This novel is brutal, but so fantastically written. The rage of Zetian bleeds off every page and pulls the reader along with it. You are bound to Zetian's fate as she continues to defy the odds, to laugh in the face of convention, to destroy the world that told her she was worth nothing. Zetian is an icon! She is everything I wanted, no needed, her to be in the face of a completely misogynistic society. Her ferocity builds and breeds more. She has known her life will always end in death at a young age, or subjugation to a brutal husband, so nothing can really scare her. It makes her bold, gives her the ability to challenge those that would keep her in her 'place', in their 'box.' The history and backstory for this world is fascinating. The mechs made out of former alien skin. How they can be transformed into animals and then large creatures using the minds of male and female pilots. The Yin and Yang system of piloting. The power dynamic, the fact most male pilots are stronger and therefore kill their female copilot. Those few women who are equally matched with men, giving small hopes to future female concubines that they could ever survive the horror of piloting. The powers of qi, and how you can wield it (example: fire, water, earth). It was all mapped out so perfectly, I could imagine every moment of Zetian's first instance of entering a mech. The mind world, the control, the pain, the destruction. And as the story unfolds, truths come to light, and the rage within you begins to build along with Zetian. Li Shimin was surprisingly the most gentle character in this story. He is a reluctant fighter, forced to pilot knowing he is killing girls every time he fights. He is sad, hardened, and unresponsive. But, meeting Zetian stirs something inside of him. His protective and respectful nature win out, showing Zetian a true hero with a big heart who has been fighting battles with the world and himself. I love him as a character so much, he is a true cinnamon roll. The third character in their triangle, Gao Yizhi, seems to be a soft city boy, but in reality oh boy! He was one of the most surprisingly fun characters, who works hard behind the scenes in order to protect Zetian. He is loyal and devoted to her, even while he can never fully grasp the intricacies of how the world, and the beliefs he has been raised with, actually hurt women the most. But, he is willing to do anything for Zetian, and in turn Li Shimin. The three work so well together, forming a deep bond in the face of death and adversity. I love the growth in Zetian, as she moves through the world from poor farm girl on the edges of society, to concubine sacrifice, to powerful fighter. She begins to see that girls are not the only people who are sacrificed in this system of oppression. While girls have the worst of all punishments and lives, young men too are thrown into a piloting program that does not see them age past 25 (when their usefulness wanes). The regime is so flawed and Zetian must rethink her whole world view in order to fully understand the deep seated horrors that this Kingdom puts many of its poor through. This world is meant to break down people like Zetian and Li Shimin completely. But these two mean to tear it all apart, piece by rotten piece. I am enthralled and I need the next book now! This is definitely one of my Top 5 reads this year so far! Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an earc of this title in exchange for an honest review. Lots of content warnings for this book, so please make sure to check what they are before reading this epic novel.
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