Zetian must balance dangerous politics with a new quest for vengeance in the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Iron Widow.

Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.

After suffering devastating loss and making drastic decisions, Zetian finds herself on the seat of power in Huaxia, but she has also learned that her world is not as it seems. Revelations about an enemy who dangles one of her loved ones as a hostage force Zetian to share power with a dangerous man she cannot simply depose. Despite their mutual dislike and distrust, the two must work together to take down their common enemy and stoke a revolution against the systems of exploitation that plague their world.

However, power is not so easy to wield once seized, and a revolution is not so easy to control once unleashed. As Huaxia's former elites strike back and the common people's fervor for justice turns bloody and paranoid, can Zetian remain a fair and just ruler? Or will she be forced to rely on fear and violence and succumb to her darker instincts in her quest for vengeance and liberation?

Author: Xiran Jay Zhao
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Tundra Books (NY)
Published: 12/24/2024
Series: Iron Widow
Pages: 544
Weight: 1.45lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.80w x 1.80d
ISBN: 9780735269989
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 12/01/2024 pg. 130

About the Author
XIRAN JAY ZHAO is a first-generation 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. This is their second novel, after the runaway success Iron Widow.