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_kduran_ 's review for:
Iron Widow
by Xiran Jay Zhao
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TL;DR
Iron Widow offers an incredible concept with giant mechas, a brutal patriarchal system, and a bold feminist angle—but the execution didn’t quite land for me. Zetian’s constant rage overshadows character growth, and while the poly relationship brings bi representation, it arrives too late and lacks emotional depth. The worldbuilding is creative, and the ending twist is intriguing, but overall the story felt surface-level and emotionally flat.
——
I went into Iron Widow genuinely excited. A Handmaid’s Tale meets Pacific Rim setup, set in a Chinese-inspired world where girls are sacrificed to power massive war machines? Sign me up. The premise promised bold feminist commentary wrapped in explosive sci-fi action—and to be fair, the worldbuilding and ideas are definitely creative. But sadly, the execution didn’t live up to what I was hoping for.
Zetian, the main character, is furious at the system—and she has every right to be. But her rage never evolves. It becomes her only defining trait, and while that unrelenting fury can be powerful in small doses, here it ends up flattening her character. She charges through the story with little emotional variation or growth, which made it hard for me to stay engaged or relate to her journey. It felt like the book was yelling at me for 300 pages, without ever letting me sit in the emotion of what it was trying to say.
There’s also a poly relationship introduced, which was refreshing to see—especially with bi representation—but it arrives late and lacks emotional weight. The connection between the two male leads barely gets explored, and overall the relationships felt undercooked. I wanted more nuance, more complexity, more feeling.
What’s most frustrating is that the building blocks are all here. The themes are important, the setting is original, and the author clearly has big, exciting ideas. But everything is filtered through Zetian’s singular, relentless voice, which doesn’t leave much room for the rest of the cast—or even the world itself—to develop in meaningful ways.
That said, the ending introduces a twist that genuinely intrigued me. It adds an unexpected layer to the universe and made me pause for a moment. Part of me is curious to see where the story goes next. But I’m not sure if it’s enough to get me to continue the series.
I wanted to love this. And there were moments I almost did. But in the end, I was left more frustrated than fulfilled.
Iron Widow offers an incredible concept with giant mechas, a brutal patriarchal system, and a bold feminist angle—but the execution didn’t quite land for me. Zetian’s constant rage overshadows character growth, and while the poly relationship brings bi representation, it arrives too late and lacks emotional depth. The worldbuilding is creative, and the ending twist is intriguing, but overall the story felt surface-level and emotionally flat.
——
I went into Iron Widow genuinely excited. A Handmaid’s Tale meets Pacific Rim setup, set in a Chinese-inspired world where girls are sacrificed to power massive war machines? Sign me up. The premise promised bold feminist commentary wrapped in explosive sci-fi action—and to be fair, the worldbuilding and ideas are definitely creative. But sadly, the execution didn’t live up to what I was hoping for.
Zetian, the main character, is furious at the system—and she has every right to be. But her rage never evolves. It becomes her only defining trait, and while that unrelenting fury can be powerful in small doses, here it ends up flattening her character. She charges through the story with little emotional variation or growth, which made it hard for me to stay engaged or relate to her journey. It felt like the book was yelling at me for 300 pages, without ever letting me sit in the emotion of what it was trying to say.
There’s also a poly relationship introduced, which was refreshing to see—especially with bi representation—but it arrives late and lacks emotional weight. The connection between the two male leads barely gets explored, and overall the relationships felt undercooked. I wanted more nuance, more complexity, more feeling.
What’s most frustrating is that the building blocks are all here. The themes are important, the setting is original, and the author clearly has big, exciting ideas. But everything is filtered through Zetian’s singular, relentless voice, which doesn’t leave much room for the rest of the cast—or even the world itself—to develop in meaningful ways.
That said, the ending introduces a twist that genuinely intrigued me. It adds an unexpected layer to the universe and made me pause for a moment. Part of me is curious to see where the story goes next. But I’m not sure if it’s enough to get me to continue the series.
I wanted to love this. And there were moments I almost did. But in the end, I was left more frustrated than fulfilled.