Couverture / Jaquette

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.

Series Overview: Zetian seeks revenge for her sister's death and becomes a powerful Chrysalis pilot in this YA duology which blends Chinese history and mythology with mecha science fiction.

Note biographique

Xiran Jay Zhao

Fonctionnalité

STRONG HOOKS: This is a feminist, #ownvoices story with LGBTQIA+ representation. It's also a brutal revenge story with an incredible female protagonist who suffers from a physical disability. There's a lot to love here!

UNIQUE PREMISE: Iron Widow stands out as one of the more unique portrayals of futuristic China in recent sci-fi literature.

HISTORICALLY RELEVANT: The protagonist, Zetian, is based on Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history.

EARLY BUZZ: The author's book announcement received over 7,000 likes on Twitter, and bestselling author E.K. Johnston reacted to it. Xiran has already received fan art based on the book's characters!

DEBUT AUTHOR: Xiran Jay Zhao is Canadian (based in Vancouver), and is a descendant of the real Wu Zetian, which adds a unique spin to this #ownvoices story.

BIG POTENTIAL: YA genre fiction can do incredibly well in the market, and we think Iron Widow has all the makings of a hit.

CROSSOVER APPEAL: This is the perfect crossover book for adult readers, and we have a more mature and conceptual cover planned to appeal to those older book buyers.

CONTENT: Note that this series has some strong content, including violence, sex, alcoholism / substance abuse and the portrayal of a polyamorous relationship, which may not be suitable for younger readers.

MORE TO COME: The second book in the duology is scheduled for Fall 2022.

Détails