A review by ichewonpushpins
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is a very, very angry book. I was concerned at first that it would stay too neatly in the field of "divine female rage", a trope I often find harmful since it's often used to excuse horrific behavior on the part of the woman. But this book does not fall into that trap. This book wants to tell a bigger story than just an angry woman, a wronged woman, a vengeful woman. Revenge isn't the end goal for Zeitan; its the beginning. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Minor: Colonisation

There is a somewhat graphic description of the practice of foot-binding early in the book. The lifelong effects of this are mentioned multiple times throughout the rest of the novel.