Let's see:
What do you get if you mix every mecha anime ever, sci-fi dystopia, 'Pacific Rim', 'The Handmaid's Tale', a pinch of Super Sentai and Pokémon, and Chinese historical elements; specifically its treatment of women, and the rise of Empress Wu?You get a bit of everything in an epic, thrilling and splendidly written feminist YA sci-fi juggernaut of a book.
You get 'Iron Widow'.
I'd been doubtful about "feminist" books for a while now. However I was drawn to 'Iron Widow' mainly because I wanted to support diverse stories and authors; and in this case the book's Chinese nonbinary author.
Funnily enough, I hadn't heard of Xiran Jay Zhao before reading their debut publication, and I started watching their videos on YouTube during my reading of it. They seem like an awesome, brilliant, funny and well travelled, informed and educated person. It turns out they can write stories just as marvellously. They can create a dystopian world full of mechas, that pays homage to many East Asian properties, historical events, cultures and politics. Among Xiran Jay Zhao's victories - such as 'Iron Widow''s much needed revolutionary feminist agenda, as an original twist - they break the stereotype of the YouTuber making bad content outside of the media platform that made them internet famous. Wider fame isn't unattainable to them, as proven by this bestseller.
But what is the plot of 'Iron Widow'? Well, it is set in Huaxia, a part of the ravaged postapocalyptic world. It is about Wu Zetian, an eighteen-year-old poor frontier girl who willingly signs up to be a concubine-pilot for mechas called Chrysalises - which is almost certain death for girls in a horrifically sexist piloting system that sacrifices them in favour of the "heroic" males they co-pilot with and support through their "minimal" spirit energy and "weak" minds. Zetian only takes part in this to avenge her older sister, a concubine-pilot who was murdered by a famous Chrysalis pilot; one of many in this terrible, dehumanising system that is just a reflection of the patriarchy. It is the patriarchy, as we know it today, nothing extreme or hyperbolic about it.
One way or another, even if it means her death and the deaths of the rest of her family (who are awful people, it must be noted), Zetian, who has suffered and been in pain her entire life, will kill the pilot. And possibly reveal the truth of what girls are really capable of, and topple the lying, deadly patriarchy piece by piece.
In the cautionary tale that is 'Iron Widow', girls' families would either sell them to be concubine-pilots, or to be married off, if the price is right. If they should ever step out of line, they are punished severely, and drowning in a cage in a river is what awaits them if they have premarital sex, or are perceived to have premarital sex. As if that wasn't bad enough, girls' feet will usually be broken and bound by their own family when they are as young as five, crippling them for life, for the sake of keeping their feet tiny and ineffective in running away. Zetian is a victim of this abuse; she doesn't "walk" so much as shuffle and totter.
Girls are disposable and dispensable in this world, seen as weak in every aspect, and only good for breeding. And sacrificing themselves in aid of male pilots in Chrysalises - in the ying-yang cockpit system - so that the men can garner enough spirit to destroy and salvage the shells of the giant monsters bent on destroying humanity, the Hunduns.
I don't know about you, but I'm on the Hunduns' side here. Given the atrocities that humans, usually men, commit both in this book and in real life (that've inspired the events of the book), are we really worth saving? Can we really call ourselves humans? At least the oppressed and marginalised female half of the human race continue to fight to prove that we are not all bad, and that we are strong - physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
We are survivors.
We will keep going, keep coming back, no matter what misogynistic men or any "invaders" will do to us, either for profit, "tradition", cynicism, or sick sadistic pleasure.
For indeed, Wu Zetian is far from the only concubine-pilot to be called the Iron Widow. Those before her were merely executed and erased from history and public knowledge. Anything to keep women down, and subservient and powerless.
'Iron Widow' also comments on the evils of capitalism, which goes hand in hand with the patriarchy.
As a testament to its epic-ness in scale in terms of its content and themes, it offers representation of a polygamous relationship, which doesn't become clear until near the end of the book, but its slow building development is warranted in a world that would steadfastly only prefer monogamous partnerships.
Zetian, a defiant, rebellious and snarky girl with a warrior's spirit and raging fire in her soul, loves Gao Yizhi, one of the twenty-something sons of a rich, megalomaniacal head of a monolithic corporation. Due to class divides their relationship is forbidden, but that's not going to stop them, and Yizhi is a genuine sweetheart and cinnamon bun despite being rich, so he's worth it. But Zetian - and Yizhi, too - also surprisingly grow to love Li Shimin, aka the Iron Demon, the most powerful Chrysalis pilot in Huaxia. Shimin was convicted of murdering his family (as well as, later, the dozens of girls he had piloted with, drained and overwhelmed, but of course the men in charge of everything don't care about that), and is only kept alive because of his high spirit level (which is the 'Dragonball Z'-like element of the story). Shimin is a very tragic figure; it turns out he is not the heartless, animalistic monster he is reputed to be. Furthermore he is far from the stereotypical bad boy. He is, in fact, a scholar from a poor background, and he wears glasses when he's not piloting. He is as much a tool of the Chrysalis piloting system, and thus a victim of the patriarchy, as Zetian and every other female character. His alcohol addiction is treated seriously and meticulously, and is also the result of the men in power controlling everyone's lives, who are the true monsters in 'Iron Widow'.
Zetian, Yizhi and Shimin are the bisexual power trio (Zetian mentions once that female bodies fascinate her) that this corrupt, toxic world needs. They love each other, and they will show no mercy to anyone who gets in their way of maybe, just maybe, saving their world from the patriarchy.
Additionally, I love the mention of the triangle being the strongest shape, and the ying-yang butterfly and what it symbolises: gender is a manmade concept, and people of both, more or no genders and sexes exist.
Unfortunately, as exciting, shocking, tragic and triumphant 'Iron Widow' is, it is not perfect. Slight spoiler here: Zetian achieves what she originally sets out to do early on in the story, leaving the rest of the narrative without much plot, beyond a vaguely established overarching, impending Hundun counterattack further on from Huaxia. Plus the possible awakening of a legendary Chrysalis pilot and emperor, who's said to be literally put on ice for over two hundred years. A few cool mecha battles happen, in between character interactions, development, and Zetian being a calculating survivor in a media-drenched society obsessed with labelling her and putting her in her place, despite her polarising status and fame as the feral, bloodthirsty Iron Widow (one theory is that she is possessed by a fox spirit, a vixen, because any woman who isn't soft, docile and subservient to men must be possessed, right?). These things are not bad in of themselves, but some more urgency and a solid plot could have fixed any lagging issues.
Zetian, while everything about her, from her self-awareness, anecdotes, verbal castrations, to her high fighting spirit in a Chrysalis, is created to be explicitly feminist and progressive - made to be a towering icon - she does need to be rescued by men a few times in the book. She even laments how helpless she is in her crippled physical state - as a Chrysalis she is big and free and no longer in pain - and so she has no choice but to rely on the help of men who have more power than her. Though at least the men who legitimately help her, Shimin and Yizhi, do love and care for her as a person, not an object or a tool, and there is no shame in needing assistance and support.
Zetian doesn't technically, in full-framed context, make any female friends and companions, but that might change at the very end of the book. Not all women are made invisible and small in 'Iron Widow', so...
And I must add: Zetian, uncharacteristically, is ridiculously trusting in the existence of gods who nobody has ever seen - gods who apparently require offerings of Hundun carcasses and shells in exchange for spirit energy, among other indulgences. Including girls. Poor, innocent girls who like concubine-pilots and wives, are lambs to the slaughter. This sure isn't suspicious! Why, for someone who sees right though her society's systematic misogyny and the bullshit reasonings for it, does Zetian never question anything about this aspect in her way of life?
Despite her shortcomings, I would be remiss not to notice, appreciate, admire and find refreshing Zetian's ruthlessness and drive to be on top no matter what. She is not above killing, and even torturing, people to achieve her goals, not just for her own sake but for the sake of every girl doomed to a horrible, inhumane life - to be stepped on and kicked like dirt, thrown out like used bath water, and treated like cattle and batteries - because they were assigned female at birth. And for the sake of the boys she loves. A huge fuck-you to slut shaming and the concept of "pure, virginal girls" is another thing she embodies.
Zetian uses brute force in revenge, and when it's necessary to attaining a fair, peaceful, good society. In her own words, she doesn't need a redemption arc; it's the rest of the world that's broken and needs redeeming. As a consequence, some men are too dangerous to be kept alive.
Never underestimate her. She is deadly. She is glorious.
Wu Zetian is an empress.
Except no, she isn't. Not yet. Her story is not over. There is a sequel coming out next year, following up on that whammy of a cliffhanger. It is practically impossible not to desperately want to know what will happen next, so yes, I can't wait for the second book.
I adore the Zetian-Shimin-Yizhi bisexual polygamous triangle, individually and as a team, and the book can be funny, as well. The tiny little part where Yizhi yells out, "You can't shoot me, I'm rich!" to get past guards, and it works - absolutely fucking priceless. Social commentary at its finest.
I think I've written enough. Go read 'Iron Widow' right this second. It is a revolution. Starting now.
Also a massive thanks to the author for getting me out of my reading slump this year.
Final Score: 4/5
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