Iron Widow

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Iron Widow
AuthorXiran Jay Zhao
Cover artistAshley Mackenzie
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction
PublisherPRH Canada Young Readers (Canada) Rock The Boat (UK)
Publication date
September 21, 2021
Pages400
ISBN978-0735269934

Iron Widow is a 2021 Canadian science-fantasy novel by Xiran Jay Zhao.[1][2][3]

Summary[]

Xiran Jay Zhao's debut novel, Iron Widow, is a re-imagining of the history of Wu Zetian, empress of China during the late 600s.[4][5][6] In an interview with Publishers Weekly, they stated that "there's no other woman in Chinese history who had a rise through the harem as iconic as hers... It's been incredibly fun to reimagine her as instead a teenage peasant girl in an intensely misogynistic world who suddenly gains access to giant fighter mechas—how would she change her world?"[7]

Plot[]

Set in the nation of Huaxia, a futuristic reimagining of Medieval China that is constantly under attack by alien robots known as Hunduns. This book tells the story of a peasant girl who rises to power after an attempt to avenge her sister's murder. She works with partners to control giant creatures made of spirit metal as they fight to save their home while fighting the systems that have tried to have her killed. A love triangle adds warmth to this cutthroat story proving that you don't have to choose between two great loves.

This book is adult fiction and includes depictions of rape, misogyny, murder, addiction, torture and corruption.

Characters[]

  • Wu Zetian: the titular "Iron Widow" and co-pilot for the Vermilion Bird who seeks to topple the sexist society of Huaxia after her sister is sacrificed as a pilot.
  • Li Shimin: the "Iron Demon", Wu Zetian's co-pilot for the Vermilion Bird, a former death row inmate who was spared for having the strongest qi in the history of Huaxia.
  • Gao Yizhi: Zetian and Shimin's love interest, the fifth son of the biggest media mogul in Huaxia who forms a Polyamorous relationships with Zetian and Shimin.

Reception[]

Iron Widow reached #1 in the Young Adult Hardcover category of New York Times Best Sellers in the first week after its release.[8]

The book received generally positive reviews, with commentators noting the queer and feminist themes Linda Codega of Tor.com stated that the "worldbuilding is imaginative and explosive, the strange mix of mecha battles and reimagined characters lighting up the fight scenes and adding a new mythology to historical fantasy" but that the book didn't go "far enough to examine the underlying misogyny and transphobia" the characters faced from the oppressive society.[9] Mimi Koehler of The Nerd Daily, however, found the book "takes a deep dive into the unrelenting and unfair gender roles Wu Zetian's society tries to uphold at any cost and how that not only affects how people treat her but how she, in par, treats others," comparing it to Pacific Rim and The Handmaid's Tale.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ "34 great Canadian books to check out in fall 2021 | CBC Books".
  2. ^ Alexander, Allison (2021-10-12). "Moving Beyond Binaries in Gender-Based Magic Systems: The Wheel of Time and Iron Widow". Tor.com. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  3. ^ "Get A Sneak Peek At Xiran Jay Zhao's Much Anticipated YA Novel, 'Iron Widow'". Bustle. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  4. ^ "Q&A: Xiran Jay Zhao, Author of 'Iron Widow'". The Nerd Daily. 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  5. ^ "Xiran Jay Zhao Dismantles Patriarchy in Brutally Honest Debut". Space Between the Pages. 2021-09-07. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  6. ^ skye (2021-10-19). "Our Friend is Here! An Interview with Xiran Jay Zhao, Author of Iron Widow – On Their Author Journey So Far, Reimagining Historical Characters, & Upcoming Project Hype". The Quiet Pond. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  7. ^ Nawotka, Ed. "Publishing in Canada 2021: Novelist Xiran Jay Zhao on Blending SciFi and Chinese History". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2021-11-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "Young Adult Hardcover Books - Best Sellers - Books - Oct. 10, 2021 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  9. ^ Codega, Linda H. (2021-09-22). "Historical Fantasy at Its Most Anime: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao". Tor.com. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  10. ^ Koehler, Mimi (2021-09-13). "Review: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao". The Nerd Daily. Retrieved 2021-11-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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