A review by jersy
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

I love this mix of Chinese history and future technology, as well as the contrast between awesome fight scenes and the more political/tactical/quiet part of the pilot career. The writing sounds so pretty in the audio book and I totally ship the love interests in this. Following some morally questionable characters is s big plus, too.
I was a bit afraid that the feminism in this book would bei too on the nose and extreme and while the protagonist is all feminist rage, the book portrays the issues in a very nuanced way. There is a lot of unfairness and suffering for women but also extremely empowering moments, the book never encourages man-hating, the biases of Zetian towards boys are challenged and the real issues addressed.
The ending was more epic than I would have needed, but this is still a big recommendation if you want both a good time and interesting themes.