Fantasy Review: Iron Widow

From the moment I got this book in the mail, I wanted to scream into the void: I have been waiting for this book for a very, very long time. Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao, is a fantastic book that YA-me would have adored and adult me is so glad exists in the world. Historical fantasy x mecha anime, with a ragey, unapologetic woman and a true love triangle?? YES PLEASE.

Things I loved about this book:

Shimin and Yizhi: Watching Zeitan's love for cinnamon soft Yizhi morph into something stronger, and then seeing her anger turn to respect and love for Shimin, and that tender moment between Yizhi and Shimin--I loved how Zhao rolled into trope city giving the reader exactly what they wanted with these releationships.
The politics. I loved how Zhao never shied away from making a point. This book is an excellent example of how the "personal is political". The characters do not have the benefit of not choosing sides, not when we can see how the overarching social system is at the root of everyone's pain.
The twist. Okay, I know that this was pitches fantasy x mecha anime...but the epilogue was an absolutely perfect echo of the little snippet at the end of an anime season, after the theme music had ended, teasing what's to come. Loved it.

So yes. I will not stop screaming about this book, possibly ever. Can't wait for the sequel!

Comments

Fall writing update - 2

When I last wrote in September I was working on a zero draft of the Wedding Crown, getting my Monster Girls ready for Pitchwars, and trying to find any sort of enthusiasm for my Brigadoon re-write. I ended up giving up on Brigadoon. At least for now, the story just wasn't sitting well with me. Maybe I tried to push too many drafts too soon. Instead, I focused on the Monster Girls. I did one full pass of the manuscript, cleaning up the emotional details, making sure the tone was as consistent as I could get it. I felt pretty good about it going into the Pitchwars submission. Then I spent a weekend hard-core workshopping the first chapter and query with my writing group. And the effort was worth it! I ended up getting one request for a partial, which I was thrilled by. That was my goal this year--if I could get at least a request, I would be happy. That ended up being as far as I went--and for good reason. After the extensive workshopping, I re-read my next few chapters before...

Reading as a Writer: Children of Time

A coworker challenged me to read Children of Time as part of our 2-person sci-fi book club. My heart sank when I opened the cover to read the first line: I'd tried to read this book before as an audiobook on a road trip with my husband the year before. He adored this book and was excited to share it with me, and I couldn't get through a half-chapter without falling asleep. But, since I'd committed to reading it before realizing which book it was, I sat down to finally read it. And just like my husband suggested, I flew through it. Of course, it did take three mediums to read this--I read the first third in the physical book, then switched to audio book on another road trip, then finished it on e-book during an unexpected train delay. Separate from the experience of reading the book, I felt very lucky to have access to so many different library resources to get me through the finish line! I probably would not have picked this book up if not for the joint cajoling of my hus...

The baby steps do matter

Last week I posted about finishing my first draft of Beekeeper. Over 79 days, I wrote 57,00 words. What I didn't say was that drafting Beekeeper was the first time in nearly a year where I was drafting something completely new. I'd spent so long revising Predacide that even last year's full draft was largely cobbled together from old scenes, with a handful of new ones scattered in; and unlike in years past I hadn't managed to draft my August short-story. And surprising no one, writing is hard. When I first started drafting in January, it felt like pulling teeth to write 100 words. I'd push myself to write 100, then 200, and wonder at how I ever managed a whole month of Nano sessions. And as much as I hate to say it, every day it got a little easier. Each morning I wrote a little bit more than I did the day before. There were some stops and starts, of course. We went to Vegas to see the Killers, and then certain executive orders began sending shockwaves through m...

Audely Bensen Writes

Search This Blog