In China in the world of Iron Widow, boys pilot large chrysalises, which are apparently robot-type bodies, to ward off monsters beyond the Great Wall. But they can't do it alone because the mental strain is too much, so every time a boy pilots the chrysalis, he has a co-pilot--a young female concubine who has already been conscripted to attend to the pilot's every need outside the form. Inside the machine, the likelihood of her death is near certain.

It is in this world that we meet Zetian, a young woman whose older sister was killed by one of these pilots. Zetian wants nothing more than revenge on that pilot, who is a decorated member of the armed forces. But even facing certain death, Zetian knows she can't live in the world she's been born into: extreme poverty, patriarchal abuse, disability due to forced foot binding, and servitude. With that history informing Zetian's decisions, she is at once a fully formed character and morally gray heroine throughout the book. Her decisions will not just impact her own future, but that of her family and lineage (though they don't appear to deserve any consideration), and the community around her. Zetian is a fascinating character; you can't help but experience this entire world through her lens, which includes the intentional killing of the pilot she targets.

But that's just the beginning of Zetian's story. She ends up paired with another male pilot, though this one has none of the rank or accolades of his counterparts due to his status as an confessed murderer of his own family members. Shimin has so many more layers to his story, from the reason for his killing to the treatment he has suffered at the hands of the government. 

Together with Zetian's wealthy friend Yihzi, Zetian and Shimin will take action and make decisions that will reshape the world in which they live. Zetian will learn how the misogynistic pilot system came to be, how it works, and what it will mean for the future of her society. 

My one main complaint involved the climactic battle at the end of the story. It was hard to picture what was happening, the location and scale seemed to be at odds for my imagination, so I found it difficult to follow the action at times. But that did not detract enough from the fascinating and challenging story being told. I couldn't put the book down as the story unfolded, and when the book was done, I was ready to pick up the sequel.