Iron Widow

Summary:

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. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

Ok, this is a thrill of a read that is even better when you realize it was based on Chinese Empress Wu Zetian.  Holy crap, why did I not read about her in history growing up?  Regardless, “Iron Widow” read like watching a Marvel movie for me – do you know exactly what’s going on the whole time? Nope. Are the characters complex, nuanced and deep? Not particularly.  Are they entertaining, unique and showing some fantastic diversity on multiple levels? Hell yes. Giant mechas, and some science fiction classic hyperbole in theme? Even more of a hell yea.

Much like I love a good candy bar sugar coated romance that is light and entertaining, this was the science fiction version, but with better representation. I loved how morally gray Zetian is willing to be and how she’s happy to go even farther than you’d expect.  Now, I do think there are some problems with the way feminism is represented at times, but if you set aside those expectations this was a fun one and I’ll probably read the sequel.

Warning: Contained repeated violence, references of rape, suicide, and substance abuse.

Rating: 4 stars!

Who should read it? Folks looking for a fun change of pace with a fan’s combination of Pacific Rim and Handmaid’s Tale.

Want to read the whole series?

• Heavenly Tyrant #2