Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

250 reviews

booksemmahasread's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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rory18's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It's a fun power fantasy but I'm not really sure I'd call it feminist since it doesn't exactly pass the Bechdel test and the main character barely has any relationships with women. Also, I called all the plot twists but maybe that's just because I'm also a writer who is writing about colonization and sexism. Also weird how Zetian can't forgive anyone but her boyfriends for anything but has done some pretty frequently-seen-as-unforgivable things herself. I did enjoy it though. Anti-heroes are fun and the boys are interesting.
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bevlovesbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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april_does_feral_sometimes's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I loved ‘Iron Widow’ by Xiran Jay Zhao! It strikes the precise emotional tone I feel a lot because of my own life experiences! However, gentlemen might feel a little, well, unappreciated, depending on their views about gender roles. Unless such gentlemen have seen the suffering of women (and gays) under patriarchal religions and political regimes and know it is devastatingly wrong and unjust. 

This is book one in the Iron Widow series, which is certain to be banned under the emerging Nazi Trump administration. Perhaps, given the capitulation of all of the techbros, along with the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, readers should buy a hard copy.

I have copied the book blurb:


An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!

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

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.”</i>

I love this book and world-building, but it is sometimes difficult to understand or imagine, partially because of the horrors that the protagonists undergo, and partially because of the descriptions of invisible powers and how they work, such as qi and spirit metal. I also found it difficult to understand/imagine how the Hunduns/Chrysalises look or work. The Hunduns, which are somewhat like huge insects who are at war with humans, can be transformed into not-alive war machines when they are killed (?), the husks being renamed Chrysalises, that humans use to fight the living Hunduns.  

The social/political world the author builds her story on is a Chinese one, culturally, where girls have foot-binding forced on them. Women are given to men, most supposedly as wives, but they are really slaves, having no rights, even when they are discovered to have strong powers of qi and spirit pressure. Girls with powerful spirit pressure and qi are extorted into performing as pilots of the Chrysalises alongside male pilots with high qi and spirit pressure. However, the girls always die in the battle with Hunduns, supposedly because they weaker in qi and spirit pressure than the male pilot they are partnering, who must kill them in joining the girl’s qi to his own, to pilot the Chrysalis. So. The girls are dead after their first and only battle with the Hunduns, but no one cares. They were only girls, who are not respected in any way in this culture. 

However, occasionally, there is a girl with such high qi that she survives the Chrysalis battles with Hunduns and her male human pilot who is sucking her dry of qi. She even kills her male pilot. Such women are called, tada, Iron Widows!

This is a vicious torturous world of war, war, and more war. Readers who are sensitive will probably find the Iron Widow books too violent. Trump supporters will hate the book after awhile because of the disapproval and momentary downfall, which appears, eventually, of their beliefs about gays and females being inferior and fit only for torture, sexual enslavement and death. For myself, a victim of the American social and political patriarchy which was in force until the 21st century, it is a positive wish-fulfillment story. 

I can’t wait for the next books in the series! A mystery and a huge lie has been revealed near the end! Omg! Wow! What will happen next?????

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vchirico's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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keyaunnalb's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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nocturna_of_space's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Does Iron Widow pass the Bechdel test? Pretty sure no.... 
A main character that wants to watch the world burn can work but it didn't work here. Zetian lacks any kind of empathy to an almost comical degree. She just kills everyone with no regard for any extenuating circumstances around their actions. I almost thought she might change but then she kills the parents of children that are being held hostage and then kills her whole family in short order. Her whole reason for wanting to kill the dude at the start of the book is because her big sister was killed by him. Fair enough, but like.... she doesn't have a name. The big sister who's so important to Zetian has no name except 'big sister.' 
I honestly thought Shimin and Yizhi had a better love story than Zetian with either of them. And I think that's mostly due to the idea that they maybe had some conversations off-screen or something. I really wanted to like the love story in this book. Especially as a poly person. But my god... there was no soul in it and almost no chemistry between Zetian and either of the boys.
Zetian is really just... not like other girls I guess...
I will be looking up what happens to Shimin and Yizhi. I hope they live happily together for the rest of their lives. Also 2 stars for the inclusion of the boy you torture someone with and the boy who welcomes you home with pastries afterwards. Even I have to admit that was great.
Edit: I was just informed that the big sister does have a name. It’s mentioned off hand in the first chapter I think? And then never again.

If you liked this book, all the power to you. It just wasn't my thing. Which is sad, because I really thought it would be. 
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comaduff's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is the only book ive reread in probably 3 or 4 years. I did it in preparation for Heavenly Tyrant. It was just as good the second time. I could write good things forever. I especially love the morally grey main character. Thats my favorite parts. 

Main theme of the book:
I support women’s rights, but more importantly i support women’s wrongs!!!!
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mirandyli's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This was an incredible book that was basically written for people like me.
Pacific Rim meets Ancient China (the main character has bound feet), with a queer polyamorous relationship. Featuring  heavy misogyny and colonization. The ending had me reeling.
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the_frenchie_history_nerd's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

What a great YA book. Definitely for older teens (15/16+), but an accessible read to all reading levels as long as they're old enough. It's a fast-paced, tense, dark and fun read for sci-fi/fantasy readers. Don't expect LOTR world building, but Xian Jay Zhao's first novel still defends itself pretty well on this front.

Iron Widow's characters definitely aren't good people, but they're still loveable in some sort of twisted way. Zetian is a villainous figure that you're probably gonna learn to love despite her cruel nature. 

This book is just as good on a second read, and I can't wait to start Heavenly Tyrant!
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