*Trigger Warnings: contains scenes of violence and abuse, suicide ideation, discussion and references to sexual assault ( though no on-page depictions), alcohol addiction, foot binding, and torture.*

In a world where there are giant transforming robots that battle mecha aliens... and boys are paired with girls... in which the survival rate of girls is about 1% and are seen as disposable compared to the boys, one girl is going to destroy it all. Zetian is a 18 year old girl who decides to offer herself up as a concubine-pilot... to work for the man who killed her sister. Her plan: get the role, kill the guy.. and die. To her surprise she doesn’t kill him in his sleep, rather she ends up killing him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is now labeled the Iron Widow- a much fear and much silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to the power of the Chrysalises (robots they pilot) instead. In a world where girls are seen as disposable and used to be sold off and silenced, she is the ultimate threat and in a system that is built to keep her down her defiance will not go unheard. She is thus paired with the pilot known as Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot. He is a prisoner who was sentenced to jail for killing his father and brothers, and no girl who has ever piloted with him has ever survived. It is a literal death sentence... until they find that Shimin and Zetian are compatible as partners. Together they have the power to face the system that has both kept them down and take a few bodies down with them. Let me first say, this book was GLORIOUS! Zetian is everything I could ever want in a protagonist. She is bloodthirsty, strong, defiant, smart, and willing to do anything to get to her goal. Did I also mention there is a polygamous relationship in this book in which everyone actually likes each other ( Zetian, Yizhi, and Shimin). Yizhi is Zetian’s best friend who is the son of the richest man in Huaxia, he is sweet, caring, has skin like porcelain and is the epitome of a soft cinnamon roll. He is the caring one in the relationship and is definitely a nurturer. Shimin on the other had is more of a bloodthirsty killer with a super soft side, exemplified by the fact that he loves to read but destroyed his books to make a shiv to try and stab his guards (he really be out here being the murderous but soft boy). He feels a lot of guilt and remorse for his previous partners and while he does have a rough around the edges aspect to his character he is sweet and caring too. There is chemistry between all three of them which I really appreciate.

Spoiler

I will forever be laughing at Shimin’s attempts to kill his guards, especially when its noted he used his last pair of glasses by smashing the lenses, sharpening the biggest fragment on the floor of his bunker, hiding it in his collar, and trying to slit a soldier’s throat with it, and Zetian is just so impressed hahah. They really are the bloodthirsty couple. and when I found out why he murdered his family, 100% agreed with him, they had to go.

Its great to read a polygamous relationship in which all the parties interact and care for one another. Anyways onto the story, the magic system was great and the story was really exciting. THAT ENDING!?!?! EXCUSE ME??? How am I suppose to wait until the next book??? I NEED MORE! So if you haven’t already added this onto your TBR YOU HAVE TOOO!

Fav Quotes:

“You’ve been living a dream for long enough! Welcome to your nightmare!” Zetian (p. 82)

“It takes a monster to slay a monster” Zetian (p.102)

“He will not kill me. He does not get to make me a statistic” Zetian (p. 105)

“Too bad. I am exactly the kind of ice-blooded, rotten-hearted girl he fears I am. And I am fine with that” Zetian (p. 114)

*Thanks Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*