Viúva de Ferro

From a founding girl to an empress, the drastic change as the FMC learns and adjusts to new challenges gives an outlook on cultural and political stances of women in the world throughout history. The only morals you should support are your own, and you are not someone else’s tool to manipulate. None of this could have been accomplished without her major supporters, surprisingly two very different men, who would help shape the world of this story.

I like the female rage and the way the 'love triangle' was built. However, the world building was a bit confusing to me

This was such a unique concept. I loved the influences of Chinese culture and mythology that I rarely come across in sci-fi novels. Even more rarely there was a poly relationship that was so refreshing instead of the usual 'love triangle'. The strong feminist themes and excellent discussions on gendered society really sung throughout. I could highlight quotes from this for DAYS. Also, giant mechas. I cannot stress how cool this was to read about! Some of the parts I enjoyed less includes some of the secondary characters who felt a little shallow and I struggled to warm to them. It was also a little slow around the 50% mark due to the focus on politics. (This is mainly a personal preference)Our protagonist Zetain was one of the fiercest females I have ever seen and so much fun (well not always fun but definitely compelling) to follow. This didn't pull any punches and was way more intense than I was expecting so please check out the content warnings. I would recommend for those who love feminist tellings, powerful female protagonists, GIANT MECHAS, lgbt+ rep and novels inspired by Chinese culture. Thank you to NetGalley and Rock the Boat for the Advanced Readers Copy.