Iron Widow: Instant New York Times No.1 Bestseller

(Paperback, (AIR/EXP))

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Description

The boys of Huaxia dream of the celebrity status that comes with piloting Chrysalises giant transforming robots that battle the aliens beyond the Great Wall. No one cares that their female co-pilots must serve as concubines and sacrifice their lives. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, her plan is to assassinate the man responsible for her sisters death. But on miraculously emerging from the cockpit unscathed after her first battle, she has a new plan. The time has come to overturn the entire patriarchal military system.

Reviews

A ferociously original fusion of Chinese history and mecha sci-fi, this is a fast-paced thrill-ride.

-- Guardian

Absolutely epic. This is the historical-inspired, futuristic sci-fi mash-up of my wildest dreams.

-- Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delights

This wild anime-inspired reimagining of the biggest, baddest figures in Chinese history takes on the patriarchy and smashes it with giant robots. ThinkThe Handmaids TalemeetsPacific Rimand buckle up.

-- Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun

Like its ferocious heroine,Iron Widowis brutal, bloodthirsty and full of rage. Zetians fight to shatter patriarchal definitions of power makes for a truly thrilling read.

-- Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

In new publishing, fantasy with strong feminist themes dominated. Raging against the patriarchy in spectacular style is Iron Widow (Rock the Boat), in which Xiran Jay Zhao reimagines the life of Chinas only female emperor in a fusion of history and sci-fi action.

-- Observer, books of the year

A primal scream of a book,Iron Widowdelivers on all that fury and more, combining meticulous pacing and brilliant world building to make a truly epic read.

-- E.K. Johnston, author of Aetherbound

Zetian is the take-no-prisoners heroine youll love to cheer on as she crushes everyone who tries to bring her down.

-- Rebecca Schaeffer, author of Not Even Bones

A bold and brash story that will grab you by the throat from page one. Zhao expertly weaves a story that polishes off classicsci-fi themes and re-imagines them in a lush futuristic world inspired by Ancient China. With an unapologetic heroine who pushes so far beyond the boundaries of expectations, the reader will go on a journey of twists and turns that will make them gasp with each page turn. Thrilling, heart-wrenching and epic!

-- Kat Cho, author of Vicious Spirits

InIron Widow,Zhao crafts a thrilling, brutaltale with jaw-dropping action and a fierce and unyielding heroine. Zetian is unstoppable, and I dare you not to cheer her on.

-- Elizabeth Lim, author of Spin the Dawn

Iron Widow is a gut punch from the very first pages. The action is riveting. The story relentless. The heroine ruthless and unapologetic. Zetian is here to set the world on fire, and her pursuit of vengeance is thrilling and empowering to behold. Sit back and enjoy the show and stay the hell out of her way.

-- Nicki Pau Preto, author of the Crown of Feathers trilogy

A searing, cinematic, gut-punch of a tale, Iron Widow is both wickedly fun and brutally incisive when it comes to the Chinese history and culture it draws inspiration from. Theres no resisting Wu Zetian; once she sinks her claws in you, youll be racing alongside her to a shocking, subversive end.

-- Joan He, NYT bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find

Zhao has gifted us with this addictive, thrilling chaos, led by one uber-talented female assassin. Interwoven with a rich tapestry of East Asian mythology, this is a unique and piercingly powerful book, which any sci-fi fan will lap up.

-- Sue Cheung, author of Chinglish
A rip-roaring, blade-sharp rampagethrough a vivid, terrifying world. Never have I cheered on a murderer so hard. -- Kat Dunn, author of Dangerous Remedy
Absolutely phenomenal! Wu Zetian is the badass heroine Ive been waiting for, taking on aliens and the patriarchy like a total boss. Like a kick-ass feministReady Player One I adoredIron Widow. -- Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake

Iron Widow is an exceptional book. This is an interrogative, imaginative and endlessly interesting retelling that combines a personal story of revenge with an epic sci-fi world... This is a firecracker of a book.

-- A Short Book Lover

The characters in this novel are truly spectacular.

-- Voice magazine

Many themes flavour this story, including gender inequality, disability, addiction, power and media manipulation, butits the characters that will win your heart, while the plot will keep you hooked throughout.

-- Scotsman, book of the year

[A] stunning debutthats become a sensation... Xiran Jay Zhao explores numerous concepts and genres in a way that comes across effortless and wonderfully readable.Iron Widowis a feminist story like no other [Xetians] justified rage gives the novel an intense,empoweringtone.

-- Sunday National

Wow!... A wild Young Adult read.Xiran Jay Zhao expands on concepts drawn from a range of pop culture and Chinese mythology to deliver an imaginative Sc Fi retelling of the only female emperor in Chinese history Zhao is angry energy pours from the page as she explodes traditional ideas of gender binaries and gender roles.

-- Queensland Reviewers Collective

Author Bio

XIRAN JAY ZHAO is a first-gen immigrant from small-town China who was raised by the Internet. A recent graduate of Vancouvers Simon Fraser University, they wrote science fiction and fantasy while they probably should have been studying more about biochemical pathways. You can find them on Twitter @XiranJayZhao for memes, Instagram as xiranjayzhao for cosplays and fancy outfits, and YouTube as Xiran Jay Zhao for long videos about Chinese history and culture. Iron Widow is their first novel.