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adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Lots to say about this one but I'll keep it brief. This could have been, at the very least, interesting, but between the prose and the execution, it was just a muddled mess. Particularly the writing; it was a struggle to get through.
The misogyny displayed in this book is somehow both brutal and cartoonish, and Zetian never feels like a product of her environment. Her more unhinged moments, and moments clearly meant to be seen as powerful, are rendered toothless, since the narrative ties itself in knots trying to makes every concession for her. The book lacked rhythm, it lacked character development, it lacked good worldbuilding, it lacked a cohesive message, and the action will frequently be broken by long explanations of things that did not serve the story. The fights scenes were poorly constructed and dull. Blessedly, things moved along at a breakneck speed, both to its advantage and to its detriment.
The inclusion of a polycule is appreciated but underwhelming. I would have rather Zetian straight up just have a harem instead of pretending that the two boys have any semblance of a personality outside of her. Also, all three of them are bi, and in all three cases it feels like an afterthought.
The racism was off-putting. Shinin only seemed to be half Rongdi to make him seem more threatening, which doesn't even last because he is defanged so quickly. Both he and the one other Rongdi woman are so heavily stereotyped as "savage" indigenous characters (and it is so clumsily "subverted" on both accounts) that it felt like a joke.
She, naturally, has no women friends and few positive interactions with women at all, which is common for this type of book. Zetian spends so much time with/on these two boys (and their poorly realised traumas), while every other woman and girl is blamed for their own subjugation and portrayed as evil, mean or stupid, for being indoctrinated. None of the same grace afforded to the main three is afforded to any other character in this novel, not even the dead sister, who feels like a noncharacter.
It intends to be raw and unapologetic, but I promise you there are books out there that do it better.
Based on what we know of the real Wu Zetian, I'm not sure what about this book character warrants having her name. It just makes Book Zetian that much less compelling.
Also, while I don't mind obvious twists as long as the story is good, this story is not good, and by that point in the book, the final Hundun reveal annoyed me. Do I feel confident that in the next book Zetian's contributions to genocide or her new role as a dictator will be explored to my satisfaction based on this outing? No. I think I'll check back in with the author in a few years.
The misogyny displayed in this book is somehow both brutal and cartoonish, and Zetian never feels like a product of her environment. Her more unhinged moments, and moments clearly meant to be seen as powerful, are rendered toothless, since the narrative ties itself in knots trying to makes every concession for her. The book lacked rhythm, it lacked character development, it lacked good worldbuilding, it lacked a cohesive message, and the action will frequently be broken by long explanations of things that did not serve the story. The fights scenes were poorly constructed and dull. Blessedly, things moved along at a breakneck speed, both to its advantage and to its detriment.
The inclusion of a polycule is appreciated but underwhelming. I would have rather Zetian straight up just have a harem instead of pretending that the two boys have any semblance of a personality outside of her. Also, all three of them are bi, and in all three cases it feels like an afterthought.
The racism was off-putting. Shinin only seemed to be half Rongdi to make him seem more threatening, which doesn't even last because he is defanged so quickly. Both he and the one other Rongdi woman are so heavily stereotyped as "savage" indigenous characters (and it is so clumsily "subverted" on both accounts) that it felt like a joke.
She, naturally, has no women friends and few positive interactions with women at all, which is common for this type of book. Zetian spends so much time with/on these two boys (and their poorly realised traumas), while every other woman and girl is blamed for their own subjugation and portrayed as evil, mean or stupid, for being indoctrinated. None of the same grace afforded to the main three is afforded to any other character in this novel, not even the dead sister, who feels like a noncharacter.
It intends to be raw and unapologetic, but I promise you there are books out there that do it better.
Based on what we know of the real Wu Zetian, I'm not sure what about this book character warrants having her name. It just makes Book Zetian that much less compelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Colonisation
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Xenophobia
Moderate: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, War, Classism
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2025 reread:
Still so amazing! Zetian is a badass and I'm a simp for this triad. Totally forgot how crushing that ending was. So pumped for Heavenly Tyrant.
Original 2021 review:
5 ⭐ CW: (provided by the author) violence, abuse, suicide ideation, sexual assault mentions, alcohol addiction, torture
Holy cow, I don't even know what to say about Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao! This book blew me away! I had heard the hype, but damn this book is everything. Zetian is the most badass female MC I've ever read. This was such a perfect read for what is going on right now. It's so full of Feminist Rage.
We follow Wu Zetian, a girl seeking to avenge her sister who was murdered by one of the mech pilots that fight the creatures known as the Hundun. While preparing to become a concubine, she discovers her spirit qi is much higher than she ever thought, and after she has avenged her sister, she is paired with an infamous murderer, Li Shimin. They must learn to work together, and try to uncover the lies the army has been feeding them from the beginning in order to maintain power over women and girls.
The magic system concept of qi powered Mechs was fascinating and awesome. The story, as stated above, is chock full of Feminist Rage with themes about the double standards misogyny imposes on men and women, and how false those ideas and gender roles are. Zhao examines how power and control are maintained by making women less, by controlling their options, by controlling their bodies and reproduction (sound familiar?). Zhao also examines the boxes we put ourselves in based on gender and the way to cling to binary options, when gender is fluid, malleable, and not biologically set.
I love Zetian's rage and d power! She is morally gray AF and disabled. We also get bi male rep and polyamory and the only acceptable way to handle a love triangle! Shimin and Yizhi are adorable and I wish we had gotten more of that relationship. I felt so many things reading this book, and that ending! I better be getting a second book soon, cause that ending was painful!
If you've been wondering whether to add this to your tbr, this is your sign to do it right now! I'm never going to shut up about this book.
Still so amazing! Zetian is a badass and I'm a simp for this triad. Totally forgot how crushing that ending was. So pumped for Heavenly Tyrant.
Original 2021 review:
5 ⭐ CW: (provided by the author) violence, abuse, suicide ideation, sexual assault mentions, alcohol addiction, torture
Holy cow, I don't even know what to say about Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao! This book blew me away! I had heard the hype, but damn this book is everything. Zetian is the most badass female MC I've ever read. This was such a perfect read for what is going on right now. It's so full of Feminist Rage.
We follow Wu Zetian, a girl seeking to avenge her sister who was murdered by one of the mech pilots that fight the creatures known as the Hundun. While preparing to become a concubine, she discovers her spirit qi is much higher than she ever thought, and after she has avenged her sister, she is paired with an infamous murderer, Li Shimin. They must learn to work together, and try to uncover the lies the army has been feeding them from the beginning in order to maintain power over women and girls.
The magic system concept of qi powered Mechs was fascinating and awesome. The story, as stated above, is chock full of Feminist Rage with themes about the double standards misogyny imposes on men and women, and how false those ideas and gender roles are. Zhao examines how power and control are maintained by making women less, by controlling their options, by controlling their bodies and reproduction (sound familiar?). Zhao also examines the boxes we put ourselves in based on gender and the way to cling to binary options, when gender is fluid, malleable, and not biologically set.
I love Zetian's rage and d power! She is morally gray AF and disabled. We also get bi male rep and polyamory and the only acceptable way to handle a love triangle! Shimin and Yizhi are adorable and I wish we had gotten more of that relationship. I felt so many things reading this book, and that ending! I better be getting a second book soon, cause that ending was painful!
If you've been wondering whether to add this to your tbr, this is your sign to do it right now! I'm never going to shut up about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Torture, Violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The ending has left me in shock and wanting a sequel sooooo badly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, War
Moderate: Rape, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Torture, Murder, War
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, War
Moderate: Torture, Violence
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
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
To start with, the most anime opening I've ever read. I had a bit of whiplash from the sheer number of anime tropes I recognized in the first few pages (having watched most of Darling in the Franxx was a mixed blessing here). After the initial shock of "that's allowed on paper?", I surrendered to the story and hoooooo boy that was a ride.
As a person in a healthy poly relationship, seeing that sort of relationship in media is lovely. Even when 1/3 is the delightful boyfriend who greets the other 2/3s with baked goods when they're done torturing a man to death. I was a little worried towards the end, before the Sequel Hook dropped. Disappointment turned immediately into deep concern. With the sequel hook came confirmation of many theories I had, which is always a good sign—a cohesive narrative rewards theorizing.
Overall, recommended. I'm still reeling.
As a person in a healthy poly relationship, seeing that sort of relationship in media is lovely. Even when 1/3 is the delightful boyfriend who greets the other 2/3s with baked goods when they're done torturing a man to death. I was a little worried towards the end, before the Sequel Hook dropped. Disappointment turned immediately into deep concern. With the sequel hook came confirmation of many theories I had, which is always a good sign—a cohesive narrative rewards theorizing.
Overall, recommended. I'm still reeling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Classism
Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Rape, Cannibalism, Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture, Violence, War
Minor: Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
first of all, when people say this is feminist rage, they should also mention its not the modern-day feminism we’re used to and that the beginning is riddled with inner misogyny as well. it gets better and definitely resembles something more like modern-day feminism at the end but i still would have liked more elaborate reviews on that angle before reading.
wu zetian is bloodthirsty and i love it. she’s suicidal in the beginning, willing to risk everything to avenge her older sister and shed light on the unspoken horrors of the piloting system. i love that. what i didn’t really love was how much misogyny she had absorbed without even realizing it. she judged other women who were grasping at the only hope their society had shoved down their throats since birth and believed herself better because she rebelled against it all. “im not like other girls, i fight back” vibes. she ends up maturing and realizing women are not the ones solely to blame when it comes to their assimilation to the misogynistic society they’re forced to live in. yes their actions are their own, but zetian recognizes that the behavior and thought process are learned, just the same way she learned. the difference is she decided early on to fight back against it, no matter what it cost.
gao yizhi. oh, yizhi. the fifth child out of twenty-seven of one of the most powerful and disgusting men of chang’an. he definitely isn’t all sunshine and rainbows or the boy next door he projects himself to be. he’s bloodthirsty when needed, especially when it comes to his people. i think he’s the type who doesn’t like getting their hands dirty but absolutely will when push comes to shove. or when he’s lost one part of his soul and the other part is now being threatened by the man who (probably) forced himself on his mother then killed her later. i expected him to be the one to kill his father for sure. if it wasn’t zetian, it was going to be him. for a moment, i did think he would try and appease his father and leave zetian behind—they had just lost shimin after all—but yizhi surprised me. he surprised everyone. killed his father and forced everyone to recognize zetian as empress after they both lost a big part of their hearts. gods. he obviously has a mysterious past and definitely did questionable things for his dad, but im willing to wait and see about it. i doubt it would be enough to make me dislike him though. i think the only thing that caught me off-guard about yizhi was how kind he could be when his father was a piece of flaming shit.
last, but definitely not least, li shimin. the tortured, murderous man with an incredible amount of spiritual power. the man zetian is being forced to “marry” so to speak. a man addicted to alcohol who has lost a true match before and turned to the bottle to forget his grief for her and the other countless girls the army has forced him to kill. shimin, a young boy who used his strength and his body to pay for an expensive and prestigious school to further his education and ruined his eyesight in the process. a boy who studied under the dim lights of a fighting ring every night just so he wouldn’t fall academically behind. shimin, a man who killed rapists, his brothers, his father, and his family for the only person who ever bothered being kind to him. who let himself open his heart to a girl he was told was his match, not knowing those same people who put them together were dooming her. a man who was tortured into fighting again, forced to develop an addiction to alcohol and only fighting against it after meeting the one woman who could change everything. the one city boy who never found him lacking and fought him to get better. shimin who watched zetian and yizhi, knowing they loved each other and tried his best not to let it get to his head because the situation wasn’t any fault of theirs, nor his. the same shimin who laid himself on the wire so his loves could survive. i cried when he hit 0. i didnt want to believe it but i didn’t start hoping he was alive until that confirmation in the epilogue.
and gods, that epilogue. it makes so much sense that the hunduns were the indigenous people of the planet and not the humans. i had a feeling nothing was what it was cracked up to be and was proven right. the story was amazing either way though. plot twists were kind of obvious but i still liked watching them unfold. the cliffhanger though? that’s just a personal thing for me to be annoyed about it. realistically this is a 5 star rating but i have to bump it down to 4.75 for the cliffhanger alone.
first of all, when people say this is feminist rage, they should also mention its not the modern-day feminism we’re used to and that the beginning is riddled with inner misogyny as well. it gets better and definitely resembles something more like modern-day feminism at the end but i still would have liked more elaborate reviews on that angle before reading.
wu zetian is bloodthirsty and i love it. she’s suicidal in the beginning, willing to risk everything to avenge her older sister and shed light on the unspoken horrors of the piloting system. i love that. what i didn’t really love was how much misogyny she had absorbed without even realizing it. she judged other women who were grasping at the only hope their society had shoved down their throats since birth and believed herself better because she rebelled against it all. “im not like other girls, i fight back” vibes. she ends up maturing and realizing women are not the ones solely to blame when it comes to their assimilation to the misogynistic society they’re forced to live in. yes their actions are their own, but zetian recognizes that the behavior and thought process are learned, just the same way she learned. the difference is she decided early on to fight back against it, no matter what it cost.
gao yizhi. oh, yizhi. the fifth child out of twenty-seven of one of the most powerful and disgusting men of chang’an. he definitely isn’t all sunshine and rainbows or the boy next door he projects himself to be. he’s bloodthirsty when needed, especially when it comes to his people. i think he’s the type who doesn’t like getting their hands dirty but absolutely will when push comes to shove. or when he’s lost one part of his soul and the other part is now being threatened by the man who (probably) forced himself on his mother then killed her later. i expected him to be the one to kill his father for sure. if it wasn’t zetian, it was going to be him. for a moment, i did think he would try and appease his father and leave zetian behind—they had just lost shimin after all—but yizhi surprised me. he surprised everyone. killed his father and forced everyone to recognize zetian as empress after they both lost a big part of their hearts. gods. he obviously has a mysterious past and definitely did questionable things for his dad, but im willing to wait and see about it. i doubt it would be enough to make me dislike him though. i think the only thing that caught me off-guard about yizhi was how kind he could be when his father was a piece of flaming shit.
last, but definitely not least, li shimin. the tortured, murderous man with an incredible amount of spiritual power. the man zetian is being forced to “marry” so to speak. a man addicted to alcohol who has lost a true match before and turned to the bottle to forget his grief for her and the other countless girls the army has forced him to kill. shimin, a young boy who used his strength and his body to pay for an expensive and prestigious school to further his education and ruined his eyesight in the process. a boy who studied under the dim lights of a fighting ring every night just so he wouldn’t fall academically behind. shimin, a man who killed rapists, his brothers, his father, and his family for the only person who ever bothered being kind to him. who let himself open his heart to a girl he was told was his match, not knowing those same people who put them together were dooming her. a man who was tortured into fighting again, forced to develop an addiction to alcohol and only fighting against it after meeting the one woman who could change everything. the one city boy who never found him lacking and fought him to get better. shimin who watched zetian and yizhi, knowing they loved each other and tried his best not to let it get to his head because the situation wasn’t any fault of theirs, nor his. the same shimin who laid himself on the wire so his loves could survive. i cried when he hit 0. i didnt want to believe it but i didn’t start hoping he was alive until that confirmation in the epilogue.
and gods, that epilogue. it makes so much sense that the hunduns were the indigenous people of the planet and not the humans. i had a feeling nothing was what it was cracked up to be and was proven right. the story was amazing either way though. plot twists were kind of obvious but i still liked watching them unfold. the cliffhanger though? that’s just a personal thing for me to be annoyed about it. realistically this is a 5 star rating but i have to bump it down to 4.75 for the cliffhanger alone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Sexual violence
Minor: Rape
content warnings for this book include: violence, suicide ideation, alcoholism, torture, referenced sexual assault, child abuse, bound feet, mutilation, body horror, murder, death, domestic violence, gaslighting, sexism, and misogyny
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.86
I very much enjoyed this book, even after reading it again. I’m anticipating the sequel. The polyamorous romance almost makes me sad that I can’t get that kind of relationship dynamic in mainstream media. The pacing is a bit fast, but then the ending is even more so, which makes it feel rushed.
I will say I don’t love how this book is sort of “marketed” as a feminist and empowering story because it really gets to a point where it doesn’t feel like that at all. Zetian has a lot of Feminine Rage (and I support a completely unhinged, non-heroic heroine) and she does try to protect other girls and topple the systems oppressing them but the “Theme” of empowerment starts and ends with Zetian. It’s not really reflected in any other female character nor the relationships between Zetian and other female characters. Even her sister feels like a plot device, she pushes Zetian’s narrative as a character more than feeling like a person that actually existed in Zetian’s life (especially considering the influence she supposedly had on Zetian’s life). After Zetian meets Li Shimin, she mentions/thinks about her sister exactly three (3) times. This is supposed to be the person whose murder spurred Zetian into a suicidal revenge quest lucrative enough to get her whole family killed alongside her? I certainly can’t *feel* that relationship reading this book.
I know I just spent a while complaining but I still really do like the book. I’ve read it three times now, and I think about the characters all the time. You can criticize things and still love them, I suppose.
Quality of Writing: 7/10
Pacing: 7/10
Plot Development: 7/10
Characters: 7/10
Enjoyability: 9/10
Ease of Reading: 10/10
Ending: 7/10
I very much enjoyed this book, even after reading it again. I’m anticipating the sequel. The polyamorous romance almost makes me sad that I can’t get that kind of relationship dynamic in mainstream media. The pacing is a bit fast, but then the ending is even more so, which makes it feel rushed.
I will say I don’t love how this book is sort of “marketed” as a feminist and empowering story because it really gets to a point where it doesn’t feel like that at all. Zetian has a lot of Feminine Rage (and I support a completely unhinged, non-heroic heroine) and she does try to protect other girls and topple the systems oppressing them but the “Theme” of empowerment starts and ends with Zetian. It’s not really reflected in any other female character nor the relationships between Zetian and other female characters. Even her sister feels like a plot device, she pushes Zetian’s narrative as a character more than feeling like a person that actually existed in Zetian’s life (especially considering the influence she supposedly had on Zetian’s life). After Zetian meets Li Shimin, she mentions/thinks about her sister exactly three (3) times. This is supposed to be the person whose murder spurred Zetian into a suicidal revenge quest lucrative enough to get her whole family killed alongside her? I certainly can’t *feel* that relationship reading this book.
I know I just spent a while complaining but I still really do like the book. I’ve read it three times now, and I think about the characters all the time. You can criticize things and still love them, I suppose.
Quality of Writing: 7/10
Pacing: 7/10
Plot Development: 7/10
Characters: 7/10
Enjoyability: 9/10
Ease of Reading: 10/10
Ending: 7/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, War
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Sexual assault