Iron Widow

An immediate bestseller on the New York Times chart, this novel is a unique mix of Pacific Rim and The Handmaid's Tale, blending elements of Chinese history with mecha science fiction targeted at young adult readers. In Huaxia, boys aspire to team up with girls to command Chrysalises—massive, shape-shifting robots tasked with combating the mecha aliens beyond the Great Wall, despite the deadly mental toll on the girls.Eighteen-year-old Zetian volunteers as a concubine-pilot with a hidden agenda: to avenge her sister by eliminating the star male pilot responsible for her demise. Her method of vengeance is shocking; she uses the psychic connection between pilots to kill him and walks away unharmed, earning the dreaded title of Iron Widow. These feared female pilots have the power to turn the tables, using boys as fuel for Chrysalises. Attempting to control Zetian's formidable mental abilities, she is paired with Li Shimin, Huaxia's most powerful and contentious male pilot. Armed with newfound power and unwilling to be subdued, Zetian plans to use their combined strength and notoriety to fend off threats and expose the misogynistic pilot system. Her goal: to prevent more young women from becoming casualties.