A stunning special edition of the instant #1 New York Times bestseller. A collector's paperback that includes new cover effects and a full-color art print.
Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction.
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China. It doesn't matter that the girls 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 when she gets her vengeance, it becomes clear that she is an Iron Widow, a rare kind of female pilot who can sacrifice males to power up Chrysalises instead.
To tame her frightening yet valuable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest male pilot in Huaxia, yet feared and ostracized for killing his father and brothers. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will take over instead, then leverage their combined strength to force her society to stop failing its women and girls. Or die trying.
This spectacular collector's paperback edition features a cover with luminescent effects and brand-new, never-before-seen art with characters from the book.
WINNER
| 2024 Nevada Young Readers Award
WINNER
| 2023 Green Mountain Book Award
WINNER
| 2022 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award
WINNER
| 2022 Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy
WINNER
| 2022 Barnes & Noble Children's & YA Book Awards - Young Adult
WINNER
| 2021 British Science Fiction Association Award
FINALIST Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Book Award
AWARD Green Mountain Book Award
NOMINEE
| 2024 Washington Evergreen Young Adult Book Award
SELECTION
| 2023 Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List
HONOR
| 2023 White Pine Award
SELECTION
| 2022 ALA Hal Clement Notable Young Adult Books List
FINALIST
| 2022 Aurora Award - Best YA Novel
FINALIST
| 2022 Locus Award for Fantasy Novel
HONOR
| 2022 Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award
NOMINEE
| 2021 GoodReads Choice Award
NOMINEE
| 2021 Nebula Award
SELECTION
| 2021 OLA Best Bets for Young Adult Fiction
XIRAN JAY ZHAO is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Iron Widow series and Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor. Their books have been a finalist or winner of many awards, including the Nebula, British Science Fiction Association, Locus, and Astounding awards. A first-gen 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, on Instagram and TikTok for chaotic skits, and on YouTube for long videos about Chinese history and culture.
A stunning special edition of the instant #1 New York Times bestseller. A collector's paperback that includes new cover effects and a full-color art print.
Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction.
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China. It doesn't matter that the girls 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 when she gets her vengeance, it becomes clear that she is an Iron Widow, a rare kind of female pilot who can sacrifice males to power up Chrysalises instead.
To tame her frightening yet valuable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest male pilot in Huaxia, yet feared and ostracized for killing his father and brothers. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will take over instead, then leverage their combined strength to force her society to stop failing its women and girls. Or die trying.
This spectacular collector's paperback edition features a cover with luminescent effects and brand-new, never-before-seen art with characters from the book.
Awards
WINNER
| 2024 Nevada Young Readers Award
WINNER
| 2023 Green Mountain Book Award
WINNER
| 2022 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award
WINNER
| 2022 Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy
WINNER
| 2022 Barnes & Noble Children's & YA Book Awards - Young Adult
WINNER
| 2021 British Science Fiction Association Award
FINALIST Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Book Award
AWARD Green Mountain Book Award
NOMINEE
| 2024 Washington Evergreen Young Adult Book Award
SELECTION
| 2023 Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List
HONOR
| 2023 White Pine Award
SELECTION
| 2022 ALA Hal Clement Notable Young Adult Books List
FINALIST
| 2022 Aurora Award - Best YA Novel
FINALIST
| 2022 Locus Award for Fantasy Novel
HONOR
| 2022 Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award
NOMINEE
| 2021 GoodReads Choice Award
NOMINEE
| 2021 Nebula Award
SELECTION
| 2021 OLA Best Bets for Young Adult Fiction
Author
XIRAN JAY ZHAO is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Iron Widow series and Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor. Their books have been a finalist or winner of many awards, including the Nebula, British Science Fiction Association, Locus, and Astounding awards. A first-gen 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, on Instagram and TikTok for chaotic skits, and on YouTube for long videos about Chinese history and culture.
