This week we are discussing Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, Part 1.
Content Warning!!! This book contains situations and subjects related to: toxic parental relationship, violence, torture, misogyny/sexism, attempted sexual assault, rape (mentioned/off-page).
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.
Discussion:
Jac: Hello friends and welcome to our first discussion of Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. We have been so excited to read this book, and so far I’m not disappointed. The world feels simultaneously futuristic and archaic. The mechas almost remind me of what you see in Power Rangers and Pacific Rim - Michaela’s physical copy included art of the mechas while my ebook didn’t, but Xiran has some amazing depictions of them on their website.
I also enjoy the vengeful feminist aspect of the story. There was one part in particular that gave me goosebumps, “I’ve been set free from my broken body, that husk of flesh and bone that has been prepared all its existence to be used for the whims and pleasures of men.” It was such a powerful line. I am really looking forward to learning what Zetian is going to do to change the culture around women - at least, that’s what I presume this series is leading towards.
Michaela: Science fiction is a genre I struggle to get into but this story is right up my street. Like you said it reminds me of Power Rangers and it also reminds me of Attack on Titan to a degree, both of which I love. So far I think Xiran has really enveloped me, as a reader, into the story. Like fantasy, the sci-fi genre can have a lot of info dumping in the first third of the book and it can take a while to get what’s going on. However, I think Xiran’s writing has made it really easy to fall right into step with what’s happening and what this society is like.
I am in love with the power that feminine rage has in this book so far through Zetian. That part of this book reminds me of one of our reads from last year, When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill. Even though this is a fictional society based off of Chinese culture, the treatment of women is so common across all of humanity that I find myself relating to Zetian and her anger at what the world has done to her and her loved ones. I have to say the whole concept of concubine pilots is disgusting to me, but at the same time is completely realistic in this world and it’s not far off from what could happen in our own. Women are expendable in this society and I am so ready to see how Zetian shakes that up.
I’m really interested in the religious system we have going on here. The narration talks about the people giving gifts to the gods and then in exchange, only when the gods find them worthy, the people will be given manuals for new tech or breakthroughs in medicine. So if the gods in this universe are real, then they are all knowing but have let the Hundun creatures decimate the human population and yet still withhold life saving technology and medicine. I wonder if that is going to come into play more as the story progresses.
Jac: I hope we do learn more about that. I also hope to learn more about the caste structure they have going on, where only wealthy males are allowed access to education. Speaking of wealthy males, I can’t help but wonder if Yizhi will come into play again at some point in the series. It was presumptuous of him to arrive at Zetian’s home to propose like that. If he knew her as well as he thinks he does, he should have known that vengeance was her only way forward.
Honestly, I was expecting the slaying of Yang Guang to be the ultimate end goal of the book, not to be what launches Zetian into the rest of the story. I honestly was starting to believe that maybe Yang Guang wasn’t as bad as she thought, and that perhaps it would be an enemies to lovers story with him as the love interest. Clearly, that was incorrect!
It seems to me that the powers that be in this society - the Sages? - are hiding things. Zetian isn’t the first Iron Widow, so what happened to the others? Surely, more women have had high spirit scores over time.
Michaela: I think it's plausible that the Sages have been suppressing high spirit scores amongst women. Like women are actually the more powerful pilots but for sexist reasons made them be the sacrifice for men to use up their power to operate the machines. Even if it's not that the Sages are up to something nefarious and I don’t like it.
I was not expecting this first section of the book to go how it did. I also felt it was going in an enemies to lovers for a second, I am definitely relieved it did not go that way with Yang Guang because he grossed me out. I feel like it could still turn into that with this new pilot she’s going to be teamed up with. Li Shimin sounds like he’s going to be a really intriguing character.
Speaking of expectations, that freaking dream realm power fight was crazy! That was so cool, I need more information about how aaaallllll of that works. I love stories with inner personal realms, they are fascinating to me. Zetian’s instincts were so strong too, which going with my suppressing feminine spirit scores, I wonder if Zetian’s spirit is actually way stronger than they detected. Perhaps the machines they use for analysis are designed with men’s energy in mind and not women’s so all women score low almost all the time. I think that would be totally on brand in a patriarchal society, the same things happen in our real world, medicine practices based solely on male bodies and just hoping it works the same for women or intersex persons. It would also make sense with the Ying and Yang energy balance they use for piloting. Two different energies, only sharing a small amount of the other.
I think that’s all we can really talk about until we know more. Obviously we are very excited to keep reading. Until next time friends!
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