Iron Widow Book 1, Xiran Jay Zhao
Iron Widow Book 1, Xiran Jay Zhao
33 Rating(s)
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Iron Widow (Book 1)

Author: Xiran Jay Zhao

Narrator: Rong Fu

Unabridged: 12 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/21/2021


Synopsis

An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!

A USA Today bestseller!

Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

 

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

 

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

Author Bio

Xiran Jay Zhao is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Widow series. A first-gen Hui Chinese immigrant from small-town China to Vancouver, Canada, they were raised by the internet and made the inexplicable decision to leave their biochem degree in the dust to write books and make educational content instead. You can find them @XiranJayZhao on Twitter for memes, Instagram for cosplays and fancy outfits, TikTok for fun short videos, and YouTube for long videos about Chinese history and culture. Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is their first middle grade novel.

Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Shondolyn on 2025-01-18 16:33:18

Orson Scott Card wrote a book and part of it took place on a planet where Everyone Was Chinese. It was painfully stereotypical and stiff. This book isn't like that at all. I love how the main characters are pushing against an unjust society. Also the mecha is cool and I want toy ones but the best thing about the story is (spoiler) The love triangle resolved with polyamory. Three strong people becoming stronger together. It's inspiring. I wish I had a chrysalis for reasons.