Review: ‘Iron Widow’ by Xiran Jay Zhao
Received from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review (thoughts and opinions remain my own)
I first spotted ‘Iron Widow’ on PewterWolf’s Instagram (shout out to Andrew! Hello!) and I could just tell from the cover that it was going to be a vibe. And I was not wrong. The short of it is that this book greatly exceeded my expectations, and I was already expecting to really enjoy it.
It’s one of those rare reads that is such a perfect fit for you, the kind that makes the author make it onto your auto-buy list, and leaves you with such a vicious book hangover that you seriously consider pulling a sickie.
‘Iron Widow’ by Xiran Jay Zhao is set for publication on 7th October 2021 by Rock the Boat. Here’s the synopsis:
I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance.
The boys of Huaxia dream of the celebrity status that comes with piloting Chrysalises – giant transforming robots that battle the aliens beyond the Great Wall. Their female co-pilots are expected to serve as concubines and sacrifice their lives.
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, her plan is to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But on miraculously emerging from the cockpit unscathed after her first battle, she is declared an Iron Widow – the most feared pilot of all.
Now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she sets her sights on bigger things. The time has come to stop more girls from being sacrificed.
Where do I begin?
Let’s start with the characters
‘Iron Widow’ has a strong cast of characters. Looking further than the protagonist, I have so much time for a book that builds up its secondary characters as much as the main. At no point did I get confused about who was talking, or forget who someone was. No one got lost, everyone had their place and their part to play.
Yizhi - Probably my favourite character. I have held an appreciation for Asian and Asian-inspired literature and history for a very long time. In my early teens I consumed a lot of Chinese and Japanese books and TV (translated, obviously. I am not, unfortunately, a polyglot, or even remotely skilled at picking up languages). There was something reminiscent about Yizhi that made me think of the kinds of characters I would lean towards then. Nothing has changed, it seems. I’m glad.
And yet, what the author has done with this character I truly appreciated. In fact, the ease of fluidity when it comes to gender and identity was so masterful. I could feel joy bubbling up inside of me as I witnessed their journey and respective arcs.
Going forward I think Yizhi is going to be such an interesting character. I remember Zetian having similar thoughts about him too; that he’s very much still waters running deep. There is much more we don’t really know about him yet.
Shimin - Again, such an interesting character! He could have so easily have become one note. Just a bad boy with a bad boy attitude. Except he is so far removed from that… And I loved the layers this guy had. I don’t think he had as much page time as I would have liked, especially being bound to Zetian in such a way. But I don’t know if I would have survived the ending if that had been the case… I didn’t need to be any more attached.
Zetian - Our central protagonist. For me, it was the combination of having something really relevant she was fighting for (because screw the patriarchy) while also discovering her own way of navigating gender roles and sexuality. She’s not without her flaws but these are important. With a cause like hers, it could have been very easy to have become preachy or insufferable with her attitude. But she doesn’t, she stays very grounded and I appreciated that.
The Setting
How INTERESTING. I had a hazy understanding of the history this was inspired by, but you definitely don’t need to have that background to become fully immersed in this book. It stands up all on its own.
I thought the mecha elements were cleverly placed. At first it was a little jarring, because it felt like it would be a traditional early period setting (like when you get “medieval” fantasy) but there is some technology and you are exposed to it early on. With the presence of hovercraft and electronic tablets, the way qi interacts with giant mech metal machines… It’s clear something bigger is afoot (and I don’t want to give away any spoilers but trust me, there is, and it’s definitely BIG).
The settings themselves are beautifully described and I found it so easy to sink into the storytelling and live it alongside the characters.
The Plot
It doesn’t go where you think it will, the plot weaves one way and then races ahead before suddenly doubling back, and I loved how it kept me guessing. There is nothing better than one of those moments where the plan goes completely tits up and as a reader you’re left wondering “how the heck are they going to get out of this one?”
It might not have gone where I was expecting, but it made complete sense. If there were any plot holes I didn’t find them.
*SPOILER ALERT*
Triangles are the strongest shape
This was one part of the plot that I could feel tingling around the edges and I wasn’t sure it was going to go there. So when it did I could feel my stomach flip-flopping excitedly. Although, I don’t think this is much of a spoiler because I have seen so many people mention this aspect on Tiktok and Instagram, but a throuple? A throuple. Finally. A throuple.
This made me giddy. It was handled in a balanced and secure way, and it just felt like there could have been no other conclusion, really. It’s so great to see this kind of dynamic appearing in mainstream YA, at last, because it’s something I’ve been exploring in my own writing too. But there’s always that little voice that goes “but will they allow it?” (the “they” being the powers that be).
In conclusion
This is an addictive and sophisticated read. Xiran Jay Zhao’s writing is smooth and has such a shiny polish to it that I will be buying all and everything they publish in the future without a second thought. They have immediately found themselves a place on my “books I will recommend until I die” list.
Cleverly woven, ‘Iron Widow’ is a masterpiece. A firm smack in the face of patriarchal society, while also enveloping anyone who might be exploring their gender and sexual identity in a warm, welcoming embrace. Fiercely brave, I defy anyone not to fall in love with this book.
I gave ‘Iron Widow’ by Xiran Jay Zhao five stars on Goodreads.
Written by Sarah.
