‘Ferociously original.’ Guardian
Iron Widow
Instant New York Times No.1 Bestseller
Xiran Jay ZhaoInstant New York Times No.1 Bestseller. A YA Pacific Rim meets the Handmaid’s Tale retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history.
I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance.
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises – giant transforming robots that battle aliens beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that their female co-pilots are expected to serve as concubines and often die from the mental strain.
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, her plan is to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But after miraculously surviving her first battle, Zetian sets her sights on a mightier goal. The time has come to stop more girls from being sacrificed.
‘This is the historical-inspired, futuristic sci-fi mash-up of my wildest dreams.’ Chloe Gong
‘Raging against the patriarchy in spectacular style.’ Observer, best books of the year
‘Zetian is unstoppable, and I dare you not to cheer her on.’ Elizabeth Lim, author of Spin the Dawn
A New York Times bestseller, Oct 10 2021
Reviews
‘Zetian is the take-no-prisoners heroine you’ll love to cheer on.’ Rebecca Schaeffer, author of Not Even Bones
‘Thrilling, heart-wrenching and epic!’ Kat Cho, author of Vicious Spirits
‘Zetian is here to set the world on fire.’ Nicki Pau Preto, author of Crown of Feathers
‘A searing, cinematic, gut-punch of a tale.’ Joan He, author of The Ones We're Meant to Find
‘A bold and brash story that will grab you by the throat from page one. Zhao expertly weaves a story that polishes off classic sci-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
‘In Iron Widow, Zhao crafts a thrilling, brutal tale 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. There’s no resisting Wu Zetian; once she sinks her claws in you, you’ll 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 rampage through 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 I’ve been waiting for, taking on aliens and the patriarchy like a total boss. Like a kick-ass feminist Ready Player One — I adored Iron Widow.’
Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake
Xiran Jay Zhao
Xiran Jay Zhao is the #1 bestselling author of the Iron Widow duology. 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.
Author page
