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A review by arttichokedipp
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
5.0
First book of the year, first 5-star of the year.
This is everything. Everything I find wrong with YA, gone. Everything I dislike about fantasy, gone. Everything I dislike about scifi, gone. Only the good parts remain and it is so, SO good.
Particularly, for those who have negative feelings about love triangles, never fear. I hate love triangles because things would be so easy if they ended in polyamory half the time that it would cut the book in half. This one? THIS ONE DOES. Not only does the girl get with both guys, who are totally cool with that, but they get together as well. The triangle is the strongest shape, as you'll see. My only complaint is there's a sort of "bury your gays" situation, but I'm hoping based on the epilogue that it's not permanent.
10/10, I'm so glad I stumbled upon their YouTube videos and decided to pick up their book when it came out.
(Edited because I messed up their pronouns. So sorry!)
This is everything. Everything I find wrong with YA, gone. Everything I dislike about fantasy, gone. Everything I dislike about scifi, gone. Only the good parts remain and it is so, SO good.
Particularly, for those who have negative feelings about love triangles, never fear.
10/10, I'm so glad I stumbled upon their YouTube videos and decided to pick up their book when it came out.
(Edited because I messed up their pronouns. So sorry!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, and Xenophobia
Minor: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Gore, Trafficking, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
There is allusion to intersexism, in that it's rumoured that intersex people may exist but they're not taught about and the narrator speculates on how they may be mistreated for being born different.