Xiran Jay Zhao

Iron Widow

Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers. The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected--she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​ To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way--and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

I forgot to make other highlights. I'm going to throw hands.

How do you take the fight out of half the population and render them willing slaves? You tell them they’re meant to do nothing but serve from the minute they’re born. You tell them they’re weak. You tell them they’re prey.

You tell them over and over, until it’s the only truth they’re capable ofliving.

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

Clivia

Jasper

There will be no redemption. It is not me who is wrong. It's everyone else.

'Zetian, every time you choose to look at me, I know for certain that theres a place for me in your heart.'

How do you take the fight out of half the population and render them willing slaves? You tell them they're meant to do nothing but serve from the minute they're born. You tell them they're weak. You tell them they're prey.

You tell them over and over, until it's the only truth they're capable of living.

I'm becoming no less than a monster, but that's okay.

The Iron Widow

Claire

“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 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.”

Charlotte Squire

What I have learned through this madness is that you can absolutely solve your problems by throwing money at them. If you can't, you probably don't have enough money for that particular problem.

Jay Blake

"Despite their best efforts, I find myself worthy of happiness. 

Everything they've used to bind me, I will turn against them. 

The very force of their judgement and hatred will make me unstoppable."

Emily Klo

fc ♡

i wish i liked it more than i did, but i'm thinking this is due to preference in writing style over anything else? still not sure. appreciate the poly angle tho (lacpl, libby, 4 hrs 25 min) 

rin 🐇

This was an entertaining science fiction novel.  I have been curious about it since it came out, because it came highly recommended by a friend.  There is a lot of interesting detail, and the world building is excellent.  I refrained from giving it 5 stars, because it is just a bit too reminiscent of Pacific Rim.  I also think I would have preferred a version of the book that was just pure science fiction and not young adult.  I know the reasons the author has given for making that choice and they are understandable.  I do recommend this if you liked the Pacific Rim movies, or even going way back the old classic Robot Jocks.  The science fiction world based on Chinese culture is interesting and unique. 

shellybn

I felt so many things, I needed book 2 yesterday!

Susan

I wanted to love this story SO badly, but didn’t. There were elements to a potentially great story that just never came together for me.

My first issue is how heavy handed the writing is. I’m all for female rage and women empowerment, but I don’t want to be beaten over the head throughout the whole book about the injustices against women. I GET IT. The author is acting like the readers are too stupid to pick up on the message.

The world building was lackluster. I can tell the author has an idea in her mind of what she’s talking about, but I can’t picture a single thing. It made the experience so much harder to get through.

Now onto my biggest gripe. This is supposed to be this very feminist story, but it came off the opposite for me. The main character was strong — yes — but she was also cruel, selfish, and heartless. At a story level, she was just a bitch, which isn’t a good look for women in general, but at a meta level, she was the only female character with any depth or intelligence. It would’ve been nice to see other female characters add value to the story, especially since the only other person that’s supposed to embody these feminist ideals sucks.

The good thing about this was the poly relationship representation instead of a love triangle. Woo hoo! The half a star tagged onto the end is because the information provided in the epilogue was almost enough to make me want to read the sequel.

Nik ✨

I wanted to love this story SO badly, but didn’t. There were elements to a potentially great story that just never came together for me.

My first issue is how heavy handed the writing is. I’m all for female rage and women empowerment, but I don’t want to be beaten over the head throughout the whole book about the injustices against women. I GET IT. The author is acting like the readers are too stupid to pick up on the message.

The world building was lackluster. I can tell the author has an idea in her mind of what she’s talking about, but I can’t picture a single thing. It made the experience so much harder to get through.

Now onto my biggest gripe. This is supposed to be this very feminist story, but it came off the opposite for me. The main character was strong — yes — but she was also cruel, selfish, and heartless. At a story level, she was just a bitch, which isn’t a good look for women in general, but at a meta level, she was the only female character with any depth or intelligence. It would’ve been nice to see other female characters add value to the story, especially since the only other person that’s supposed to embody these feminist ideals sucks.

The good thing about this was the poly relationship representation instead of a love triangle. Woo hoo! The half a star tagged onto the end is because the information provided in the epilogue was almost enough to make me want to read the sequel.

Great book with exciting twists and great charakter development

Chrispy

felicity hu

Katelyn O

This book has an incredibly memorable final act. Goosebumps the whole way through the last 100 pages. The crumbs trickled throughout the novel all come together so beautifully. While it took me a while to read, I’m so glad I stuck with it. I really appreciated the angry protagonist and respected the risks, choices and mistakes Zetian makes. Sometimes you wanna see a gorl smash the world, for better or for worse.

Elena

I want to give the book even more than 5 stars. Oh boy, did not see that coming

Marz 

This was a book I was very excited to read. I love Xiran Jay Zhao's youtube content and everywhere I looked this book had amazing reviews. I will say that unlike many others I don't think this is a flawless book. The writing quality is a little amateurish at times for the first half of the book, the portrayal of wu zetian's character feels a little childish at times for that section. I feel like her frustration and thoughts could be conveyed better in a more refined way. However! I am glad I stuck with this book the quality of writing improves immensely once the character background is set up and taking into the consideration this is the first book in a series I'm forgiving of its rocky beginning. The concept of this book is so cool, I loved reading about the chrysallis and different qi types. The mechanics of the chrysallis kind of reminds me of evangelion which I adore so plus points there. I will not lie and tell you that adored wu zetian from the beginning but man did I love to see her character evolve and grow. Shimin was also a great male lead, although I wish I got to see more of Yizhi also in the book. The love triangle also gave me butterflies when I read it and it's the first time I've read a book where the triangle is actually a triangle lol. I'm excited to see where this series goes. I hope the next book can deliver something I can give 5 stars because I absolutely see the potential if the author just fine tunes their writing a bit more.

ingrid 

oh, well i tried to make a congruent analysis of this book but there's honestly so much that irked me. to preface this i want to emphasize that i adore xiran jay zhao and it's just kind of a let down to me. 

how does wu zetian form her thoughts on resisting the existing system if there are no other women in her life that set an example to her? 

how is a book about female rage supposed to be satisfying if there are no other likable female characters? 

then we also have the problem that we do not get to see zetian struggle. or i don't know we do get to see her struggle as she is disabled (which i loved) but we do not get to see her struggle to reach her goals. 

she wants to kill the guy who killed her sister? boom, done. 

she wants to torture a high-ranking strategist? boom, done. 

so, yeah. the book disappointed me big time. 

Ana Belén

oh, well i tried to make a congruent analysis of this book but there's honestly so much that irked me. to preface this i want to emphasize that i adore xiran jay zhao and it's just kind of a let down to me. 

my two biggest issues with this book. 

how does wu zetian form her thoughts on resisting the existing system if there are no other women in her life that set an example to her? 

how is a book about female rage supposed to be satisfying if there are no other likable female characters? 

then we also have the problem that we do not get to see zetian struggle. or i don't know we do get to see her struggle as she is disabled (which i loved) but we do not get to see her struggle to reach her goals. 

she wants to kill the guy who killed her sister? boom, done. 

she wants to torture a high-ranking strategist? boom, done. 

so, yeah. the book disappointed me big time. 

akynn 

I NEED THE SEQUEL IMMEDIATELYFYNFJKDSNAJKFNDJHSBKLVAJHDBSAJHBVJEWLABVUYDLSBVKHBVHFDBJHVBHFSAHVFVHABHJVYUSFHAVJCNSKAMCKLDSHAFUHUEIWOANJDKASN VDS;LKANFDKJNSAJBVDS.

Hannah DCamp

This is probably my least favorite book of all time. Several people asked me why I didn't give up on it (because I kept grousing about it), and the answer is that I'm a stubborn spaz; I want to give all books their chance, and I have read so many books that had a rough or slow start that end up being favorites. If anything were going to convince me to change my policy, it would be this one - this was so incredibly not for me it isn't even funny. Brace yourselves, this review is going to be a long one. There were so many things that I disliked about this book, that by the end it just kind of devolves into a list of all the mini rants I was coming up with.

Things this book would have you believe:
1. All men are violent, vindictive, uncontrollable misogynists who will kill a woman without feeling a bit of guilt. Unless they're not?? There are apparently only 2 (view spoiler)[or 1 now I guess (hide spoiler)] exceptions to this.
2. All women (except the protagonist) are pathetic, subservient yes-(wo)men, constantly giving in to societal sexism - or they're actively screaming angrily about it or rejoicing in violence enacted on men. There is and are no nuance or exceptions to this, and there's only one morally right response.


Characterization is my favorite part of any book. A book can have a confusing or poorly constructed plot but super engaging characters, and I'll probably love it to death. I tend to not care about any glaring nonsense if the characters are interesting. Unfortunately it also means that a lack of characterization can kill a book for me, no matter what else it may have going for it. That's pretty much what happened here, but I should also note that I kind of hated the characters, so oooobviously my thoughts are going to be a little off-kilter. I'm only going to go in-depth on three of the characters, but they're kind of the only ones that are Important. There are several other characters that pop back up pretty frequently, but they're all about as interesting as the main three, which is to say that they were not interesting 😒

I'm going to start with Zetian because she's the main problem. *cough* main character, sorry. Allow me to share a quote from page 38. This takes place immediately following one of the love interests proposing marriage.

"There'll be problems when I refuse to kowtow to your disgusting pig of a father. When I refuse to serve the proper wife you'll inevitably get arranged with. When I refuse to bear your son-because I am never letting anyone's spawn swell up my body and bind me forever, not even yours. And you will not be able to prevent any of this, because you are barely eighteen years old, and any semblance of money and power you have are based on your father's mercy. Now, you could bravely elope with me, and we could spend our lives as humble migrant workers in some small city, but because I never got to do what I wanted, I will be miserable. I'll be constantly thinking about how much more satisfying it would've been if I had volunteered for my death instead of going with you. Is that what you want? Is that the life you want, Gao Yizhi?
I'll get to my thoughts on the writing later, but this is how she talks the. entire. book. There is no indication in this scene that she is pulling the "if I tell him I don't love him he'll go away and I can protect him" trick (Usually this is pulled with a dog btw, which tracks). She's just responding in this hateful, rage-filled way to the person she supposedly loves, who is also the only person who seems to genuinely love her in return. She is genuinely the worst character I've ever read. She hates everything and everyone, she doesn't seem to know what genuine love is, she maims, tortures, and murders at will and with barely a flash of guilt, and she casts judgement on every other person around her. She's grown up in this abusive family, in a society that sees no value in women beyond anything monetary (or sexually I guess), so some anger would obviously be understandable. Never does that make any of her actions acceptable. I think she's supposed to be a bastion of feminist power and justice, but the "justice" in this book is twisted to an unrecognizable degree. My mind keeps trying to interpret Zetian and her thoughts as a satire because it's so ridiculous, but I think it's meant to be genuinely good. I can't fathom this. She's absolutely, genuinely, deeply terrible.

And then there's Li Shimon. Yeesh. He gets along with Zetian well though, including in some ways ideologically. 

Li Shimon: *smashes some rando's face against a table until his teeth are literally flying everywhere*
Zetian: Oh, yeah, that scratches the itch in my brain, thank goodness that happened *eats a green bean while making direct eye contact with the rando having his brains beaten out of him*

Li Shimon is basically just terrible, and Zetian (purportedly) hates him. He has about as much depth as Yizhi - he's the Broken Bad Boy, but he's also Soft. He was such a glaring trope it seemed obvious to me that they were going to be a thing (view spoiler)[(until Yizhi showed up again) (hide spoiler)], so it was just really dumb to me that she never once even did that "oh my gosh why am I feeling this way??" thing that I usually hate in YA. Just like in her relationship with Yizhi, her re/actions don't match up with what she's saying or thinking. She doesn't waste any time thinking critically about her attraction to Shimon; she just says she hates him and then continues to allow herself to be repeatedly startled by his tenderness and then for some reason they make out a couple times and have sex. I don't understand this as a "romance." She never once indicates that she was ever more than physically attracted to him. At the risk of continuing to hate on Zetian, she was constantly judgmental of him and his situation; this man struggles with alcoholism, and she's over here like "you idiot, just stop drinking."


The only character I didn't dislike completely was Yizhi. He's soft and gentle. He's a golden retriever. Cute, fluffy, not a thought in his head. That's it. It completely doesn't make sense why he likes Zetian imho because in the beginning of the book she literally monologues at him (as you can read above), and then leaves. He follows her. He loves her (supposedly). The only reason I know this is because they have the hots for each other and give each other meaningful glances whenever they're in the same room. He kind of tempers Zetian's rage, but it just made me want to shake some sense into him. I don't understand their relationship either, except as a parody of a healthy relationship. I honestly thought he was a throwaway character who wasn't going to come back after Zetian yelled at him - because honestly who would? Instead he comes back to save her, he says some profound (view spoiler)[not profound (hide spoiler)] things, she's utterly wowed by his wisdom, and they have sex. Wow, feminism.


The writing was also something I didn't love. I get that this is supposed to be an alternative China, but the dialogue and Zetian's turns of phrase don't match the historical setting at all sometimes. Her use of foul language, and all these one-liners that were clearly supposed to be "badass" or "cool" just yoinked me ight out of the novel's setting. For example: "I rise, rise above that collective bullshit."

This happens constantly throughout the book. Even her (frequent) monologues are jarring - I don't want to assume, but they don't make sense in-world and it feels like a self-insert for the author's opinions. Zetian grew up in the same society as all the people she despises, yet for some reason she's the only one to see injustice and call it what it is. If women have been treated this way in her society for this long (and I believe it's been multiple centuries), and it's so ingrained in her culture, why is she so uniquely and distinctly at odds with it? Reading the quote from P.38, you can see clearly she somehow has this omniscient modern wisdom that all other human beings in the universe lack, as though she's been looking at her world from some kind of deific lookout tower. Her cognitive dissonance is out of control to the point of unrealism. It really feels like she has time-traveled from the 21st century.

This is all aside from weird turns-of-phrase that were just poor writing. "As we get close, their voices drain of life." What does that mean? And on the same page: "The bronze headpiece over his topknot shoots as tall as his head." There was a lot (like these examples) that needed to be re-written for clarity; this is partly the fault of whoever the author's editor was.

The worldbuilding in this was also a major disappointment. The writing as I've discussed often pulled me out of the world, so much of the worldbuilding problems are directly related to the poor writing. Maybe that's because I'm a Tolkien fan and have Linguist genes, and how language influences and operates in my worldbuilding is important to me personally as a writer. To have the world operating as a kind of advanced medieval sff Chinese empire is an interesting idea, but I had a lot of questions about certain phrases and words that are very distinctly modern. It raised questions for me about this setting and its history.

Even aside from all that, this whole book focuses on these aliens called Hunduns that are attacking earth. I kept waiting for some big revelation about them, like some Ender's Game nonsense, but (view spoiler)[what I got was so much more DISSATISFYING (hide spoiler)]. They just exist I guess, whatever "they" are. I think they're wearing suits like the Chrysalises, but it's hard to say. And they're kind of bug-like? The most interesting thing about them is that when they die, the humans can feel their emotions, I think because the mech suits are created using the old Hundun bodies/ships/whatever they are (which is pretty weird and was never explained further). Zetian/the book is not concerned with murdering anyone unless it is a woman (and even that doesn't warrant her UNMITIGATED RAGE if she's the one who did the murdering), so nothing ever comes of this, but I feel like the aliens feeling higher emotions similar to our own (and communicating them somehow?) puts the characters in an interesting moral dilemma that I wish had been touched on. Like, at all. The end result for me is that the Hunduns feel completely nonthreatening, despite being the basic impetus for the conflict at the heart of this book. Zetian goes so far as to say that it's always shocking to see the Hunduns strategizing because they're basically "metallic beasts," and yet they're confronted constantly with their enemies' grief, anger, and pain (view spoiler)[and even pleading for their lives to be spared. They can literally understand the Hundun language somehow, which isn't explained or even thought about by the characters, but the fact that their enemies are capable of higher processing is pretty much brushed under the rug (hide spoiler)]. The lack of empathy Zetian feels is staggering.

End twist spoiler tag: (view spoiler)[I couldn't believe the twist at the end. It came out of left field, and was a really interesting idea which may make me read the next book (because masochism??), but nothing was done with it. Nothing lead up to it. It makes no sense. The only thing this clears up is why the heck the "gods'" only celestial power seems to be technology based; all they are known to do is grant the humans the literal plans to build the chrysalis suits and their other advanced tech, and accept human sacrifices for some reason. The tech thing is so not a "god" thing to do, and it struck me as kind of lame, so at least it was a plot point I GUESS. Ugh. (hide spoiler)]

*From this point on there are an overabundance of salty bullet points that are basically me listing the things I dislike about these characters and their interactions. If you're already getting upset with my opinions, you should probably stop now because I have pretty much said everything there is to say, but my annoyance hasn't lessened. 
 • "The only utterly good people in the world are either naive or delusional." (and yes naïve was spelled that way 🙄)
 • Gosh you guys this mc is so unlikable. She is literally filled with hate. She's also simultaneously the most naïve, oblivious character I've encountered in a while. In spite of her raging misandry, and overpowering "feminism" she'll also do this:
Yizhi: "Everytime you choose to look at me, I know for certain that there's a place for me in your heart."
Zetian: *jaw drops in literal awe and wonder*
 • "[Abusers] should be brought to justice and killed." Ah, true justice, ladies and gentlemen.
 • "Love is fueled mostly by compatibility." Literally no.
 • "It is not me who is wrong. It's everyone else." This is like the definition of madness.
 • The singular moment of compassion (Zetian towards her family) is portrayed as "weakness." I want to scream. "They cry out, trying to push him away, toward some illusion of safety from his evil sister trying to take over the capital in a giant metal dragon. So this is the capacity they had all along." "What kind of life would that be? Being tools, being leverage for the rest of their existence? ... I know what the real mercy would be." Go ahead, make excuses, you're the epitome of mercy after all, everything you do from here on out is their fault
 • Talking about her family who was terrible: "Who I'm expected to love and defend no matter what." AUGH yes and NO NO NO. You get to use the society you are all living in as an excuse to make you feel better about hating them?? I don't think so. You do not need to defend your family if they're being abusive (like her dad and grandfather apparently were), but hatred is never a healthy response. Girl needs therapy.
 • Suddenly Yizhi is jealous? After his inane talk of "love is infinite," all that has to set him off is his father referencing some vaguely sexual video he has of Zetian? REALLY? Ok no, but that was a stupid fake-out. I was so busy being mad at this dumb book that I fell for it. The stupidest part might be that Zetian is worried Yizhi will think less of her? I think? Her reaction doesn't make sense.
 • "This world does not deserve my respect. It is not worthy of my kindness or compassion." Hmmmm hmmmmmmmmmm I'm thinking of someone, who am I thinking of? Luke 23:34 - this is who we should imitate. I sincerely hope no one looks at this character and thinks they should emulate her.
 • Zetian: *is mortally wounded*
 Li Shimon and Yizhi: *helps her into a wheelchair*
 Zetian: I hate that I need them to help me even though I'm in love with [Yizhi].

To be clear also, they're not even pushing her in the wheelchair - they're just helping her into it. I feel like this is an incredibly privileged thing to complain about.
 • Also, asking for help does not mean you lack autonomy, freedom, and strength of your own. I ain't no expert, but this is reminiscent of some ableist nonsense. Weird for a character that's been disabled basically her whole life. I feel like I'm going to be yelled at for commenting on it - whoops too late, I already did
 • The famed love triangle-turned-(view spoiler)[polyamorous relationship that everyone is raving about in the other reviews?? Stinks of Bury Your Gays. It's literally acknowledged for like three sentences, and only because Yizhi and Li Shimon start kissing in front of Zetian and she's just like "Oh finally" and then they hug. Li Shimon (view spoiler)[dies immediately afterwards (hide spoiler)]. Even if I felt like this was something valuable to include in a story (which I don't), it's pathetically done imo (hide spoiler)]
 • Marriage and family is a valid choice for a woman!! It is not a bad thing for a woman to have a child!!!! It does not mean she is allowing the man to have control over her body!!!!! I wish I could make these exclamation points bigger. I can't even swear in this review to express myself properly. I get that the character is supposedly living in an early historical period, but as she relentlessly acts as a mouthpiece for the author, I felt this needed to be said.

Books I'd recommend instead if you came into my library and asked:
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (Asian fantasy with a strong female protagonist done right)
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (historical Chinese setting and some romance)
Beloved by Toni Morrison (for a bit of horror/feminism)
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
Just about anything else with a female protagonist fr
The Bible, because Zetian needs Jesus (as do we all)
Also some therapy please and thank you, I need a therapist just to unpack my reading of this book

If you read all of this I would just like to say...send help, I think my last shred of hope died 😒

Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers. The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​ To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

Sheryl

** spoiler alert **
           rate: 3.5⭐

and my final thoughts is...3.5/5 stars. but! listen!

this book had a promising start, i'll give it that. the action was exciting! fast paced! ...until it didn't. the pacing was toned down after some time and it felt less thrilling. i feel like this book started off with this enchanting spark, but then that spark dimmed away overtime. like okay, the story was still cool, but my excitement had gone.

the writing was alright? it was simplistic enough, not too outstanding.

the worldbuilding felt off. it felt incomplete, like something was missing, idk it's just what i felt.

the three core (zetian, shimin and yizhi), i liked them. i loved zetian at first until i felt something off in her character. i felt like zetian was kinda...marry sue? so yeah.

also the romance...altho i liked the main charas i wasn't really into the romance, it felt rushed (yes, all of it).

anyways, other stuff that i like:
-cool feminism quotes
-original, creative idea
-asian rep
-cool storyline & action scenes

overall it was a pretty good read. will i read the upcoming second book? yes cause wtf was that ending????

Tatiana

Iron Widow: 5/5

  “Men wants us so badly for our bodies, yet hate us so much for our minds.”

Premise:
Huaxia has followed the same traditions for hundreds of years. In this world, the military is run by boys pairing up with women to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall, but the women often die from the strain. 

Zetian offers herself as a pilot only to seek vengeance on her late sister by killing the male pilot responsible for her death. But when she emerges as the only one alive after their psychic link to power the Chrysalis, she realizes everything is about to change. She is labeled an Iron Widow or a female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead of the other way around. 

Writing & Plot:
I feel like this is the YA Sci-Fi I've waited for all year. This is on par with Skyward, in my opinion. It is just incredible. It was not what I expected, but so much more. It is filled with female empowerment, knowing your worth, and getting it no matter the cost.

The worldbuilding is top tier, and this book reads like a movie playing in your head. Once you start, it is impossible to stop. This book is for you if you're a fan of nonstop action, similar to Marie Lu. It is action-packed but also filled with blossoming unique romances and more.


  “The entitled assholes of the world are sustained by girls who forgive too easily.”

Characters:
DAMN, these characters were good. Zetian herself is so full of badassery! I loved that Zetian never backs down from a challenge; she's more reluctant because she knows her worth and will not work for less than that. She is one of the most potent and badass women protagonists I've ever read. 

Then there are the side characters. Holy shit, they're amazing. I wish we got one of their point of view because I just wanted more. Li Shimin and Yizhi are EVERYTHING. This book is the only "true" love triangle where Zeitian has two boyfriends, and those boyfriends are also boyfriends. I loved it. I wanted more I was so here for it.

Conclusion
This book is unique and feels so new, which is difficult to achieve when there are so many books. Be warned, though, I was unwell after finishing it. Anyways, I'm obsessed with this book, and you will be too once you read it.

Ashley Denktas

I loved this book. It truly is a mix of sci-fi fantasy and a handmaiden's tale. It was very interesting to explore the dynamics of each character, and see how Wu was always relentlessly true to herself.

Katie Guo

Pros: 
-easy and fun read 
-fast paced 
-love the Chinese references 

cons: 
-plot is a little shaky. It's portrayed as a feminist piece but every female character but the main character is shown as someone you would deeply dislike. Would this pass the bechdel test? I don't think so 
-really cliché lines

it was a good book but i think my expectation was so inflated over it's praises on social media and it ended up falling a tad bit flat for me. really looking forward to book two and seeing how this world plays out tho.

SCREAMING. CRYING. SHAKING. PULLING MY HAIR OUT. PUNCHING THE AIR OVER THIS BOOK.

even if zetian kinda frustrated me.. i can’t wait to read the second part

Science fiction and East Asian myth combine in this dazzling retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history The boys of Huaxia dream of the celebrity status that comes with piloting Chrysalises - giant transforming robots that battle the aliens beyond the Great Wall. No one cares that their female co-pilots must serve as concubines and sacrifice their lives. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, her plan is to assassinate the man responsible for her sister's death. But on miraculously emerging from the cockpit unscathed after her first battle, she has a new plan. The time has come to overturn the entire patriarchal military system.

she was fearless, and crazier than him. she was his queen—and god help anyone who disrespected his queen.

Whitley

This is the only book I’ve read that I’ve left a review for, because it is absolutely amazing!! It’s raw, pure, unfiltered female rage and I enjoyed every single page of it. 

Gloria 💖

Pacific Rim & Ender’s Game meet Chinese Culture combined - fantastic read. I guessed the end but said there’s no way, and now I’m like “maybe I’m smarter than I thought”. I was gripped from the beginning and I’m definitely going to be continuing this series. Excited to keep going. 

Liv N.

Fucking loved it! Definitely one of my favorite reads this year. Loved the badass female lead and how she didn't hesitate to hold those accountable who wronged her. Also liked that she didn't have to choose between the two love interest (which gives me the ick) but instead all three of them had a polyamorous relationship.

Joy Bush

This book grips from the beginning and it's fast paced and never lets up! 
Our FMC comes from a rural poverty area, she sleeps on Hay on the floor of her grandparents bedroom. Her feet were broken and reshaped to be smaller at 5 yrs old and they still hurt to walk on. 
When she leaves home to sign up for helping to pilot huge Mechs in the war, she wants vengeance!! 

There is good queer, polyamory rep in it too. 

Even tho this book is technically YA (i think) it's very gritty and deals with real issues. Patriarchy, abuse, PTSD, rape, purity culture, alcoholism, prisoner abuse, etc so please check for any TW you might have. 

There is a big twist/reveal at the end and i cannot wait for book 2 next year!

Iron Widow

Reviews

Highlights