Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was a rollarcoaster!!! I have many thoughts which I will go through, but overall this is a very enjoyable read not to be read with high expectations (or by very young adults in my opinion)
Positives:
Fast Pace -
There is never a dull moment in the book (while this comes up later as a negative, it is in a different context) This book pulls you in with some great descriptions and interesting plot points, which there were several of.
Concept -
Very cool concept, in terms of including the onlyempress of China as the main character and the mecha element as well
Good time:
If I were fifteen when reading this I would be eating it up with a spoon with absolutely no criticism and honestly there were points in the book that I was!I have the moment she comes out of the nine tailed fox holding his dead body saying welcome to your worse nightmare in my head INCREDIBLE!! As I said it is an enjoyable read but once you go into it knowing it's intended for YA
Unfortunately onto the negatives, but should be said I did enjoy it overall
Writing style and content disconnect -
As mentioned by other reviews, this is written for YA with some phrasing/tropes that seem juvenile(every other woman being an enemy) , the phrasing of some scenes or inner thoughts. That being said I do feel a lot of the content would not be suitable for a younger audience with things I found very tough to read
Too many things happening:
Flip side of this was the positive face pacing, but particularly towards the end I did feel there was a lot going on, maybe even too much!
Girl boss -
This was felt through out the book, along with some classic not like the other girls. I think this coupled with the lack of other girls with depth in the novel really made it hard to get through, related point that while her female rage was incredibly written and is far too often not written like that, I felt there were no strong portrayals of other characters showing alternative ways of expressing themselves other than with violence or keeping it inside
Queer -
This was one of the main tags on the book, but definitely not prevalent throughout the novel.There were some moments it seemed like Zetian wanted a more masculine body, but this may have been more abour physical strength, would have loved to read about this more
To conclude, do read it as long as you're comfortable/aware of the content warnings as I did enjoy this book, just can't give it more than a 3.5!
Positives:
Fast Pace -
There is never a dull moment in the book (while this comes up later as a negative, it is in a different context) This book pulls you in with some great descriptions and interesting plot points, which there were several of.
Concept -
Very cool concept, in terms of including the only
Good time:
If I were fifteen when reading this I would be eating it up with a spoon with absolutely no criticism and honestly there were points in the book that I was!
Unfortunately onto the negatives, but should be said I did enjoy it overall
Writing style and content disconnect -
As mentioned by other reviews, this is written for YA with some phrasing/tropes that seem juvenile
Too many things happening:
Flip side of this was the positive face pacing, but particularly towards the end I did feel there was a lot going on, maybe even too much!
Girl boss -
This was felt through out the book, along with some classic not like the other girls. I think this coupled with the lack of other girls with depth in the novel really made it hard to get through, related point that while her female rage was incredibly written and is far too often not written like that, I felt there were no strong portrayals of other characters showing alternative ways of expressing themselves other than with violence or keeping it inside
Queer -
This was one of the main tags on the book, but definitely not prevalent throughout the novel.
To conclude, do read it as long as you're comfortable/aware of the content warnings as I did enjoy this book, just can't give it more than a 3.5!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts
Amazing! I think it really it hit on a lot of cultural issues through an exciting scifi plot. Plus a plot twist at the end!!
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It wasn't particularly a bad book but there was just something about it that I found hard to deal with. Its hard for me to explain, I just didn't really find the characters actions and morals relatable. I love the concept of the book and I like the path it took and I can see why it gets the praise it does, it just simply wasn't for me.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My 2022 starts with a BANGER!
I loved everything about this book. The heroine. Her rage. Her cunning. Her bravery. Her heart-wrenching experiences. Her flaws and her strengths. Her fierceness. Her compassion.
The story is fast-paced, thrilling, emotional, disturbing at times, it kept me on my toes and made me want to fly through the pages while simultaneously never wanting it to end.
The other books this year will have a hard time topping this!
I loved everything about this book. The heroine. Her rage. Her cunning. Her bravery. Her heart-wrenching experiences. Her flaws and her strengths. Her fierceness. Her compassion.
The story is fast-paced, thrilling, emotional, disturbing at times, it kept me on my toes and made me want to fly through the pages while simultaneously never wanting it to end.
The other books this year will have a hard time topping this!
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TL;DR
Iron Widow offers an incredible concept with giant mechas, a brutal patriarchal system, and a bold feminist angle—but the execution didn’t quite land for me. Zetian’s constant rage overshadows character growth, and while the poly relationship brings bi representation, it arrives too late and lacks emotional depth. The worldbuilding is creative, and the ending twist is intriguing, but overall the story felt surface-level and emotionally flat.
——
I went into Iron Widow genuinely excited. A Handmaid’s Tale meets Pacific Rim setup, set in a Chinese-inspired world where girls are sacrificed to power massive war machines? Sign me up. The premise promised bold feminist commentary wrapped in explosive sci-fi action—and to be fair, the worldbuilding and ideas are definitely creative. But sadly, the execution didn’t live up to what I was hoping for.
Zetian, the main character, is furious at the system—and she has every right to be. But her rage never evolves. It becomes her only defining trait, and while that unrelenting fury can be powerful in small doses, here it ends up flattening her character. She charges through the story with little emotional variation or growth, which made it hard for me to stay engaged or relate to her journey. It felt like the book was yelling at me for 300 pages, without ever letting me sit in the emotion of what it was trying to say.
There’s also a poly relationship introduced, which was refreshing to see—especially with bi representation—but it arrives late and lacks emotional weight. The connection between the two male leads barely gets explored, and overall the relationships felt undercooked. I wanted more nuance, more complexity, more feeling.
What’s most frustrating is that the building blocks are all here. The themes are important, the setting is original, and the author clearly has big, exciting ideas. But everything is filtered through Zetian’s singular, relentless voice, which doesn’t leave much room for the rest of the cast—or even the world itself—to develop in meaningful ways.
That said, the ending introduces a twist that genuinely intrigued me. It adds an unexpected layer to the universe and made me pause for a moment. Part of me is curious to see where the story goes next. But I’m not sure if it’s enough to get me to continue the series.
I wanted to love this. And there were moments I almost did. But in the end, I was left more frustrated than fulfilled.
Iron Widow offers an incredible concept with giant mechas, a brutal patriarchal system, and a bold feminist angle—but the execution didn’t quite land for me. Zetian’s constant rage overshadows character growth, and while the poly relationship brings bi representation, it arrives too late and lacks emotional depth. The worldbuilding is creative, and the ending twist is intriguing, but overall the story felt surface-level and emotionally flat.
——
I went into Iron Widow genuinely excited. A Handmaid’s Tale meets Pacific Rim setup, set in a Chinese-inspired world where girls are sacrificed to power massive war machines? Sign me up. The premise promised bold feminist commentary wrapped in explosive sci-fi action—and to be fair, the worldbuilding and ideas are definitely creative. But sadly, the execution didn’t live up to what I was hoping for.
Zetian, the main character, is furious at the system—and she has every right to be. But her rage never evolves. It becomes her only defining trait, and while that unrelenting fury can be powerful in small doses, here it ends up flattening her character. She charges through the story with little emotional variation or growth, which made it hard for me to stay engaged or relate to her journey. It felt like the book was yelling at me for 300 pages, without ever letting me sit in the emotion of what it was trying to say.
There’s also a poly relationship introduced, which was refreshing to see—especially with bi representation—but it arrives late and lacks emotional weight. The connection between the two male leads barely gets explored, and overall the relationships felt undercooked. I wanted more nuance, more complexity, more feeling.
What’s most frustrating is that the building blocks are all here. The themes are important, the setting is original, and the author clearly has big, exciting ideas. But everything is filtered through Zetian’s singular, relentless voice, which doesn’t leave much room for the rest of the cast—or even the world itself—to develop in meaningful ways.
That said, the ending introduces a twist that genuinely intrigued me. It adds an unexpected layer to the universe and made me pause for a moment. Part of me is curious to see where the story goes next. But I’m not sure if it’s enough to get me to continue the series.
I wanted to love this. And there were moments I almost did. But in the end, I was left more frustrated than fulfilled.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No