Women's Rights and Women's Wrongs: A Review of Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Published by Tundra Books
Sci-fi, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance, Young Adult*
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The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.
To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.
This is described as a combination of A Handmaid's Tale and Pacific Rim, I actually have another comp title in mind. The Hunger Games. I know, I know. Every vaguely dystopian YA book gets compared to the The Hunger Games. But hear me out.
This is described as a combination of A Handmaid’s Tale and Pacific Rim, I actually have another comp title in mind. The Hunger Games. I know, I know. Every vaguely dystopian YA book gets compared to the The Hunger Games. But hear me out. It’s more about the overall feel than actual plot.
A girl raised in a society that is actively designed to disadvantage her ends up in a situation that will almost certainly lead to her death but despite all odds comes out alive. She’s not wholly likable and engages in some questionable behaviour. Her personal goals often take precedent over the bigger picture and as a result she often does some highly stupid things. She has to align herself with some dubious characters to achieve her goals. Violent spectacle which kills teenagers is broadcast as local entertainment for the masses. There are also boys. Multiple.
The main difference is that Zetian is messed up on a level that Katniss Everdeen could only aspire to. And I say that with nothing but support and love.
“I am exactly the kind of ice-blooded, rotten-hearted girl he fears I am. And I am fine with that.”
Zetian is not a nice character. She is not even a morally ‘good’ character. This woman is unhinged. She’s feral and fierce and will literally stop at nothing. She’s bright but impulsive. Her strength lies in aspects outside of the physical which saves her from just being a Strong Female Character™ and makes her mesmerising to follow. She is not incredibly likable and therefore won’t work for everyone, but it’s easy to see how her personality is a product of her upbringing and the patriarchal society she exists in.
One of the main plot drivers of this book is the sacrifice of women and girls in the pursuit of the war effort and how this is perceived as OK because women are capable of sacrifice in ways that men are not. The society is very divided by gender lines. Women have their feet bound at a young age to weaken them and make them reliant on others which is the physical manifestation of the other ways that women are kept subservient and controlled. A huge part of this is the policing of female bodies and the shame associated with sex and nudity.
Zetian navigates this world in her female body and often questions whether there really are any fundamental differences between men and women, as well as exploiting the tools she has at her disposal as a woman. Namely, the power of being under-estimated as well as embracing the association of being the Iron Widow for her own gains. She manipulates those around her in subtle ways and also in not so subtle ways. She uses her body as another tool in her arsenal.
“I hate the way I’ve contorted myself into what people think a girl should be, ready to please, ready to serve.Yet I love the power it’s given me, a power that lies in being underestimated, in wearing assumptions as a disguise.”
None of the messaging in this book is subtle but that doesn’t stop it being both relevant and enjoyable.
The world building outside of the societal structure is quite interesting. There are clear parallels to an ancient China, but is actually set in the far future in a world where alien attacks keep humans trapped behind the Great Wall. At first it feels a little jarring when you feel you are in an ancient China analogue and then someone whips out a tablet but it stars to feel more cohesive as you go, especially when we get to spend more time with the mechs. The mechs themselves are incredibly fun. A neon green nine tail fox, anyone? A phoenix mech that can functionally fly? The ability to pull weapons out of their chests? Awesome.
The mech aspect is what leads to the Pacific Rim comparison but personally I find this comparison to be a little shallow. The only real similarity is that two pilots are required to control mech suits and that compatibility of these people is a factor. The actual plot has nothing in common with Pacific Rim and I think it’s just an easy comparison for people that haven’t seen any anime because that’s where it really feels like it has it’s roots. The mechs are essentially Digimon that evolve from animal forms into looking more and more humanoid as they get stronger. Like this is Gundam meets Transformers with a sprinkle of Attack on Titan. It’s great.
“But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me.
I choose vengeance.”
The last thing I feel I need to bring up is the romance because I find romance can be kind of distracting in books like this. But actually it really works and even helps reinforce what sort of person Zetian is. I was fully squinting half way through this book like, “Is this going to be poly?” Well dear reader, I’ll let you discover that for yourself. But let’s just say she’s got the option of a soft boy that taught her to read and makes her buns and is actually maybe not so soft. And then there’s brooding criminal boy who Zetian initially hates but is the strong, protector type. Hard choices to be made.
I loved this one. The pacing is excellent. It’s dark but manages to be a lot of fun. The final twist is not the most original thing but makes me keen to pick up the next book. Zetian is a delight. Her boys are great. The mech battles are spot on. And we get to smash patriarchy in the nuts.
Recommended for: Anime fans, girls that are Tired, anyone who has ever contemplated how cool it would be to shoot lazers at people who annoy them.
*I’ve marked this as YA but it has a lot of dark topics and is definitely what I would classify more as New Adult if that term had every really caught on. There is torture, murder, alcoholism, sexism, sexual assault, abuse and general violence. Please read with care.
