Hello, it's been a while since I've made one of these posts! Honestly, life has just been boring for me, so I haven't had much to write about. October has breathed new life into me, though! I have seasonal depression, but for me it's the other way around -- I don't start to feel truly alive until Fall. 

This holiday season, I've made it my goal to watch as many scary movies as possible, and to read as many spooky books! I also had the amazing opportunity to go an event at a park near me. It is the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, and I've been going there since I was an infant! That is probably where my love of history was born and nourished. The event took place at night, and with flashlights and paper lanterns lighting the way, we were taken to meet spirits, all telling a tale interwoven with the history of the site. If you're in the area I highly recommend visiting!

What tricks and treats have you gotten up to this month? Please let me know!

TV and Movies:

Midnight Mass (Netflix) - All my life I've been obsessed with vampires. Not only the bloody flicks, but the mythology and folklore surrounding them. It is absolutely fascinating to me how many places have a vampire myth, in fact it is one of the most widespread superstitions the world over. As such, vampires can sometimes be boring, if you don't inject a bit of new blood. Midnight Mass, written by Mike Flanagan of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor fame, has created something wholly original, moving, and scary in his newest series. It is my favorite series of late, and I highly recommend it for this spooky season! Just be warned, like all of Flanagan's other series, it covers some very deep and sometimes dark topics, and comes with a bittersweet ending.

House of Flying Daggers (Amazon Prime) - I've been meaning to watch this film in its entirety forever after catching the end of it on TV years ago. I (naturally) fell in love with the leading man of the film, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and of course the delicate Ziyi Zhang is wonderful as always! A beautiful movie perfect for lovers of tragic romance, set during the Tang Dynasty in China. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out!

The Last Duel - As soon as I heard about The Last Duel, Ridley Scott's newest film, I knew I'd have to see it. Anytime a historical film comes to theatres I try and catch it, as it is a rare treat! The Last Duel is based on the true story of Lady Marguerite de Carrouges, who in 1386 France, accused her husband's friend-cum-enemy Jacques Le Gris of raping her. To save his own reputation, her husband Jean challenges Jacques to a duel to the death. I absolutely loved the format of this film (which I won't spoil here!) and while I'm not a fan of Matt Damon or Ben Affleck, I like Adam Driver and love Jodie Comer, who is the obvious standout. It is tense, moving, and ultimately satisfying, filled with beautiful landscapes and clothing, a win for any historical lovers like me!

As a note, I would caution that the film does contain two rather graphic scenes of rape. Please be aware of this before you watch it!

Who I've Been Watching:

Watcher (Youtube) - As any self-respecting cryptid and haunted house lover would be, I'm obsessed with Buzzfeed Unsolved, and the two hilarious hosts, Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara! Call me slow on the uptake, but I just discovered the have their own channel now, along with Steven Lim, where they read submitted scary stories around a fire while getting progressively drunk, have a history based puppet show, and many other fun and scary offerings! A sure cure for your melancholy days!

Products I've Been Loving: 

Storybook Candle Co. - Even though I'm unable to burn candles in my room because I own a cockatiel, and birds are extremely sensitive to smells and smoke, I love putting them around the rest of the house. Storybook Candle Co. is a one woman show, and I love seeing what new collections she has every season! They not only last forever, but put out an amazing amount of scent and adorable to boot! Make sure you buy them before they sell out, as they're always going quick. As you can see from the photo above, I chose Autumn Reading and Sleepy Hollow, which both smell delicious.

Ways to Help:

Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund

Stop AAPI Hate

Black Lives Matter

Help Inuit Save Our Future

Aid India's COVID Relief Fund

Edith Wilkin's Street Children Foundation, India

Donate to Palestine

Book Review: The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin

The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin
Length: 378 Pages
Genres: Historical Romance, Mystery
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Trigger Warnings in this book for Forced Prostitution, References to Rape, Slavery, and Murder

"'I’ve heard my face described as flawed, ruined, unfortunate. A bad omen. People avert their gazes and move away from me as if it’s a disease they might catch. But after being separated for so many years, my sister was only able to find me because my face was so recognizable. The red-faced whore.' A tear slid down her cheek, but she ignored it. 'I don’t wish to be owned ever again.'”

As someone with a lifelong love of history, I of course have my own favorite time-periods and places, many of which are the usual that people start off with: Victorian and Regency England (especially if you're an Austen lover, like me), and WWII. And as much as I love those settings, and will always pick up a book or watch a movie during them, I believe we're way past due to inject a different flavor into the historical fiction genre, which has long been turning stale. Combined with a new fascination with Ancient China (and Joseon Korea), I decided to pick up the first book in Jeannie Lin's Pingkang Li Mysteries series, which are a wonderful blend of romance, historical detail, and mystery.

Tang Dynasty China, 847 AD. Yue-ying is maidservant to the beautiful and mercurcial courtesan Mingyu, the most valued woman within the Pingkang Li, or Lotus Palace, a place where scholars and politicians alike come to woo women with poetry and words. Before coming to work for Mingyu, Yue-ying was bought from her home and sold to a brothel, never once being considered to be a courtesan because of the red birthmark marring her cheek. Her past still haunts her, and she wants nothing more than to be a good companion to Mingyu, and to leave flirtation to others.

Bai Huang is known as the "flower prince of the Pingkang Li". He is handsome, gullible, and readily plays the fool, which endears him to everyone, even if his words conceal hidden barbs. Beneath that mask is a man of undeniable strength and smarts, and one who has possibly the best heart in China. Secretly, he attends parties and pleasure houses to gather information for his father, a man he is trying to prove himself to after running up a staggering debt gambling.

Drawn together by the death of the courtesan, Huilan, and the corpse of a man discovered stabbed in the neck with a beautiful hairpin that only the elite could afford, Yue-ying and Huang delve deep into the mysteries hiding beneath the perfume and powder of the North Hamlet. And even more troubling to Yue-ying is the growing attraction she's feeling for Huang -- especially after vowing to never be owned by a man again.

Full of breathtaking romance between two deeply developed characters that you want nothing more than to find happiness together, intrigue and fascinating tidbits about Tang Dynasty China, The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin is a sure win for romance and history lovers alike!

Book Review: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Length: 301 Pages
Genres: Gothic Horror, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Trigger Warnings in this book for Racism (Including Many Conversations about Eugenics), Body Horror, Incest, Suicide, Murder, Gaslighting and Sexual Assault

“It was not a haunting. It was possession and not even that, but something she couldn’t even begin to describe. The creation of an afterlife, furnished with the marrow and the bones and the neurons of a woman, made of stems and spores.”

Hello everyone! I'm back with another amazing Gothic read! I've had my eye on this book ever since it came out in 2020, but just haven't been able to get around to it yet. I figured there was no better time than the present, since we're now well into October. 

Noemí Taboada likes to drive fast cars, go to parties, and flirt with boys, but don't let that fool you into thinking she's just a pretty face. She's smart with a backbone of steel, and has plans to study anthropology at a mixed gender University -- if only she can get her father to agree. When her beloved cousin, Catalina, writes a disturbing letter, claiming that her husband is poisoning her and her new home, the mysterious High Place, is haunted, Noemí's father agrees to a bargain: bring Catalina home and avoid any scandal, and Noemí can attend any University she wants.

Arriving at El Triunfo, the little village at the foot of High Place, Noemí finds a place that is shrouded in mystery and fear. The house itself is dark and covered with mold, the inhabitants cold and borderline hostile. The only one who shows her any friendship is Francis, Catalina's husband's young cousin. Soon, Noemí starts experiencing strange things herself: vivid dreams, a lack of appetite, and visions. Is there more to High Place and the unsettling family Catalina has married into? Or is madness catching?

This book reminded me so much of a classic Gothic. It has the mad woman, the isolated manor, the large and insidious family dynamic, all with the added plus of a witty heroine who does more bantering than fainting. Mexican Gothic will leave you wanting more, some might even say...infected. (*wink*)

Book Review: The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
Length: 368 Pages
Genres: Horror and Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Trigger Warnings in this book for Blood, Gore, Body Horror, Miscarriage, and Death

"A magician gets what she asks for, whether she meant to ask for it or not."

My little Gothic loving heart has been eagerly awaiting the publication of The Death of Jane Lawrence! I've always loved the genre, whether it be in film or on paper, and after working on my own Gothic story that love has only bloomed bigger, so it is with much joy in my heart that I can say: Reader, I adored it.

I hadn't looked into the plot very much, as I wanted to go in knowing as little as possible, so I was really surprised (pleasantly, so) to discover it's set in a fantasy alt-England called Great Breltain, where religion is something of the past and the superstitious after a war with Ruzka (a stand-in for Russia), and magic is possible, but often with great cost.

Jane Shoringfield is a woman with a love and understanding of the mathematics that reflects the way she lives her life: practically, and with each decision carefully researched. Orphaned during the war, she has lived with her guardians ever since, but now they wish to return to the very place her parents died. And Jane can't stomach it. So, with a discerning eye, she compiles a list of bachelors within Larrenton, and sets her sight on Dr. Augustine Lawrence. She makes him a proposition, where they will marry, live together, but be more like business partners than husband and wife.

Augustine agrees under one condition -- he must always spend the night at his ancestral home, Lindridge Hall, and she must never come there.

It seems an easy compromise, only Jane never expected to be attracted to him, let alone grow to love him and learn to be loved instead. Soon, she learns that Augustine is inexplicably tethered to Lindridge Hall, and is haunted by his failings...and perhaps something more.

Full of magic and spooks, a crumbling estate filled with things that go bump in the night, and a strong and smart heroine, The Death of Jane Lawrence is a must-read for this Halloween season. If that doesn't convince you maybe this will: It's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, where magic not only changes our reality but sometimes our bodies in horrifying ways, meets Crimson Peak. What are you waiting for?

Book Review: Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper
Length: 336 Pages
Genres: LGBTQ, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC of this book!

Trigger Warnings for Cheating

"A swell of raw magic flooded into the car, until the air around me nearly shimmered with potential, bright and buzzy and headier than a champagne cocktail. As if Thistle Grove's own magical heart was pulsing eagerly toward me, welcoming me back. No hard feelings about my long absence, apparently.
Made one of us, I guess."

I was so, so pleased when I was reached out to to give a review of this amazing, wonderful, perfect book, and I cannot thank the publishers more for allowing me too! Payback's a Witch is everything I dreamed it would be (and more).

Set in the magical town of Thistle Grove, we follow Emmy Harlow as she returns home to take her family's ancestral place as Arbiter during the Gauntlet, a spellcasting tournament in which the other three witching families compete. Emmy hasn't returned in four years, and left in the first place all because of her ex Gareth, scion of the stuck-up Blackmoore family, who own almost every bit of Thistle Grove and everyone in it. They are the most powerful of all the families, and haven't lost a tournament in years and are expected to win again like clockwork. Only Gareth screwed with the wrong witches.

Upon returning, Emmy learns it's not only her heart that he's broke -- he also hurt her bestfriend, Linden Thorne, and the darkly beautiful Talia Avramov's. Together, they devise a devilishly sweet scheme: work together during the games to bring down Gareth -- and the Blackmoores -- once and for all. The only thing Emmy doesn't expect is to fall head over heels for Talia.

I adored everything about this book, from the history of the families, which wove in some Arthurian myth along with the Russian Baba Yaga, to the charmingly witchy town, to the romance between Emmy and Talia, which was equal parts sweet and sexy. The writing was gorgeous, so incredibly evocative I could actually picture the haunted woods, to the dusty little shop (cleverly named "Tomes and Omens") to the verdant Honeycake orchards. Payback's a Witch is the perfect romance for #SpookySzn, and let's be real, for every season after!

Book Review: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Length: 295 Pages
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Trigger Warnings in this book for Nefarious Goings on Typical of a Mystery/Thriller, Cheating, Mentions of Animal Neglect

"Can a weekend away save a marriage?"

Alice Feeney has been on my radar for a while now, but when I want to pick something up I'm usually more drawn to Fantasy and Historical Fiction. However, her newest novel, Rock Paper Scissors, was an option for my September Book of the Month, and I couldn't resist. I mean, a mystery set in snowy Scotland, inside a supposedly cursed chapel, sounded too good to pass up! Happily, I can say that Feeney has made a loyal fan out of me!

Amelia and Adam are at the end of their marriage. He spends most of his time adapting novels into screenplays, is glued to his phone 24/7 and suffers from prosopagnosia, which leaves him face-blind and unable to recognize even those he holds dear. She prefers dogs to people and works at a rescue and lost both of her parents to a car accident before she was even born. They think they know everything about each other -- but do they really? A trip to Scotland, won by Amelia in a raffle, seems the perfect antidote to their marital problems. 

Told in interchanging chapters from Amelia's POV, Adam's, the mysterious Robin, who lives in a thatched cottage outside Blackwater Chapel, and anniversary letters written from wife to husband every year, this is a tightly plotted thriller that will have you guessing until the very end. Alice Feeney is one of the best mystery writers I've ever read, and this book is so original and a breath of fresh air for the genre! 

It was exactly what I was wanting: something atmospheric and gripping, perfect for the holiday season.

Five Period Romances That You Haven't Seen (But Should)

I think the only thing that holds a candle to my love of books is my love of movies and TV shows. As such, many of my favorite films reflect the exact sort of thing I enjoy reading, with my #1 being historical fiction! I also adore a good romance, and something about all the restraint, be it of manners or clothing, makes the romance that much better for me. I've set out to list some that aren't often mentioned, in the hopes that others will learn to love them like I do!

The Handmaiden directed by Park Chan-Wook (2016)

An adaption of Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith by Award-winning Korean director Park Chan-wook, this movie had been on my radar ever since it came out. I finally watched it this month and was completely blown away. The actors were amazing, the cinematography was beautiful, and I loved how it stayed true to the story even while changing the setting from Victorian England to Japanese occupied Korea! This movie is one to go in without too much prior knowledge as the twists will shock (and delight) you.

"1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl (Sookhee) is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress (Hideko) who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle (Kouzuki). But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until Sookhee and Hideko discover some unexpected emotions."

Belle directed by Amma Asante (2013)

This beautiful romance has the added bonus of being based on a true story, that of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race British heiress who lived 1761 to 1804. (And for those curious, it does have a happy ending).

"This movie was inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed race daughter of Royal Navy Captain Sir John Lindsay. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield and his wife, Belle's lineage affords her certain privileges, yet the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing. Left to wonder if she will ever find love, Belle falls for an idealistic young vicar's son bent on change, who, with her help, shapes Lord Mansfield's role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.

Firelight directed by William Nicholson (1997)

This film utilizes a favorite trope of mine: the governess who falls in love with her employer, only with a much bigger twist. Beautiful Sophie Marceau is subtle and wonderful, and her leading man is one of my favorites, Stephen Dillane.

"In 1830s England, debt-ridden governess Elisabeth Laurier consents to bear a child with aristocrat Charles Godwin, whose crippled wife cannot conceive. So long as Elisabeth relinquishes any maternal claims, he will pay off her father's debts. Though the arrangement is meant to be perfunctory, a forbidden romance blooms between them. Years later, she is hired as governess to a young girl on a remote estate -- who turns out to be the daughter she surrendered."

Lust, Caution directed by Ang Lee (2007)

I loved Lust, Caution from my very first watch, and highly recommend it for those who are fans of relationships along the lines of those in Dangerous Liaisons and Fatal Attraction. It is very deep and dark, with absolutely outstanding performances by Tony Leung and Tang Wei.

"During World War II, a secret agent must seduce, then assassinate an official who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai. Her mission becomes clouded when she finds herself falling in love with the man she is assigned to kill."

The Piano directed by Jane Campion (1993)

One of my absolute favorite films, The Piano tells the story of the forbidden romance between mute and married Ada and her husband's friend. This haunting film will stick with you long after.

"After a long voyage from Scotland, pianist Ada McGrath and her young daughter, Flora, are left with all their belongings, including a piano, on a New Zealand beach. Ada, who has been mute since childhood, has been sold into marriage to a local man named Alisdair Stewart. Making little attempt to warm up to Alisdair, Ada soon becomes intrigued by his Maori-friendly acquaintance, George Baines, leading to tense, life-altering conflicts."

Book Review: A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell

A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell
Length: 320 Pages
Genres: YA Fantasy
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for an ARC of this book!

Trigger Warnings for this book include Violence, Blood, Guns, Death, Mentions of Depression and Anxiety, and Abandonment

"The magic we perform doesn't have words. It is felt. It is the roots beneath our feet. It is the string connecting our fates to each other and to the rest of the world. It is the life-giving water, it is the power in ourselves."

There is one word to some up this book and it is...meh. The plot, characters, the writing, all of it was overwhelmingly okay when I was expecting WOW! My main draw to this book was that the protagonist is plus-sized and, being plus-size myself, I was so, so excited to see an explicitly plus-size/fat character get the spotlight, and to be something other than a skinny person's comic relief! Hollowell really delivered on that aspect -- Derry is fat and it has little to no impact on her plot and life which was a breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into A Dark and Starless Forest. It seemed interesting enough, with nine magical sisters living in a secluded house and being raised by the mysterious and cruel Frank, a pseudo-father figure with teeth. Derry's magic is related to nature, so she has the ability to grow flowers and vines and connect with the earth in a powerful and sometimes frightening way. The other sisters tended to run together for me, and with only a few little descriptions of their looks, personalities and powers thrown in once or twice I was left feeling a little lost. The catalyst for A Dark and Starless Forest comes when one sister after another starts to disappear and the girls start to question Frank's motives. Meanwhile, the forest surrounding the house starts to call to Derry in familiar voices. It's only when she ventures inside that she starts to discover the dark truth.

I think this was a pretty run-of-the-mill YA fantasy. To be honest, I'm beginning to think YA and I just don't get along. I keep getting swept away by their shiny covers and amazing blurbs but 9 times out of ten I'm disappointed. If you'd be interested in a sort of girl-power X-Men retelling with a malevolent and powerless Professor X pulling the strings, then I think this would be the perfect book for you! I have no doubt there are many who'd enjoy this and I also recognize how amazing it is to have a kick-ass plus-size heroine front and center. Hopefully, Derry is the first in a long, long line.

Book Review: The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
Length: 368 Pages
Genres: Mystery and Paranormal
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this book!

Trigger Warnings in this book for Violence, Gore, Body Horror, Death of a Loved One (Cancer) and Sexual Coercion (17 year old of a 15 year old)

This year I've made a concerted effort to get my Halloween celebrations started early and to get as much spooky reading in as I can! It seems that, without any planning on my part, I've picked books mostly about witches. I love a good witch film/show/book, but honestly, they can are very hard to pull off, usually falling on the side of cheesy instead of creepy. Happily, that is not the case in C.J. Cooke's newest book!

I was immediately drawn to this novel, set on the mysterious isle of Lòn Haven, Scotland, not only because of the fabulous backdrop but because it promised mysterious disappearances and lighthouses and witch trials (did you know that Scotland experienced four major witch hunts, between 1590-1727?), all things I'm absolutely crazy about. Told through various sections, from the POVs of single mother to three girls, Liv, who has arrived on the isle to paint a mural in the crumbling lighthouse in 1998, Sapphire, also in 1998, her eldest daughter, and Luna, her middle child, now pregnant in 2020. Luna is still desperately searching for her two sisters who went missing all those years ago on Lòn Haven, along with their mother, and can't reconcile her few, happy memories with the woman who abandoned her -- and possibly, killed her sisters. 

But then the impossible happens. Luna gets a call, saying they've found Clover, only she's the not grown woman she's expecting, but a little girl, the same age she was when she went missing twenty-two years ago. Could she be one of the fabled wildlings, faeries disguised as missing human children, borne of a witch's curse hundreds of years earlier? Or is there an even stranger explanation?

The Lighthouse Witches is not only teeming with beautiful writing, evocative of the beauty and wildness of Scotland, but is a thoroughly enjoyable story with a bittersweet ending that had me almost tearing up! I really, really enjoyed this one, and highly recommend you pick it up this Halloween season.

Book Review: In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace

In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace
Length: 336 Pages
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Books for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Trigger Warnings for the Death of a Loved One

"October nights in Evenfall were made for witches, and this one was no exception.
The yellow moon was rising up from behind the trees of the hemlock forest at the edge of town while bats swooped against the darkening sky. The crisp wind with its traces of wood smoke skittered dried leaves across the pavement as a dog barked endlessly in the distance. The stirring of night magic put most creatures on edge."

I was so pleased to be accepted for an ARC of In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace! So far, Berkley Books and I have a pretty great track record, and I was so entranced by the cover, and the idea of a witch-owned B&B in New England! Could there be anything more perfect for Halloween?

Brynn Warren, along with her aunts Izzy and Nora (and Uncle Gideon, who refuses to leave the attic), are a part of a magical family that has cared for the little town of Evenfall for nearly 400 years. On top of that, they run a B&B out of their family home, the Queen Anne style Ivywood Hollow. Together, they can do anything -- even deal with a rude and demanding guest. Constance Graves is known around town for being bitter, mean, and a downright challenge, and when she stays at Ivywood Hollow, even going so far as to pay for every room so she's the only guest, emotions run high. Hot-headed Nora jokes maybe they should bump her off. Unfortunately, someone does the job for them, and fingers point to the "odd" Warren women.

It could be easily solved if Brynn could use her specialized powers to talk to Constance's ghost, but ever since the untimely death of her husband, Adam, her magic has all but disappeared. To prove her Aunt's innocence, she will need the help of nosy neighbors, friends, and even Fautus the Maine Coon and Dog the crow. One things for sure about Warren women -- they don't give up.

I adored this little cozy mystery, and loved the portrayal of witchcraft and the sometimes overbearing but loving Warren family. It was such a refreshing and happy little book, which came at exactly the right point in my life. If you're feeling a bit blue, like I was, this is the perfect way to bring a bit of magic back into your life!

Book Review: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Length: 400 Pages
Genres: YA Fantasy and Sci-Fi
Rating: 3 out of 3 Stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an ARC of this book!

Trigger Warnings in this book for Violence, Alcohol Abuse, Torture, Murder and Physical Abuse

"He should be the Iron King, and I should be the Iron Queen. Yet Iron Demon and Iron Widow is all they'll let us be."

I was really excited for Sci-Fi take on the infamous Wu Zetian, who was the de facto ruler of the Tang dynasty and the only female Emperor of China, so much so that I specifically asked to get an ARC of it. Iron Widow relies heavily on Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim (which I thoroughly enjoyed, even if I was in the minority), so I thought I would really enjoy this! Unfortunately, I was more than a little let down.

Wu Zetian has been raised for one thing: to become a concubine for a pilot so that he can power the towering Chrysalises, made of precious spirit metal to combat the Hunduns. They are bug-like aliens who have taken over the planet and wiped out a whole city hundreds of years ago, driving the remaining humans back behind the Great Wall. It is a fate few survive, for the pilot's spirit pressure, or qi, obliterates the minds of the concubines. Zetian has already lost her Big Sister, but instead of a valiant death in the midst of a battle, she is murdered by a cruel pilot, one Zetian will do anything to get close to. When she is matched up with him something incredible happens -- it isn't Zetian who is killed but him. Her spirit pressure is enormous, so she can only match up with one pilot, Li Shimin, a convicted murderer who killed his family is still a prisoner despite his powerful qi. 

Zetian is tired of being used and will stop at nothing to eradicate a system that views girls as nothing but kindling to fuel the boys' fire. With help of her friend Yizhi, and the eventual acceptance of Shimin, she strives to become the most powerful woman in all of Huaxia.

My main issue with this book was the writing. It was, for lack of a better word, amateur, bordering even on fanfic-y. Everything Zetian said was cool and witty and a perfect retort that left mouths hanging open and people cowering in fear. It was trying to be edgy and coming across as more cringe than anything else. I was very interested in the relationships between Shimin, Yizhi and Zetian, and the fact that they were in a polyamorous arrangement. I really liked that aspect and it was a breath of fresh air from the usual love triangle. Iron Widow takes a while to get going and ends on a massive, unsatisfying cliffhanger. I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel to this one, much to my disappointment!