A young woman trying to crush the patriarchy with her bare hands? I love the idea. 

Reading this book generated a myriad of emotions in me-anger, anger and disappointment, to the system; passion, inspiration and motivation, along with the characters.

The world building was phenomenal. I am a person who has a hard time understanding science fiction, my brain has always had a hard time understanding terms and elements of it. In this case, reading Iron Widow was worth every second of my time, and understanding it was better than I expected. Misogyny and machismo are still elements present in this world, as in our reality, since the beginning of time, patriarchy (changing its name over time) has been present. Women have always been treated as inferior, and this is justified by our "weak physical or mental abilities", or simply because we are women.

Reading this theme in the book, like Zetia, infuriated me to see such outrageous treatment of women. I was fascinated that she was such a brutal character who fought for what she wanted. She set a goal, and did everything to achieve it. The raw power and determination that came out of her was just incredible. She's furious. And she has every damn right to be. I admire her. 

Li Shimin was a character I loved. The development we got, from believing he was an inhuman killer who drank the blood of the girls he sacrificed, to seeing his past in conjunction with the traumas that have forged him and the losses he's had, was just so well written. The contrast in personality between him, with a huge heart and so much love he gives and needs, with hers, so bold and powerful, was perfect. Opposites that complement each other, excellent way to create a relationship between them. 

Yizhi, with such a sensitive, yet cunning personality, got me. Unlike Li, this guy didn't fight or be in war camps. His strength was mental, and with it he came through.  He was not afraid to express his emotions or show them. The contrast that also exists between him and the other two characters made them so compatible. 

I was fascinated by this polyamorous relationship. The term 'love triangle' has been popularized in the wrong way; most books that promise one, only usually only have two characters in love with the same person, being more like an angle. This is indeed one, and I find it amazing that they talk more about options outside of monogamy in such a well-written way. 

Iron Widow is a favorite book this year. I can't wait for the sequel. I'm excited.