1_more_chapter 's review for:

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
4.5
adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Zetian reminded me so much of Johanna from The Hunger Games!
The plot of the book lost me a little towards the end but I think it was interesting to see Zetian's slow descent into, not madness as such, but just letting her hatred of the world and its oppressive systems overwhelm her. I think the author did a great job of bringing us into Zetian's mind and allowing us to experience her spiral and feel her hatred of the world.
I would have liked a little more world-building to explain some more of the history leading up to the point we are at as I am a sucker for lore and history but, knowing the twist at the end, it makes a little more sense that we don't know as much.