! I cannot wait for the sequel.

<i>[Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!]</i>

<b>Trigger/content warnings for Iron Widow:</b> violence and abuse, suicide ideation, mentions of and discussions about sexual assault and rape, alcohol addiction, and torture. This book deals with sexism, misogyny, and femicide as well.

Looking for more BIPOC authors to support? Love mecha sci-fi? What about morally gray female characters? Tired of the standard love triangle trope in YA in which the female protagonist ends up having to choose between two different male love interests even though so much pointless drama could be avoided if they all just dated each other instead? If you said yes to any of these questions, then this book might be right up your alley!

First, I want to talk about things that I appreciate about this book. I love the amount of Chinese culture and history is weaved into this story. It makes me want to learn more and do my own research, especially now that I know the main character Zetian was inspired by the only empress in China’s history.

Additionally I love how this book encourages breaking gender roles and criticizing the society you grew up in. Just because you were raised to think a certain way or believe that something to be true, that doesn’t mean it is.

Of course, I need to mention the aspect of this book that initially made me interested in reading it, and I feel like many readers will appreciate this too. This is not really a spoiler since Xiran Jay Zhao has openly talked about it, so don’t worry. Anyway I cannot stress enough how much I love the subversion of the love triangle trope in Iron Widow. Typically in stories, we have an MC who’s a girl and she has two potential guys in her life who she could end up with. The reader or audience is then forced to pick a side, which honestly I’ve always found kind of dumb. However in this book, Xiran Jay Zhao pretty much said screw all that and had the female protagonist have two boyfriends who are also each other’s boyfriends— Love that for them! Even though going into this I knew this was going to happen, I was a little afraid how it would be executed, but I think it was actually done really well! It didn’t feel forced to me at all. It was so refreshing to see a polyamorous relationship at the forefront of this book.

While I do highly recommend this book, it does deal with some heavy topics that some readers might find triggering, as I have noted at the beginning of my review. So please keep that in mind before reading.

All in all, I enjoyed this book so much. Yes, I did get annoyed at certain points due to the misogynistic societal norms being depicted in this book, but Zetian being unapologetically herself rather than doing what was expected of her all the the time, made it so worth it.

I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel, especially after THAT rollercoaster of an ending, my goodness.

Please go read Iron Widow, taking into account the trigger/content warnings, when it gets released; I desperately need more people to see how great this book is!

AHHH! I finished my ARC of this book at an ungodly hour of the night and my mind was obliterated! It's amazing how this combines so many aspects of ya/sci-fi/fantasy/romance that *feel* familiar while twisting them in a way that is so so original and surprising (I've genuinely NEVER seen a lot of the things in this book done before). By the last 20% of the book I had no idea what to expect and was in a daze going along with the amazing ride the author takes the reader on. Let me tell you (while attempting not to spoil) - it did not disappoint. I loved the unique strengths and development of each main characters. The incorporation of some Chinese historical elements and the discussions surrounding sexism, gender identity, sexual orientation, and being an ethnic minority were wonderful. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book!

Have you ever heard of a premise so damn cool that you are actually in awe by the sheer imagination it took to even come up with such an idea for a story? Because that’s how I felt from the moment I heard about Iron Widow. The summary alone was enough to have me screaming about this upcoming book to anyone who would listen. Then came the absolutely gorgeous cover and my excitement for this book only grew. I must have done something to deserve being approved for an ARC. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Iron Widow was one of my most anticipated books of 2021… and after reading the ARC it has become one of my absolute favorite books of the year.

This book was everything. It was vicious and violent and breathtakingly fantastic that I did not want it to end. It’s been a long time since I’ve finished a book and immediately wanted to re-read it right then and there just because I wasn’t ready for it to be over - and Iron Widow was that book for me. I felt Wu Zetian's rage, and rather than be horrified by it, I cheered her on again and again. As for Gao Yizhi and Li Shimin... I just wanted to hug those boys the entire book.

AND THAT ENDING! No spoilers but damn. Brav-fing-o Xiran Jay Zhao. That sound you hear is me continuously clapping. It's going to be tough to wait until next year for the sequel but I don't doubt it'll be completely worth it.

I think it’s really says a lot that I still don’t know how to form any coherent thought about Iron Widow. so short and sweet: that was a rollercoaster of emotions and plot twists I would take again.

Wu Zetian is the protagonist we all needed. she is that one protagonist who you would root even if she killed (and she did) (it’s in the blurb, don’t come after me)

small addition:
I think one of the main reasons I enjoyed the book is how real misogyny felt to me and Zetian’s interactions with other women. I was lacking it in many feminist sci-fi books and Iron Widow delivered it.

other pros of the book I think of:
* world building was really easy to get into
* poly relationship and love interests are really sweet
* did I mention rollercoaster of emotions?
* plot twists
* morally grey characters
* giant robots!!!!!

this is everything i have ever wanted in a book. it is absolutely incredible.

i’ve never read a book with a poly relationship before, but i thought it was handled perfectly and made sense for the characters and their situation. also, they make a cool as fuck team.

zetian was so incredibly ruthless and badass. and FANTASTIC disability rep, by the way. it’s hard not to root for her and love her. she’s a character unlike no other. (i find sometimes in books with a “morally grey” female main character, she usually changes and becomes soft at the end. this is not the case with zetian and it was so refreshing)

my one issue was the lack of backstory with the worldbuilding and the hunduns. i have many many questions but i’m wondering if this might have been intentional based on the ending of the book, and things will finally be revealed in the next book.

this series is going to be absolutely amazing and so so unique. i can’t wait to watch it take over the reading world, because it definitely will.

I was totally hooked by the description alone! When I heard it described by someone as "Pacific Rim meets Handmade's Tale" I instantly knew I had to read it. This book is closest to the Science Fiction genre complete with jealously ridden MFM love triangle!
You guys! I seriously could not stop reading this book! It's that good. I cannot wait until the book is published this fall so I can buy a hard copy! Look at that gorgeous cover!

Though this book wasn't for me, I'm giving it a 4-star rating because, while reading it, I can see a lot of aspects about it that my students would love. For me, the characterizations fell a bit flat and the world also felt a little untethered. The story, though, I think will be exciting and engaging for teens and I'd especially love to see teen girls reading something like this.

#NetGalley #IronWidow
I thank NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review :)
All I have to say is this....everyone pick this book up when releases.
You absolutely will not be disappointed 🙌🏼

Pitched as Pacific Rim meets the Handmaid's Tale, Iron Widow is about a woman, Wu Zetian, who enlists herself as a concubine-pilot to assassinate her sister's murderer. A series of events take place which eventually lead to her being paired with the notorious and controversial pilot, Li Shimin. Since I haven't watched either Pacific Rim or the Handmaid's Tale, I would pitch this book as a reimagining of the rise of the only female emperor in Chinese history, if it were in the form of a Mecha anime. Furthermore, this book breaks down so many barriers in YA publishing. From the concept and world-building to the representation of relationships and gender, this book is not your typical YA book.

Let's start with the world-building and concept. World-building in YA is often unimaginative and unoriginal. I want to beg these authors to watch a freaking shonen anime for once and take notes. Fortunately, this book, being that the author is a weeb, delivered. Iron Widow does not shy away from going beyond the imagination. Even, the author wondered if they were high creating the concept of this world (lol) but I AM HERE FOR IT. The world-building is kind of a mesh between ancient China and the modern world with technology and mecha.

What really stood out for me, though, and I feel like will stand out for most people, is the main character. If you know me, you know I absolutely devour books with unhinged, morally-grey protagonists and Wu Zetian is just that. She is mean, vicious, unapologetic, narcissistic, foul-mouthed, arrogant, and ambitious. Not to mention, she is a raging feminist. Basically, she is everything that could trigger a cishet white traditional man. This book, though YA, does not shy away from being absolutely vicious and violent. Aside from all of these admirable traits, Wu Zetian does not care to conform to society's norms. And this can be seen in the polyamory relationship in the book, as well as the sexuality and gender of the main character.

Now, the ending, aka one of my favorite parts, second only to the assassination plot line. It COMPLETELY blew me away. It served some of my all time favorite tropes.

Although I do have a few criticisms, I feel like the author did an excellent job for this debut. I would highly recommend this if you wanna read about vicious female protagonists and a book with anime influences.

Received an e-arc from Netgalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review

I kept seeing this mentioned on Twitter and how it incorporated Pacific Rim, Darling in the Franxx and ancient Chinese legends and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the strong female lead and her relationship with both of her partners.