Book Club Reviews Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

By Lia Low, Hiona Oyama, and Amelia Kondor

This month, Templeton’s book club finished Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. This novel was one of our most anticipated reads and pleased several of our book club members. Altogether, we’ve given this book an average rating of 4.45/5 stars.

Inthis fast-paced, science-fiction fantasy, we follow a spunky villain protagonist. This novel is a mecha reimagining of the rise of Chinese Empress, Wu Zetian. She is out for revenge as she conquers mysterious enemies, her own inner demons, and the patriarchy. In the dystopian world she lives in, everyone contains a life force called Qi. Men have yang Qi, while women have yin Qi. Men are always stronger — or so Zetian has been told her whole life. When she first has to channel her Qi in battle, however, she realizes that she is stronger than she has been told. Follow her on this thrillingjourney of rising up to fight against an oppressive system and uncovering thesystems behind it.

This read has strong elements of feminism, violence, love, and more. It may be a bit mature for younger audiences, but otherwise, this should definitely be added to your TBR lists!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Columns

Image
By Megan Wong   Have you ever wondered where iconic architectural pillars came from? Well, the most common ones used today are considered the Classical Orders of Architecture which originated in ancient Greece and Rome. The five styles are called the Ionic, Doric, Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite orders. They were used to define the style of the people living in certain areas of Europe and the era it was created in. Ionic Order The Ionic Order was created in ancient Greece by the Ionian Greeks in the 6th century. The column is primarily known for its two volutes as it gives the impression that the column is two-sided. It is also considered to be a more feminine version of the Doric column where the volutes and dart ornaments represent the female anatomy of ovaries and eggs. Others say that the volutes resemble scrolls to represent communication at the time. The order was created in Ionia, which we now know as Turkiye, and created some problems for architects at the time ...
Read more

Archery Club

Image
By Anna Segelken Templeton’s new Archery Club had its first meeting on Friday, October 4th. Ten people came out to shoot some arrows and have some fun. As president April Vander Ster says, archery is “good for training certain muscles, and for endurance and such, but I think more importantly, it’s something that can help with your mental health”. Members can expect an environment of calm, concentration, and community. I had the pleasure of trying out some archery, and it made me feel powerful, grounded, and connected to the past. Archery has been practiced for centuries, with evidence of the bow and arrow dating back approximately 72,000 to 60,000 years. Though the development of firearms rendered archers obsolete in warfare, the practice of archery has remained for hunting and sport, both competitive and recreational, like this club. The Archery Club will continue to meet during FIT on Fridays, in the small gym. Vander Ster is eager...
Read more

Getaway Car

Image
By Phoenix Nguyen   No, nothing good starts in a getaway car. The ties were black, and the lies were white; in shades of grey in candlelight. I hated it. I hated how we were. I hate that I was chasing make-belief status. I knew you tried to change the ending, but alas, Peter still lost Wendy. You never saw it coming, so I too blinded myself. ‘Tis was another fine evening in June. The chill of the northerly wind having given away in the late afternoon to a lovely warm stillness and clarity in the air. Far different from the atmosphere inside the car, far different from the cages and chains in my throat trapping those fierce claps from bursting my heart open, fluttering words up my throat, throwing up the butterflies that were pacing my mind since forever. Wise men say love is a rebellious bird, coming and going, passing by unbeknownst to us. If such is true, then I ought to be the wintriest place for any bird, for I have never experienced th...
Read more