Iron Widow
10 awards & honors · incl. Green Mountain Book Award 2023
FantasyScience FictionLiterary Fiction
Buy on AmazonAbout “Iron Widow”
A 2021 novel by Xiran Jay Zhao. The boys of Huaxia pair with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant robots that battle mecha aliens beyond the Great Wall, though the girls often die from the mental strain. Eighteen-year-old Zetian offers herself as a concubine-pilot to assassinate the ace pilot responsible for her sister's death.
Awards & honors
- Winner — Green Mountain Book Award (2023)
- Honor — White Pine Award (2023)
- Honor — Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award (2022)
- Winner — Barnes & Noble Children's & YA Book Awards - Young Adult (2022)
- Winner — Amy Mathers Teen Book Award (2022)
- Winner — Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy (2022)
- Winner — British Science Fiction Association Award (2021)
- Finalist — Aurora Award - Best YA Novel (2022)
- Nominee — GoodReads Choice Award (2021)
- Nominee — Nebula Award (2021)
Praise for “Iron Widow”
“The action-packed plot, involving battles both physical and mental, is original and incorporates queer themes and Zetian’s unwavering, cathartic feminism.”
“[This] duology opener will appeal to those seeking high-energy, feminist, queer narratives.”
“[An] incredible novel, fun and exciting, sometimes horrible to read, but in all the ways that make you fall in love with a character.”
Book details
- Published
- 2023
- Latest edition
- 2023 · ISBN 9780735269958
- ISBN
- 9780735269958
View more editions (6)
| Cover | Edition | Year | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Iron Widow | 2023 | 9780735269958 | Buy on Amazon |
| Iron Widow | 2022 | 9780861542116 | Buy on Amazon | |
| Iron Widow | 2021 | 9780735269941 | Buy on Amazon | |
 | Iron Widow | 2021 | 9780735269934 | Buy on Amazon |
| Iron Widow | 2021 | 9780861542093 | Buy on Amazon | |
| Iron Widow | 2021 | 9780861542109 | Buy on Amazon |
Frequently asked questions
How many pages is Iron Widow?
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao has 416 pages.
Book descriptions, author biographies, award records and review quotes on this page are courtesy of Penguin Random House.