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A review by softwindflower
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Firstly, I want to preface this by saying that I've been excited to read this book since it was published, but had to hold off due to university being university. With that in mind, let's go.
The positives:
I absolutely loved about this book was the concept. It's a recipe for sci-fi military action and a fantastic female lead, and it was nice to read a book which did have an entirely original plot. I also thought the dynamic between Zetian, Shimin and Yizhi was amazing. It would've been very easy to make it toxic (e.g. if Shimin were to prioritise his role as a pilot over compassion for Zetian, or if Zetian were to think herself above Yizhi or vice versa in any combination — as we see as the basis in a lot of YA romance arcs involving Determined" characters) but all of the trio were understanding of one another and complemented each other's personalities well. I really liked the bi/pan and polyamorous rep and it's something l'd like to see more of in the future. The negatives: While the concept was great, the execution felt hollow. Zetian is introduced as a character with a clear goal.She has one mission in life...which she completed within the first 80 pages. So where do we go from there? Zetian is thrust into a world without a plan and that's how the rest of the book feels. It's made abundantly clear that society is incredibly sexist and misogynistic (and by abundantly clear, I mean it's spelled out explicitly on many occasions) with little other detail given. Outside of the world of the military, what is the power structure like? What kind of government is there? What is life like outside of the army? This lack of clarity about the wider world makes it difficult to comprehend the rest of the novel as there's no context and makes the ending, well, disappointing. Zetian wipes out the military strategists and seizes power, but power of what? The military? The state? It makes very little sense without the worldbuilding and makes it hard to care about the wider implications and what the consequences will be in subsequent books.
Summary:
All in all, I thought it was a good debut. The characters were likeable and easy to root for, and the concept was a refreshing change. The execution, however, didn't work for me personally and it would have been nice to gain a better understanding of the world as a whole, even though the story was from Zetian's somewhat limited perspective.
Though I probably won't read any further books in this series, do look forward to reading XJZ's future works and seeing how they develop as a writer.
The positives:
I absolutely loved about this book was the concept. It's a recipe for sci-fi military action and a fantastic female lead, and it was nice to read a book which did have an entirely original plot. I also thought the dynamic between Zetian, Shimin and Yizhi was amazing. It would've been very easy to make it toxic (e.g. if Shimin were to prioritise his role as a pilot over compassion for Zetian, or if Zetian were to think herself above Yizhi or vice versa in any combination — as we see as the basis in a lot of YA romance arcs involving Determined" characters) but all of the trio were understanding of one another and complemented each other's personalities well. I really liked the bi/pan and polyamorous rep and it's something l'd like to see more of in the future. The negatives: While the concept was great, the execution felt hollow. Zetian is introduced as a character with a clear goal.
Summary:
All in all, I thought it was a good debut. The characters were likeable and easy to root for, and the concept was a refreshing change. The execution, however, didn't work for me personally and it would have been nice to gain a better understanding of the world as a whole, even though the story was from Zetian's somewhat limited perspective.
Though I probably won't read any further books in this series, do look forward to reading XJZ's future works and seeing how they develop as a writer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Torture, Misogyny, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Ableism, War, and Rape
Minor: Child abuse
Violent misogyny and, in a way, femicide are key themes throughout the book. They cannot be avoided when reading it. One of the main characters also suffers quite graphically from the effects of alcoholism, and latterly alcohol withdrawal, which is also an unavoidable plot point.