User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Okay, I need to preface this by saying I enthusiastically requested this arc because Xiran is one of my all-time favorite influencers. Their commentary, videos, etc, I love them. But this book is bad.
TLDR:
-Feminist story
- Alt love triangle (MFM poly it seems?)
- Scifi/alt-history
- Chinese history inspired
- Big robots
- Bisexual rep
Back to the book itself, the tagline is Pacific Rim meets Handmaid's Tale (It does rely a lot on Pacific Rim) Zetian is a young girl who offers herself up to pair with a mech pilot after her sister is killed in battle ( a normal occurrence, as girls are more or less used as sacrifices in these battles to power the robots) She intends on getting her revenge.
If I could describe this book in any way, it would be blunt and thoughtless.
They are fighting against aliens, but most of the time this conflict isn't really explained, nor is the technology used to fight them. There is a twist at the end, but its not done with much care, and the plot is literally just recycled from one of the most famous scifi books of all time. The gender politics are also super weird and confusing with limited explanation ...I still have no idea what any of the world politics are, though they have a pretty gosh darn big impact on the world. We will get into this a little later.
Zetian's journey is like BOOM revenge BOOM I'm at the story location BOOM I'm actually more mentally strong than anyone else here. It's all cliff notes. We don't really get time to marinade in the universe or time to understand it or the people who live in it. She doesn't really connect with people, do any introspection, or develop in her world. It's a lot of telling and not showing- and I assume part of this because the author so deeply wants you to LOVE Zetian that they are basically forgoing any true development or storytelling that could take the focus off of glorifying this character.
Iron Widow is a frequent blast of the author telling you someone is the strongest, the most powerful, the most dangerous, the hottest, etc. It's a modern mary sue tale, where the main character isn't traditionally "flawless" but the author is doing everything they can to beg you to like that character and always be on her side. She's cool and and edgy and kills people- and it's framed with the nuance and detail of a child's essay on why Batman is the best superhero. Zetian's every action is cool, justified, sexy as hell, and designed specifically for you to not just root for her; but for you to see her as an undeniable badass. She is edgy yet perfect, the Celaena Sardothien of the story if you will. Sure, she has flaws, but they are all framed in the context of making her look cool.
Look no further than Zetian's brand of feminism (which has all the depth of 90s girl power, Zetian is the exception and all of the other women in the story are ~dumb weak idiots~) We know the policies of the world are abusive to women, but the biggest conversations we have about it are "someone says something sexist, and Zetian responds with a cool, feminist thought"- and yes, she always has a cool, badass feminist response to everyone despite absolutely no context for how she became outspokenly defiant in a world that treats women so poorly.
Theres no explanation to how her family reflected the same values as the rest of society, yet she is deeply empowered with no character development to unapologetically strike back against sexism to the point where she's verbally sparring with people who could murder her on a whim. Take a moment to ask yourself how this character became so cool and liberated and strong and it all falls apart.
The "why" doesn't matter. The context is irrelevant. Reading Iron Widow is a journey of taking every line at face value and never giving yourself a second to question things like character motivation/development. The structure of the world they are in. This book is a list of an author's favorite tropes with no attempt to pull them together in a meaningful way.
There isn't really a lot of world-building. There isn't a lot of character building unless someone gets a monologue where they explain their entire motivations. The romances are both instalove, so feel free to ignore anyone who tells you there is much here in the way of enemies to lovers. There is supposed to be a poly romance in the story as well, but its really just two bland dudes with minimal personality outside of their relationship with Zetian worshipping her and then shrugging their shoulders and going "okay yeah lets make it a threesome". There isn't so much a romance as there is two men acting as set dressing to prove how cool and sexy the main character is.
The writing is also very surface-level. It reminded me a lot of my own prose as a teenager- it comes off extremely childish and simplistic. It's embarrassing "how did this get allowed to be published" bad. Remember "My Immortal", that Harry Potter fanfic where the angry goth girl is constantly listing her outfits to the audience? Think a few steps above that. If the author wasn't famous, it probably wouldn't have. The prose was probably 40% of my issue with the story, but it was a big one, and it bleeds all over the text.
Ive seen this book defended because it's a "popcorn novel", but the marketing, author advertising, and the book itself, and its "cool girl feminist" concept entirely too seriously to be a parody. Make no mistake, Iron Widow was written in earnest.
So I've given the book some business. I do want to praise it for having a cool idea for the romance in terms of poly rep. I did not like Zetian's relationships with either love interest and felt that they were rushed, but the whole idea of poly romance is still extremely rare, and very exciting and daring on the part of Xiran Jay Zhao.
I could tell they put a lot of heart into this book, and I really try to be honest when I review things. I do hope it finds success so they will make a ton of money, but I was very surprised with how many more objective issues I had with the book itself.
I would recommend this for people who really liked Pacific Rim, folks who love all books with queer rep, and anyone who wants a Chinese inspired world.
EDIT: Some of my friends have been harassed on other platforms for their negative reviews of this book, which also makes me incredibly uncharitable towards it. If you like this book, someone saying it was bad is not going to hurt you. Keep liking it and leave people alone.
Rating: really liked it
rep: Chinese-coded cast & setting, disabled bi mc, bi mcs, polyamory
tw: gore, murder, torture, mentions of rape, threats of rape, misogyny, femicide, suicide ideation, abuse, alcohol addiction
Review also on Reads Rainbow. ARC provided by the publisher.Irow Widow is the feminist agenda, actually.
It’s almost impossible to pinpoint one single thing that ensures
Irow Widow is such a spectacular novel, and that’s because all the ingredients are equally amazing. Let us start, though, with arguably the most important part: the characters. The three of them are what carries the story, and they could not be more different from each other, while still sharing some of the same goals & values. Those goals? Vengeance. And possibly world peace, so to speak.
First of all, we have Zetian, a truly groundbreaking protagonist. The whole book only happens because Zetian wants to avenge her older sister’s (pointless and predictable) death. But the author doesn’t simply let the readers know that this is Zetian’s heart’s desire; instead they spend a lot of time explaining the circumstances, making sure that the readers realise it’s misogyny that killed that girl.
Frankly, misogyny as a concept, embodied by some of the most powerful men in
Irow Widow & by the core principles on which its world is built, is the real villain of the story. Some of those misogynistic principles are boldly borrowed from actual Chinese history (like little girls getting their feet bound so they can’t walk and thus remain completely depended on their husbands; and also “beautiful” in their eyes), some are only grown on the echoes of it (like the pilots seats, inspired by the philosophy of Yin and Yang but taking it so much further, to create something ugly).
Villains can be defeated, though, and Wu Zetian takes great pleasure in cutting every impersonation of misogyny down, both in a literal, physical sense & by breaking societal norms. No spoilers, but every chance she gets, she spits in the face of power built on suffering of marginalised people. It’s no exaggeration to say she takes everything the society has taught her about how women should behave, she takes her own disfigured body & she molds it into a great weapon to fight injustice with, to avenge her sister and countless other girls.
But Wu Zetian is only one part of the trio that every reader will surely become obsessed with. There are also two boys, absolutely nothing alike. A scholar and a pilot; a civilised man on whom people place hopes & dreams and a brute warrior who shouldn’t be thought about too long. But of course, like with almost everything in
Irow Widow, those are just the appearances.
In reality, just like Wu Zetian, both Li Shimin and Gao Yizhi will fight to the death for what they believe in. It’s no wonder then that all of them fall in love with each other. And it’s not simply a case where we get a polyamorous relationship at the very end, just to avoid a love triangle. Instead, it all happens naturally. Each of the characters falls for the other two at their own pace, and even more importantly: they talk about the implications of loving more than one person. There is no jealousy, but instead one boy gently explaining how Wu Zetian loving someone else as well, doesn’t mean she loves
him any less.
Their love isn’t a separate entity, running alongside the main plot. On the contrary, their love makes them stronger, in a very literal sense. Their love allows some of the main events in the book to unfold. Their love is the center of the story, in some ways.
There’s also something to be said about the very evident gentleness of Gao Yizhi who still, when the time calls to defend/avenge Wu Zetian, can be absolutely ruthless, even to his own blood, compared with Li Shimin being perceived by everyone as a feral dog while actually being the living incarnation of that one Richard Siken line (“We have not touched the stars, \ nor are we forgiven, which brings us back \ to the hero’s shoulders and the gentleness that comes, \ not from the absence of violence, but despite \ the abundance of it”).
And, of course, no review of
Irow Widow is finished before mentioning the ending. The story does a complete 180 spin in the most exciting and satisfying of ways, and creates the setup for a sequel of monumental proportions. If you have ever read
Ender's Game, then you might have some idea of what kind of a mind-fuck we’re talking about here. (Not that I’m recommending
Ender's Game.)
Irow Widow is, to quote the classics, absolutely unhinged. Which is to say it’s one of the very few novels out there that allow their female (nonbinary?) protagonist to gain full ownership not only of her body, but of her destiny; to be merciless and vengeful, and cold-blooded; to kill people in order to achieve her goals. All that ensures that reading
Irow Widow is an experience unlike any other, and even months later you will still want to scream about it at the top of your lungs.
Rating: really liked it
I'm upset that a book marketed as a feminist breakthrough only portrays feminism as something extremely violent, which is actually a harmful stereotype that this book, which prides itself on
breaking stereotypes, perpetuates. It's supposed to be this revolutionary feminist book, but it just preserves misogynistic ideas under the guise of being empowering. For all of its sweeping talk about breaking barriers and supporting women (which I do love, just not paired with what actually happens in this book), it's surprisingly shallow. Every female character besides Zetian either a) dies, or b) is a vain, man-obsessed, conceited misogynist. I really dislike how Zetian is supposed to be some savior to open the eyes of the world, only to keep saying how much women annoy her and how much she hates being a woman. And she also kills a woman for the reason (one we're somehow supposed to support?) that she was protecting her family.
How come Zetian is the one who's a girlboss when she was raised the same way as all the other women and had no exposure to any different ideas? Realistically, she should have the same mindset, but she doesn't. Why? Additionally, Zetian is inconsistent because she claims to care about people's lives (specifically the lives of concubine-pilots), but kills innocent people without a hint of remorse. She's a hypocrite. I don't have a problem with reading about evil main characters. It's the poor writing that's the problem. She's so concerned about the lives of these women (which makes sense, I am too), but she completely disregards everyone else and then somehow thinks she's fit and has earned a position of power. This isn't some sort of nuance in Zetian—it's just lazy characterization.
Annihilate every center of power, so everything will collapse into chaos and people will have no choice but to obey the new most powerful thing—me.
Lovely.
Zetian justifies everything she does with her incredibly frustrating internal dialogue.
It is not me who is wrong. It's everyone else.
She tells herself she's going to save women, only to belittle, look down on, and
kill women for whom she doesn't have a good first impression. This... is supposed to be empowering.
The entire reason the plot even started is because Zetian wanted revenge for the death of her Big Sister. But who is her sister? What is her sister like? The bond they have is described very, very briefly, but there's really no reason given for why Zetian wanted so badly to avenge her death.
The writing is juvenile. There are many mistakes. The plot twists are told through rhetorical questions. Action scenes are vague and confusing. The plot relies on deus ex machina and characters with no other purpose than to help the MCs. There's too much telling and not enough showing. The metaphors and descriptive writing are... odd:
Dread hollows through me.
I smell a whiff of fear in the temperature-controlled air.
A sharp breath lances up his nose.
I liked the creative resolution of the love triangle. That was a great twist and I appreciate how it bends tropes. But... I really didn't feel anything about the romance itself. There wasn't any buildup, there wasn't any real chemistry. Zetian is awful to Shimin for the entire book until the end when she kisses him despite having a bullet in her back and all of her ribs smashed. Convenient.
There were too many descriptions of hairstyles and basically no descriptions of the actual core conflict of this book and the reason it exists: Hunduns. What do they look like? Why are they fighting humans? What is the process of turning a Hundun into a Chrysalis? I'm not sure the author knows, really, because I got this feeling that this idea was never fleshed-out. There's a disproportionate lack of imagery when it comes to Hunduns.
This book has no nuance whatsoever. Subtlety does not exist. Zetian goes on long monologues telling us word for word the message of the book. She takes topics with great potential to be explored further and with more depth and punches them repeatedly, basically. She removes any profundity and pretends to be a savior while actually hurting women more than she helps them. She has no long term vision and it makes me want to cry. Zetian is deranged and delusional, but she's being promoted as someone we're supposed to support.
Feminism is cool. Feminism is great. I love it. It's awesome. The world needs it. But
this is not feminism, and pretending it is just undermines the movement.
1 frustrated star
Rating: really liked it
ENFORCE YOUR LAST PATHETIC GENDER ROLE, PATRIARCHY
PS You can find more pretty art, memes, and the mecha designs on my website! 😛
Been seeing some confusion about this so thought I'd clarify here: this book is not historical fantasy or alternate history! It's a story set in a totally different sci-fi world with characters who are only
inspired by historical figures from across Chinese history (not just the Tang dynasty). Lots of creative liberties were taken for thematic purposes, so the characters only resemble the historical figures in personality and general vibe. Kind of like comic book adaptations/elseworlds where they play around with the iconic characters' backstories or place them in radically different life circumstances. All historical references should only be seen as Easter eggs instead of attempts at accuracy, since there's no specific era to be accurate to 😂 But if you want to learn the actual history of Empress Wu's life, I've made some videos going into detail about it!
Serious PSA: When I wrote this book, I was told by multiple people that I would encounter resistance at every step (publishers, reviewers, libraries) because I'm letting the protagonist enter a polyamorous relationship instead of forcing her to choose between two love interests, and they have basically never seen that done in YA before (though there actually ARE a few! Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton, for example). There's no doubt that my journey would be a lot easier if I had cut the MFM triad into a standard YA love triangle. But, I persisted. Because barriers will not come down unless you BREAK THEM. Only by publishing more poly books can it be normalized, and future authors writing it won't have to go through the same struggle.
That being said, if you see any people anywhere slamming this book because of the polyamory, please do NOT engage or harass them. Likely, you cannot change their minds.
Please do not start witch hunts in authors' names. Just keep supporting us, and we can ride it out!
Because of the harassment and slander that I've received on Goodreads, though, I will no longer be checking this page. I'll still be supporting other books, but if you have any questions about mine, please reach me at my Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, or the email on my website! I literally won't see your question otherwise.
Please think critically about what you read. I have never engaged directly with a reviewer, and I never will.
Non-Serious Bonus Summary for Weeb Eyes Only: Under siege by monsters beyond the Great Wall like that shitty Matt Damon movie, except the monsters are Cybertronian-like sentient machines, a society that has the fashion, social customs, and beliefs of Ancient China but futuristic tech fights back by pulling a Neon Genesis Evangelion and rebuilding their very invaders into giant mecha. A boy-girl pair in their teens, because of course they have to be teens, pilot the mecha Darling in the Franxx style, except in a much more sensible position (he hugs her from behind). Under command of human pilots, these mecha take on forms inspired by East Asian myth creatures and transform like Transformers through Digimon-esque evolution lines that get more humanoid as you go on. The pilots physically embody them, so it's more Attack on Titan than Gundam. Oh, and they blast qi attacks, so the battles honestly read like a bunch of furries engaged in a Dragon Ball Z fight, and that’s no one’s fault but mine.
Catch this in your local bookstore Fall 2021.
Rating: really liked it
Polyam instead of love triangles in YA? We stan. The rest of the story left alot to be desired though.
Rating: really liked it
ARC Provided by the Author & Caffeine Book Tours "This world does not deserve my respect. It is not worthy of my kindness or compassion."
I’ll be completely honest, when I read the author note at the start of this book I knew I was about to fall in love with a new story. Xiran Jay Zhao lets the reader know that you are about to get a love letter to Chinese culture, Chinese history, and the only female Chinese emperor! The author does not shy away from the ugly things, but always shines such a powerful light on all the beauty, and truly crafts such an inspiring tale of a girl who will rise up the ranks and become more powerful than anyone ever let her believe or dream, including her family, her country, and even herself.
This story is Asian, queer, and all about abolishing the patriarchy and gender roles that every society tries to make people fit with their judgement, expectations, and laws. “Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in a polyamorous reimagining of China's only female emperor” is the perfect tagline for this book! And this story is truly so powerful, so beautiful, and so high on my recommendations lists for you all!
Okay, on to the giant transforming robots and what the story is actually about! In this world, Huaxia is trying to protect the Great Wall against Hunduns and their alien mechs (who have already developed and established their own society and way of life on the other side of the wall And Huazia has modified versions of these robots that they call Chrysalises, and constant waves of battle are happening and being broadcasted for the people to watch and be entertained by. The pilots of these mechs are able to transform them into East Asian mythical creatures, and sometimes they are able to gain more special abilities under very specific circumstances when two pilots are able to bond together, weave their qi together, fight stronger together, and have a big adventure in battles together. But there are so few bonded pilots in this world.
But in Huaxia, young boys are hailed as heroes for piloting these machines, but it always takes two pilots, no matter how much society wishes to forget about the evils of the other seat. Young girls are given up by their families to serve the army and have their qi tested to see if they would be able to help pilot alongside a powerful boy. The thing is, most times the boy completely invades, using a psychic link, and uses up every ounce of lifeforce the girl has, killing her during battle.
"I wouldn’t live and suffer for anyone else, but I would die to avenge my sister."
➽ Wu Zetian - our main character, who is ready to enlist herself in to the army, to the same pilot who her big sister was enlisted to, but only her ashes were given back. On a mission of pure vengeance, and being sick of being held back because of the gender she was assigned at birth, she finally wants to reclaim some semblance of power for her sister, even if she has to pay for it with her life. But when she gets into her first mech as a concubine-pilot, the world is not ready for the power she truly has to offer, even if it could change the war for once and for all. She also uses a cane and sometimes a wheelchair because of the seriousness and pain of her footbinding.
➽ Li Shimin - the Iron Demon, pilot of the Vermillion Bird, and the scariest and most powerful pilots of them all. Not a single girl has made it out of his mech alive during battle. Was on actual death row for murder because his qi power was tested and noticed and now he is forced to endure another type of prison. He also is bisexual and half Rongdi. He is also struggling with alcoholism and immense trauma and grief. (unrelated, but I would give my life for him this very second.)
➽ Gao Yizhi - son of a powerful man who controls many of the social and public relations standards of Huaxia. Yizhi would sneak out and meet Zetian once a month in the forest of her village and help teach her things and just be a good friend to her. When I tell you I would die for this character. I also feel like the author really gave him some 11/10 one-liners. He is also bisexual and really does such a beautiful job teaching Zetian about polyamory. (yes, these three end up in a relationship together, even though it is not the central plot, it is perfect and I hope we are able to see more stories in the future normalize polyamorous relationships in the seamless way this one did!)
"love isn’t some scarce resource to battle over. Love can be infinite, as much as your heart can open."
But we follow (and fall head over heels in love with) this trio, while they attempt to dismantle the patriarchy and different types of oppression these people have been facing since even before Zhou fell. I know I just gave you a lot of information, but I promise you the author does so much of a better job immersing you in this story and world. Their writing is actually the best writing I’ve read in the past few years and the amount of highlights my eARC has is actually sickening.
I also just deeply loved the themes of feminism and how sometimes things can feel exceptionally heavy when you have been raised your entire life to honor your elders and trust that they know best, when we still have so many systems (and corrupt governments) to dismantle in our world today. I’m typing this review in 2021 where you are still unable to get a divorce in the Philippines that isn't an annulment, and how living in the US means constantly seeing powerful men make laws that take away women’s rights to their own bodies.
"I close my eyes, picturing myself taking command of a Chrysalis, towering over buildings and smashing the earth with my colossal limbs or luminous qi blasts. I could crush anyone who’s ever tried to crush me. I could free all the girls who’d love to run away."
Overall this was just the Asian, queer, polyamorous, feminist sci-fi story of my dreams. The layers were so haunting and deep, the themes were so loud and important, the writing was pure perfection and genius levels of lyrical, and the characters were completely and wholeheartedly unforgettable. And I truly believe that book two, and the conclusion to this duology, will be even better come 2022.
Also, this author is just really cool and creates really amazing content on youtube and their blog. I truly think they are just so inspirational, and I believe one day they will have a few stories written about them and the hope and happiness they are giving to so many, including so many Asian kids all around the world who are feeling so seen and feeling even more pride in their cultures.
Also (lastly for real), this book being published on September 21st, the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, and celebrating another story about a woman, a rabbit, and their sacrifices brings actual tears to my eyes. Very galaxy brain of this author and pub house and just a really beautiful final touch.
Iron Window will for sure make my best books of 2021 list, and I am so truly proud and honored to have been on the blog tour for such a powerful story.
Content + Trigger Warnings: murder, death, torture, violence, gore, human sacrifices, thoughts of suicide, a lot of abuse (including domestic abuse and parental abuse), talk of sexual assault, extreme alcohol addiction, lots of consumption of alcohol, lots of depictions of blood, lots of depictions of trauma, depictions of depression, anxiety depictions and panic attacks, many mentions of needles, forced body modifications including footbinding and stolen organs, humiliation, misogyny and sexism, talk of disease, themes of colonization, and war themes
Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch
The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.(i'm the worst) buddy read(er) with May ❤
Rating: really liked it
Take a shot every time you read the line "nipple eyes"
Let me preface this review by saying I am genuinely a fan of Xiran’s other content. I have been following them since their book deal was first announced and I love their insights into Chinese history, so naturally I was so excited for this novel. To say I'm disappointed is uh... a severe understatement.
I wanted to like this. I could have forgiven a lot for this book. But when I finished, I ended up feeling like Zetian – full of feminist rage, wanting to burn the world down, starting with every word I had just read.
Let’s break this down. (with spoilers, because nothing i say makes sense otherwise)
THE CHARACTERSI am a character reader. To me, bad characters are a book’s greatest sin. As far as I’m concerned, this book needs to go to confession. It doesn't help that most of the characters act and talk like young teenagers, including the mature adults in professional situations (*cough* Sima Yi *cough*)
I will start with the smallest offenders, leading to the biggest ones.
“You can’t shoot me, I’m rich!”
Gao Yizhi – we all know I love a soft boy, and I love healers even more. He seemed to be the only beacon of hope in a bleak world and I liked that he was given a more gentle, nurturing role in the story, so when he killed his father at the end, I was left scratching my head. Is this really the same boy who was compassionate towards a convicted murderer when even the main character herself was not? It was incredibly out of character. In the end he just turned into a Zetian fanboy who enabled her murderous rampage.
“We barely have to do any rebranding for you. You’re the baddest of bad boys. The ultimate alpha male.”
Li Shimin – nothing to say, really. Just your stereotypical bad boy with a ridiculously tragic past that feels like a trauma bingo card and never really gets explored properly. He just got tossed aside at the end. He was fleshed out so little that I didn’t even feel sad when he died. And neither did Zetian, really.
“Can I really call myself a strong girl if I’m relying on two boys?”
Wu Zetian – I… I don’t know where to start. I hated her from page one: she was cruel, disrespectful, and was perfectly fine letting her entire family die for petty revenge. She went on paragraph-long feminist spiels (which don’t make sense, since we have no foundation as to where she got her ideals from), but then the moment she met other girls her age, the first thing she did was assume the worst of them and scream in their faces (honestly, "I scream" was used so many times in the wrong context). Also, she is constantly being rescued by men. Even at the climax of the book, her problems are solved by finding another man. Very little of her success actually feels earned.
“In hindsight, I was such a fool to have assumed Qieluo would stand by me just because she’s also female.”
Nearly every conversation she has with women is about men. That’s right, at 50%, this novel barely passed the Bechdel test. It says something about this novel's supposed feminism that Wu Zetian murders the only two women she has
any relationship with. First is Xiuying, a fellow pilot who turns against Zetian. Horrible, right? Well, it's actually because the government is
threatening to kill her two toddler sons. As for the second, it's actually her
mother. Her mother, who tries to care for her in the best way she knows how, who in the end asks Zetian to spare her brother if she must take her mother and father’s life. And what does Zetian do? The logical thing, of course!
She murders her entire family in cold blood. “They might die from the fall or get crushed by the battle. I don’t care.”
The narrative does not frame any of Zetian’s actions as morally questionable. She maims her fellow soldiers, constantly disrespects her superiors (with no consequences to be seen), and is judgmental to other women - especially women who follow the rules of their society. You know, like most people in a society
do. She is a villain, but her actions are written like they are heroic.
That's the thing about this novel.
Iron Widow's protagonist doesn't only hate men. She also hates women, and she seems to hate being a woman. This book has nothing positive to say about womanhood, and it does not empower its own women. I think in many ways, Xiran is using Zetian as a mouthepiece, and I think they need to re-evaluate the message they are trying to send, because it borders on harmful.
THE WORLDBUILDINGI’ll keep this brief because there was barely any. This book moves at such a fast pace that I genuinely have barely any understanding of the world at large. Nothing is fleshed out – not the history, not the hunduns, not the development of Chrysalises, and especially not the magic system. There are different types of qi, I gathered that much, and they all work differently, but I could never keep any of them straight.
I just wish we had time to explore and understand all of it. The worldbuilding is the coolest aspect of the book, but it has no time to shine. Instead we had to spend every moment with Zetian in her head as she hates on everyone around her except the two lead men, who are
the only positive influences in Zetian’s life.“My pain is solely due to being born a girl.”
Zetian's world is a patriarchal, sexist society where women are treated as subservient commodities. Normally, this sort of structure means that a narrative has to have nuance, showing how such a society came to be and how these women are forced to remain in such conditions. This book does not have that nuance. It just beats you over the head with abusive men who are flat out terrible, who show no other personality traits other than being evil. Every man in this book is moustache-twirling villain except for the two love interests.
THE PLOT“I’m rising, rising above that collective bullshit.”
I wouldn’t even call this a plot. This is a random series of events that seems like the author just made up as they went along. The catalyst of the plot is the murder of Zetian’s older sister (I don’t think we ever learn her name), who seems to have taught Zetian all her rebellious values? But we know nothing about said sister and are never shown why Zetian loves Big Sister so much that she is willing to sacrifice the rest of her family to avenge her.
As a consequence of the lack of worldbuilding and fleshing out of the magic system, events just seem to happen without rhyme or reason. None of Zetian’s accomplishments with her Chrysalis (like the different forms) ever seem rewarding, because we don’t know how she got there. Even the final act is lackluster – Zetian just has the solution to their problem handed to her by a random nomadic tribe.
THE GOOD STUFFUnsurprisingly, one of the few places this book shines is when Xiran is diving into their knowledge of Chinese history. I really appreciated the idea of combining ancient Chinese traditions and culture with futuristic tech and pacific-rim style mechas. I really liked the visuals of all the different powers and suits, and though I've never watched mecha anime, this makes me want to watch some. There are also some lovely location descriptions that really put you in the situation and make you feel the grittiness of the world. A pity the worldbuilding and dialogue don’t reflect this at all.
Also, the plot twist at the end was neat. I genuinely liked that, and it took me by surprise. I don’t know if I will actually pick up the sequel though, because I don't want to sit read another 400 pages of poorly-writen and often infuriatingly detrimental feminist rants.
IN CONCLUSION/TLDR; Iron Widow is a book that needs work. It also needs a better editor, and at least 10k more words. And during that edit, it needs to decide what it wants Zetian to be: a villain, or a hero? Because the author presents her as a feminist icon, while in reality all she does is harm other women and gush about her two male love interests.
This book is not at all good, but the foundations for a good book are in here somewhere. This a debut novel, which are often rocky anyway – the only place the author can go from here is up, if they only give themself time to evaluate their story's messages and world.
1/5 stars
Rating: really liked it
this book was badass. literally i felt so powerful reading this. Zetian has such a strong and ruthless personality which was so refreshing to read about. she’s morally grey, need i say more?
the characters in this book are the best part. i wasn’t invested in the plot but these characters were relatable and fierce which made up for it. between the 3 main characters, there were such cute moments that made me all giddy and happy inside. they have my whole heart.
there was romance in here but it was definitely a sub-plot. the main focus was Zetain’s badassery. but polyamory in YA ?!? wow that was refreshing 🤩
TEHHSISNS THE FUCKING ENDING !! GIVE ME BOOK 2 IMMEDIATELY!!
Rating: really liked it
Absolutely epic. This is the historical-inspired, futuristic sci-fi mash-up of my wildest dreams.
Iron Widow charges headfirst into a world of giant mechas and uncompromising characters. The brutal beauty of Xiran Jay Zhao’s writing kept me glued to the page from start to finish.
Rating: really liked it
i had no intention of reading this - it just didnt sound like a story that would work for me. but i kept seeing all of the 5 star reviews and i ultimately caved into the peer pressure. but i should have listened to my gut instinct saying this wouldnt be for me.
i objectively can acknowledge all of the aspects that have made this book successful so far - an interesting sci-fi premise, characters inspired by chinese history, the visibility/representation, and prominent feminist themes. all great stuff and, on paper, sound like my type of story.
but again, that gut feeling i had after reading the synopsis and authors comment. the best way i can describe my feelings is this is too edgy for me personally. that makes me sound like a total wimp, lol, but my gentle soul prefers more subtlety and nuance in my stories and this book is a rebellion forcing you to look at it while it screams in your face. its no doubt effective, but just not the kind of storytelling for me.
truly a lot of great content in this, i just didnt click with the delivery of it all.
↠ 2.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
Screaming, shaking, shitting my pants, crying, and losing my mind over this book. I came for the polyamorous and stayed for the absolute mind blowingly crafted world that is the Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.
Rating: really liked it
*ARC sent by the publisher -Penguin Teen/Penguin Random House Canada- for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.* You know what… the most accurate analogy for this book really is Attack on Titan but it make it mecha Sci-Fi set in a dystopian era inspired by historical China. By that, I mean the vibe with how vulnerable it can be but also violent, and how the lore is made to be.
I do think the writing style could have been a tad more whimisical and nuanced because this one really is in your face with the themes it tackles. Not saying that it's bad but those are just my preferences. There is more
telling rather than
showing and in the end, it did bother me a bit even though I enjoyed a lot of other aspects in the book.
It does focus more on Zetian’s journey and her own development than the romance. “He will not kill me. He does not get to make me a statistic.”
as a uni student that is endlessly tired, this flew by way too fast (in a good way). the amount of things that happened in the span of 50 pages is just crazy. we're also going to pretend that this didn't take me 3 million years to start reading because I got the ARC 5 months ago.
The nuances played into the plot (specifically, not in the book as a whole) were well-done in my opinion. It never felt like it was dragging or lagging at any point in terms of the plot progression. It’s fast-paced and just my vibe. I thought it was going to be all fun and games… but Xiran Jay Zhao has guts….. and you know what, we respect the grind. If you know, you know.
It does get gritty and violent so fair warning.Zetian and the Poly Power Trio are the Kings and Queen of being morally grey. She definitely is that kind of character that you need to get used to at first because she’s so undeniably herself in every page. But after that moment passes, you realize that this, THIS is that badass female character we all needed. I could see Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi raising debates about morals again though.
”The only utterly good people in the world are either naive or delusional.”
It’s not too heavy on the Sci-FI (don’t worry, friends) but still great on the world-building and details. Which I think was a strong point of the story.
I am so IN LOVE with the way the society was set-up and the “magic system” or whatever you like to call the way the technology works, it was perfectly mixed in equal parts magical and scientific.
Which was what made it perfect for my taste. I say with no exaggeration that it was a lot more thought out than I expected it to be. You can really see that the author knew what she wanted to do with the world-building and it was executed effectively in my opinion.
It’s safe to say that the tech system might be my favorite aspect. ”The entitled assholes of this world are sustained by girls who forgive too easily.”
I always say that dialogues can make or break a book for me and although there were lines that were smooth (like butter hehe) there were some that were just too cheesy. I feel like the character relationships could have been more flushed out or arranged to be more satisfying. Especially since the poly relationship was one of the biggest reasons I read the book, I can’t ignore it.
I do wish we got more build up towards her relationship with Yishi and Shimin before things happened but I get that, in a way, it gave way to the world-building. I just wished that there was a balance between the two and the character dynamics is the biggest reason for my lowered rating even though I enjoyed the book. You should also be aware that most of the romance doesn’t really play into it until after the half-way point. It would have been nice to see more background with the Iron Widow-Iron Demon dynamic because I really would have loved more. I do have to say….. that when
it happened, it was still worth it even just for a millisecond (we are so starved of healthy Poly relationships lmao). It just makes my feelings about the ending that more all over the place and makes me both
anticipate the next book and have mixed feelings about the character relationships in this one. “Perks of refusing to play by the rules: you don’t have to choose between the boy who’d torture a man to death with you and the boy who welcomes you back with pastries.”
I just…. wow. I really did not think XJZ would actually go with that ending. I acknowledge that it objectively has its imperfections but I also do not care about them.
↣
Recommended if you want some Mecha Attack on Titan style Sci-Fi that’s a little dark and with some morally grey but vulnerable and strong characters. And a Poly Power Trio on the side. ↢
I rest my case.
— 3.75 —⇢
content warnings// misogyny & femicide, mention of rape, violence, sexism, sexist microagressions, murder, torture, interrogation, physical and emotional abuse, alcoholism, suicidal ideation, blood and gore depiction ⤜ pre-read review ⤛ my heart is in pieces and my mind is somewhere else and my emotions are everywhere. thoughts incoming in a few hours.
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4/27/21 update: i also found out that this is historical fantasy or historically inspired... if I wasn't already in before, I am 100% in now.
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pilots and pacific rim. those are my key words when it comes to sci fi books now i guess.
ALL THESE
ASIAN INSPIRED SCI FI BOOKS ARE MAKING ME FEEL ALIVE.
ohmygosh she has 2 boyfriends and those boyfriends are also boyfriends. I'M SO INTERESTED. I NEED THIS.
april 10 2021:
DO YOU GUYS SEE THIS COVER? BEAUTIFUL.12/03/20: I'm reading this. I'm claiming it. Do yourself a favor and anticipate this east asian mecha story with some healty poly rep with me
Rating: really liked it
I've been watching a lot anime lately with my teenage daughter and this YA novel, self-described as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale, felt like spending time in some of the best anime. It's a thrilling, heartbreaking, raging rollercoaster of a book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is probably not one of those crossover adult books; the writing style and characters feel squarely YA to me, and that's just fine. The book need not appeal to adults, as it has its own merits. One of them being a no-punches pulled heroine (Zetian) who is a towering pillar of female rage, and thank god because I loved it. No backing down, bad decisions and all, just like a teenager. I've rarely see a YA author really commit to the dark side like that (or, frankly, write a teen that felt like a teen). Zetian earns that title of Iron Widow. A fun (and hot!) supporting cast in her two male love interests and frankly probably my favorite love triangle in YA. Polyamory ftw! I will say the worldbuilding was a bit confusing and uneven - the mixing of the ancient and modern didn't quite work for me, and the prose tended to be workmanlike, although there were a few lovely metaphors that surprised me. All in all, a great debut.
Rating: really liked it
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So I think I've developed a reputation on this site for being a bit of a hard-ass, but when I pick up a book, all I really ask for is to be entertained. To me, if an author can't deliver on that one note, they deserve to get a low rating. I was a little leery about picking up IRON WIDOW, even though I really liked the author's YouTube videos, because the YA fantasy genre has basically been serving the disappointment as regularly as an Amazon delivery truck. So ironically, when I saw that this had such mixed reviews among the people who usually five star all the books I hate, I was like HMM.
I actually disagree with a lot of the criticism that this is not a feminist book. Zetian, the heroine, is oppressed, and she lives in a world that actively oppresses women, but it doesn't really feel sensationalist. Foot-binding happens. People do put out propaganda and fake news about what women can and cannot do. People treat women like they're not worth more than the sum of their parts. So to see a fantasy novel where the female protagonist actively smashes the patriarchy, was really fucking cool. After being forced to swallow down heroines like Calen't-pronounce-her-name Sardothien for years, who spent most of the series being a slut-shaming idiot in a dress, this was so refreshing.
The summary of IRON WIDOW is basically this: put Hunger Games, Power Rangers, Edge of Tomorrow, Ender's Game, and Mulan in a pot, stir in a pinch of polyamory and a hefty dose of "no fucks" and then light the whole thing on fire while stirring vigorously. That's what you get in IRON WIDOW, a book that is set in a China-inspired country where men pilot these Zord-like metal things powered by qi called "chrysalises" and have female copilots that usually end up dying from, like, qi overload. Either you get conscripted into sacrificing your mind and body to the chrysalises and the boys who fly them, or you end up as a baby maker and the cycle continues. Zetian thinks that's a big fuck no, and decides that if she's going to die, she's going to kill the boy who murdered her beautiful older sister. So she does that, but it ends up-- uh, not going as hoped.
The rest of the book kind of feels like a big middle finger to THE HUNGER GAMES series in the best way. Why should the heroine have to choose in a love triangle? Why not both? Zetian gets her Peeta (Yizhi) and her Gale (Shimin), and lucky her, they like each other almost as much as they love her. The romance doesn't overshadow the plot at all and it feels pretty mature considering some of the other romances I've seen in YA books. I also liked how Zetian was pretty emotional (as you'd expect from a teen) and ended up succumbing to her unwiser impulses more often than not, although they frequently ended up becoming a learning lesson for her, and she ended up growing from her mistakes, rather than making the same stupid face-slap-worthy mistakes over and over and over again.
So yes, I liked it a lot. The only downsides for me was that the beginning felt a little clunky and took a while to get moving, whereas the end felt slightly too drawn out. Still an incredibly fun book, though, and I seriously can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. YAAAASS.
4 to 4.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
GOOD FOR HER
