Xiran Jay Zhao

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 expectedshe 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 wayand stop more girls from being sacrificed.

Una heroína temeraria e indomable que, si no puede cambiar el mundo, le prenderá fuego. Los chicos de Huaxia sueñan con ser emparejados con una chica para poder convertirse en pilotos de crisálidas, los gigantes mecanizados que se usan para luchar contra las criaturas que acechan al otro lado de la Gran Muralla. El mayor honor para una chica de Huaxia es que la seleccionen como piloto-concubina, aunque esto signifique una muerte segura.Cuando su hermana muere en una crisalida, Zetian le toma el relevo para vengarla. La revancha es rapida, brutal e... inesperada, y Zetian se gana el apelativo de la Viuda de Hierro; una temida mujer piloto que sacrifica a los hombres, y no al reves, para propulsar las crisalidas. Para domar su inquietante pero valiosisima fuerza mental, la emparejan con Li Shimin, el piloto mas fuerte y controvertido de todo el pais. Pero, ahora que ha probado el poder, Zetian no se doblegara tan facilmente. Aprovechara sus dones y su infamia para sobrevivir a un intento tras otro de acabar con su vida, hasta averiguar por que el sistema de pilotos depende tanto de destruir la vida de las chicas... y arrasarlo para siempre.Reseñas:"Al igual que su feroz heroina, Iron Widow es brutal, sanguinaria y esta llena de r

Fast-paced, furiously funny and utterly fantastic.' A.F. Steadman 'Culture and technology clash as Zachary Ying takes adventure to a new level!' Kwame Mbalia

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 copilots must serve as concubines and sacrifice their lives. When 18yearold Zetian offers herself up as a concubinepilot, her plan is to assassinate the man responsible for her sister's 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.

After suffering devastating loss, Zetian finds herself at the seat of power in Huaxia. But her world is not as it seems, and revelations about an enemy more daunting than she imagined forces her to share her power with a dangerous man. Zetian must join this man in a dance of truth and lies to take down their common enemy.With perilous forces aiming to undermine Zetian at every turn, can she enact positive changes as a fair and just ruler? Or will she be forced to rely on fear and violence and succumb to her darker instincts in her quest for vengeance?

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 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.