An Amazon Editors' Pick for Best Young Adult "The action-packed plot, involving battles both physical and mental, is original and incorporates queer themes and Zetian's unwavering, cathartic feminism." --Kirkus Reviews Like its ferocious heroine, Iron Widow is brutal, bloodthirsty, and full of rage. Zetian's fight to shatter patriarchal definitions of power makes for a truly thrilling read. --Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns A primal scream of a book, Iron Widow delivers on all that fury and more, combining meticulous pacing and brilliant world building to make a truly epic read. --E.K. Johnston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Aetherbound "Zetian is the take-no-prisoners heroine you'll love to cheer on as she crushes everyone who tries to bring her down." --Rebecca Schaeffer, author of Not Even Bones 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, internationally bestselling 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, bestselling 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 Crown of Feathers 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, New York Times-bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find Absolutely epic. This is the historical-inspired, futuristic sci-fi mash-up of my wildest dreams. Iron Widow charges headfirst into a world of giant mechas and uncompromising characters. The brutal beauty of Xiran Jay Zhao's writing kept me glued to the page from start to finish. --Chloe Gong, New York Times-bestselling author of These Violent Delights Biografía del autor XIRAN JAY ZHAO is a first-gen immigrant from small-town China who was raised by the Internet?. A recent graduate of Vancouver's Simon Fraser University, they wrote science fiction and fantasy while they probably should have been studying more about biochemical pathways. You can find them on Twitter for memes, Instagram for cosplays and fancy outfits, and YouTube for long videos about Chinese history and culture. Iron Widow is their first novel.