Iron Widow

There are a lot of reviews that can sum this up better than me so I'll keep it brief. I bloody love this book. The combat scenes are great, the mecha decriptions merging tech and spirituality beautifully, and the righteous anger is palpable. The characters are incredibly interesting and you find yourself rooting for them even if their actions are a little on the... ruthless side.I will say that this won't appeal to people with a conservative outlook, but for me that's just another reason to love it. I cannot wait for rhe sequel. Just like with this volume it will be a definite pre-order for me.

She is a bit of a Mickey Mouse vengeance -always flawless in every aspect- in contrast to a World defined only by a collection of sexist cliques. It is very colourful, and I am sure it would make for an epic cgi movie. But no great acting required.If a struggle against sexisms is what made you look into this book, maybe consider A Thousand Splendid Suns instead.

I loved it so, so much Xiran! The ending was incredible & I am so excited to find out what happens next; the final reveal took the story to a whole new level & I feel like the sequel is going to have even more depth to it than Iron Widow. I adored the mix of traditional values & customs, futuristic dystopia & the fight for equality. Just brilliant! Although I must admit that I would LOVE to read the darker version you mention in the author’s note at the end! 🔥

I stumbled onto one of Xiran Jay Zhao’s youtube videos one day and instantly was drawn to her sense of humor and personality. When I started following her on other platforms, I found a video of her describing a book that made me go « oh I need to read this », only to discover it was HER book. This book. I cannot tell you how fast I purchased it. And it did not disappoint! I haven’t gone through so many emotions reading a book for a long time, and it has reignited my bookworm ways. I love it, will 100% reread it many times while waiting for a potential sequel, and will HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who will hear me out.I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, so I won’t, but if you’re also an avid gamer, you’ll understand me when I say this book had the same emotional impact as Nier Automata and Nier Replicant.

This book does not pull any punches with regards to the misogynist society it describes. I found the content warning provided by the author to be appropriate and accurate.It doesn't get bogged down in the minutiae of mecha combat, providing enough description to be satisfying.I love the pace at which Zetian's perspective changes as she learns more about the people around her and situations she's in. Her responses feel appropriate given what she knows at any point.I also love how the relationships develop.