On a random day in June 2021, the TikTok algorithm showed me a video of Xiran Jay Zhao holding their book, Iron Widow, for the first time. It’s called the “for you page” for a reason… As soon as the video ended, I went through their page and pre-ordered, not one, but two copies of Iron Widow. If an author tells me that their book will feature a a badass female protagonist, and that the love triangle will turn into a polyamorous relationship, then the logical thing for me to do is buy their book immediately. I like to think I have my priorities set just right… But, dear reader, if there’s something I want you to grasp about this whole review is that there aren’t enough words to describe how good this novel is and that you should read it as soon as you can.
The novel narrates the journey of an eighteen-year-old girl, Wu Zetian, wanting to avenge the death of her sister. This sci-fi fantasy is set in Huaxia, the place where humanity is recovered after the Hunduns (aliens that came from the sky) invaded the world two millennia ago. In order to defeat the creatures that lurk behind the Great Wall, humans created Chrysalises, which are giant transforming mechas that can only be powered up by male pilots and a concubine pilot. After Zetian’s sister is killed as a concubine pilot, she swears to avenge her, but in the process, she gains the title of Iron Widow, and learns that the pilot system is more corrupt than she thought.
“Welcome to your nightmare” – Zetian
Listen, when I try to read fantasy, I have to concentrate extra hard because my English doesn’t quite English the way it’s supposed to. I usually need to read the same paragraph five times for me to understand what’s going on. Xiran Jay Zhao made it so easy for me to understand and not get lost in this world full of new terms. Oh my, what a delightful experience! If I knew all the emotions I was going to go through and all the honest-to-god screams I was going to let out at 2 a.m., I would’ve read it sooner. However, I’m a believer that things happen for a reason, and after the hard week I was having, reading this book seemed like the remedy I needed to feel better… but the relaxation stage didn’t last long. When I tell you this book had me on edge since the beginning, I am not exaggerating. I already knew that I was going to rate it 5 stars by page 67!
Iron Widow is the kind of book that you should go into with as little knowledge as you can. But if I have to give you reasons why you should read it, I would say that I’ve never felt more empowered as a woman. I would add that the representation of what it means to be a woman felt achingly painful because of its accuracy. But it is even more than that because the author makes you reflect on the implications of being a woman, on the dangers and consequences that a patriarchal system can have on a society as well as on the blurred lines of gender. They single-handedly wrote a sci-fi story set in the future that explores the problems that today’s society still faces. It made me question, to what point do women have to fight to prove that they’re not inferior to men, but equal? That we are more than just bodies that can be used as they want? In the novel, the only two purposes a woman has is to either bear children and take care of their husbands, or sacrifice themselves as concubine pilots. Perhaps the book has more exaggerated misogynistic aspects and radical elements compared to our reality, but is their representation really that different from what’s going on at present? “Female. That label has never done anything for me except dictate what I can or cannot do,” Zetian’s words hit a little too close to home to not point it out.
“The world does not deserve my respect. It is not worthy of my kindness or compassion.” – Zetian
Zetian is a girl who knows exactly what she wants and she will fight for it until she gets it. Inspired by the first and only female emperor in Chinese history, the author, Xiran Jay Zhao, gives this character a strong and powerful personality. A problem I’m sure most of us readers face when reading YA fantasy novels is that the female protagonist usually has a bland personality that leaves us desiring for more, and who’s blindly in love with the questionable male love interest. But Iron Widow defies what a typical YA Fantasy novel is. It subverts the expectations that come with the genre. It’s different and fresh. When was the last time you heard that a YA love triangle was going to end in polygamy? Exactly. Never. Not only is that revolutionary, but it’s something that expands the representation, the process of the character’s development, and their sexualities.
“But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me.
I choose vengeance.” – Zetian
To my surprise, I caught myself thinking that the story was so good it didn’t need the romance to make it better. Don’t get me wrong, I love romance. If there’s no romance in a novel, I get bored on the first page. But this story? The author made sure to write a story that didn’t just revolve exclusively around romance , that it wasn’t just three people falling in love, that it wasn’t just an overused love triangle trope. They included details of the trauma and the trust issues that Zetian had because she was a woman and men had only failed her throughout her entire life. They wrote a storyline that didn’t feel forced on any character’s part. When Zetian and her childhood friend, Yizhi, fell in love with each other, it didn’t feel forced. Zetian and her enemy Shimin falling in love felt adequate and not rushed, not the usual “I hate you” and suddenly “I love you.” Yizhi and Shimin’s romance was… okay, that was so incredible that I had to put the book down and scream into my pillow because I couldn’t believe it even when I knew it was going to happen. Every action had a purpose. Not only that, but the elements of Chinese culture in the book enhanced the experience and took it to another realm of uniqueness.
This review may not be as in depth as my other reviews, but there’s a reason for that. I believe that you, the reader, deserve to have the most unique experience and learn all the details on your own. Because if I’m taking something away from this story is that I should never settle for less, that I should always stand up for myself and for all of the people who need it. I would recommend the book to everyone, but especially to the women out there who question their value. You are powerful, you are more than enough. And Iron Widow is a reminder of this. If you read this book, check the fanart, you won’t be disappointed. Are you still doubting whether to read it or not? Here’s a list of all the tropes that you may find: enemies to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, healthy relationships, morally gray characters… You have it all, enjoy.
“Be their nightmare.“