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Iron Widow
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
134 posts | 112 read | 1 reading | 62 to read
Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers. 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.
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review
451Degrees
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Mehso-so

Pacific Rim meets futuristic China, giant robot like structures are run by a male and female team with high qi, problem is most females end up dying after battles due to the male draining her life force. Zetian is determined to redeem her sister when the male pilot outright kills her. She is ready to die for it but is she willing to survive? LOVED the concept. DID NOT like the writing style. Won‘t be continuing the series

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Ddzmini
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

This reminded me of Pacific Rim but with animals and I liked it but white all the hype I thought it would be amazing loved the turtle inclusion and the strong woman character enjoyed the read

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BarbaraJean
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Mehso-so

This was…not great. It‘s fast-paced and engaging, but thin on world-building, and its unlikable characters are thoroughly underdeveloped. The ideas could have been interesting, but it all felt very heavy-handed and clumsy. My husband‘s comment was: “I guess that‘s what happens when you just drag your characters through a story.” Yep. But if you‘re looking for lots of action and violence, some diversity rep…⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …and a simplistic “burn it all down” feminism, with giant mechs and a Chinese culture-influenced world, this has all of that. I saw the twist coming, and the multi-cliffhanger ending annoyed me—because I‘m curious where the next book might go, but I also don‘t think I want to read it. 😬 (edited) 6mo
BarbaraJean Forgot to note that this was my May #DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks It was also my IRL book club‘s pick for May. We did have a good discussion in spite of the fact that the person who recommended it disagreed with my gripes about it 😂 6mo
TheAromaofBooks Great review!!! 6mo
36 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Starting a new book. Flipped to the back flap to check out the author bio. Found this. 😂 That‘s… a choice.

I‘ve spent too much time pondering this. Is it meant to be ironic? Whimsical? Something else I‘m not getting? Because the facial expression is not giving me ironic or whimsical or anything that would suggest “I am wearing a cow onesie,” but here we are.

MommyWantsToReadHerBook This is the best thing I've seen in a while! 6mo
julieclair That looks like something you‘d see hanging in an avant garde photo exhibition! 🤔 6mo
SarahBookInterrupted I read what the book is about hoping for hints. There are no cows 🐄 in this book. It really is strange 🤣 6mo
See All 8 Comments
IndoorDame I love it!!! 6mo
BookBelle84 They made a bet with a friend if they ever got published they would wear a cow onesie for the author photo. On their Instagram was a vote recently for the costume for the next one! 6mo
5feet.of.fury I love them 😂🐮 6mo
tpixie @BookBelle84 funny friend fun! 6mo
BarbaraJean @BookBelle84 Hahahaha--now this makes all the sense! 6mo
45 likes1 stack add8 comments
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chigh
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
Pickpick

A fun read. Love the mashup of several modern franchises with a little bit of history. Looking forward to the sequel.

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Laughterhp
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

Picked this one up because it was the March pick for #swordandlaserpodcast - I‘m not sure if audio was the best way to read this. I kept confusing who everyone was. There was also a lot of death and killing. It is a war book. Also, is it a love triangle if all 3 want to be together?

Awk_Word_Smith I loved this book so much. Can‘t wait for the next one but since the author is pro-not-killing-everyone-in-the-Middle-East the publisher is holding the release. #politics (edited) 8mo
5feet.of.fury @Awk_Word_Smith is that what happened?! Ugh, I thought the release date was soon and I saw today it‘s December. I know Xiran Jay Zhao was speaking out about the snubs for Chinese books at the Hugo‘s, but I missed that. 8mo
Awk_Word_Smith @5feet.of.fury They was also speaking out on the Gaza War as well. Their publisher didn‘t seem to like that and pushed the book back. SMH 🤦‍♂️ (edited) 8mo
5feet.of.fury @Awk_Word_Smith ugh. Very disappointed in the publisher then …it should have been no surprise that the author is political. I‘m gonna have to stalk their socials later for the tea 8mo
Awk_Word_Smith @5feet.of.fury I love Zhao‘s IG account 8mo
40 likes1 stack add5 comments
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5feet.of.fury
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

I didn‘t 1000% follow the action but loved the message. Wu Zetian is such a badass, she enlists as a concubine not to save her family but for revenge &is resigned to.. even welcomes her impending doom. She is paired with Li Shimin &he‘s got issues but they have chemistry &then a boy from her past shows up & it could have become very predictable ..but it didn‘t.
Set in futuristic alternate medieval China. The audiobook narrator was fantastic!

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RedCurly
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Panpan

I really REALLY wanted to like this book and for the first 100-150 pages I did. And I know so many people love this novel. But it was somehow over compleceted yet not so detailed. The smaller twist has no indroduction and it's like 5 pages. Zetain is not so likable for me. It so black and white and I would not call this feminism. And don't know if I will read the second part.

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ReadWithHannah
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I really loved this book! I loved the Japanese aspects, the protagonists‘ thoughts and actions. I didn‘t like the love triangle particularly but I liked the outcome of it as it fit the feminist, free-living theme. I didn‘t fully understand everything that happened during the battle scenes but got the general gist.

I haven‘t read a fantasy book that I enjoyed this much in a while. I look forward to the sequel!

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ReadWithHannah
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Started a new book today that has been on my TBR list since last Christmas. I have high hopes!

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SincerelyWinona
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
This post contains spoilers
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“Perks of refusing to play by the rules: you don‘t have to choose between the boy who‘d torture a man to death with you and the boy who‘d welcome you back with pastries after.”

📷: Gabrielle Ragusi
📷: 辞客ck on Weibo

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ItsAnotherJen
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Mehso-so

Violent, confusing, powerful, and creative. I don't really know what to think about this book. I really liked parts of it. Other parts I really didn't like. The little bit of romance thrown in was not enough, and seemed almost disjointed. Something didn't flow correctly throughout. The ending threw everything off. Then again, nothing about this world was making sense. So it didn't really surprise me. I kind of want to know what happens next.

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SincerelyWinona
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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“What is it about gender that matters so much to the system anyway?”

…I‘m barely 30min into the audiobook and I‘m hooked.

This novel feels like a cool drink of water after abandoning Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. I kept listening to Dunn‘s novel thinking it would get better, and I only got more and more uncomfortable.

Hearing the way the authors speak to gender from different genres decades apart is soothing and incredible to witness.

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Airykah13
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this one for the most part but the battle scenes had me confused. The last 25% of the book really had me hooked and now I‘ll have to wait til next year for the next book.

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Awk_Word_Smith
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

An immensely powerful and enjoyable read. An amalgamation of Chinese history and culture, and mecha and science fiction, set in the near future, this YA novel hits on some very adult themes: misogyny, cultural norms, rape, suicide ideation, murder, revenge and the list of trigger warnings goes on. But while these themes are brutal and triggering Xiran Jay Zhao crafted the story in such a way that it drives the plot and pulls the reader along.

Awk_Word_Smith The plot is set against a world built upon and designed to be misogynistic. The MCs — Wu Zetian, Li Shimin, and Gao Yizhi — are all trapped in varying degrees of this misogynistic world. Zetian‘s sister is killed and her revenge story propels the entire series of events. Shimin endures racism despite being Huaxia‘s most powerful defense against the alien Hunduns. Yizhi is rich but as the fifth son holds very little station within society. 1y
Awk_Word_Smith As if their individual struggles set against the survival of the human race was not compelling enough, Zhao tosses in a 180° WTH ending that not only leaves the reader second-guessing how they saw this world but perfectly sets up a sequel book that keeps the characters clawing for survival while simultaneously trying to dismantle the patriarchy. ALL. THE. STARS. 1y
19 likes2 comments
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Awk_Word_Smith
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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April?!?! I have to wait 9 months for the follow up book? Sonuva.

wanderinglynn Be glad it‘s only 9 months. I‘ve been waiting 12 years for the third book of Pat Rothfuss‘s Kingkiller Chronicles 😆 1y
Blerdgal_Fenix I really enjoyed this book!! 1y
Awk_Word_Smith @wanderinglynn My condolences. And the GoT fans may never see the next book! 1y
24 likes4 comments
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SanjanaGhosh
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Panpan

How to make the most out of Mumbai monsoon traffic!

Also this book was so bad, it gave me a headache!

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Awk_Word_Smith
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Young Adult books feel more grownup these days. But I‘ve been repeating this since ‘Hunger Games‘ series was released as an Americanized version of the Japanese action-thriller film ‘Battle Royale‘ (バトル・ロワイアル). But I LOVE Xiran Jay Zhao‘s amalgamation of Chinese mythology, history, cultural norms to create a lush near sci-if future. Their storytelling prowess keeps the action moving rapidly while also giving nuance and depth to their characters.

Awk_Word_Smith FYI: The book does start with a trigger warning. Please know that this book is not for everyone. 1y
17 likes1 comment
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K.Wielechowski
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

Pacific Rim meets Hunger Games and Handmaid‘s Tale set in a post-apocalyptic world based on historic China. That sounds like a lot, but it blends so well together that it works.
Zetian was such a good main character. She was allowed to be unapologetically vicious when she needed to be without being forced into a softer role by those around her.

18 likes1 stack add
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Whollybologna
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

Oh. My. Gosh. Hearing how the author‘s publisher gave them a bum deal I‘m glad I invested the time and energy because this book was fantastic! Going into it I had little knowledge as to what it was about aside from the glorious cover art but I‘m so glad I took the time to read it. The characters are energetic and charismatic and the plot rings like Wendy Wu homecoming warrior meets power rangers meets a twilight zone episode. It was glorious!

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Whollybologna
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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After finishing iron widow (which was magnificent and I can‘t wait to review it) I can‘t wait to read the next one! #thingsincommon Those who have read it, how do I move on from that?!

Clwojick Woohooo! Glad you loved it! 🔥🔥🔥 2y
4 likes1 comment
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BookmarkTavern
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Mehso-so

Giant robots. Giant monsters. A society built on the subjugation of women. And Wu Zetian is going to burn it all to the ground.

A fun take on a historical Chinese figure, with an intriguing sci-fi setting & epic battles. But too fast paced. I didn‘t feel like there was time to breathe, and it felt like nothing (character development, relationships, world building) got the time it deserved. And the ending felt rushed & like sequel bait. 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

BookmarkTavern Third read for the #TransRightsReadathon, #LGBTQbookbingo @Kenyazero Bi/m-spec rep CW 👇🏻 2y
BookmarkTavern Chapter 37 graphic torture 2y
70 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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dylanisreading
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

First book for #transrightsreadathon finished. Incredible read. 4 stars.

TheBookHippie Love the cover! 2y
71 likes1 comment
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KristiAhlers
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

Honestly Sci-fi books simply aren't my go to when I sit down to read. I decided to give this one a shot based on a co-works relentless pursuit that I give it a go. I'm happy to say this was a very entertaining read and I enjoyed the world building and characters. There were at times areas I didn't think were 100% necessary for the storytelling but otherwise it was a solid and creative read.

melzen I‘ve meant to read this for so long but something is intimidating me to pick this book up 2y
KristiAhlers @melzen I felt that way too to be honest but I was glad I took a chance on it. 2y
melzen @KristiAhlers yeah, i get that. i'll see when i pick this up. havenät been a big reading mood 2y
51 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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LittlebearReads
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
Pickpick

I‘ve got lots of thoughts, but here are the main ones:
1) The writing style ain‘t all that, but the storyline is neat enough to outweigh that shortfall 2) Okay, TV-show Daenerys 3) Zetian could be fleshed out in more ways than “Hates the system. Has real gross feet. Lives for vengeance.” Overall I give this a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ though and would recommend it to lovers of big ol‘ bots and powerful gals!

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LittlebearReads
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Just had the inaugural read in my very own craft/reading room, and boy was the hard renovation work worth it!

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Valhalla
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Chrissyreadit Is that your image? So pretty!!! 2y
Valhalla I like to color pictures I think will represent the book 2y
6 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Dreklogar
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao

How do you take the fight out of half the population and render them willing slaves? You tell them they're meant to do nothing but serve from the minute they're born. You tell them they're weak. You tell them they're prey.

You tell them over and over, until it's the only truth they're capable of living.

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PuddleJumper
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

Such a great book! I loved that the futuristic technology was combined with ancient Chinese medicine. The society had historical elements woven in that felt natural and plausible.

I really liked having a MC that was willing to burn the world to uncover the truth and get what she wanted.

Liatrek Can‘t wait to read this one! Love the cover ❤️ 2y
PuddleJumper January #roll100 pick 2y
See All 6 Comments
PuddleJumper #bookchain Started with the letter after l first letter of last book @TheAromaofBooks 2y
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 I love this cover. 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
43 likes1 stack add6 comments
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AbigailJaneBlog
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Starting this today for #AuldLangSpine . I thought it would take me a while to get into, but the prologue has me hooked straight away! @wideeyedreader @monalyisha

wideeyedreader I hope you love it!!! 2y
AbigailJaneBlog @wideeyedreader I'm half way through - can't put it down! 2y
wideeyedreader @AbigailJaneBlog wow, you‘re speedy! 2y
AbigailJaneBlog @wideeyedreader I finished it last night and couldn't stop thinking about it! Thanks for the amazing recommendation 🥰 2y
wideeyedreader @AbigailJaneBlog you‘re welcome!! I‘m so glad you loved it!! 2y
47 likes5 comments
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silentrequiem
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

Finished Iron Widow last night and loved it! Can't wait to read the sequel!

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BriannaT
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

I will admit that it took me a hot minute to understand how chrysalises and qi work, but this book has an actual love triangle and feeds my feminine rage! It‘s vicious and deservedly so - Zetian will take down anyone and everyone to avenge her murdered sister and to fight all of society, which treats women as second class citizens (shocking!). It had an anger I could feel in my bones. I can‘t wait to see what she does next in the sequel.

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thewallflower0707
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Panpan

Ugh. This book wanted to be the next Poppy War & Rin so bad. BUT GUESS WHAT. The world building is non-existent and nothing was ever explained. I had no idea what was going on 80% of the time, and at some point (around page 150) I stopped caring.

#IronWidow #fantasy #youngadult

ferskner I thought this one started out really strong and then just totally fizzled. It's too bad! 2y
20 likes1 comment
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sebrittainclark
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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I completed all my #bookspin and #doublebookspin reads this year! I love how completable this challenge is for me, and it really encourages me to read the books I already own. I look forward to participating again in 2023.

Thanks @TheAromaofBooks for hosting!

AmyG I love this one, too. 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Fabulous year!!! So glad that this challenge is working for you! ❤ 2y
b.elschie I want to read the Ali Hazelwood books! //not a huge 'romance' book person but I'm trying to spread my wings. 2y
42 likes3 comments
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SpeculativeFemale
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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I'm hoping to have time to post more after the holidays, since I fell of the radar again for a bit there.

In the meantime, here's a quick pic of a stack of book gifts I just finished wrapping!

I also have a question for you all: what is on the top of your book wish list for the holiday season? (Mine is tagged above!)

29 likes1 comment
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LibraryFairy
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Mehso-so

Okay. Not super sure how I feel about this one. I liked the story. Kinda. Still not entirely sure with this one. The characters were okay but the average for this is seriously brought down by the fact that I hated the main character. The side characters? Actually pretty good. Overall, not a bad book, just not what I was hoping for.

Happy holidays everyone!

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PageShifter
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Panpan

Zetian was too superhuman and that didn't feel really likable. I liked how strong she was but I just prefer imperfection.

I loved how sick the society was but the worldbuilding was almost non-existent. Battle scenes weren't really great and there were so many of them.

The beginning was intriguing and the last page was good.

#SeriesRead2022

TheSpineView Awesome 2y
22 likes1 comment
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PageShifter
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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PageShifter
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao

“When you cherish someone for how amazing they are, you don‘t pluck them from their roots just to watch them wither in your hands. You help them bloom into the incredible thing they‘re really meant to be.”

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majkia
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao

This one blew me away. Great book. Can't wait for the next one.

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TheBookKeepers
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

I loved this book!! It reminded me of Transformers but in the best possible way 😂 the main character Zetian was unapologetically herself and set fully on revenge. Paired with a fierce prisoner, Shishin, (aka my new book boyfriend) she is determined to survive a world designed to kill her. The ending was pretty epic and I‘m looking forward to the next book!

59 likes2 stack adds
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rachelsbrittain
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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I am so unbelievably excited about this news!

https://www.tor.com/2022/09/22/xiran-jay-zhao-iron-widow-movie/

Soubhiville Oh yeah! It‘s got great potential, hopefully they stay true to the story and characters with it. 2y
kaysworld1 I follow this author on Instagram. 2y
43 likes2 comments
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dylanisreading
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Starting this today. I finished Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram earlier. It was a nice escape. I also started Stephen Graham-Jones' latest audio only release but wasn't feeling it. I've been reading a lot, but a lot of it has been a really long, amazing fanfic. 🤣

thegirlwiththelibrarybag There is something very appealing about long fanfics 2y
Eyelit Same for me on the fanfic! 😃 2y
dylanisreading @thegirlwiththelibrarybag @Eyelit I'm glad I'm not the only one! 2y
54 likes3 comments
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abostwick24
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

This was everything I have ever wanted in a sci-fi fantasy novel! The plot kept me on my toes with all of its twists and turns. The message of women‘s empowerment was so well written. And the characters! Oh man, the character development was SPOT ON and beautifully done. I wish I hadn‘t read this book so quickly because I enjoyed every second of it. I will probably reread later this year.
My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

booklover3258 Just waiting for the sequel to come out... sigh... 2y
abostwick24 2023 is just too far away! 2y
3 likes2 comments
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NomNoms
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Mehso-so

Iron Widow started off smart, intelligent, and exciting. It hit some strong topics about gender inequality and discussed the true differences about gender roles in a futuristic, yet ancient Chinese society.

However, while it started off strong, it didn't finish that way. The book meanders off into too many topics including polygamy, corruption, love, drug abuse, and independence. Ultimately never addressing any of the topics at all

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Imogen_Price
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
Mehso-so

The concept of this book was very exciting, modern sci-fi based upon historic China. I had high hopes. Queer and polyamorous relationships being represented in this story was the reason I stuck it out to the end. The plot twist gives me hope that a sequel may be more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the execution was fairly poor. Even for YA the writing was poor. The feminism was also obvious and ham-fisted.

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Kenyazero
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

This was intense and awesome! I loved seeing historic China reimagined in a sci-fi context with epic mechs. The characters are strong, as are their motives, and the world building is vivid. I also love that everything I wanted or predicted happened, from relationship development to two major twists toward the end. #LGBTQIA #Chinese #SciFi #Mech

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roronoazoro
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
Pickpick

I loved the fact that the plot seemed really obvious and typical, but then there was always a little plot twist and suddenly you had no idea what was going on.
Definitely worth reading.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4613070629

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vlwelser
Iron Widow | Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pickpick

This is great. The audiobook is fab. If you're into fantasy, definitely read this one.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
36 likes1 comment