Status
Available
Series
Publication
Penguin Teen Canada (2021), 400 pages
Description
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.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Sunyidean
I received a free copy of this on netgalley. Thanks to the publisher for this arc. I follow xiran on twitter and was really interested to see the kind of book she had written.
Read with caution: I don't know how much of what bugged me was a feature of ya as a category and how much was more
Lots of things I liked : the love triangle trope being turned into a functioning poly relationship. The retelling of Empress Wu and the colourful mechas. The twist reveal at the very end. The realities of bound feet.
Things that knocked down the rating for me: the writing felt rough, like a first draft that hadn't been polished. It was functional but clunky and repetitive, and not evocative. I don't know if that's a stylistic thing but I have also read very beautifully written ya books so I don't feel I should give a book a pass on craft just because of its age category.
The mc also struggled with nothing. She was just effortlessly good at everything she tried and endlessly better than everyone else, in a way that was linear without tension or suspense. Some folks will enjoy this and find it empowering. But it fell flat for me.
I would like to have seen more positive women characters, too. The not-like-the-other-girls vibe wasn't quite working for me.
Read with caution: I don't know how much of what bugged me was a feature of ya as a category and how much was more
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universal. I don't read enough ya to be confident of that distinction.Lots of things I liked : the love triangle trope being turned into a functioning poly relationship. The retelling of Empress Wu and the colourful mechas. The twist reveal at the very end. The realities of bound feet.
Things that knocked down the rating for me: the writing felt rough, like a first draft that hadn't been polished. It was functional but clunky and repetitive, and not evocative. I don't know if that's a stylistic thing but I have also read very beautifully written ya books so I don't feel I should give a book a pass on craft just because of its age category.
The mc also struggled with nothing. She was just effortlessly good at everything she tried and endlessly better than everyone else, in a way that was linear without tension or suspense. Some folks will enjoy this and find it empowering. But it fell flat for me.
I would like to have seen more positive women characters, too. The not-like-the-other-girls vibe wasn't quite working for me.
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LibraryThing member fionaanne
This could have been amazing if it had enjoyed a few more rounds of rewrites before publication. Characterizations are solid and the plot is intriguing with good thrust but the pacing is all over the place and the narrative lacks focus. It’s very clearly a first novel; I am intrigued to read the
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sophomore effort. Show Less
LibraryThing member deslivres5
Two words: women empowerment.
Wow, the protagonist really surprised/delighted me! I was sometimes laughing out loud at her devil-may-care attitude when faced with a predicament others would find wilting.
The mix of modern sci-fi/traditional China was pretty interesting! There are computer tablets AND
And then the ending. I thought the closing chapter was framing this as a standalone, but nope! This ride will continue.
Wow, the protagonist really surprised/delighted me! I was sometimes laughing out loud at her devil-may-care attitude when faced with a predicament others would find wilting.
The mix of modern sci-fi/traditional China was pretty interesting! There are computer tablets AND
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foot-binding. It has strong shades of mecha anime.And then the ending. I thought the closing chapter was framing this as a standalone, but nope! This ride will continue.
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LibraryThing member ladycato
I received an early copy of this from the publisher via Net Galley.
Iron Widow is an incredibly tense, innovative YA book that mashes together scifi kaiju and Chinese mythology with strident feminist themes, and it is daaaaark. Seriously, on the level of adult grimdark. I appreciate that the book
Zetian is an 18-year-old girl who is expected to sacrifice herself for the good of the realm by essentially acting like a disposable battery for the male pilot of a massive kaiju. She has different plans. She knows the identity of the famous pilot who killed her Big Sister. She wants revenge. I won't give away any spoilers, but wow, this plot has plentiful twists and turns. I was surprised throughout. The well-written poly relationship was another big surprise, especially for a YA book.
I'm very curious about how this will develop as a series. The end nicely resolves the major plot issues, but wow, does it tantalize with what it leaves open.
Iron Widow is an incredibly tense, innovative YA book that mashes together scifi kaiju and Chinese mythology with strident feminist themes, and it is daaaaark. Seriously, on the level of adult grimdark. I appreciate that the book
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has trigger warnings up front, because as good as this read is, it's not for everyone. It features protagonists who are most definitely not of the lawful good variety. They murder, straight-out vigilante style... but at the same time, everyone is written with such complexity and nuance, their actions are relatable.Zetian is an 18-year-old girl who is expected to sacrifice herself for the good of the realm by essentially acting like a disposable battery for the male pilot of a massive kaiju. She has different plans. She knows the identity of the famous pilot who killed her Big Sister. She wants revenge. I won't give away any spoilers, but wow, this plot has plentiful twists and turns. I was surprised throughout. The well-written poly relationship was another big surprise, especially for a YA book.
I'm very curious about how this will develop as a series. The end nicely resolves the major plot issues, but wow, does it tantalize with what it leaves open.
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LibraryThing member eyes.2c
Shattering excitement and brutal realities!
A startling concept! Humans blended with machines becoming part of that vehicle as pilots of frightening entities drawing on the pilot’s vital essence, their Qi. The merging of the pilot and his consort/concubine creates a machine with power deserving of
All this takes place in Huaxia where Chinese Hunger Games meets Transformers. (author Xidan Jay Zhao uses the analogy of The Handmaid’s Tale meets Chinese stories.)
Humans have endlessly battled the Hunduns, “invaders from the cosmos who’d pulverised the height of human civilisation some two thousand years ago and shattered humanity into scattered tribes. “
Animae and manga pictures meld in my mind juxtaposed with the awful humanness of pilots and their concubines. Hunduns are entirely something else.
Zetian a young woman is sold by her family for the purpose of being matched with a pilot, if she doesn’t die in the process. Sexual joining supposedly increases their abilities. Zetian however has a goal, to take revenge for the death of her sister and beyond that to make the male pilots pay for the unceasing death of all young women, concubine pilots, lost in the meld with male pilots, their energy being sucked out of them in battle until they are no more. Like what happened to her sister, with, as she learns, the favoured pilot Yang Guang. Zetian is so close to achieving her goal of vengeance when an attack happens…and she finds herself in the midst of battle and a whole different realm.
Later Zetian is partnered with Li Shimin known as the Iron Demon. A frightening character, and yet there’s a story. There always is…
What Zetian discovers in this amazing, violent, bloody journey is secrets within secrets, layers of corruption and hidden knowledge feeding women to the cause without them knowing their truth. They are all sold the Big Lie! “I’ve been told endless lies since I was born.”
Zetian realises that women were “devalued precisely because we’re so valuable. The world is too afraid of not being able to obtain and control us to respect our true worth.”
I did enjoy the reference to a Being ensconced deep underground for his protection where “Rows upon rows of unnerving clay statues stand guard, facing us. They look like the guardian figurines that would go into the mausoleum of someone rich and powerful, except they’re life-sized.” (A lovely use of the Terracotta Warrior image in a land resplendent with fantastical Chinese images and inferences.)
Twists and turns in the story leave us hanging on a completely new and mind bending possibility for what might come.
A Penguin Random House Canada ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
A startling concept! Humans blended with machines becoming part of that vehicle as pilots of frightening entities drawing on the pilot’s vital essence, their Qi. The merging of the pilot and his consort/concubine creates a machine with power deserving of
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anything Lucas has created. (Well to my mind) The relationship between pilots and their concubine-pilots, their consorts, is complex and flawed. Many of the concubines die, burnt out! One who died was Ruyi, our lead character Zetian’s Big Sister.All this takes place in Huaxia where Chinese Hunger Games meets Transformers. (author Xidan Jay Zhao uses the analogy of The Handmaid’s Tale meets Chinese stories.)
Humans have endlessly battled the Hunduns, “invaders from the cosmos who’d pulverised the height of human civilisation some two thousand years ago and shattered humanity into scattered tribes. “
Animae and manga pictures meld in my mind juxtaposed with the awful humanness of pilots and their concubines. Hunduns are entirely something else.
Zetian a young woman is sold by her family for the purpose of being matched with a pilot, if she doesn’t die in the process. Sexual joining supposedly increases their abilities. Zetian however has a goal, to take revenge for the death of her sister and beyond that to make the male pilots pay for the unceasing death of all young women, concubine pilots, lost in the meld with male pilots, their energy being sucked out of them in battle until they are no more. Like what happened to her sister, with, as she learns, the favoured pilot Yang Guang. Zetian is so close to achieving her goal of vengeance when an attack happens…and she finds herself in the midst of battle and a whole different realm.
Later Zetian is partnered with Li Shimin known as the Iron Demon. A frightening character, and yet there’s a story. There always is…
What Zetian discovers in this amazing, violent, bloody journey is secrets within secrets, layers of corruption and hidden knowledge feeding women to the cause without them knowing their truth. They are all sold the Big Lie! “I’ve been told endless lies since I was born.”
Zetian realises that women were “devalued precisely because we’re so valuable. The world is too afraid of not being able to obtain and control us to respect our true worth.”
I did enjoy the reference to a Being ensconced deep underground for his protection where “Rows upon rows of unnerving clay statues stand guard, facing us. They look like the guardian figurines that would go into the mausoleum of someone rich and powerful, except they’re life-sized.” (A lovely use of the Terracotta Warrior image in a land resplendent with fantastical Chinese images and inferences.)
Twists and turns in the story leave us hanging on a completely new and mind bending possibility for what might come.
A Penguin Random House Canada ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
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LibraryThing member life2reinvent
Wow.
Iron Widow is the best book I’ve read this year by far.
After finishing this book, I felt exhilarated. After reading about the battles between the Humans and the Hunduns, I felt like I had been in a chaotic battle myself. The book pulled me in and fully immersed me in the human’s part of the
Author Xiran Jay Zhao wanted to combine The Handmaid’s Tale with Chinese legends. Mission surpassed. I highlighted so many sentences in this book that addressed the position of women in society through narrator Wu Zetian’s experiences.
Zetian is sold off to the army so that her qi could be used to power their battle robots. Young males are the pilots, and girls are the concubines whose qi is used in battle until the girls’ energy and life force is completely absorbed by their pilots. Zetian’s initial goal is to kill the pilot who murdered her sister, but the aftermath of her first battle takes the story into unexpected and exciting directions as the war between humans and Hunduns continues.
Xiran Jay Zhao introduces characters that leave a reader guessing about their plans and motivations. After each cursory introduction, she beautifully fleshes out the characters into three-dimensional people. It is not easy to label a character good or bad, because their circumstances and choices show different sides of them. The characters are human, not cardboard cutouts.
I went through a period of time where I’d read ahead in books. DO NOT READ AHEAD in Iron Widow. There’s so much to savor along the way, and after reading a chaotic story that appears to be resolved comes a jaw-dropping ending that is worth the wait.
Science fiction fans, fantasy fans, Asian literature fans, LGBT fans, and Young Adult book fans are just a few of those who would enjoy Iron Widow.
If you’re wondering what I’m doing, it’s simple – I’m waiting for book two to be published!
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing me an Advanced Reader Copy of this wonderful book.
Iron Widow is the best book I’ve read this year by far.
After finishing this book, I felt exhilarated. After reading about the battles between the Humans and the Hunduns, I felt like I had been in a chaotic battle myself. The book pulled me in and fully immersed me in the human’s part of the
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world near The Great Wall.Author Xiran Jay Zhao wanted to combine The Handmaid’s Tale with Chinese legends. Mission surpassed. I highlighted so many sentences in this book that addressed the position of women in society through narrator Wu Zetian’s experiences.
Zetian is sold off to the army so that her qi could be used to power their battle robots. Young males are the pilots, and girls are the concubines whose qi is used in battle until the girls’ energy and life force is completely absorbed by their pilots. Zetian’s initial goal is to kill the pilot who murdered her sister, but the aftermath of her first battle takes the story into unexpected and exciting directions as the war between humans and Hunduns continues.
Xiran Jay Zhao introduces characters that leave a reader guessing about their plans and motivations. After each cursory introduction, she beautifully fleshes out the characters into three-dimensional people. It is not easy to label a character good or bad, because their circumstances and choices show different sides of them. The characters are human, not cardboard cutouts.
I went through a period of time where I’d read ahead in books. DO NOT READ AHEAD in Iron Widow. There’s so much to savor along the way, and after reading a chaotic story that appears to be resolved comes a jaw-dropping ending that is worth the wait.
Science fiction fans, fantasy fans, Asian literature fans, LGBT fans, and Young Adult book fans are just a few of those who would enjoy Iron Widow.
If you’re wondering what I’m doing, it’s simple – I’m waiting for book two to be published!
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing me an Advanced Reader Copy of this wonderful book.
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LibraryThing member quondame
Who has more right to anger than a bound-foot young woman pressured into a military concubinage which killed the sister who was her only loving family member so that there will be money for her brother's bride price and education. This book cannibalizes YA tropes and ties us in the entrails. Zetian
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is surnamed Wu appropriately enough for a woman who lets nothing stand long between her and her goals and understands convention as a shackle not a support. Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
Zetian volunteers as a concubine for the kaiju-fighting mechs that keep her country safe; concubines are routinely killed by the male pilots who consume their minds as part of piloting the mechs. But Zetian plans to kill the man who killed her beloved older sister. Among other things, she discovers
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that, in a mech, her bound feet don’t make it all but impossible for her to walk. But her plans are disrupted when she’s assigned to an equally disliked male pilot—a murderer who is allowed to pilot only because he’s stronger by a lot than anyone else. When he can’t kill her either, they become central to a planned attack—but still despised. I saw someone say that this seemed very second-wave feminist, in that the bad guys are just outright willing to harm women, and the society of which they are a part, because of misogyny, and that seems correct. Enough interesting threads were left hanging that I’d pick up the sequel. Show Less
LibraryThing member SChant
Entertaining, a bit more YA fantasy than SF and a drawn-out final battle with irritating set-up for a second book but still enjoyable.
LibraryThing member MaowangVater
Aliens have invaded the planet. For two hundred years humans have been battling the Hundun, using the spirit metal from their defeated enemies the humans have fashioned their own Chrysalises, giant robots, Mecha fueled by the pilots’ qi that that fuses their life force with that of the robots. It
When Wu Zetian the younger sister of one of the sacrificial victims, signs up to battle the Hundun, she is hoping to avenge her older sister by killing—not Hundun, but the male pilot who killed her sister. If she succeeds, she will be what’s known, but only to the strategists running the war, as an Iron Widow. A female whose qi is able to overcome that of the male pilot, so he becomes the one sacrificed. The public is not to know that this is possible. It would upset the social order which is based on a rigid patriarchy.
This is a dark fantasy of deceit, deception, disinformation, misogyny, betrayal, retribution, and revenge. An action and gore filled military adventure novel stuffed full of satisfying Sturm und Drang, and even some gruesome Shadenfreude to delight Riot Grrrls everywhere, as well as teens of all ages, sexes, sexual orientations feeling downtrodden by authority everywhere. It’s also filled with plot twists designed to twist the psyche and use the shock to raise consciousness.
"Humans...scourge of the universe..." … I drag my nails down my head and scream. Page 391
Contrary to the hype, this is not “Pacific Rim” meets The Handmaid's Tale. This is The Count of Monte Cristo slams into Ender’s Game.
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takes two to pilot a Chrysalis, a young male and his female concubine. Sometimes, to win, the concubine’s qi must be separated from her body, as a result she dies, but the battle is won for humanity, so it is a noble sacrifice. When Wu Zetian the younger sister of one of the sacrificial victims, signs up to battle the Hundun, she is hoping to avenge her older sister by killing—not Hundun, but the male pilot who killed her sister. If she succeeds, she will be what’s known, but only to the strategists running the war, as an Iron Widow. A female whose qi is able to overcome that of the male pilot, so he becomes the one sacrificed. The public is not to know that this is possible. It would upset the social order which is based on a rigid patriarchy.
This is a dark fantasy of deceit, deception, disinformation, misogyny, betrayal, retribution, and revenge. An action and gore filled military adventure novel stuffed full of satisfying Sturm und Drang, and even some gruesome Shadenfreude to delight Riot Grrrls everywhere, as well as teens of all ages, sexes, sexual orientations feeling downtrodden by authority everywhere. It’s also filled with plot twists designed to twist the psyche and use the shock to raise consciousness.
"Humans...scourge of the universe..." … I drag my nails down my head and scream. Page 391
Contrary to the hype, this is not “Pacific Rim” meets The Handmaid's Tale. This is The Count of Monte Cristo slams into Ender’s Game.
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LibraryThing member Ray_
Oh this was gooood!
Iron Widow is set in a sci-fi/ post-apocalyptic -esque world where humanity is constantly attacked by these alien thingies and humans fight them back by other thingies they create from salvaged alien husks. To pilot said thingies (I know what they're called, I just like calling
The magic/element/whatever thing was very interesting, I really enjoyed exploring it even though I got confused here and there. Hell I still can't tell the yin and yang qi apart, but it's very intriguing nonetheless and not hard to navigate and understand despite how I make it seem, I'm just ADHD.
We follow the journey of our heroine Wu Zetian, who is probably the most hate-fueled, bloodthirsty character I've ever had the pleasure of reading about! And it's not misplaced anger or not well-founded hatred, oh no! She has every right to want to tear everyone and everything apart and then some. I mean, I would be pissed too if my own grandmother broke my feet when I was 5 and condemned me to a life of teetering.
The rest of our main trio (because yes fuck love triangles where the girl has to pick one, we're taking everything now) are Yizhi and Shimin, who are as similar as day and night. One is a gentle rich city-boy and the other is a burly halfling who spent his life from one hardship to the next.
And Although I love them both, I'd still use Yizhi as a shield to protect Shimin.
Although I loved most of the things in this book, it still had its flaws.
My main issue was with the last part of the book.
The final battle felt a little too rushed but at the same time it dragged.
The whole dragon thing felt a lot like Deus Ex Machina, like oh we're losing, let me just go to this giant dragon thing that's bigger than all our enemies and wake its pilot and win this battle.
The characters suffered from a bit of what I like to call Dumb-YA-protagonist syndrome. Like, why on earth would you believe that someone who's part of the regime that has been oppressing and sacrificing you and yours, wants what's best for you?
The last revelation of the epilogue was supposed to be something shocking that leaves us as readers on the edge of our seats, and while yes it got me hyped to read the next books (I'm assuming it'll be at least a trilogy), I wasn't shocked in the slightest.
The moment the gods were mentioned I knew this whole universe of theirs had to be some sort of science experience to the aliens. But then again, I read Skyward AND The Promised Neverland so I've learned to see the signs.
I'm kinda annoyed at the discovery that baby Shimin is still alive, but at the same time I never wanted him to die so we're fine.
It's just that I'm starting to hate this "oh they're dead or are they?" thing that's been spreading lately. Let people die for god's sake!
Overall, this was a solid read and I highly recommend it.
Iron Widow is set in a sci-fi/ post-apocalyptic -esque world where humanity is constantly attacked by these alien thingies and humans fight them back by other thingies they create from salvaged alien husks. To pilot said thingies (I know what they're called, I just like calling
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them thingies) you need two pilots, one male, one female hence the whole yin and yang thing. However the society is heavily inspired by Emperial China (is that what it's called? Please correct me if I'm wrong) and thus their entire view of life is a little backwards, like yeah sure we're constantly under attack and we need every fighting citizen we can find, but not the women though, let's bind their feet so they can't even walk properly instead.The magic/element/whatever thing was very interesting, I really enjoyed exploring it even though I got confused here and there. Hell I still can't tell the yin and yang qi apart, but it's very intriguing nonetheless and not hard to navigate and understand despite how I make it seem, I'm just ADHD.
We follow the journey of our heroine Wu Zetian, who is probably the most hate-fueled, bloodthirsty character I've ever had the pleasure of reading about! And it's not misplaced anger or not well-founded hatred, oh no! She has every right to want to tear everyone and everything apart and then some. I mean, I would be pissed too if my own grandmother broke my feet when I was 5 and condemned me to a life of teetering.
The rest of our main trio (because yes fuck love triangles where the girl has to pick one, we're taking everything now) are Yizhi and Shimin, who are as similar as day and night. One is a gentle rich city-boy and the other is a burly halfling who spent his life from one hardship to the next.
And Although I love them both, I'd still use Yizhi as a shield to protect Shimin.
Although I loved most of the things in this book, it still had its flaws.
My main issue was with the last part of the book.
The final battle felt a little too rushed but at the same time it dragged.
The whole dragon thing felt a lot like Deus Ex Machina, like oh we're losing, let me just go to this giant dragon thing that's bigger than all our enemies and wake its pilot and win this battle.
The characters suffered from a bit of what I like to call Dumb-YA-protagonist syndrome. Like, why on earth would you believe that someone who's part of the regime that has been oppressing and sacrificing you and yours, wants what's best for you?
The last revelation of the epilogue was supposed to be something shocking that leaves us as readers on the edge of our seats, and while yes it got me hyped to read the next books (I'm assuming it'll be at least a trilogy), I wasn't shocked in the slightest.
The moment the gods were mentioned I knew this whole universe of theirs had to be some sort of science experience to the aliens. But then again, I read Skyward AND The Promised Neverland so I've learned to see the signs.
I'm kinda annoyed at the discovery that baby Shimin is still alive, but at the same time I never wanted him to die so we're fine.
It's just that I'm starting to hate this "oh they're dead or are they?" thing that's been spreading lately. Let people die for god's sake!
Overall, this was a solid read and I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member sennebec
Start with a story fueled by righteous anger and outrage. Add in a complex plot, very interesting characters, and a girl who doesn't let convention, or other people's opinions get in the way of industrial strength revenge, then add a 'what-the-heck' ending and this is what results...A winner.
LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Iron Widow series. I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley.
Thoughts: Welcome to an amazing science fiction world of giant robots and the men who are honored to pilot them. The twist is that the men must have a woman co-pilot to
I waffled a bit between 4 and 5 stars for this one. The reason I hesitate to give this 5 stars is that the writing and dialogue feel really awkward at times. The characters don't sound natural speaking to each other and sometimes descriptions are a bit jarring as well.
The other small quibble I have is that I think this would have made a better adult book. It is fine as a young adult read but I feel like a lot of the viciousness here was tamped down. The author does comment at the end that a lot of the "darkness" in this book was tempered to make it an appropriate YA novel. I wish that she hadn't done that and just went full-out with the viciousness and darkness to make this an amazing adult sci-fi read. The way things were neutered is incredibly noticeable.
Those complaints aside, this was an amazing read that was hard to put down. I can't wait to see where the story goes next. I love these characters; they embrace their more evil and vicious natures to do good, save people, and destroy a corrupt system. The tone to this story is amazing and I really enjoyed it a ton
My Summary (4.5/5): Overall this was an amazing idea, had amazing world-building, was incredibly fast-paced, and featured a fantastic cast of characters. My main complaint is at times that dialogue between characters feels very jarring and awkward. Some of the descriptions are also awkward and hard to follow. Despite those quibbles I really did love this and am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thoughts: Welcome to an amazing science fiction world of giant robots and the men who are honored to pilot them. The twist is that the men must have a woman co-pilot to
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pull energy from in order to control these giants; the women have no choice in this and are often sacrificed as their life force is sucked away. This is a fast-paced, crazy world, with amazing characters. All the characters in here are vicious and a bit grey moral-wise...and I loved them all for it.I waffled a bit between 4 and 5 stars for this one. The reason I hesitate to give this 5 stars is that the writing and dialogue feel really awkward at times. The characters don't sound natural speaking to each other and sometimes descriptions are a bit jarring as well.
The other small quibble I have is that I think this would have made a better adult book. It is fine as a young adult read but I feel like a lot of the viciousness here was tamped down. The author does comment at the end that a lot of the "darkness" in this book was tempered to make it an appropriate YA novel. I wish that she hadn't done that and just went full-out with the viciousness and darkness to make this an amazing adult sci-fi read. The way things were neutered is incredibly noticeable.
Those complaints aside, this was an amazing read that was hard to put down. I can't wait to see where the story goes next. I love these characters; they embrace their more evil and vicious natures to do good, save people, and destroy a corrupt system. The tone to this story is amazing and I really enjoyed it a ton
My Summary (4.5/5): Overall this was an amazing idea, had amazing world-building, was incredibly fast-paced, and featured a fantastic cast of characters. My main complaint is at times that dialogue between characters feels very jarring and awkward. Some of the descriptions are also awkward and hard to follow. Despite those quibbles I really did love this and am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
Wow, I'm more than a little impressed by this novel, which manages to contain a compelling story, a complex world, and highly developed characters. The world of this novel, based on historic China, is brutal and filled with conflict (from the interplanetary to the dynamics of families). At the
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outset of the story, I was unsure of the central character Zetian and I initially found her anger to be off-putting. As the story progressed, Zetian grew on me as a character and I found I started to like her and several others more. And, of course, the ending!!! I'm ready to dive into the next book as soon as it's available. Show Less
LibraryThing member Murphy-Jacobs
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would, or 20. It was incredible, emotional, action-packed, incredible, painful -- I had to read slowly although I wanted to tear through it. It occupied my mind in between reading sessions. This book is a long scream, a powerful, poignant cry, and despite being
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bittersweet, even sad, it is fierce and there's joy to Wu Zetian's journey. I can't tell anyone what the book is about because it is about so much, although on the surface it is about mecha battles. But it is also about the lies we tell to control our world, and the lies we are told in turn. It is about pain inflicted on others to avoid it ourselves. It is about piercing through all that. And it is about a girl entering womanhood in a culture that sees her only as something potentially useful, maybe, if controlled. I will be preordering the sequel as soon as I can, and even though it cannot match the power of this first book -- and I am not sure I want it to -- I am eager to know more about Zetain's world and her journey. What a book! Show Less
LibraryThing member comfypants
A girl becomes a powerful soldier in a misogynist, magical dystopia.
2.5/4 (Okay).
This is extremely dark. It's not joyless, like dark things usually are, but it was too much for me. Take the content warnings seriously; they're not a list of some extreme points of the book, they're a list of what the
(May 2022)
2.5/4 (Okay).
This is extremely dark. It's not joyless, like dark things usually are, but it was too much for me. Take the content warnings seriously; they're not a list of some extreme points of the book, they're a list of what the
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book is about. I read it quickly because I wanted it to be over with. The characters are very complex, realistic, and unique, though - enough so to make it an important book.(May 2022)
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LibraryThing member The_Literary_Jedi
I really wanted to like this book and I tried to, I did. But it doesn't get there.
This is Gundam meets I don't know what.
The uber-feminist manifesto is lost because the main character hates women as much as she hates men; she hates everyone, I guess?
The world is an amalgamation of ancient Chinese
Men are the only ones who can run these machines and women are basically hooked up to them like batteries. There's some sort of connection between them [ie: drift {Pacific Rim}] but the men usually use up (kill) the women because they aren't as powerful.
The main character - I can't even remember her name now - decides to get revenge on the pilot her older sister was working with for *reasons* and she ends up killing the male pilot she's assigned to thus giving her an Iron Widow status because she can control the Jaeger/Gundam. She wants to break down the patriarchy but then becomes obsessed with ruling and loses her sense of (if she had any to begin with) morality in a very Daenerys Targaryan S8 way.
This story is all over the place. I really can't figure out what the plot is supposed to be. There's some sort of polyamory going on which makes zero sense and basically, I don't know how this story is supposed to go.
Readers who gave this 3-5 stars, what am I missing? And I don't give two shits about 'girl power' or 'female empowerment' I got that loud and clear and don't need that message repeated if that's all you got. I want to know what in the PLOT makes sense. I got AAPI rep, I got poly rep. What about this story makes it a 3-5 star? What characteristics and qualities make the story work?
This is Gundam meets I don't know what.
The uber-feminist manifesto is lost because the main character hates women as much as she hates men; she hates everyone, I guess?
The world is an amalgamation of ancient Chinese
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culture/history and futuristic Gundam/Pacific Rim style Jaegers that fight mecha-aliens/Kaiju from space. And it's not really detailed as to why the mecha-alien Kaiju are trying to kill humans. The Gundam/Jaegers are made of dead mecha-alien Kaiju shells but that's not really discussed either.Men are the only ones who can run these machines and women are basically hooked up to them like batteries. There's some sort of connection between them [ie: drift {Pacific Rim}] but the men usually use up (kill) the women because they aren't as powerful.
The main character - I can't even remember her name now - decides to get revenge on the pilot her older sister was working with for *reasons* and she ends up killing the male pilot she's assigned to thus giving her an Iron Widow status because she can control the Jaeger/Gundam. She wants to break down the patriarchy but then becomes obsessed with ruling and loses her sense of (if she had any to begin with) morality in a very Daenerys Targaryan S8 way.
This story is all over the place. I really can't figure out what the plot is supposed to be. There's some sort of polyamory going on which makes zero sense and basically, I don't know how this story is supposed to go.
Readers who gave this 3-5 stars, what am I missing? And I don't give two shits about 'girl power' or 'female empowerment' I got that loud and clear and don't need that message repeated if that's all you got. I want to know what in the PLOT makes sense. I got AAPI rep, I got poly rep. What about this story makes it a 3-5 star? What characteristics and qualities make the story work?
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LibraryThing member bell7
Zetian decides to become a concubine pilot in the fight against Hunduns - a male and female pilot are teamed up to pilot a mecha, but it's dangerous work for a woman, who often dies from the mental energy expended. Her Big Sister has already died, and Zetian knows her life isn't worth much to her
This book is dark, y'all. Zetian has been a second-class citizen all her life. She is unapologetic. She is angry. She is out for vengeance. I didn't always like her, but I could sympathize with her, and because she's the narrator it was essential that I did so. That's a fine line to write, and Xiran Jay Zhao does it with aplomb. This is a sort of blend of science fiction and fantasy, set sometime in the future, and incorporates Chinese history and mythology as well. Though there were a couple of plot elements that were so heavily foreshadowed they were not surprising to me, it was a compelling read and I eagerly await the sequel.
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family. But it's not out of helplessness that she makes this choice - she's out for revenge against the pilot who killed her sister.This book is dark, y'all. Zetian has been a second-class citizen all her life. She is unapologetic. She is angry. She is out for vengeance. I didn't always like her, but I could sympathize with her, and because she's the narrator it was essential that I did so. That's a fine line to write, and Xiran Jay Zhao does it with aplomb. This is a sort of blend of science fiction and fantasy, set sometime in the future, and incorporates Chinese history and mythology as well. Though there were a couple of plot elements that were so heavily foreshadowed they were not surprising to me, it was a compelling read and I eagerly await the sequel.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
The girls of Huaxia can sometimes have enough power to help a boy pilot a Chrysalise, a giant transforming robot, and mostly they survive one battle. Wu Zeitan is determined to survive, she survived foot-binding, she can do this, she does and she is labelled an Iron Widow, because she kills the
It's a popcorn book and I found it great fun, even if I did have some suspicions about some of the twists from fairly early on.
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boy. Then she's paired with Li Shimin who is considered a barbarian and treated dreadfully but somehow they become a team. To add to the complication there is Gao Yizhi who comes from a wealthy family and also loves Zeitan. They find that they are stronger as a team and become famous but survival is complicated and complex and the powers that be are very powerful.It's a popcorn book and I found it great fun, even if I did have some suspicions about some of the twists from fairly early on.
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
Huaxia is trapped in a brutal war against the invading Hundun' They fight the Hunduns' powerful machines, called husks, with Huaxia's own Chrysalises, which are more powerful and more flexible--but which can be made only from captured Hundun husks.
The Chrysalises are piloted by two-person teams, a
Zetian, 18 years old, a frontier village girl, is finally ready to stop fighting her family, and enlist to become a concubine-pilot. Her motive isn't patriotism or glory, though. Her older sister enlisted before her--and was murdered by her pilot, Yang Guang. Her goal is to avenge her sister's death, and kill Yang Guang.
It's not a spoiler to say she succeeds, very early, and in a most unexpected way. She survives their first battle, and kills him through the psychic link between pilots. This makes her an Iron Widow, a female pilot who is a major problem for the army and the government, and their official doctrine of how the Chrysalises and the pilot system works. They decide the solution is to pair her up with Li Shimin, the best, most powerful, but also the most hated of Huaxia's pilots, with his own deeply reviled history.
Surely he'll be powerful enough to take all her spirit force, or at worst, they'll kill each other.
But maybe teaming up the two outcasts who hate the system rather than feeling loyalty to it isn't the clever move the military thinks it is.
They battle each other through their first battle with the Hunduns, and survive. They unwillingly go through their subsequent training together--and even more unwillingly get to know each other.
Gradually, they realize they have the same hatred for the pilot system, and discover something very strange and disturbing about how it works.
There's political intrigue, conflict with the other pilots, their complicated relationship with each other, and a far bigger and more dangerous secret than why the pilot system works the way it does.
I haven't even mentioned Zetian's friend Yizhi, fifth son of a wealthy and powerful media family, whom she's certainly not supposed to know. Yizhi is pretty important, in himself, and in the relationships among Zetian, Li Shimin, and Yizhi. None of the three love their families, and they have solid values rather than a respect for the rules. What they do is a fascinating, exciting, enjoyable story, with both a satisfying resolution, and a startling surprise at the end.
Highly recommended.
I received this book as part of the 2022 Hugo Finalists Packet, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
The Chrysalises are piloted by two-person teams, a
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boy and a girl, using their spirit force. It takes two, but the girls rarely survive a battle, and it's the boys who become celebrated war heroes. The boys are pilots; the girls are concubine-pilots, mostly anonymous. They're genuinely young, in their teens and early twenties, with even the most successful pilots not lasting past 25.Zetian, 18 years old, a frontier village girl, is finally ready to stop fighting her family, and enlist to become a concubine-pilot. Her motive isn't patriotism or glory, though. Her older sister enlisted before her--and was murdered by her pilot, Yang Guang. Her goal is to avenge her sister's death, and kill Yang Guang.
It's not a spoiler to say she succeeds, very early, and in a most unexpected way. She survives their first battle, and kills him through the psychic link between pilots. This makes her an Iron Widow, a female pilot who is a major problem for the army and the government, and their official doctrine of how the Chrysalises and the pilot system works. They decide the solution is to pair her up with Li Shimin, the best, most powerful, but also the most hated of Huaxia's pilots, with his own deeply reviled history.
Surely he'll be powerful enough to take all her spirit force, or at worst, they'll kill each other.
But maybe teaming up the two outcasts who hate the system rather than feeling loyalty to it isn't the clever move the military thinks it is.
They battle each other through their first battle with the Hunduns, and survive. They unwillingly go through their subsequent training together--and even more unwillingly get to know each other.
Gradually, they realize they have the same hatred for the pilot system, and discover something very strange and disturbing about how it works.
There's political intrigue, conflict with the other pilots, their complicated relationship with each other, and a far bigger and more dangerous secret than why the pilot system works the way it does.
I haven't even mentioned Zetian's friend Yizhi, fifth son of a wealthy and powerful media family, whom she's certainly not supposed to know. Yizhi is pretty important, in himself, and in the relationships among Zetian, Li Shimin, and Yizhi. None of the three love their families, and they have solid values rather than a respect for the rules. What they do is a fascinating, exciting, enjoyable story, with both a satisfying resolution, and a startling surprise at the end.
Highly recommended.
I received this book as part of the 2022 Hugo Finalists Packet, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
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LibraryThing member Stevil2001
This starts strong. It's set in a world where mecha need a male and female pilot, but in using the girl's qi, the male usually kills her in the process because of his higher spirit pressure; it's a sacrifice families are willing to make because of the ideal of feminine service... and you know, they
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get money. The main character's sister went into service, but was killed by her co-pilot before she even piloted; now she's out for vengeance. Only it turns out that she has the higher spirit pressure! The narrative voice is distinct and clear, the turns of the plot are gripping, the exploration of gender roles is interesting and critical without being obvious, the worldbuilding is excellent. It did flag for me around the two-thirds mark, though; it got a bit aimless before it built up to the finale, losing the momentum it had built up, and a couple things I didn't quite buy. But overall this is a very good book (and in the hands of the right reader, probably a great one). Show Less
LibraryThing member ViragoReads
My goodness I don't know if I words for how amazing this book was! It was everything. Antiquated traditions, women treated as property, a super strong femal protagonist, an on-going war, battles, revenge, betrayal, romance, and the plot-twist of all plot-twists!
This book was amazingly good, well
This book was amazingly good, well
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written and utterly captivating. Read it! Show Less
LibraryThing member Pepperwings
If you like stories examining personal choice, adventure, fighting back against systems of oppression, revenge stories, and morally grey characters, this may be for you!
There were definitely some moments where the point-of-view is unclear, it usually becomes clear as we go, but that was my main
There were definitely some moments where the point-of-view is unclear, it usually becomes clear as we go, but that was my main
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complaint about the story. There were also some names that were quite similar, and were secondary characters, so it was hard to tell when it mattered--luckily this didn't interfere too much, but little things like that are the main reason this didn't get 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member majkia
Wow. Girls tired of being sacrifices. Look out world. Great characters, empowering, lots of action.
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
Zetian lives in a world that girls are not valued and some are sold off to the military to help pilot the giant mechas that defend the people. The problem with the mechas is that they need both a male and female pilot, but for some reason the women usually die from it but the men live. She has
This was a great book and the final bit of the book was a great cliffhanger that makes me can’t wait for the next one.
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agreed to go to the army instead of getting married to avenge the death of her sister after being paired with a highly ranked pilot. But the tables are turned in the mecha and the ace pilot does and Zetain become ann Iron Widow, something that isn’t talked about and hushed up whenever possible. So to punish and hopefully kill her they pair her with the best pilot but it seems they are a good match. But the best pilot is a comdemed criminal that was only spared the death penalty because of his pilot potential. Now the both of them are trying to change how they are treated and possibly the entire system as well. This was a great book and the final bit of the book was a great cliffhanger that makes me can’t wait for the next one.
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Awards
Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction (Finalist — 2021)
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2024)
British Fantasy Award (Nominee — 2022)
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award (Winner — 2022)
Green Mountain Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Nevada Young Readers' Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2024)
British Science Fiction Association Award (Shortlist — 2021)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (High School — 2023)
Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists (Selection — 2022)
White Pine Award (Honour Book — 2023)
The Kitschies (Finalist — 2021)
Evergreen Teen Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2024)
Amy Mathers Teen Book Award (Shortlist — 2022)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — 2023)
North Star YA Award (First Place — 2023)
Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire (Shortlist — 2023)
Surrey Teens Read (Winner — 2023)
Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy (Shortlist — 2022)
Prix Aurora Award (Finalist — 2022)
Dragon Award (Finalist — 2022)
Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award (Honor Book — 2022)
Lodestar Award (Nominee — 2022)
Ontario Library Association Best Bets (Young Adult — 2021)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2023)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2022)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Teens (Top Ten — Fiction — 2021)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2021-09-21
Physical description
400 p.; 8.63 inches
ISBN
0735269939 / 9780735269934