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Iron Widow
- Narrated by: Rong Fu
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Teen & Young Adult, Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Publisher's Summary
An instant number one New York Times best seller!
Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA listeners.
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 expected - she 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 way - and stop more girls from being sacrificed.
What the critics say
“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)
"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 best-selling author of These Violent Delights)
"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 best-selling author of Vicious Spirits)
What listeners say about Iron Widow
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AgileFoxen
- 2021-11-08
A wonderful surprise
When I went into this book I was a little hesitant, not usually being a fan of giant mechs. But I have to say, my worries were immediately put to rest. It really doesn't feel like any giant mech stuff I've ever seen or read.
This is defiantely worth listening to, I loved every second of it!
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MissBecka
- 2021-10-20
This is sooo freaking good!!!
I am kicking myself for letting this sit unread for months before I got to it.
Amazing dystopian sci-fi with intense relationships and even more intense fight scenes.
This is like mixing Hunger Games with Tron and then adding entirely new bits to both.
GO READ THIS BOOK!!!
The audio made it easier to keep the characters sorted, and the pronunciations accurate.
The narration was delightful on this one.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shelby
- 2021-10-18
Great read
I was engaged every second. The relationships and world building were so interesting, I cannot wait for the second book. The narrator did a great job conveying the emotions of each character. I highly recommend this book, even if you’re not normally into sc-fi.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sarah coates
- 2021-10-14
Loved this story
I loved the adventure and thought provoking relationships. The hints of Chinese culture added a layer of historical interest.
Narrator has a nice clear voice which is enjoyable for listening
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rae W
- 2021-10-27
Overall enjoyable
I really enjoyed this, the plot and world were riveting. However I felt like some of the action and relationships were rushed. Perhaps the first person narration limited connection to other characters outside the protagonist and also made the events seem less tangible at times as we only got to see them through a single and often distracted (by the very cool minds capes)perception. Having a second character reacting to and witnessing the battles and toll on both the protagonist and her partners might add depth to the narrative and our relationships to the characters.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ruth B.
- 2021-10-18
Oh my Chinese gods
Xiran Zhao is a masterful story weaver. They balance grief and laughter, agony and bliss in a way I hadn't thought possible.
Many of the topics addressed were things I think about often, it was a truly cathartic experience to listen to this book. I have also ordered a physical copy, it just hasn't arrived yet.
I already want to preorder the sequel.
If you are a human I recommend this book. If you aren't one but are studying them for extra credit or something, I also recommend this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joseph
- 2021-10-07
Fast paced and great execution!
Things I liked:
- strong characters with clear motivation
- characters that reacted based on the combination of their personality and how they feel in the moment (rather than smoothly moving along a character growth arc in one direction)
- It kept me hooked the whole way through and while the events made sense, they were not at all predictable.
The pacing is a little uneven, and I got a bit lost in some of the combat sequences, but this is a very minor complaint. I can't wait for more in this series, and Zhao is now firmly in my must read author list.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amy V
- 2021-10-01
Wow, consider my butt kicked my this book!
I don't read a lot of YA but I love a good sci fi/fantasy, and this book blew me away. Compelling and action filled from the start, I couldn't put it down. Loved it. Loved the boldness of it. Immensely satisfying read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-09-27
OH MY GOD
I can't do anything other than scream incoherently about how much I loved this book. Please listen to it!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Emma Pickens
- 2021-09-23
Exciting without being exhausting
Shows like Handmaid's Tale can be exhausting to watch with the content need for the main characters to bend to save their own lives, but the protagonist of this story never feels like she is giving up any ground so it doesn't feel like watching or reading an hour of straight suffering to get to a victory. Whenever it feels too on the nose and heavy handed with the main characters learning a lesson or seeing something fall through, I remember it's a giant kaiju vs mech story and it feels in place for the universe. Not to mention the amazing twists in the ending that make me excited for the next book.
10 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel J. Mijares
- 2021-09-26
🔥🔥🔥😎
legit good stuff here
good story, cool integration of chinese culture. having the actual chinese spoken in the story was a real immersive experience. that's not the point, but as a silly american mexican who doesn't have native chinese speakers around it was really neat to finally start to be able to recognize the tones just from hearing the story for several hours. i really think this is amazing!!
7 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Cody McGrath
- 2021-09-28
A fun yet uneven read.
There are a lot of great concepts at work in this book. It has a very interesting setting and some great character moments. If you want some fun anime style mecha fights with Chinese culture thrown in, look no further, this book has what you need!
There are plenty of flaws here too. The dialogue often feels very awkward and the main character will come to many of her poignant feminist epiphanies seemingly out of nowhere. Being a fan of Xiran from her online presence and content, it often feels like the protagonist, Zetian, will be speaking with Xiran's voice instead of her own. Another issue is world building. This world has a ton of potential, but the world building left very bare, barring some reveals at the end. This may be rectified in the teased sequel.
Don't go into this book expecting a moral protagonist, this is a revenge plot. It is a female power fantasy and suffers from many of the issues that male power fantasies do.
Overall I enjoyed my time with this book, despite its flaws. It was a good first book for author Xiran Jay Zhao, and I look forward to seeing how she develops as an author.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jordan
- 2021-09-25
Fantastic
I first found this author on YouTube and have been following every single video on Xiran Jay Zhao’s channel. I have to say I was looking forward to this book and my expectations were blown out of the water. Amazing work. Hoping there is a sequel coming.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Babushka
- 2021-09-23
Hunger Games meets Girls of Paper and Fire
This book did everything right that the Hunger Games did wrong.
I'm upset that I finished it because I need more.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- JC. Sanders
- 2021-10-17
Very entertaining!
I enjoyed the story but felt that the constant hammering on the male sex and making males over the top obtusely evil was difficult at times. The main character did a good job of portraying a strong female in a patriarchal society. Clever ideas reminiscent of some action SciFi movies in the last 10 years or so. I got a flavor of some aspects of asian culture and the treatment of women that previously had little idea of. I appreciate the writer's including that in the book. I would definitely read more from this writer.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Beckb4
- 2021-09-26
Awesome!!!
This story has everything. The world building and political mechanisms will keep you intrigued. The pilots and battles will have you on the edge of your seat. The voice actress did an amazing job, believe me it’s worth every penny!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bri G.
- 2021-09-25
Unconventional and Beautiful
This story was stunning from start to finish. It questions everything in an incredibly unique setting that combines elements of ancient history with modern and futuristic convenience. It is a stirring dialogue on what it means to be a woman, a man, and a partner.
The main character goes against the grain of most female ya protagonists, she is strong but she has her flaws, she can be ruthless and honestly evil but has her weaknesses. She is a terrifying and beautifully intricate character that barrels forth with an enviable fearlessness.
The narrator performed beautifully, and the pacing and pronunciation is authentic and consistent throughout. it can be a bit difficult to discern between characters at times but context and the specific way certain words are pronounced help greatly.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Whitney
- 2021-11-29
Powerful
A super fun and exhilarating story with a powerful female lead! A great modern look into gender and and relationships as well.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Mark Pardue
- 2021-11-29
Torture warning
Could have done without torture being endorsed or used effectively. That kind of ruined this book for me.