What an excellent read! Loved all the action packed scenes and Zetian was my favorite character through out the whole book. She never gave up and was determined to not let anyone out do her. For fans of Pacific Rim, this is the book for you.

A book that is difficult to talk about in its scope. Although there are points on which it could use improvement (better editing in some areas, flow, word choice, etc.) that would be nitpicking to the point of missing the forest through the trees.

Although the book's genre isn't my typical cup of tea, I imagine it will draw almost any reader in. And what's more, it will make readers think about a huge range of topics: culture, gender, sexuality, morality, and more.

A beyond impressive debut.

A wonderfully intense, brutal science fiction tale. Zhao has created a unique and fascinating setting, like what would happen when you combine PACIFIC RIM with an elemental based RPG. Zeitan is the bloody, fierce protagonist I've spent years dreaming of, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

I was really intrigued by this story. I had heard great things about it. I think the world was fascinating. The look into Chinese culture was fantastic. I also like the relationships in here, which I know have been problematic for some. My only fault with this book comes from the message of female empowerment, but how Zetian (the female lead) treats any other woman. It's almost like she only wants female empowerment for herself. Overall, an okay read with some interesting topics of conversation.

Holy. Freaking. CRAP. You guys, this book absolutely BLEW me away!! I mean just wow. I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book this much from the opening sentence to the very last page that wasn’t written by Jay Kristoff. I wish I could bottle up the sheer fierce joy I felt while reading this delightful book! It reminded me a lot of watching Pacific Rim for the first time in theaters – I saw it in IMAX 3D and it’s just such a me movie that I was entranced with pure joy from the very beginning right up until the end, and the detail was so glorious in IMAX 3D that it just added to my experience. This book was like that: Pure. Pleasure. It grabs you by the balls from the very first page and never lets go. High octane action from start to finish!

"But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me.
I choose vengeance."

I freaking LOVED Zetian! She’s such a badass main character – fierce, strong, unapologetic, ruthless, and sure maybe a little (a LOT) stubborn too. I saw myself in her and I was rooting for her from the very beginning. Something else I loved? She’s not really a hero. She’s not a villain per se – she’s barely an anti-hero at best, but at some points she does toe the line between anti-hero and villain. But despite her being a bit morally grey at times, I still adored her and was on her side. I wanted her to topple the patriarchy!!

Speaking of the patriarchy…This book filled me with SO MUCH FEMININE RAGE. It’s set in an Asian based world where women are very much oppressed – little more than objects, and are looked down upon and controlled by men. Women are supposed to be demure, and quiet, and agreeable. But Zetian was not.

"I’ve been told endless lies since I was born. That I was not kind enough, considerate enough, humble enough, honorable enough, pretty enough, pleasing enough. And that if I failed to meet the needs of those around me, I did not deserve to live.
Propaganda. All of it. Propaganda to keep me chasing after the approval of others on my bound and broken feet, as if being a good servant is the only thing I should be proud of.
Now, I see the truth.
This world does not deserve my respect. It is not worthy of my kindness or compassion."

HIYAAA!!! FEMINIST RAAAAAAGE!! I can’t tell you how many times I was angry on Zetian’s behalf for all that she endured. The oppression of women in this book was insane…and went even deeper than you though it did. [spoilers removed]

The world building is SUPERB. It’s cinematic, and while reading, it was like I was there. I love settings so vivid that they feel real, and this one was easy to picture. And it was like reading an anime! It was pitched as Pacific Rim meets Handmaid’s Tale, and while I never read/watched the latter, it absolutely feels like Pacific Rim, in the best way possible. Sometimes when stories feel so much like something else they can seem like a rip off, but this one didn’t. It had the giant mech robots that I loved in Pacific Rim and Gundam, but it was still completely its own entity. It brought a fresh perspective on giant piloted robots and I absolutely loved it! The Chrysalises were SO FREAKING COOL, and I love the whole idea of the male/female piloting system and Matched Pairs with their tiers of different transformations. It was bomb AF, you guys! Words are not adequate for how much I loved this world.

I also want to say that I loved the romance! I’m not a huge romance person, ya’ll know that, but this one was superbly done. It’s a poly relationship, which I’ve never read before (and absolutely do not agree with in real life, good for people that it works for but NOT my cup of tea, sorry)…but I actually loved it! I was intrigued by Shimin from the get-go – I knew there was more to his story – so I was 100% on board with the Zetian/Shimin dynamic. However, when Yizhi first appeared at the tower I was NOT thrilled. I was loving this book so much that I was worried the introduction of a love triangle would ruin it, because I thought that’s what it was going to be (and I really didn’t care for Yizhi, he’s boring sorry). I didn’t know it was poly going in, so I was delighted to find that he added to the dynamic instead of taking away from it! The relationship between the three of them was beautiful and worked so, so well for me. I love that it added to their piloting system, too! So cool!

Maybe a couple of small things were kind of predictable, but there was a WHAMMY of a twist at the very end that completely gobsmacked me! [spoilers removed]

THAT ENDING WAS INSANE!! I just can’t! I think this is the cliffhanger of the year. Just freaking WOW. I neeeeed book 2 asap!!

Original review posted on Novel Heartbeat.

While picking up a feminist SFF, some might expect the men in these stories to find an independent place for themselves within these fictional worlds. Because that’s true feminism for many, right? We can’t have a heroine who drives the male protagonists’ arc by herself, with her strength, on her power. Of course, this isn’t necessarily bad because men can be feminists too, but people tend to forget that not every feminst tale must unravel with a certain calm that is supported by a changing world view or with the help of those in the system—some feminist stories must crash systems, upend worlds, and cause absolute chaos through a determined female lead. Iron Widow does exactly this.

It’s interesting to see this debut play out in a futuristic and fantastical world yet find roots in history and culture, as seen in the author’s note: “the system of female subjugation in Iron Widow is actually more closely inspired by Chinese harem stories…of women who, trapped in this nightmarish system, use every resource available to them to rise higher and survive.” In a Chinese-influenced society, humans are constantly clashing with the Hunduns—giant aliens who fly and brutally attack. Humans fight them through Chrysalises—war machines shaped like mythical creatures and powered by the qi of two pilots. On a silhouette of the yin-yang balance, the female power and the male power serve respectively; drawing on their qi energy, they attack through this machine.

Wu Zetian is forced by her family to become a pilot concubine, which means she must serve as a co-pilot to one of the mecha pilots. But the pairing never survives, for the female typically dies in battle when the male pilot drains the entire qi off her. In this world, much like the past and present of the real one, females are sacrificial and this system and attitude takes away Zetian’s older sister. The narrator and protagonist —who is a fictionalised version of the only woman to rule China as empress in over 3,000 years of Chinese history— wants revenge and this desire of her drives her to not only become a concubine-pilot but even murder the star pilot, Yang Guang, who she believes is respomsibe for the death of her sister. Surprisingly, Zetian unintentionally kills him inside the Chrysalis during her very first battle.

The furious government pairs her up with an alcoholic, criminal, and the most powerful pilot in Huaxia, Li Shimin. Forced together yet finding a sense of painful commonality between themselves, the two decide to fight against the Hunduns and the corrupt, discriminatory government. Things complicate but also work even more in their favour when Zetian’s childhood love, Gao Yizhi, makes a reappearance and uses his influence for good. With action-packed battles, political conspiracies, refusal of gender binaries or conformities, absolute denial of systems, intriguing plot twists, and cathartic feminism, this debut delivers exactly what it promises: an unapologetic portayal of a survivor’s rage.

Zetian is ruthless and doesn’t hold back, whether when she must physically annihilate her enemies or when she must verbally hold a mirror to someone. She truly reads like an anti-heroine who is clear about what she wishes to avenge but still shows her vulnerability when she gradually discovers how she must avenge. The buildup from an angry desire to avenge a closed one to an unmissable need to change an entire system makes a main character worthy of unbeatable attention. Of course, this particular theme will remind young adult fans of The Hunger Games as the plot majorly revolves around a hierarchically lower person being forced into battle and them fighting all odds to survive and transpose a broken world for a better, more equal world. Despite all the anger that fuels this New York Times bestseller, the story turns hopeful with every page.

Against the backdrop of an exciting world building that doesn’t rely too much on lengthy prose, it also follows The Hunger Games on the idea of a love triangle between a hardened survivalist fighter and a gentler, smarter baker but solves the problem for fans of such dynamics: it forms a triad and unravels a polyamorous romance where Zetian shines as a YA protagonist who doesn’t have to waste too much time on the inner conflict of choosing a male counterpart, and can instead shatter rigid boundaries of both love and gender —with Shimmin slowly recovering from his traumas and burning down the world alongside her, and Yizhi baking pastries for her after a harrowing fight and using his rich, influential power to protect the other two. The clear communication that commences this relationship makes it even more worth cheering for.

The author makes it clear through their introduction that Iron Widow is science fiction, not historical fantasy or alternate historical fiction —which impresses because while the rise in fantasy by authors of colour is excellent to witness, the slower growth in sci-fi by them is an entire genre yet to be fully explored through a cultural lens that doesn’t tie down non-Western empires or pre-colonial societies to something “historical” or fantastical. Overall, Iron Widow is intimidating, unapologetic, and full of rage —in the best way possible— for how it follows a young female character growing from abuse and pushing that pain of forced sacrificial femininity in a patriarchal society out into the world, rather than surviving in a palatable and calmer manner that the demographic is usually used to. The epilogue leaves with a shocking cliffhanger!

This book was such a wild ride!
I thought the world building, the characters, the story and the premise were absolutely enthralling. It’s a dystopian Hunger Games x Pacific Rim x Handmaids Tale, fuelled by revenge and hate. The MFM poly love triangle was a delightful surprise.
Overall I found it a big predictable, and felt like it relied too much on splashy action sequences for my taste.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

Iron Widow is Hunger Games meets Pacific Rim meets Ender's Game in a book that interrogates how people respond to being thought of as monsters. As soon as I finished, I was looking forward to the next one!

I wish some of the characters were fleshed out a bit more, and it did take a bit to fully understand the world, but, my god, was this a wild ride! Zetian isn't a hero, but I found myself rooting for her throughout the novel anyway. Zhao created and established such a complex, detailed world that, once I got my head around the science of it all, I didn't want to leave it. I cannot wait for the sequel, because I cannot thing that it'll be any less thrilling than the first installment.

In Iron Widow you have Zetian a complete firecracker who is not ok with the role in life her parents want to lay before her. This novel had so many layers to the story. It kept the pacing fast and the characters were diverse which made the story interesting. My only thing is at times it felt like the pacing was a little too fast. I wanted to sit with it for a minute and enjoy the ride but felt rushed through. That is hard cause you want a fast paced novel but I wanted it just a tad slower. Overall I highly recommend and am only taking away 1 star for the pacing. So 4 out of 5 stars.

Xiran Jay Zhao is a god. There honestly isn’t anything I disliked about it. The plot, the romance, and the characters were all protection.

IRON WIDOW by Xiran Jay Zhao was one of my most anticipated books in the second half of 2021. As soon as my audiobook became available from the library, I immediately started reading. Then it became one of two books I recommended for the 12 books from 12 friends.

I still don't have the words, and since it's been almost 8 months since I've read it, I don't have the memory. It's like a fantasy using historical figures, but not a historical fantasy, and throw in some mecha. Plus revenge.

I'm just going to use the Books and Boba #AsianBooksChallenge to feature this book. At first, I was going to use it for the red cover square foot the Turning Red Challenge, but I noticed it would also satisfy the Magical Transformation challenge. The characters in IRON WIDOW do not necessarily go through a physical transformation, but they do step into their Chrysalis, and those Chrysalis can evolve.

I'm just going to say put this YA dystopian science fiction on your TBR, you won't be disappointed. I mainly listened to the audio, and the narrator, Rong Fu, does a great job.

Wow! Iron Widow is awesome and empowering. In the world of Huaxia the female warriors' pair with males to pilot Chrysalises (giant robots). Zeitan offers herself to be a pilot/concubine and is paired with the most feared pilot Li Shimu. It all gets crazy from here.

I don't know how else to describe this other than saying it was very YA. It was fine, the world is very interesting and detailed, and the plot is very straightforward. There's a nice plot twist at the end that made me curious to see how the author will deal with it.

But, I found it unnecessarily repetitive and the point the author was trying to make at times felt more important than the story. Also, I'm sorry, but the "romantic" relationship here was underdeveloped at best. In the end, I feel like I read someone telling me the plot of a book they read once, not the book itself.

With some inspiration from a female Emperor of China, Xiran Jay Zhao has written a kick ass novel for all females! I absolutely loved this read, and anyone can tell by the number of quoted texts I highlight throughout.
"If they don't respect me just because I'm from the 'wrong' half of the population, I'm not respecting them back."

On top of the inspiring concept, there is an awesome magic system that derives from the characters qi. When they coupled that with their main character, Wu Zetian, it made this story so intriguing and fast paced.

"Welcome to your nightmare!"

Thank you to #penguinteen & #netgalley for an earc copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was great! The Chinese myth retelling, the strong female themes, the ACTION! It was all so good to read. It makes me excited to continue the story.

To be honest, I thought this book was a hot mess. The plot and themes were poorly executed, many of the characters and relationships felt underdeveloped, and some of the dialogue was definitely a choice (I still can't believe I had to read the words "ultimate alpha male" with my own two eyes). I definitely get a lot of the complaints about this book, especially when it came to the feminist aspect of it. I think Zetian was sometimes refreshing to read about in how unapologetic and ruthless she was, but her brand of ruthlessness did come off as poorly written at times rather than the powerful thing it's supposed to be. She's supposed to be this feminist girlboss character, but her dislike of other women and many of her decisions undermine her better moments and make her seem shallow. Like, she declares herself empress of all of Huaxia at the end of the book, good for her, but considering she doesn't seem to know much about leading an entire country, I'm a bit confused as to how that's going to work out.

Still, despite my complaints, this book was something that many other books I've tried out haven't managed to be. It was interesting. Yes, the bar is in hell, but I've started countless books where it feels like absolutely nothing happens for a hundred pages and the characters seemingly have no personality whatsoever, and Iron Widow was not one of those books. It throws you into a story that just gets more and more insane with every chapter. While it may move too fast for a lot of people, and some suspension of disbelief is very much needed, there really isn't a dull moment, and I always wanted to know what would happen next. I felt like I was constantly being slammed in the head with a mallet (Xiran Jay Zhao wanted me dead and I respect them for that). I also liked how what would've been a typical love triangle was instead turned into a polyamorous relationship, though I wish there was some more development between Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi. (Yizhi, especially, needs some more page time as soon as possible. I like him, but he sort of feels like a plot device for most of this book.)

Iron Widow is far from perfection, but at the end of the day, I sped through 80% of it in the span of a few hours and had a fun time reading it. I can't wait for the sequel, but I do hope Zetian's character gains some more nuance and the "feminism" in this series expands a little more beyond whatever it was here.

Thank you to NetGalley who gave me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies to NetGalley for taking so long to follow through. My apologies to myself for having withheld this incredible page turner for so long.

Pacific Rim meets Power Rangers meets Buffy meets Quentin Tarantino in this fast paced, bloodthirsty novel about a teenage girl who will not let anyone make her less than she is. Zetian will have never met Eleanor Roosevelt, but she lives by her saying, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

Zetian lives in a world that seems dystopian and extremely misogynistic to a modern audience, but is probably a horrifyingly real portrayal of how women were treated in ancient China, and indeed how oppressed they've been in most cultures throughout history. Women are the property of their family, valued by no one for anything other than how they can serve men.

At the start of the book Zetian's big sister had been sold by her family to the Army, to serve as a concubine to whatever pilot would have her. Concubines are expected to be slaves to their pilots, giving in to all their carnal pleasures, and waiting on him hand and foot. In return, if The Force - aka qi, or spirit energy - is strong with her, she "co-pilots" his Zord - I'm sorry, I keep pulling from other sources - his Jaeger - nope still doing it - his Chrysalis with him into battle. What is a Chrysalis you ask? It's the dead husk of one of the aliens humanity is fighting against for survival. <s>Jedi's</s> Pilots can use their qi to control these corpses and turn them into fighting machines. Thus the Army has incorporated them into their military structure.

Anyway, back to the plot! Chrysalises are manned by two pilots - one who sits in the masculine Yin seat, and one who sits in the feminine Yang seat. Guess which one is in control, and which one is basically a battery for the other? Girls have a horrible habit of getting burned out and dying in battle, and that is the fate that awaited Big Sister. Except she was murdered before she could even get that far. Zetian, infuriated by a life that has let her down time and again, cares only about avenging her sister. She lets her family sell her to the military in the hopes of becoming a concubine to the same pilot who killed her sister.

When Zetian is successful way too quickly, almost way too easily, no one is prepared for the consequences, least of all her. In a society where women are expected to be docile and subservient, the reality of a woman committing or being willing to commit a violent act and not showing remorse is just unspeakable. The Army tries to figure out what to do with Zetian, while Zetian negotiates with herself how far she's willing to go to live her life. The answer is impressively extreme: Zetian regularly throws herself at death rather than be subjugated.

The Army decides to pair Zetian up with a criminal notorious for killing his female co-pilots, with the expectation of a swift execution. Instead, Zetian has a unique opportunity with another pilot who refuses to bend to the wills of an oppressive regime, and is willing to suffer greatly to achieve his goals. Both have suffered cruelty, and both don't want to see anymore dead girls.

Zetian must balance her personal refutation of the system with the threat to humanity's existence, while navigating complicated personal relationships. She remains almost impossibly mentally strong throughout, to the point where I have to wonder if she is a little psychotic to be able to dial down her own empathy to save herself. Zetian is consistently referred to as a girl, which makes since she's a teenager, but make no mistake, this is a woman with a woman's maturity and sense of self. This story contains very grey main characters, a love triangle, and unrepentant violence and ruthlessness. It is the story of a woman who refuses to conform to expected moral standards - either of her times or our own - and embraces the consequences of her actions. The reader is put in a place where there is significant opportunity to endorse calculated murder with a cold-heartedness I've never seen in a female character before. If this story was written about a man living through these experiences, it would be much easier to take in stride.

A warning for an unexpected cliffhanger at the end. The twist wasn't surprising, but the amount of room Zhao left for the universe to grow is excellent. I need to read the sequel right now!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishing team for giving me this ARC!

Iron Widow was incredible! If you enjoyed the An Ember in the Ashes series, then you will LOVE this book. Do you enjoy Chinese culture, badass women, and robots? If so, go pick up this book right now. You won't regret it.