Iron Widow

Locations
Call Number: Teen Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / Zhao, Xiran Jay
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Teen, 1st Floor 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / Zhao, Xiran Jay	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Teen, 1st Floor 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / Zhao, Xiran Jay	4-week checkout	Due 03-28-2026
Malletts Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / Zhao, Xiran Jay	4-week checkout	Due 03-30-2026
Pittsfield Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / Zhao, Xiran Jay	4-week checkout	Due 04-04-2026
Traverwood Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / Zhao, Xiran Jay	4-week checkout	Due 03-18-2026
Westgate Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / Zhao, Xiran Jay	4-week checkout	Due 03-11-2026

"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"--Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Something New and Different submitted by rishikabhutani on December 21, 2021, 7:13pm I liked how different this book was from most YA sci-fi fantasy novels. I love a villain/corruption arc, which this book had. I also enjoyed how strong-willed and sassy the main character is. You rarely get to read a novel like this where the protagonist is almost an anti-hero, with no desire to be compassionate in a cruel world. Wu Zetian is a relatable character in that sense. This is one of those books that you simply can not put down until it's finished. I look forward to reading the sequel.

Unrepentantly fierce submitted by mowjac on June 12, 2022, 10:10am Wu Zetian is angry about the loss of her sister and wants vengeance. She maintains that ferocity throughout. I have never read such a fiercely written story against a patriarchal system, while recognizing that she is not the only one injured. The inevitable YA love triangle has a fresh resolution, her description of Chinese theory energy based power and use of Asian tropes is welcome. I felt like it was a mashup of Hunger Games/Ender's Game/Nausicaa/Poppy War and would encourage fans of any of those to dig in.

Good, not Great submitted by bookasaurusray on August 24, 2022, 10:45am I really loved the overall concepts and ideas in this book. I just wish the writing was a bit better. Easy, quick read.

Very impressive submitted by majean on July 8, 2023, 12:19pm What an incredible debut novel from a young author. Wu Zetian is an unforgettable hero with a will of iron and a focused purpose. She is capable of loving deeply, but she does not get tripped up by sentiment. If you enjoy strong female characters who give zero effs, you will love her. The audiobook is also great because you can hear how the names are pronounced in their native language.

Amazing debut submitted by srai700 on August 11, 2023, 9:17am Chinese history, unique protagonist, mecha/sci-fi themes, smashing the patriarchy...honestly what is not to love? Very much looking forward to the author's other works!

Wow! What a ride! submitted by Cherie on June 22, 2024, 11:10am This book is not for the faint of heart. It's full of rich imagery, deep cultural history, and very graphic abuse, torture, and murder. It was incredibly fast paced and still managed to cover some intensely deep emotional topics. I loved it.

I desperately want Studio Trigger to pick this up because clearly Zhao got inspiration from Gurren Lagann and Darling in the Franxx. The imagery of the mecha, the pilot system, the kaiju, and the jian birds clearly draw heavy inspiration from those two shows without being a blatant copy-cat. There's even some nods to Evangelion with the partner bonding activities, the strategists, and the disembodied "gods." I'm here for it. I would watch every second of this novel turned into an anime.

This book addresses topics of socio-economics, systemic cultural biases, generational trauma, gender identity, sexuality, and more.

LOADS of traumatic experience trigger warnings as there are scenes of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, torture, and murder. It's especially gruesome and graphic as the main character exacts her unbridled revenge on everyone who's wronged her.

Recommended for fans of anime, emotionally dark stories, revenge plots, and women irreverently kicking ass.

I'm super excited to see what the next installment has in store.

Explores both trauma and resilience in a fast-paced fantasy/SF world submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on August 2, 2024, 4:56pm Iron Widow is a fast-paced, action driven book that takes on gender, sexuality, adolescence, and family (birth and chosen) in an Asian-culture (Chinese derived) science fiction/fantasy world. It doesn’t shy away from the harm that people can cause to each other, but also takes a strong look at the resilience that people bring to their situations. It was a fun ride, and while I’m wildly not a fan of “hey, wow, cliffhanger ending!” I expect I will seek the next book with joy.

The rage-filled book I needed submitted by VeraSchwankl on June 21, 2025, 10:08pm This book is filled with a lot of anger, and I think that is something that is needed. I don't think all feminist literature should involve vengeful murder sprees, but I think this unabashed power and from a woman hurt by the system is completely necessary. I think this book did a good job of humanizing the desire to try and work within problematic systems while showing that it is still harmful in the end.

I also approve of resolving a love triangle with polyamory. 10/10.

Very well done submitted by amberleec816 on June 28, 2025, 8:29pm This was a masterful debut with a strong heroine and compelling side characters. I highly recommend giving this book (and its sequel, which I just finished) a read if you’re a fan of strong-willed female characters and unique science fiction elements. I especially enjoyed the audiobook version of this series, narrated by Rong Fu.

An interesting retelling of the rise of China’s empress submitted by rshah on June 29, 2025, 6:07pm *Note: This is NOT YA. I'd classify this as New Adult.

Wu Zetian is at once the annoying early twenty-something who thinks they’re always right and a force to be reckoned with. In many ways, that early 20s exuberance is what makes Zeitan the perfect person to accidentally challenge a cruel empire and uncover carefully concealed truths. The fact she falls into it accidentally is part of what makes the story compelling. Fueled by anger and revenge, driven by curiosity and a certainty that something isn’t right, and a determination to get the answers she seeks, Zetian takes on the world she thinks she knows and finds something new. Possibly worse. But we won’t know for sure until the sequel.

compelling submitted by nezazk on July 22, 2025, 11:05am This was a very good debut novel! It's a story about revenge, anger, and resistance in a cool sci-fi-ish setting. I'm sure I was missing a lot of cultural and historical context, but I didn't feel like it made the story hard to follow or unenjoyable at all. I am excited to read the sequel, because the hook for it at the end was so well done!

There is a fair amount of violence and sexual content. It's thematically appropriate, but I would have been surprised to find it in the teen section when I was a teen.

Readable submitted by Susan C on August 15, 2025, 7:21am An angry girl is out for revenge. I'm surprised this is considered Young Adult, because it has very mature sexual content. The book is readable, but I don't need to read the next book.

Twisty Sci-Fi submitted by emmamtk on August 22, 2025, 8:18pm This book is full of compelling twists and turns that kept me hooked from the beginning. The relationships between characters are unique, and I was inspired to learn more about Chinese history, politics, and mythology after finishing the book.