book reviews: iron widow iron widow iron widow

Author: Xiran Jay Zhao

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 400

Summary:

Iron Widow takes place in a sci-fi version of ancient China, in which the country relies on pilots who commandeer mecha giants to fight off Hundun invaders. These mecha giants, known as chrysalises, require pilots to control them, and girls are essentially used as sacrifices to provide the Qi, or life energy, that male pilots need to fight. Wu Zetian enlists as a concubine pilot to exact revenge on the pilot who murdered her elder sister, swearing to avenge her death. However, revenge is swift while the position she finds herself in is treacherous. She is exposed to alarming truths about the piloting system and a hidden reason why girls are sacrificed during battle. The government stands in her way, but Zetian has never been afraid to fight; after all, she has everything to gain and everything to lose.

Things I enjoyed:

First off, I love how Xiran Jay Zhao depicts Zetian’s character. She’s ferocious, ambitious and weathered the cruelty and injustice of being born of a woman in ancient China. As the author describes it, she’s a “gender-roleshattering icon”. Zetian’s character is my favourite aspect of the entire novel, and I think it’s worth the read just for her perspective. She’s a well-rounded character, and I appreciate how she wasn’t portrayed as a goody-two-shoes kind of person, which would have been unauthentic to her rise to power as the only female empress in all of China. There are plenty of references to historical Chinese figures, as well as a deep connection to ancient Chinese culture and mythology. The romance is also well-developed and keeps the reader surprised by the constant novelties in Zetian’s relationships with those around her. I enjoyed the blurring of right and wrong in this novel, as morals are challenged and reshaped, and good and bad are less of a dichotomy and more of a spectrum of grey.

Things I wished the author explored more: Honestly, this novel was a pleasure to read and I’m not sure what I have to say about the author’s writing. I will admit that they left us on a huge cliffhanger, but it only makes me respect their writing more.