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adventurous
dark
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An invigoratingly unapologetic power fantasy in all the best ways. It's refreshing to see a female protagonist show justifiable rage and fury over her mistreatment without making it an eventual segue into "being the bigger person" and "choosing forgiveness" morality lessons. While the world building and cultural influence is drawn from China, the messaging is universal: If the only way to stop being abused is to tear it all down, then tear it all down.
Also want to applaud one of the most naturally formed poly triads I've ever witnessed. Plus there's mecha robots!.... Trust me it just works.
Also want to applaud one of the most naturally formed poly triads I've ever witnessed. Plus there's mecha robots!.... Trust me it just works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Could not stop reading. This book moves very fast and really grips you. I was feeling like this was more a 3.5-4 star book in the middle, but the ending really surprised me.
The best stuff: Strong women characters, intricate plot based on deceptions, strong voice of the main character, bisexual representation, strong social commentary on gender roles, abusive family dynamics, and celebrity culture
My only problems with the book were world-building issues around the role of women in their society. I don't know anything about Chinese culture so I'm not sure which parts were inspired by that. It was hard to tell when Zeitan's actions were outrageous to her society, or allowed due to her fame. HOWEVER it mirrored the real world's misogyny and double standards for women, so it felt very real.
Few other characters in this book were women. Most were either part of Zeitan's abusive family or very catty and hostile. While this book has great feminist themes, unfortunately it lacks multiple well developed women characters.
Finally, and this is simply personal preference, it did the thing of the main character falling in love with a violent person because they're misunderstood. The relationship makes sense, and aforementioned love interest has many underlying issues. But I don't like the trope of guy beating up other people as a romantic gesture. It's more complicated than that, but it was a tad annoying.
Finally this book is very dark, and discusses a lot of misogynistic issues(virginity tests, footbinding, rape), as well as death, murder, and torture.
Overall, great book, loved the main character.
The best stuff: Strong women characters, intricate plot based on deceptions, strong voice of the main character, bisexual representation, strong social commentary on gender roles, abusive family dynamics, and celebrity culture
My only problems with the book were world-building issues around the role of women in their society. I don't know anything about Chinese culture so I'm not sure which parts were inspired by that. It was hard to tell when Zeitan's actions were outrageous to her society, or allowed due to her fame. HOWEVER it mirrored the real world's misogyny and double standards for women, so it felt very real.
Few other characters in this book were women. Most were either part of Zeitan's abusive family or very catty and hostile. While this book has great feminist themes, unfortunately it lacks multiple well developed women characters.
Finally, and this is simply personal preference, it did the thing of the main character falling in love with a violent person because they're misunderstood. The relationship makes sense, and aforementioned love interest has many underlying issues. But I don't like the trope of guy beating up other people as a romantic gesture. It's more complicated than that, but it was a tad annoying.
Finally this book is very dark, and discusses a lot of misogynistic issues(virginity tests, footbinding, rape), as well as death, murder, and torture.
Overall, great book, loved the main character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Murder, War
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow! I was sucked into this story as soon as I oriented myself to the world. Those with more knowledge of Chinese history would probably pick up on elements more quickly than I did. The ending left me desperate for the sequel. This one will stay with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Violence, War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the best reads of the year. It's queer, it has a vicious, vengeful FMC, it's not afraid to get REALLY dark. The comparison to handmaids tale and pacific rim is spot on. You forget you're reading. The dialogue was a bit American slang for me but just a brilliant read. Can't wait for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Torture, Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this book. It was definitely my most eagerly-anticipated read of the year, because I love Xiran Jay Zhao’s videos. In particular I’m a big fan of their organized and well-researched videos about Chinese history. And when I knew their debut, Iron Widow, would star the only female Chinese Emperor (Wu Zetian), I made sure to check out the other book about her on my to-read list first as a little intro to who she was in real life (she was very messy … but very interesting, too). Unfortunately, though there are elements that I absolutely love, I think the book suffers from an overly basic writing style that might be from a lack of experience. The good thing about that, though, is that Xiran Jay Zhao will get better from here.
Representation:
- the main protagonist is disabled and uses a wheelchair
- every character is Chinese (in a futuristic setting)
- the three main protagonists are bi and poly)
Huaxia, desperately trying not to lose more ground to invading aliens called Hunduns, created transforming mechas (Chrysalises) to fight back that use a yin/yang two-pilot system: one boy, one girl. But most often, girls (called concubine pilots) die from the mental strain. When her older sister dies in battle, 18yo Wu Zetian suspects foul play and offers herself up to be a concubine pilot. She kills the pilot responsible for her sister’s death through the mental link in the Chrysalis, surprising everyone, and is bestowed the title, Iron Widow. Paired now with the most feared pilot, Li Shimin, she needs to keep living through battles if she wants to find out why girls keep dying -- and to stop it from happening at all.
Okay, I’m going to talk about what I liked first and give credit to where credit is due. Refreshing the tired (and also extremely annoying) love triangle concept to make a polyamorous relationship between all three characters is everything I ever wanted. I think they all work together and balance each other out well; they’re truly a Balanced Match. It’s also perhaps the subtlest message here.
What world building there is is fantastic, too. I noticed it most near the ending, but it’s what made me stay up early into the morning to finish reading. We finally explore outside of Huaxia, and the world really enchanted me -- honestly, it gave me Princess Mononoke vibes. I wish I could explain, but then I’d have to hide this entire review for being spoilery.
The novel is also just ... cool. The transforming Chrysalises and the action scenes and just how unabashedly badass the whole book’s energy is left me exhilarated and wanting to smash the patriarchy! The cover is spot on, probably one of the few times a cover perfectly captures the feeling of what’s going on inside the book.
But here’s a lot I don’t like.
Much of it comes back to the writing style, which is pretty rudimentary and relies way too much on telling (rather than striking any sort of balance with showing). Sometimes it gets in the way of the storytelling. The dialogue can get … painful to read, and Wu Zetian’s one liners and quips are everywhere. The more of these lines she had, the less their impact.
This book is also not subtle. At all. I think the constant in-you-face messages (even if I agree with everything said), dialogue, and explanations of everyone’s actions wore me out. Sometimes I just want to be able to draw my own conclusions from a character’s action or interpret someone’s dialogue my own way instead of the author telling me, “Ah, Zetian now understands by that glance that if she doesn’t do what he wants, she has no doubt he’ll turn against her instead …” etc.
Coming back to the writing style, a lot of the parts meant to be humorous had me physically cringing -- especially “You can’t shoot me, I’m rich!” scene and the “triangle is the strongest shape” scenes, especially the last, where Zetian physically makes a triangle with her fingers and looks through it, referencing their polyamorous relationship when they finally all get together. And in the same scene, her repeated “finally!” at that moment, when she had only just realized maybe Li Shimin thought about boys. I don’t think as much thought was given to how scenes would connect or feel with regards to timing when reading as was to the scenes themselves.
Zetian herself is also less developed and nuanced than I hoped she’d be. There are moments where she shines, like where she realizes she needs to try harder to understand other women’s situations, but she doesn’t have a whole lot of dimension outside them. I think the focus is on making her seem cool and badass more than anything -- which, in a book like this, I can see why that would be a priority. I’ll give that some credit, too.
I’m trying not to be too negative, because I didn't at all hate it! But I do also have to mention Zetian’s relationship with the other female characters, Qieluo and Xiuying. Unfortunately, in a book where Wu Zetian is meant to fight back against misogyny, she finds no friends in the women around her. They’re rude to each other, they fight over men, and ultimately, Zetian only makes allies and friends with men (the book mentions this once: “Can I really call myself a strong girl if I’m relying on two boys?” but it kind of feels like the author is writing themself out of the problem). The text mentions Zetian can’t be the only woman who feels the same way she does about living in a society as misogynistic as hers, but then does nothing with it. At the end, Wu Zetian says her weakness is someone holding girls hostage, but seconds earlier she hadjust destroyed part of an entire city … who does she think lives there?
The whole book sped at a breakneck pace, so if you like fast-paced books, this is the one for you. But I really look forward to seeing how Xiran Jay Zhao grows from here.
Representation:
- the main protagonist is disabled and uses a wheelchair
- every character is Chinese (in a futuristic setting)
- the three main protagonists are bi and poly)
Huaxia, desperately trying not to lose more ground to invading aliens called Hunduns, created transforming mechas (Chrysalises) to fight back that use a yin/yang two-pilot system: one boy, one girl. But most often, girls (called concubine pilots) die from the mental strain. When her older sister dies in battle, 18yo Wu Zetian suspects foul play and offers herself up to be a concubine pilot. She kills the pilot responsible for her sister’s death through the mental link in the Chrysalis, surprising everyone, and is bestowed the title, Iron Widow. Paired now with the most feared pilot, Li Shimin, she needs to keep living through battles if she wants to find out why girls keep dying -- and to stop it from happening at all.
Okay, I’m going to talk about what I liked first and give credit to where credit is due. Refreshing the tired (and also extremely annoying) love triangle concept to make a polyamorous relationship between all three characters is everything I ever wanted. I think they all work together and balance each other out well; they’re truly a Balanced Match. It’s also perhaps the subtlest message here.
What world building there is is fantastic, too. I noticed it most near the ending, but it’s what made me stay up early into the morning to finish reading. We finally explore outside of Huaxia, and the world really enchanted me -- honestly, it gave me Princess Mononoke vibes. I wish I could explain, but then I’d have to hide this entire review for being spoilery.
The novel is also just ... cool. The transforming Chrysalises and the action scenes and just how unabashedly badass the whole book’s energy is left me exhilarated and wanting to smash the patriarchy! The cover is spot on, probably one of the few times a cover perfectly captures the feeling of what’s going on inside the book.
But here’s a lot I don’t like.
Much of it comes back to the writing style, which is pretty rudimentary and relies way too much on telling (rather than striking any sort of balance with showing). Sometimes it gets in the way of the storytelling. The dialogue can get … painful to read, and Wu Zetian’s one liners and quips are everywhere. The more of these lines she had, the less their impact.
This book is also not subtle. At all. I think the constant in-you-face messages (even if I agree with everything said), dialogue, and explanations of everyone’s actions wore me out. Sometimes I just want to be able to draw my own conclusions from a character’s action or interpret someone’s dialogue my own way instead of the author telling me, “Ah, Zetian now understands by that glance that if she doesn’t do what he wants, she has no doubt he’ll turn against her instead …” etc.
Coming back to the writing style, a lot of the parts meant to be humorous had me physically cringing -- especially “You can’t shoot me, I’m rich!” scene and the “triangle is the strongest shape” scenes, especially the last, where Zetian physically makes a triangle with her fingers and looks through it, referencing their polyamorous relationship when they finally all get together. And in the same scene, her repeated “finally!” at that moment, when she had only just realized maybe Li Shimin thought about boys. I don’t think as much thought was given to how scenes would connect or feel with regards to timing when reading as was to the scenes themselves.
Zetian herself is also less developed and nuanced than I hoped she’d be. There are moments where she shines, like where she realizes she needs to try harder to understand other women’s situations, but she doesn’t have a whole lot of dimension outside them. I think the focus is on making her seem cool and badass more than anything -- which, in a book like this, I can see why that would be a priority. I’ll give that some credit, too.
I’m trying not to be too negative, because I didn't at all hate it! But I do also have to mention Zetian’s relationship with the other female characters, Qieluo and Xiuying. Unfortunately, in a book where Wu Zetian is meant to fight back against misogyny, she finds no friends in the women around her. They’re rude to each other, they fight over men, and ultimately, Zetian only makes allies and friends with men (the book mentions this once: “Can I really call myself a strong girl if I’m relying on two boys?” but it kind of feels like the author is writing themself out of the problem). The text mentions Zetian can’t be the only woman who feels the same way she does about living in a society as misogynistic as hers, but then does nothing with it. At the end, Wu Zetian says her weakness is someone holding girls hostage, but seconds earlier she had
The whole book sped at a breakneck pace, so if you like fast-paced books, this is the one for you. But I really look forward to seeing how Xiran Jay Zhao grows from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Torture
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
also: femicide
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/book-reviews/iron-widow
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism