Book Review: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

I learned about Xiran Jay Zhao through their excellent takedowns/analyses of the Mulan movies on YouTube and find them to be just hilarious and wonderfully nerdy. I consequently put their first book, Iron Widow, on my to-read list immediately. I bought it in January when Barnes & Noble had their 25% off preorders sale, and read it for the trans rights readathon the third week of March. Book summary:

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.

Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.

WOW THIS FREAKING BOOK. It was so freaking good. This book is the embodiment of female rage and the phrase "I support women's rights and women's wrongs". I rooted for Zetian (who is very loosely based on the iconic empress of China) and her plans for revenge as a fellow sister-haver. I seethed with her when she encountered casual and violent sexism during the story and her life (in flashbacks). Zetian had her feet bound as a very small girl and consequently suffers chronic pain and difficulties walking. In the mecha animal suit she psychically links with, she is finally powerful and free of pain. Zetian is all about righting wrongs through violence and murder, and she's so valid.

Zetian is secretly in love with her friend Gao Yizhi, a rich boy a year or so older than her who secretly visits her in her village and taught her to read. She's angrily attracted to her forced pilot mate Li Shimin, who is a murderer/criminal a couple years older than her whose sentence got commuted since he's so psychically strong and therefore great at driving chrysalises. Ugh love triangles, right? WRONG! Spoiler, highlight to read: Zetian has two hands! and so do each of the boys!! Boo yeah. THIS is how you do love triangles. Mind you, I don't really like the term love triangle since the boys are never in love with or attracted to each other, just to the girl and sHe HaS tO cHoOsE. This is such a refreshing change from that.

Chrysalis pilots are basically superheroes and celebrities, so Zetian has to deal with all sorts of political machinations and publicity stuff on top of the sexism and attempts on her life. I was super into this book and then BAM, cliffhanger! And the second book isn't out for ages!! I am bereft. READ THIS THO.  Ooh, just learned (in googling the characters' names) that Xiran posted her face claims and descriptions of the characters!! Unfortunately I kept picturing Li Shimin as that villain who got airbending powers in The Legend of Korra :(  Godfrey Gao is SO much better.

Score: 4 out of 5 stars
Read in: March 22
From: Barnes & Noble
Status: keeping

See my aesthetics moodboard for Iron Widow!

Representation: main character with disability and chronic pain who uses mobility aids, bisexual side characters, nearsighted, glasses wearing character; all the characters are Chinese but this is SciFi/Fantasy Silkpunk China so idk if that counts

Cover notes: Perfect. My paperback has gorgeous metallic accents and I love it.

Trigger warnings: message me for these since Google got all puritanical 🙄

Rereads of March

In March I had issues with my electricity, so I unplugged my router and modem in case that was the issue and consequently had no internet, so I watched my DVD of The Last Unicorn, which I had never seen. This made me reread the book, of course. It's such a lovely, mysterious, sad and longing-filled book. The unicorn learning she is the last, the magician being unable to touch her, the prince being in love with her as a human, and of course Molly Crue. The older I get the more I identify with her. Like her I have long desired to see a unicorn, but for me it is impossible. I am hardened by living in this world, but books like this remind me of my longing to live in fairytales. Please read this wonderful book so we can have broken hearts together. 4.5 out of 5 stars, permanent collection. Trigger warnings: death, fantasy violence, a baby is left out in the cold to die (he doesn't), kidnapping and imprisonment, virginity mentions, that thing where a beautiful woman is the object of men's love and devotion and (subliminally) desire even though she doesn't want to be (because she's a unicorn) and it's all too reminiscent of how society still teaches that women exist for men and that whole male gaze/male fantasies thing and yeah

 

I reread Something That Will Shock and Discredit You by Daniel M. Lavery for the trans rights reading challenge, and enjoyed it again. Here's my short book review from last time I read it (funnily enough also in March):

I've loved Lavery's writing ever since the old The Toast days, and will read everything he writes. I loved all the Bible references which he used as descriptive parallels to his transitioning (Jacob wrestling with God and being given a new name, etc.). He also did several of his signature retellings/reimaginings of classical poetry and literature. This book was funny and poignant and I liked it very much. 4 out of 5 stars.
     Trigger warnings for this book: dysphoria, transphobia, Bible passages, depression and anxiety, I don't remember if he mentions his dad enabling a pedophile but if he does that's definitely one

 

 

I know this is supposed to be only rereads, but I decided to throw in my last read of March, a small book about the illuminated manuscripts of the Morgan Library & Museum. I went there during my Spring break trip to New York, and it was gorgeous (I only saw the library and historic rooms as admission for those was free). I love me a museum gift shop, and I bought this book there. I love illuminated manuscripts and book history and consequently enjoyed reading this book, but because of the book's small size, the images of the illuminated manuscript pages were tiny, and it was hard to see the details. They should have made this into a regular-sized or large book for that reason (I know those exist). 4 stars, keeping. Trigger warnings: flaying mention and (cartoony) illustration, martyrdom and deaths/murder depictions, Bible stories and characters, Christianity