One of Book Riot's '20 best science fiction books of all time'Ī 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee, Best Young Adult & Science Fiction 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.Īn Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Young AdultĪn Amazon Editors' Pick for Best Science Fiction and FantasyĪ Polygon Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of 2021Īn Indigo Best Teen Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book (2021)Ī Barnes & Noble's Best YA Fantasy & Adventure of 2021Ī New York Public Library Best Book for Teens (2021)Ī Canadian Children's Book Centre Favourite Book of the Year (2021)Ī Cultured Vultures’ “21 Best Books Of 2021”

But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia. 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. 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. 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. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. 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. Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.

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