"Iron Widow" snuck up on me quietly in 2021--I hadn't heard anything about it, but read the blurb on NetGalley and instantly smashed that request button. It was one of the more innovative fantasy novels I'd read in awhile, and it easily got a 5 star review. I was excited to read book two in the series, "Heavenly Tyrant" to see what further tragedies and violence Xiran Jay Zhao would subject me to.

Whereas the first book was fast paced and exciting, with political intrigue, undiscovered mysteries, and action-packed fights in giant mechs, the second book trudges along at a slow pace, mirroring what I picture to be every second Zetian has to spend with Qin Zheng, for about 60% of the book. It takes about 200 pages for anyone to get into a mech, or venture beyond the setting established in the exposition. While I understood the narrative purpose of the first half of the book, I wish some of the local politics were condensed to make more time for other more interesting events--Zetian training new female pilots, training scenes with Zetian and Qin Zheng where she makes some progress, more focus on the "overthrow the gods" plan earlier. Much of the beginning felt overdone, especially the social commentary, which felt too heavy-handed and what felt like a clear criticism of American culture (and other governmental structures). Listen, I love me some social commentary, but too there's a fine line before I'm pulled out of the fiction of the book.

I almost DNFed this one at about 60%, but I'm glad I stuck it out for the end. Character motivations become more complicated, the setting begins expanding farther out, and we some great plot twists and world-building reveals that answers only some of the questions I have lingering from as far back as book one. I'm still thinking and theorizing about the complicated relationship between Qin Zheng and Zetian.

As expected, Zhao leaves us with a mega-cliffhanger, which is tough for this reader. Despite my initial difficulty with this book, when we got back into the reasons I loved book one, I was desperate to finish and get my hands on book three ASAP.

This book was painful to read and I almost never say that about books. I always look for something redeeming or interesting in them and I just couldn’t get past the kind of political rants that went on for pages at a time in this book. Also, you’re still not getting a ton of context about how these creatures battle and like why this all happened in the first place. It also kind of becomes a matter of like how many things can actually be thrown at this girl. I think there are other kind of dystopian Books that do a better job of dealing with the politics and the injustice than this does. I was really hoping for some developments around the feminism issue, but it just didn’t materialize. The book was not a win for me.

I can't remember the last time I gasped this often reading a book. The twists and turns came at a dangerous pace in Heavenly Tyrant, creating a story rife with action, blood shed, and betrayal. Truthfully and epic saga that seemingly has more to come!

I will be yelling from the mountaintops (heavens?) about this book. At least until the next installment of Iron Widow prevails...

Heavenly Tyrant is an absolutely brilliant tale continuing Xiran Jay Zhao's important critiques of many of the greatest ills of society and governing bodies.

An amazing follow-up to Iron Widow. I have been waiting for this sequel since finishing Book 1 and I was not disappointed. I love the ruthlessness of the main character and the poly rep! So so good.

Definitely a strong follow up to Iron Widow. A LOT happens in this book and readers need to be prepared to keep up. Good twists and some excellent character, let's say, complications. I cannot wait until we get more!

"Heavenly Tyrant" follows right on the heels of the events from "Iron Widow". While this book is slower in pace to it's predecessor, Xiran Jay Zhao packs a ton into it's 540 pages. As with the first book, the reader is taken along as Zetian battles political unrest and misogynies in Huaxia. This book really excels in it's political intrigue storytelling and shifting to a darker tone.

Please note that this book does end in a cliffhanger, for everyone who believed the series to be a duology.

What’s harder than seizing power from a corrupt, authoritarian regime?

Keeping it.

Heavenly Tyrant is vastly different from Iron Widow, but so is life in Huaxia now. The patriarchy has fallen. A 200-year-old emperor is back to resume power. And the Emperor requires an Empress. While I do miss Boss Bitch Wu Zetian smashing her way through any obstacle in her path, it was interesting to see her have to shift her focus to the larger scale of rebuilding society, where even the smallest actions can have devastating consequences. Since every move she makes is so complex, the story is slower-paced than the first, but it really picks up towards the end (I’m looking at you, Heavenly Court 👀). The cliffhanger isn’t as big of a gut-punch either, but it does set up the next installment rather nicely. All I can say is Book 3 is bout to be a shit show.

Thank you to Tundra Books for this ARC via NetGalley.

“How cursed, this cycle, and for what?
A world built from lies. A reality that isn’t real.
An impasse I can only break by growing strong enough to kill gods.”

After making a series of extreme and irreversible decisions during a whirlwind of world-shattering revelations and grief, Wu Zetian finds herself in the position of power that she has long desired. However, her seat of power proves more precarious than she’d like to admit, and she’s forced to share it with a cunning, frighteningly formidable male pilot of legend whom she cannot fully trust. Together, the pair must work on a knife-edge to succeed with the revolution she began and take down the system—and the gods—that have failed and exploited the people of Huaxia for thousands of years. As they do so, Zetian, at a disadvantage for being marked the “evil vixen” target of anti-revolutionaries, must also once again make her own bid for independent power and security; all while attempting to steal her half-dead lover back from the corrupt divinities that are trying to threaten her into submission.

Having eagerly awaited Heavenly Tyrant, the sequel to Iron Widow, for nearly three years, I was thrilled to jump back into the action the first book of the Iron Widow series left off with. However, I found that action to be somewhat sporadic, held back by slow pacing and what often felt like a meandering plotline. While the book understandably spent a considerable amount of time reestablishing the landscape of Huaxia following Zetian’s radical, desperate decisions at the end of Iron Widow, and then on consequent political conflicts, there were a number of extended scenes that felt unnecessary. Rather than adding significant value to the story, they hindered the tight pacing I loved so much in the first book, and obscured certain plot points and character arcs. That being said, this slow pace did allow for new characters and relationships to be developed, which I particularly enjoyed when it meant adding in more female characters such as Wan’er and Taiping. Older relationships, like that between Zetian and Qieluo, were also able to grow, and I appreciated characters getting a chance to address old wounds and wedges. Stronger themes developed alongside them, new perspectives and situations adding some much-needed nuance (including that of intersectionality). Zhao’s worldbuilding also got to shine in Heavenly Tyrant, expanding on both other civilizations and the qì system. Their humor did not dull in-between novels, either. Overall, though not perfect, Heavenly Tyrant left me wanting more, which Zhao will undoubtedly provide in future installments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for letting me read an e-ARC of Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao! If this is on your list of sequels to pick up (or list of series to start), I highly recommend it - the author delivers another amazing punch with the latest installment!

The author wasn’t kidding when they said this book isn’t a carbon copy of the first book, Iron Widow. While we explore new depths of feminine rage and the complexities of societal reconstruction, the plot is slower to develop and leaves readers wanting more with every chapter consumed. We bear witness as our main character, Zetian, reckons with the choices she’s made. Waking the powerful Qin Zheng (from another century entirely) causes ripples that even she can’t begin to fathom. He’s an absolute pain in the ass, but he’s also interested in making waves in politics and bettering the lives of the general public. She will do everything to break down barriers for women in Huaxia, but at what cost?

This sequel (and officially canon NOT final book) was everything I didn’t expect and exactly what I wanted it to be at the same time! While slower paced, Zhao keeps readers engaged and interested at every turn. Suffice to say, I absolutely cannot wait for another book because the cliffhanger on this one was absolutely unbearable. After all the publishing drama that they experienced for the second installment, I’ve got my fingers crossed that a third book doesn’t invite the same challenges for them.

A gripping and thought-provoking read that will captivate fans of science fiction, fantasy, and LGBTQIA+ stories, particularly those who enjoy complex, strong female protagonists, feminist themes, and Asian-inspired world-building, and are eager to dive into a fascinating tale of revolution, rebellion, and self-discovery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Xiran Zhao, and PUBLISHER for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

POV: Author writes a book set in fantasy historical China that is basically about problems they have with the world right now. Discuss.

The thing is: I think I would have liked this book a LOT more if it weren’t the sequel to Iron Widow, a book I enjoyed greatly (I 5-starred it, if I recall correctly, and talked it up relentlessly). I have no problems with political machinations, no qualms reading revolutionary manifestos, no issues with philosophy, BUT. I came to this book fondly recalling mechas and light-speed pacing and an intriguing poly couple and… well. If that’s what you hung your hat on, you might as well just read book #1 again, because none of it’s here.

The cold open with Qin Zheng was excellent. Honestly I would have liked more from his viewpoint even though I recognize that this is Zetian’s story. I suppose I would have preferred either more from Zheng… or nothing at all. Anyways. I was ready for the action to start off with a bang. Unfortunately the only real bang here was the slam of the executioner’s axe (literally). Not to say there isn’t action – it just happens in back rooms, not on the battlefield. For all of Zetian’s accomplishments and victorious ending in book #1, she still stands hobbled and constrained on all sides by men. The rage is real and understandable, but I’m not sure full martial law against dissent is the way to go. I am also not convinced that anything Zetian (or Zheng) enacted truly benefitted women the way it was intended to do. Drastic, abrupt social upheaval rarely ends well (or runs smoothly, to say the least) and Zetian learns that here. Repeatedly.

I missed Yizhi. I missed Shimin. I thought both of those characters really warmed Zetian in book #1. She is the sort of character who doesn’t care if she’s liked or not (clearly) but Yizhi’s and Shimin’s presence and interactions with Zetian made her more of a human as opposed to a rage-filled pillar of flame burning everything she touched. I didn’t think her new friends in book #2 had the same effect. I also missed the action level of book #1; I don’t need fight scenes every chapter but it’s nice to shake up the plot. The middle of Heavenly Tyrant became almost bogged down to a standstill point. Hopefully all the politics and philosophy will create a springboard for book #3 to move forward at a decent pace and a good mix of governing and action.
If this had been its OWN book, as I said, I would have liked it more. But as a sequel to Iron Widow? I was frustrated. ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Heavenly Tyrant has been a heavily anticipated novel for me since I first read Iron Widow. This is a series pretty far outside my preferred genre as it is heavy on scifi and futuristic elements. There is still a ton of that in this novel as we see Zetian navigate the different types of Chrysalises, with callbacks to her journey. It had been a few years since my read of Iron Widow and I did not reread before going into this one, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I was able to remember as I read along. The author did a wonderful job with that aspect, and I was excited to step back into this world with relative ease.

I think that if you were a big fan of Iron Widow this one might falter for you, and if you were not a big fan of Iron Widow, this is probably worth giving a read. The two books are night and day. Although still in the same world with similar obstacles to overcome, this is still very much different. We get Zetian in a higher position of power than ever before while still not having as much power as she deserves in her role. There is also a lot less of Yizhi, and every bit we saw of him from the first novel is so different in this one. I have to admit I did not like the direction it went with that, especially since this book shifts into how Zetian deals with Qin Zheng. Compared to Shimin and Yizhi, he is harsher and more cold. A truly morally gray character as he reclaims power, while still being a misogynistic man at his core. Zetian is already a character that shifts into a morally gray area so having her surrounded by people who are not so full of rage really tempered that for me, whereas here. It was all rage all the time and I felt a bit smothered. It just did not work for me personally. Shimin is also not a hugely relevant character in this one, which was a bit disappointing but at the end of the day this is Zetian's story.

I do also think this book could have been 100 pages shorter. There is a lot of repetition as we see Zetian learning to deal with Qin Zheng, the insurrection, building her own relationships with women into positions of power (though I did like that aspect). It was done repeatedly and with my eagerness to see where the book would go with Shimin and Zetian facing the gods, I was powering through, but neither ever completely come to fruition. There was just so much time spent elsewhere. This book also really hones in on politics which I enjoyed, especially all the complexities and how "solutions" always cause more issues. But this was also repeatedly said time and time again with no nuance. It was spelled out from top to bottom, and I just think the same points could have been made with more action and within the plot rather than discussed in conversations between Zetian and Qin Zheng. Over and over and over.

That being said, I did like this novel. I definitely preferred Iron Widow, but I think this one has its merits too. If you are looking for female rage, almost impossible tasks, and a politic heavy book, this will be for you. There is a lot of value within the pages and I'm eager for the next one.

An engaging and thrilling companion to Iron Widow, Heavenly Tyrant will have your attention from the get-go.

Picking up right where the first book left off, Heavenly Tyrant weaves in past and present within the story to connect the the protagonist, Zetian, with the emperor. Both of their perspectives light up many questions and intrigue as the story unravels delicately.

I will need some time to fully digest this novel, as I did with Iron Widow, but all I can say so far is: read this book!!

This was my most highly anticipated book of the year (and honestly the last several years since the cliff hanger of the last book); However, I felt that I could really feel that Zhao's heart wasn't in this story. I was a bit sad that there was a bit of a character assassination of our main trio, and felt that it wasn't fully understandable the reasoning. I also felt like the new romance element was a bit frustrating because we had built up this beautiful poly-triangle to end up with nothing. It was both too short and too long for the story it was trying to tell, and I was a bit disappointed that it ended on another cliff hanger. I did like that there was an explanation of political and social concepts that a teen could understand, and because we follow Zetian we can see how she has to learn how to break out of the basic girl boss feminism, broadening her scope of care. I will read the third novel, mainly because I want my boy Shimin back.

I keep flip-flopping back and forth between this being a 2-star or a 5-star read, so we'll go with the safe choice of a 4-star rating.

Iron Widow was, without a doubt, one of my favorite debut books EVER. I still wax poetic about what a masterpiece it was, so Heavenly Tyrant had some big shoes to fill as the sequel. It... mostly got there? This is full of the same political critiques and feminist commentary as the previous book, as Wu Zetian finds herself forced to align with a man that she loathes in order to save the man that she loves from the Heavenly Court, and her country from falling back into the same useless political setup that she worked so hard to destroy.

A lot of this book was amazing! Wu Zetian and her chemistry with Qin Zheng (though she would hate to see me call it that), a fascinatingly complicated historical figure come back to life. There's an adage about meeting your heroes that fits well here, I think. The lore itself, with the development of the Chrysalis and why they take the shape they do, the slow discovery of the Hunduns, and the entire mystery of the Heavenly Court have mostly great payoff in this book. The political commentary is ramped up to 11 in this one, and it mostly hits its mark! I especially enjoyed the introduction of multiple new female characters who are amazing in their own rights.

On the other hand, Heavenly Tyrant felt like it had a serious case of middle-book syndrome. We end not too far off from where we started the book in terms of positioning and the overall plot. And, my favorite part of book one, the dynamic between Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi was entirely nonexistent in this one. This was perhaps understandable on some level given how we left Shimin in book one, but... we got next to nothing.

The good definitely outweighs the bad in Heavenly Tyrant, and I adored most of it! It was worth the wait for its release, and I'm certainly excited to see where the story goes from here!

Breakneck pacing and twitter-esque social commentary unfortunately hold this back from being the court intrigue soap opera of which it has the bones.

A captivating sequel that grabs readers' attention and holds it to the end, twisting and turning all the way. Wu Zetian is back, now dealing with the consequences of having woken the mythical former Emporer Qin Zheng. She must learn to deal with the real man behind the myths. While still dealing with the wounds dealt at the end of Iron Widow both mental and physical, Zetian must learn to navigate the complicated world of revolutionary politics and who to really trust. Plot twists and surprises abound, Heavenly Tyrants will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat as Zetian learns the price of revolution.

This was an amazing sequel to Iron Widow. Highly anticipated, Heavenly Tyrant was well worth the wait. I highly recommend anyone who loved Iron Widow to pick up Heavenly Tyrant immediately.

I am definitely going to have to marinate on this book more and probably re-read it, but my initial feelings are 5/5. It's amazing to see a sequel that addresses some of the failings of the first book (in terms of the actual events within the story, not the book itself) while also showing how the characters learn and grow from them. This book broke my heart at times, made me gasp out loud several of times, and honestly made me cry in my office at one point.

It was a beautiful written book and touched so much contemporary themes that makes it accessible to all types of readers. More than the first book, it shows how so many of these characters live in a shades of grey and I think readers are going to have to wrestle within themselves on which characters they grow to like.

I think that overall, any book that can make you feel so deeply about the characters, their plight, and the obstacles they overcome is a book worth reading. It's definitely a sequel that holds its own candle.