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adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
there are some debut novels that are really good, some that are really bad, and then some that were very in between. this book was very in between. i definitely enjoyed it, but it all felt really underdeveloped. however, i can see the potential in zhao’s writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
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:
Yes
First read: I had some trouble following along with the ending, and it felt a bit rushed. Not super surprised about there being a twist.. though I didn't quite expect the exact one we got. I just want to know more right now. How, when, and why it happened. All the things. And more Shimin, please.
I love Zetian quite a lot. I find her both awful and inspiring.
Second read: This time I read both print and listened to the audiobook. I liked hearing the pronunciation of the character and place names. I understood the ending more since I remembered a few of the things that happened. I'm bumping it from 4.25 to 4.5 stars.
I love Zetian quite a lot. I find her both awful and inspiring.
Second read: This time I read both print and listened to the audiobook. I liked hearing the pronunciation of the character and place names. I understood the ending more since I remembered a few of the things that happened. I'm bumping it from 4.25 to 4.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a fun YA book, just don't expect too much from it!
The story touches on the concepts of sexism, racism and homophobia, but it doesn't really have much new to add to the conversation. (A friend I talked to about it said that it felt almost like it was name-dropping social justice concepts rather than tackling any in-depth, and I agree.)
There are some cool touches, and I particularly like that its main character is allowed to be genuinely power-hungry and violent to the point of cruelty in a few places, as that really is rare in a female lead. The sheer level of vitriol she has toward societal sexism is also pretty great. (In particular, I loved the part where shestrangles the fake "child" version of her abusive copilot in retaliation for what he's done to other women. I was also really disappointed that it's a book literally about sexism, yet Wu Zetian doesn't form a meaningful relationship or even have much of a conversation with any other women. It ironically contrubutes to the sense that the dead or distressed girls who show up to motivate Wu Zetian are just story props.
The pacing moves so fast that there really isn't much time to get attached to anyone or anything. The relationship that builds up between Wu Zetian, Li Shimin and Yizhi is definitely sweet, but we don't really get a lot of downtime or quiet moments with them to give us a chance to get attached. It felt like the novel speedran their relationship progression into a throuple, which wasn't at all necessary when there's a sequel coming out and they could have used that time to stretch the romantic tension out longer. But I am ecstatic to see poly in a YA book at all. I hope others follow suit.
Happily the plot always has enough going on to keep things interesting, and the leads are just likeable enough to keep you invested in what happens to them. There are twists and turns aplenty, some of which I guessed and some which still surprised me. The setting is also obviously incredibly cool, what with the fusion of Chinese history, mecha and sci-fi, and the prose is serviceable and easy to read. The book is also helped along by not taking itself too painfully seriously, even though it dips into dark territory sometimes.
Overall, Iron Widow's not the best YA I've read this year, by a long shot. But it is conceptually awesome, easy to read and a lot of fun. Just check your expectations before starting and you won't be disappointed.
The story touches on the concepts of sexism, racism and homophobia, but it doesn't really have much new to add to the conversation. (A friend I talked to about it said that it felt almost like it was name-dropping social justice concepts rather than tackling any in-depth, and I agree.)
There are some cool touches, and I particularly like that its main character is allowed to be genuinely power-hungry and violent to the point of cruelty in a few places, as that really is rare in a female lead. The sheer level of vitriol she has toward societal sexism is also pretty great. (In particular, I loved the part where she
The pacing moves so fast that there really isn't much time to get attached to anyone or anything. The relationship that builds up between Wu Zetian, Li Shimin and Yizhi is definitely sweet, but we don't really get a lot of downtime or quiet moments with them to give us a chance to get attached. It felt like the novel speedran their relationship progression into a throuple, which wasn't at all necessary when there's a sequel coming out and they could have used that time to stretch the romantic tension out longer. But I am ecstatic to see poly in a YA book at all. I hope others follow suit.
Happily the plot always has enough going on to keep things interesting, and the leads are just likeable enough to keep you invested in what happens to them. There are twists and turns aplenty, some of which I guessed and some which still surprised me. The setting is also obviously incredibly cool, what with the fusion of Chinese history, mecha and sci-fi, and the prose is serviceable and easy to read. The book is also helped along by not taking itself too painfully seriously, even though it dips into dark territory sometimes.
Overall, Iron Widow's not the best YA I've read this year, by a long shot. But it is conceptually awesome, easy to read and a lot of fun. Just check your expectations before starting and you won't be disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Xenophobia
The main character's had her feet bound, and it talks a bit about how they did it, the pain it gives her and how her rotting feet smell.
challenging
dark
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
Depictions of alcohol addiction and withdrawal
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Iron Widow is a fast-paced YA fantasy rooted in Chinese culture. It stands out among the crowd, with a vengeful protagonist, polyamory rep, and unconventional boldness.
For you if: You want to read fantasy with more diverse representation and don’t mind rooting for morally grey characters.
FULL REVIEW:
With a description of “Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in a polyamorous reimagining of China’s only female emperor,” how could I NOT read Iron Widow? What a ride, y’all!
The story takes place in a reimagining of China under siege by Hundun, gigantic creatures whose defeated “husks” are turned into the giant battlesuits that pilots — and the concubine girls whose qi (life force) gets sacrificed to power them — use to fight back. It follows Zetian, who enlists as a concubine to avenge her sister. But instead of her qi being sacrificed, she zaps the qi of the pilot, becoming an “Iron Widow.” Zetian turns out to be more powerful — and angry — than anyone could have imagined.
There is SO MUCH to love about this book. It’s bold. It’s angry. It’s original, but with a story structure that fantasy (and sci-fi) readers will melt right into. It’s got an unapologetic polyamorous triad. The central mystery is compelling (so much theorizing!). It handles layers of trauma, addiction, toxic relationships, and society-imposed shame with grace and heart. And it promises a LOT more to come.
The only thing I didn’t love was how hot-headed Zetian often was, in a very YA sort of way. It’s not that she was angry or vengeful, which I can totally get behind. She just doesn’t have enough wisdom (so far in the series, at least) to keep her from acting rashly or impulsively a bit too often for my taste. I was ready for her to slow down for a second and open her eyes, start to piece together what I had seen and realized as the reader.
Still! That’s minor, and overall I loved this wild ride. So…when does book two come out???
TL;DR REVIEW:
Iron Widow is a fast-paced YA fantasy rooted in Chinese culture. It stands out among the crowd, with a vengeful protagonist, polyamory rep, and unconventional boldness.
For you if: You want to read fantasy with more diverse representation and don’t mind rooting for morally grey characters.
FULL REVIEW:
With a description of “Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in a polyamorous reimagining of China’s only female emperor,” how could I NOT read Iron Widow? What a ride, y’all!
The story takes place in a reimagining of China under siege by Hundun, gigantic creatures whose defeated “husks” are turned into the giant battlesuits that pilots — and the concubine girls whose qi (life force) gets sacrificed to power them — use to fight back. It follows Zetian, who enlists as a concubine to avenge her sister. But instead of her qi being sacrificed, she zaps the qi of the pilot, becoming an “Iron Widow.” Zetian turns out to be more powerful — and angry — than anyone could have imagined.
There is SO MUCH to love about this book. It’s bold. It’s angry. It’s original, but with a story structure that fantasy (and sci-fi) readers will melt right into. It’s got an unapologetic polyamorous triad. The central mystery is compelling (so much theorizing!). It handles layers of trauma, addiction, toxic relationships, and society-imposed shame with grace and heart. And it promises a LOT more to come.
The only thing I didn’t love was how hot-headed Zetian often was, in a very YA sort of way. It’s not that she was angry or vengeful, which I can totally get behind. She just doesn’t have enough wisdom (so far in the series, at least) to keep her from acting rashly or impulsively a bit too often for my taste. I was ready for her to slow down for a second and open her eyes, start to piece together what I had seen and realized as the reader.
Still! That’s minor, and overall I loved this wild ride. So…when does book two come out???
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very well written story that takes heavy influence from Chinese literature, history, mythology, culture etc. It's also filled with criticism of women's treatment as second class citizens. While the concept of giant mechas fighting aliens soubds silly and lighthearted this is a book with darker themes. The protagonist is definitely not a hero and that makes this an amazing read. I usually don't enjoy books written from first person view but this was an exception.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
No
I AM SCREAMING. This book was, no IS, so amazing. It is the first book that made me not want to read the ending because then there would be no more. Spoiler I read the ending and love this book. I was screaming through out the ending, especially in part 4.
The plot, characters, the twists and turns, and everything in between is just so well done that I can't even begin to describe it. This book is not for the faint of heart or those who do not like morally grey characters. It covers some heavy topics and themes in ways that can seem extreme at times.
As main characters go we have Zetian who is unapologetically anger with the world she is in and the part she has to play as a women. She uses that anger to get vengeance and demand change. I related to her a lot with the anger and injustice as a women working in STEM. I face those issues daily in my workplace and have to shout and screaming to be heard and not talked over.
Some might say we are following an antagonistic, but I think we are just following a normal person who has been pushed to the edge thanks to injustice in their world. I think a lot of people can relate to that.
The plot was also not where or what I was expecting it to be when I started reading, and I'm so happy it wasn't as this is so much more. As it is a fast paced book it feels like things are happening all the time and a lot happens within these 400 pages, but not of it feels out of place, forced, or not giving enough attention.
From Zetian killing Yang Guang in part 1, which had me screaming and cheering especially at that "welcome to your nightmare" line. Gold. Pure fucking gold. The beautiful relationship and development between Zetian, Sima Yi, and Yizhi was so well written and felt so natural, and then the ending of part 3 and all of part 4. I just couldn't at Sima Yi's "death" and then the resurrection of Emperor Qin Zheng and really just all of part 4 had me screaming as I was reading. Pretty sure my neighbours think I've been murdered about four times now.
This book deserves all the praise and hype it is given and so much more. I will never hesitate to recommend people to read this book. If you are on the fence about it this is your message to read it. You will not regret it.
The plot, characters, the twists and turns, and everything in between is just so well done that I can't even begin to describe it. This book is not for the faint of heart or those who do not like morally grey characters. It covers some heavy topics and themes in ways that can seem extreme at times.
As main characters go we have Zetian who is unapologetically anger with the world she is in and the part she has to play as a women. She uses that anger to get vengeance and demand change. I related to her a lot with the anger and injustice as a women working in STEM. I face those issues daily in my workplace and have to shout and screaming to be heard and not talked over.
Some might say we are following an antagonistic, but I think we are just following a normal person who has been pushed to the edge thanks to injustice in their world. I think a lot of people can relate to that.
The plot was also not where or what I was expecting it to be when I started reading, and I'm so happy it wasn't as this is so much more. As it is a fast paced book it feels like things are happening all the time and a lot happens within these 400 pages, but not of it feels out of place, forced, or not giving enough attention.
This book deserves all the praise and hype it is given and so much more. I will never hesitate to recommend people to read this book. If you are on the fence about it this is your message to read it. You will not regret it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual violence, Kidnapping
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
Women going lowkey mad and killing men > zetian I love you fr
Honestly the best development I’ve seen of a heroine becoming an anti heroine. Zetian, a morally grey Chinese disabled woman rebels against her patriarchal society, having to prove her power throughly due to being a woman and doing it FLAWLESSLY whilst criticising the patriarchal and misogynistic society that also exists in the real world. Zetian proves to be so much more powerful than any man, asis every woman in this universe. Women in this story are so much stronger than men that they have to be used as a “battery” of chi to fuel men and make them stronger due to them being so much weaker naturally, which ends up killing the women, something that further fuels Zetian’s revenge of killing men due to her sister being one of the targets of this and being killed. Zetian’s power is soon recognised as a major threat, so is paired up with the strongest pilot to fight together in the war that is going on. Whilst Zetian is on her rampage, she ends up falling for the pilot she is paired with whilst still having feelings for her childhood friend back home. This love triangle is sorted out in best way by making them all polyamory The book also describes Zetian’s challenging of the roles and expectations of women, through how she wants to present herself and also her body not being the perfect, skinny figure that is idealised. All this challenges Zetian’s connection to her own womanhood. Just about everything good is in this book. Will definitely have to reread while waiting for the next in the series to come out.
Honestly the best development I’ve seen of a heroine becoming an anti heroine. Zetian, a morally grey Chinese disabled woman rebels against her patriarchal society, having to prove her power throughly due to being a woman and doing it FLAWLESSLY whilst criticising the patriarchal and misogynistic society that also exists in the real world. Zetian proves to be so much more powerful than any man, as
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
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
I really liked it and I'm looking forward to the next one.
I'm ignorant of the historical background, and the author says in the beginning it's not really an alternate history although it sounds like it's partly inspired by a historical figure.
It's definitely based on a culture that's different from my own (I don't mean the internal and external misogyny). I'm talking about the yin/yang and five elements of the magic system. I briefly wondered why you couldn't have pilots of the same gender for example, then realized that the yin/yang balance was the explanation.
The world Zhao created is interesting and I'm really looking forward to learning more.
I was a little bit distracted in the beginning by a couple of word choices (ached where pained was the word I would have expected, for example) but it only happened a few times and I got over it.
The description of how Wu's feet were crushed was brutal. I remember seeing pictures and x-rays of a woman's bound feet in a course in college and it was horrifying. I'm glad it wasn't just mentioned at the beginning and then never raised an issue again. It makes sense that it would be something Wu constantly thinks about since it would obviously impact her daily living.
I did wonder about the "gods" even before the end. For one thing it's interesting that no one seems to pray for an individual thing (e.g. not to be sold as a pilot concubine or to do well in battle or even just to make pain stop. Maybe it's because they have proof gods are real and they don't really interfere on that level or maybe that's just another cultural difference). I really want to know what they use the husks for. Presumably the "gods" are in fact, other humans, maybe from a more advanced society.
I liked the triad of Wu, Yizhi and Shimin and I liked that there didn't seem to be jealousy once they all got to know each other, just love.
Shimin was a really interesting character and I liked that Wu slowly got to see more of who he really was. The idea that he was a beautiful artist was a nice (and tragic) touch. I'm really sorry he died. Given that this is a science-fiction book and we don't really know the rules, I don't know if he can actually be brought back or not but I have a feeling he wouldn't be the same even if he could be. But it's hard to know what the cultural/religious/psychological impact of such a thing would be.
I was glad we got to see some some boys who objected to the sacrifice of girl pilots. I think Wu thinks that revealing the truth about the pilot seats will spark a change but I don't think that's right (and given the world Zhao created, my guess is they don't believe it either). There's a lot riding on the status quo. Boys are more prized than girls, selling girls as concubine pilots brings in money to further advance boys. Boys presumably carry on the family name in a way that girls don't. I think it will certainly spark some people (of all genders) to revolt but I don't think society-wide reform is going to happen overnight. And if the knowledge that in fact they are the invaders on the planet becomes public knowledge that may cause things to be upended even more quickly. Of course, that raises all kinds of questions. It doesn't sound like the population was aware there were other populated planets which has all kinds of implications, as does the fact that it seems like Hunden are sentient and can communicate verbally as well as through feelings (something that so far has been ignored but presumably will play a role later on). I'm also curious about Yizhi's tattoos.
Interesting world, interesting characters. More please!
I'm ignorant of the historical background, and the author says in the beginning it's not really an alternate history although it sounds like it's partly inspired by a historical figure.
It's definitely based on a culture that's different from my own (I don't mean the internal and external misogyny). I'm talking about the yin/yang and five elements of the magic system. I briefly wondered why you couldn't have pilots of the same gender for example, then realized that the yin/yang balance was the explanation.
The world Zhao created is interesting and I'm really looking forward to learning more.
The description of how Wu's feet were crushed was brutal. I remember seeing pictures and x-rays of a woman's bound feet in a course in college and it was horrifying. I'm glad it wasn't just mentioned at the beginning and then never raised an issue again. It makes sense that it would be something Wu constantly thinks about since it would obviously impact her daily living.
I did wonder about the "gods" even before the end. For one thing it's interesting that no one seems to pray for an individual thing (e.g. not to be sold as a pilot concubine or to do well in battle or even just to make pain stop. Maybe it's because they have proof gods are real and they don't really interfere on that level or maybe that's just another cultural difference). I really want to know what they use the husks for. Presumably the "gods" are in fact, other humans, maybe from a more advanced society.
I liked the triad of Wu, Yizhi and Shimin and I liked that there didn't seem to be jealousy once they all got to know each other, just love.
Shimin was a really interesting character and I liked that Wu slowly got to see more of who he really was. The idea that he was a beautiful artist was a nice (and tragic) touch. I'm really sorry he died. Given that this is a science-fiction book and we don't really know the rules, I don't know if he can actually be brought back or not but I have a feeling he wouldn't be the same even if he could be. But it's hard to know what the cultural/religious/psychological impact of such a thing would be.
I was glad we got to see some some boys who objected to the sacrifice of girl pilots. I think Wu thinks that revealing the truth about the pilot seats will spark a change but I don't think that's right (and given the world Zhao created, my guess is they don't believe it either). There's a lot riding on the status quo. Boys are more prized than girls, selling girls as concubine pilots brings in money to further advance boys. Boys presumably carry on the family name in a way that girls don't. I think it will certainly spark some people (of all genders) to revolt but I don't think society-wide reform is going to happen overnight. And if the knowledge that in fact they are the invaders on the planet becomes public knowledge that may cause things to be upended even more quickly. Of course, that raises all kinds of questions. It doesn't sound like the population was aware there were other populated planets which has all kinds of implications, as does the fact that it seems like Hunden are sentient and can communicate verbally as well as through feelings (something that so far has been ignored but presumably will play a role later on). I'm also curious about Yizhi's tattoos.
Interesting world, interesting characters. More please!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to be obsessed with this book, but I found it just wasn't for me and I don't think I'll pick up the sequel. For me, the most enjoyable aspects were the relatively diverse characters and relationship dynamics. The negatives, meanwhile, were:
- Narrative style. First person tends to annoy me a lot especially in YA because I often find it to be artificially self-aware and on the nose, and unfortunately I felt there was was no exception here
- I kinda struggled to have a lot of rooting interest for Zeitan. It was wonderful to see the representation she brings, but her moral stance again felt kinda artificial, especially given the context. Some of the situations she found herself in seemed to me to be almost self-insert moments that, for me, had far too obvious. In fiction, I like my moral takeaways to be a little more unstated than they were here.
- At no point was I significantly surprised by any of the dramatic twists. Sometimes a predictable plot can feel satisfying. In this case, though, it felt like there was a great deal of untapped potential.
- The "twist ending."
This was a deus ex machina moment in a way that, for me, didn't succeed in getting me invested in the sequel. There was some foreshadowing throughout, but it was between too weak and also too on-the-nose. After Shimin's death, the story just becomes a sequence of convenient events. Since the twist happened right on the final few pages in the epilogue, it felt rushed, disjointed, and like it was thrown in there just to toy with the reader's emotions (but did not succeed in doing so for me). The only aspect of the ending that I found surprising was that it set up the next book for an anti-colonization bent. For a while I honestly thought it was going to be a sort of Hunger Games result, and I feel that might have been a more interesting outcome. - Themes. On top of the rest of the book's efforts to explicitly tackle feminism, gender theory, consent, polyamory, and ableism, I felt that throwing
anti-colonization into the mix converted the whole book into a space where every single one of the author's opinions can be justified. It's not that I think these topics are too much for one book. There are definitely ways to successfully address these issues in an integrated way. The way they were treated in Iron Widow felt, for me, a little unfocused and perhaps even preachy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, War
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment