Iron Widow by Ziran Jay Zhao Review
Iron Widow by Ziran Jay Zhao has been on my To-Read list for a long time, and I had avoided it for mostly subconscious reasons surrounding the marketing of novels as “Young Adult,” I think. There’s much to say about YA as a pseudo-genre (it’s not a genre, it’s a marketing strategy), but even I fall victim to the label from time to time. The author herself has a great commentary regarding this on her webpage for the book:
Note about its age rating: This series initially sold as YA and its contents fall well within the norm of Upper YA, which is meant for older teens and up. There is a massive difference between Lower YA and Upper YA, just as there is a massive difference between a 12 year old and an 18 year old. However, I understand that different people have different expectations when they hear “YA series” and may not be aware of the industry history that caused the normalization of mature content in Upper YA, such as the failure of the New Adult genre to establish itself, the shelving of books by femme-presenting authors into YA no matter the contents, and authors not being able to jump age categories mid-series even as their themes matured. Due to this widespread confusion, I will no longer personally be marketing it as YA at all, though please keep in mind that I cannot control where booksellers and librarians stock it. To be cautious, I will refrain from putting graphic, extended sexual activity on page, but please be aware that the level of violence and sensuality in this series is not appropriate for younger teens, and I as a person do not approach social media as if I have a mostly teen audience. All main characters in this series are over the age of 18.
https://xiranjayzhao.com/index.php/books/
But, I was missing out on this series, and to be great joy, the sequel, Heavenly Tyrant, released mere months ago, condensing my wait to pick up where we left off.
The novel tells the story of 18-year-old Zetian, who has signed up as a concubine-pilot to gain access to the male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. This is a world where historical Chinese myths and legends are transported to an alternate future, a mecha-style fiction which imagines China’s first, and only, Empress Wu Zetien into the political contexts of science-fiction. It’s a commentary on gender roles and social power, set against a backdrop wherein elements of Pacific Rim (itself indebted to the hugely popular and expansive mecha-anime genre you can read more about here: https://www.cbr.com/anime-mecha-first-ten-chronological-order/) clash with the story-telling of medievalist adaptations, and I could not put it down.
Piloting a Chrysalis, the in-world mecha, requires a male pilot and female concubine-pilot, whose pairings utilize elements of marriage ceremony to solidify. But piloting is dangerous for all females, save the rare few who are equally matched to their male pilot. The way the narrative explores the implications of this system, as well as exactly how gender has anything to do with piloting the Chrysalises, is a major part of the plot that I don’t want to ruin for those who haven’t yet read the book, but it pays off in a profound way.
Additionally, the traditional understanding of a love triangle trope, which I have written about before as a genealogical descendant to medieval romance’s courtly love motifs, is subverted by the narrative, in a way which extends the possibilities and promises of love unrestrained by jealousy and possession.
This novel is a discussion of love, of queerness, of identity and disability, and importantly, of the rage that comes from oppression, especially when that oppression is couched in the words of family and responsibility. It's heavy and it's profound, but it's also, in the words of the author:
Bonus Summary for Weebs:
Under siege by monsters beyond the Great Wall like that shitty Matt Damon movie, except the monsters are Cybertronian-like sentient machines, a society that has the fashion, social customs, and beliefs of Ancient China but futuristic tech fights back by pulling a Neon Genesis Evangelion and rebuilding their very invaders into giant mecha. A boy-girl pair in their teens, because of course they have to be teens, pilot the mecha Darling in the Franxx style, except in a much more sensible position (he hugs her from behind). Under command of human pilots, these mecha take on forms inspired by East Asian myth creatures and transform like Transformers through Digimon-esque evolution lines that get more humanoid as you go on. The pilots physically embody them, so it’s more Attack on Titan rules than Gundam. Oh, and they blast qi attacks, so the battles honestly read like a bunch of furries engaged in a Dragon Ball Z fight, and that’s no one’s fault but mine.
You won't regret reading it.