5 ⭐ CW: (provided by the author) violence, abuse, suicide ideation, sexual assault mentions, alcohol addiction, torture

Holy cow, I don't even know what to say about Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao! This book blew me away! I had heard the hype, but damn this book is everything. Zetian is the most badass female MC I've ever read. This was such a perfect read for what is going on right now. It's so full of Feminist Rage. 

We follow Wu Zetian, a girl seeking to avenge her sister who was murdered by one of the mech pilots that fight the creatures known as the Hundun. While preparing to become a concubine, she discovers her spirit qi is much higher than she ever thought, and after she has avenged her sister, she is paired with an infamous murderer, Li Shimin. They must learn to work together, and try to uncover the lies the army has been feeding them from the beginning in order to maintain power over women and girls. 

The magic system concept of qi powered Mechs was fascinating and awesome. The story, as stated above, is chock full of Feminist Rage with themes about the double standards misogyny imposes on men and women, and how false those ideas and gender roles are. Zhao examines how power and control are maintained by making women less, by controlling their options, by controlling their bodies and reproduction (sound familiar?). Zhao also examines the boxes we put ourselves in based on gender and the way to cling to binary options, when gender is fluid, malleable, and not biologically set. 

I love Zetian's rage and d power! She is morally gray AF and disabled. We also get bi male rep and polyamory and the only acceptable way to handle a love triangle! Shimin and Yizhi are adorable and I wish we had gotten more of that relationship. I felt so many things reading this book, and that ending! I better be getting a second book soon, cause that ending was painful! 

If you've been wondering whether to add this to your tbr, this is your sign to do it right now! I'm never going to shut up about this book.