Book Review
Rating: 5 stars
Iron Widow
by Xiran Jay Zhao
Publication Date: September 21, 2021
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Method of reading: bought the physical book!
Full Review: (link to my review here)
Iron Widow – where do we even start with this book review? I think this book was so well marketed. The cover design was so well done and the description and actual categorization of it sets the reader up for success they know what they’re getting into even if they just have a big idea that it’s sci-fi fantasy purely based on the cover in the categorization blurb aAnd I think that’s a rarity in sci-fi fantasy and I love the way this book looks on my bookshelf. I heavily recommend if you’re going to read this book to get it in physical form because it just stands out and it looks absolutely gorgeous.
The addition that I have has art in this helped enhance experience so much more too because I didn’t realize that these aliens are 13 stories tall and so actually they’re over 13 stories tall so being able to see kind of what that looks like helps a lot because this is a completely new world this author built.
This book starts off with really intense, household abuse, and an explanation of how societal norms function going into this book. I really loved the Great Wall of China growing up and I always found it to be fascinating and I had heard about feet binding so being able to see these in a different light was fascinating
I also enjoyed seeing alcohol being used as a form of weapon for torture and not purely being used for this sense of entertainment and pleasure. I feel like a lot of books I pick up a lot of scenes, have people sipping wine or going to restaurants and it doesn’t further the plot or help with character development, and to me it’s become thriller, and the fact that there was not a single , filler in this book was wild to me
I am able to read a little bit faster. I get used to the authors writing style, but because every single page was planned out and necessary and there’s zero fluff and there’s not room for zoning you need to have your brain on for this book but you’re also given just enough handholding or nothing too confusing.
I understand why this book has the hype that it does and I think it deserves more. I think this book should be put up next to all the other sci-fi books at Barnes & Noble and the fact that it took me so long to find this one in particular is bizarre to me because this is an amazing read
Very much trust the community to give me recommendations because I’ve had some really wonderful recommendations and I also really enjoy seeing what other people don’t like seeing different opinions and different perspectives and being validated in certain opinions so it was really nice having other people who have read this book Yeah that’s a really good one. I’m reading it because I’m used to not knowing about the book yet or not being interested in it but have read it and further to be a fan the books that I really connect with and gravitate towards there super niche and there’s not a huge fan for them and to be able to find community where there’s niches of books that I really connect with and other individuals that love the stories is really special.
I think everyone should absolutely read this book to give a quick synopsis. Just be aware that there might be some spoilers in this:
(view spoiler)
Between the Great Wall of China references to the aliens to the magic system to the fact that there is no fluff in this book to the cover art, clear that this author has put their entire heart and soul into this book and I am so thoroughly impressed. Think everyone needs this on the shelves and I’m glad that I got exposed to this book.
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