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A review by _suvi_
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I am not the biggest fan of YA but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It definitely feels like the Hunger Games, but for a new era. My favorite part of the book is its strong characters and the tying of the Chinese culture and mythology to the fantasy-scifi world. The mecha fights are of course amazing and so is the poly rep. Especially refreshing to me is the hardcore female empowerment in an age and culture where it was either you as a killer or to be killed (or tortured, or both).
My one dislike about this book is that the plot advanced way too fast for the reader to build a comprehensive connection with the world or with some of its relationships. The book definitely needed to be longer for the character relationships to mature and make more sense (i.e. the big sister, Yizha as a character and his relationships). The world building being lacking was understandable with the incoming twist but I still wanted way more describing.
Overall I definitely want to read the story further and can't wait to see the cool mecha fights on the big screen in the future.
My one dislike about this book is that the plot advanced way too fast for the reader to build a comprehensive connection with the world or with some of its relationships. The book definitely needed to be longer for the character relationships to mature and make more sense (i.e. the big sister, Yizha as a character and his relationships).
Overall I definitely want to read the story further and can't wait to see the cool mecha fights on the big screen in the future.