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adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
REALLY enjoyed the story! i was hesitant at first because mecha-centered stories can be a hit or miss for me depending on how the world is explained, but i didn’t struggle visualizing the world xiran jay zhao created for us.
what i like most about this story is how zetian basically goes against everything that is considered socially acceptable/expected of her. she is one of the most powerful female chrysalis pilots in a world where female pilots are looked down upon and seen as pawns to strengthen the male pilots. she is not very family oriented (which i did not expect and what she does to her family at the end took me by surprise!) and she even does not view relationships as a two-person thing.
one thing i would’ve wished is for more interactions between shimin and yizhi, but i saw a tiktok from xiran jay zhao saying that they had to cut out a scene between the two of them to shorten the book. hoping it’ll get released as a bonus chapter sometime
what i like most about this story is how zetian basically goes against everything that is considered socially acceptable/expected of her. she is one of the most powerful female chrysalis pilots in a world where female pilots are looked down upon and seen as pawns to strengthen the male pilots. she is not very family oriented (which i did not expect and what she does to her family at the end took me by surprise!) and she even does not view relationships as a two-person thing.
one thing i would’ve wished is for more interactions between shimin and yizhi, but i saw a tiktok from xiran jay zhao saying that they had to cut out a scene between the two of them to shorten the book. hoping it’ll get released as a bonus chapter sometime
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Torture, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
Wow! I was sucked into this story as soon as I oriented myself to the world. Those with more knowledge of Chinese history would probably pick up on elements more quickly than I did. The ending left me desperate for the sequel. This one will stay with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Violence, War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, War
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Sexual assault
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
Complicated
This is one of the best books I ever read!
I love the characters, they all feel fleshed out. Their motivations and thoughts all make sense for them and their world. I especially like, that they are allowed to do and want 'bad'/dark things: vengence, hunger for power, etc. It makes their character arcs so much more believable and exciting. Seeing Zetian grow and change throughout the story is just satisfying. And the relationships between the characters, too, are so well-written.
I also love the setting and worldbuilding of the story, it is so well thought-through and gives a great background to explore social issues. While reading, you pick up on these hints, that something is not quite right, that something is missing. And then the last page drops the twist and it is so devastating and delightful and perfect!
I love the characters, they all feel fleshed out. Their motivations and thoughts all make sense for them and their world. I especially like, that they are allowed to do and want 'bad'/dark things: vengence, hunger for power, etc. It makes their character arcs so much more believable and exciting. Seeing Zetian grow and change throughout the story is just satisfying. And the relationships between the characters, too, are so well-written.
I also love the setting and worldbuilding of the story, it is so well thought-through and gives a great background to explore social issues. While reading, you pick up on these hints, that something is not quite right, that something is missing. And then the last page drops the twist and it is so devastating and delightful and perfect!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, War
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
adventurous
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, Torture
Moderate: Murder, Colonisation, War
Minor: Slavery
adventurous
dark
funny
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:
Yes
This book promised me Chinese-history-inspired Pacific Rim with a ruthless female main character and IT DELIVERED. It was a fun and fast read, hitting some familiar YA story beats with new twists, and although the ending felt a little bit rushed/things escalated quickly, it was overall very satisfying to watch Wu Zetian reclaim her power and agency (and then some) while fighting to ensure a better future for other women.
If you've ever felt like you contained so much anger and grief over the rotten state of the world that you don't know how your body can contain it, this book is for you.
also the mech designs are awesome.
If you've ever felt like you contained so much anger and grief over the rotten state of the world that you don't know how your body can contain it, this book is for you.
also the mech designs are awesome.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence
Minor: Sexual violence, Torture
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
One of the best reads of the year. It's queer, it has a vicious, vengeful FMC, it's not afraid to get REALLY dark. The comparison to handmaids tale and pacific rim is spot on. You forget you're reading. The dialogue was a bit American slang for me but just a brilliant read. Can't wait for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Torture, Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this book. It was definitely my most eagerly-anticipated read of the year, because I love Xiran Jay Zhao’s videos. In particular I’m a big fan of their organized and well-researched videos about Chinese history. And when I knew their debut, Iron Widow, would star the only female Chinese Emperor (Wu Zetian), I made sure to check out the other book about her on my to-read list first as a little intro to who she was in real life (she was very messy … but very interesting, too). Unfortunately, though there are elements that I absolutely love, I think the book suffers from an overly basic writing style that might be from a lack of experience. The good thing about that, though, is that Xiran Jay Zhao will get better from here.
Representation:
- the main protagonist is disabled and uses a wheelchair
- every character is Chinese (in a futuristic setting)
- the three main protagonists are bi and poly)
Huaxia, desperately trying not to lose more ground to invading aliens called Hunduns, created transforming mechas (Chrysalises) to fight back that use a yin/yang two-pilot system: one boy, one girl. But most often, girls (called concubine pilots) die from the mental strain. When her older sister dies in battle, 18yo Wu Zetian suspects foul play and offers herself up to be a concubine pilot. She kills the pilot responsible for her sister’s death through the mental link in the Chrysalis, surprising everyone, and is bestowed the title, Iron Widow. Paired now with the most feared pilot, Li Shimin, she needs to keep living through battles if she wants to find out why girls keep dying -- and to stop it from happening at all.
Okay, I’m going to talk about what I liked first and give credit to where credit is due. Refreshing the tired (and also extremely annoying) love triangle concept to make a polyamorous relationship between all three characters is everything I ever wanted. I think they all work together and balance each other out well; they’re truly a Balanced Match. It’s also perhaps the subtlest message here.
What world building there is is fantastic, too. I noticed it most near the ending, but it’s what made me stay up early into the morning to finish reading. We finally explore outside of Huaxia, and the world really enchanted me -- honestly, it gave me Princess Mononoke vibes. I wish I could explain, but then I’d have to hide this entire review for being spoilery.
The novel is also just ... cool. The transforming Chrysalises and the action scenes and just how unabashedly badass the whole book’s energy is left me exhilarated and wanting to smash the patriarchy! The cover is spot on, probably one of the few times a cover perfectly captures the feeling of what’s going on inside the book.
But here’s a lot I don’t like.
Much of it comes back to the writing style, which is pretty rudimentary and relies way too much on telling (rather than striking any sort of balance with showing). Sometimes it gets in the way of the storytelling. The dialogue can get … painful to read, and Wu Zetian’s one liners and quips are everywhere. The more of these lines she had, the less their impact.
This book is also not subtle. At all. I think the constant in-you-face messages (even if I agree with everything said), dialogue, and explanations of everyone’s actions wore me out. Sometimes I just want to be able to draw my own conclusions from a character’s action or interpret someone’s dialogue my own way instead of the author telling me, “Ah, Zetian now understands by that glance that if she doesn’t do what he wants, she has no doubt he’ll turn against her instead …” etc.
Coming back to the writing style, a lot of the parts meant to be humorous had me physically cringing -- especially “You can’t shoot me, I’m rich!” scene and the “triangle is the strongest shape” scenes, especially the last, where Zetian physically makes a triangle with her fingers and looks through it, referencing their polyamorous relationship when they finally all get together. And in the same scene, her repeated “finally!” at that moment, when she had only just realized maybe Li Shimin thought about boys. I don’t think as much thought was given to how scenes would connect or feel with regards to timing when reading as was to the scenes themselves.
Zetian herself is also less developed and nuanced than I hoped she’d be. There are moments where she shines, like where she realizes she needs to try harder to understand other women’s situations, but she doesn’t have a whole lot of dimension outside them. I think the focus is on making her seem cool and badass more than anything -- which, in a book like this, I can see why that would be a priority. I’ll give that some credit, too.
I’m trying not to be too negative, because I didn't at all hate it! But I do also have to mention Zetian’s relationship with the other female characters, Qieluo and Xiuying. Unfortunately, in a book where Wu Zetian is meant to fight back against misogyny, she finds no friends in the women around her. They’re rude to each other, they fight over men, and ultimately, Zetian only makes allies and friends with men (the book mentions this once: “Can I really call myself a strong girl if I’m relying on two boys?” but it kind of feels like the author is writing themself out of the problem). The text mentions Zetian can’t be the only woman who feels the same way she does about living in a society as misogynistic as hers, but then does nothing with it. At the end, Wu Zetian says her weakness is someone holding girls hostage, but seconds earlier she hadjust destroyed part of an entire city … who does she think lives there?
The whole book sped at a breakneck pace, so if you like fast-paced books, this is the one for you. But I really look forward to seeing how Xiran Jay Zhao grows from here.
Representation:
- the main protagonist is disabled and uses a wheelchair
- every character is Chinese (in a futuristic setting)
- the three main protagonists are bi and poly)
Huaxia, desperately trying not to lose more ground to invading aliens called Hunduns, created transforming mechas (Chrysalises) to fight back that use a yin/yang two-pilot system: one boy, one girl. But most often, girls (called concubine pilots) die from the mental strain. When her older sister dies in battle, 18yo Wu Zetian suspects foul play and offers herself up to be a concubine pilot. She kills the pilot responsible for her sister’s death through the mental link in the Chrysalis, surprising everyone, and is bestowed the title, Iron Widow. Paired now with the most feared pilot, Li Shimin, she needs to keep living through battles if she wants to find out why girls keep dying -- and to stop it from happening at all.
Okay, I’m going to talk about what I liked first and give credit to where credit is due. Refreshing the tired (and also extremely annoying) love triangle concept to make a polyamorous relationship between all three characters is everything I ever wanted. I think they all work together and balance each other out well; they’re truly a Balanced Match. It’s also perhaps the subtlest message here.
What world building there is is fantastic, too. I noticed it most near the ending, but it’s what made me stay up early into the morning to finish reading. We finally explore outside of Huaxia, and the world really enchanted me -- honestly, it gave me Princess Mononoke vibes. I wish I could explain, but then I’d have to hide this entire review for being spoilery.
The novel is also just ... cool. The transforming Chrysalises and the action scenes and just how unabashedly badass the whole book’s energy is left me exhilarated and wanting to smash the patriarchy! The cover is spot on, probably one of the few times a cover perfectly captures the feeling of what’s going on inside the book.
But here’s a lot I don’t like.
Much of it comes back to the writing style, which is pretty rudimentary and relies way too much on telling (rather than striking any sort of balance with showing). Sometimes it gets in the way of the storytelling. The dialogue can get … painful to read, and Wu Zetian’s one liners and quips are everywhere. The more of these lines she had, the less their impact.
This book is also not subtle. At all. I think the constant in-you-face messages (even if I agree with everything said), dialogue, and explanations of everyone’s actions wore me out. Sometimes I just want to be able to draw my own conclusions from a character’s action or interpret someone’s dialogue my own way instead of the author telling me, “Ah, Zetian now understands by that glance that if she doesn’t do what he wants, she has no doubt he’ll turn against her instead …” etc.
Coming back to the writing style, a lot of the parts meant to be humorous had me physically cringing -- especially “You can’t shoot me, I’m rich!” scene and the “triangle is the strongest shape” scenes, especially the last, where Zetian physically makes a triangle with her fingers and looks through it, referencing their polyamorous relationship when they finally all get together. And in the same scene, her repeated “finally!” at that moment, when she had only just realized maybe Li Shimin thought about boys. I don’t think as much thought was given to how scenes would connect or feel with regards to timing when reading as was to the scenes themselves.
Zetian herself is also less developed and nuanced than I hoped she’d be. There are moments where she shines, like where she realizes she needs to try harder to understand other women’s situations, but she doesn’t have a whole lot of dimension outside them. I think the focus is on making her seem cool and badass more than anything -- which, in a book like this, I can see why that would be a priority. I’ll give that some credit, too.
I’m trying not to be too negative, because I didn't at all hate it! But I do also have to mention Zetian’s relationship with the other female characters, Qieluo and Xiuying. Unfortunately, in a book where Wu Zetian is meant to fight back against misogyny, she finds no friends in the women around her. They’re rude to each other, they fight over men, and ultimately, Zetian only makes allies and friends with men (the book mentions this once: “Can I really call myself a strong girl if I’m relying on two boys?” but it kind of feels like the author is writing themself out of the problem). The text mentions Zetian can’t be the only woman who feels the same way she does about living in a society as misogynistic as hers, but then does nothing with it. At the end, Wu Zetian says her weakness is someone holding girls hostage, but seconds earlier she had
The whole book sped at a breakneck pace, so if you like fast-paced books, this is the one for you. But I really look forward to seeing how Xiran Jay Zhao grows from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Torture
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
also: femicide
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a whirlwind. Will have to probably let this one settle for a bit before I can write a good review. This is unabashedly a villain protagonist tale which I do not often pick up.
EDIT TO ADD:
Torn between 2 or 3 ⭐s so I rounded up because I love the cover so much and I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was phenomenal.
After letting this sit for a bit I can write an actual review. I typically like stereotypically "good" protagonists: people that do their best for other people and have a optimist outlook on things etc etc Villain protagonists are a hard sell for me. I also tend to avoid YA dystopian novels because of their bleak outlooks. Iron Widow is very dark and pessimistic.
The dystopian world of Iron Widow is full of giant robots and systematic misogyny. In this world, giant robots are piloted by a Yin and Yang pilot (one boy and girl). Zetian enlists herself into this army of giant robots to avenge her sister's death. The setting was just so immediately hateful towards women I couldn't help but excuse Zetian's reckless abandon and anger. This may not resonate with everyone but if you like a good ole "revenge as catharsis" tale you will probably enjoy Iron Widow.
CW are numerous and I cannot possibly remember them all but general warnings forviolence, death, torture, misogyny, forced mutilation, emotional manipulation, verbal and physical abuse, off-page sexual content
The biggest critique I have is about the writing and pacing itself, especially the ending. The last 20% of the book felt like it came out of left field. Not in a "couldn't have guessed it" way but in a "this really deserved to be a fully explored plot in a second book and felt super duper rushed" kind of way.
EDIT TO ADD:
Torn between 2 or 3 ⭐s so I rounded up because I love the cover so much and I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was phenomenal.
After letting this sit for a bit I can write an actual review. I typically like stereotypically "good" protagonists: people that do their best for other people and have a optimist outlook on things etc etc Villain protagonists are a hard sell for me. I also tend to avoid YA dystopian novels because of their bleak outlooks. Iron Widow is very dark and pessimistic.
The dystopian world of Iron Widow is full of giant robots and systematic misogyny. In this world, giant robots are piloted by a Yin and Yang pilot (one boy and girl). Zetian enlists herself into this army of giant robots to avenge her sister's death. The setting was just so immediately hateful towards women I couldn't help but excuse Zetian's reckless abandon and anger. This may not resonate with everyone but if you like a good ole "revenge as catharsis" tale you will probably enjoy Iron Widow.
CW are numerous and I cannot possibly remember them all but general warnings for
The biggest critique I have is about the writing and pacing itself, especially the ending. The last 20% of the book felt like it came out of left field. Not in a "couldn't have guessed it" way but in a "this really deserved to be a fully explored plot in a second book and felt super duper rushed" kind of way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief