As promised in a previous post, I am going to give a full review of the book Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. Tomorrow is the Lunar New Year, and seeing as this book is heavily influenced by early Chinese culture and history, I figured that discussing it would be a great way to celebrate the Year of the Snake!
About the Book:
Before their debut novel, Xiran Jay Zhao was a YouTuber and somewhat popular social media figure. Zhao released the first part of the book series, Iron Widow in 2021, gaining immediate traction among young adult readers. Set in a world inspired by ancient China, the story follows Zetian, a young woman who seeks revenge after her sister’s death at the hands of the oppressive system that forces women to pilot giant fighting robots alongside male partners.
Zetian’s path to vengeance takes unexpected turns as she becomes an Iron Widow, a powerful female pilot who breaks through the gendered expectations of her society. The novel challenges traditional gender roles and explores themes of power, control, and resistance. Zetian is a complex and empowering protagonist, and the relationships she forms with her fellow pilots add depth to the narrative.
Review of the Book:
If you couldn’t gather from the synopsis, a lot happens in this book, and there is far more that takes place in these pages than I can share without giving a spoiler warning for those interested in reading this book. First off, I praise this book for the well-thought-out and one-of-a-kind world-building throughout this novel. With that, the themes and messages throughout the narrative are impactful and fit well with the plot and characters. Another thing that this book has going for it is the representation of a polyamorous relationship that’s very complex and feels realistic as the characters bond and grow (even though I honestly don’t understand why the other two love interests have any attraction to the main character because she is low-key annoying sometimes…)
The main issue I and many other readers had, is that there is too much going on in a very short span of time. With that, the characters’ emotions, motivations, and views change juristically within very short time spans that don’t always feel natural to their individual character arcs. With the speed of everything that happens, this almost feels like a screenplay for a movie or TV series. Many plot holes are never answered, especially regarding the magic and technological systems, but I have yet to read the second book where many of these questions could be answered.
Overall, Zhao’s “Iron Widow” is one I’m sure to remember, and even with the flaws it has, I will still be reading the second installment to truly decide my thoughts on this novel. But for now, I would give this book a 6.5/10. Happy Lunar New Year!
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