Iron WidowIron Widow
What it's about
Eighteen-year-old Zetian offers herself as a concubine-pilot for the giant robots that fight alien invaders, planning to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. When she succeeds, it becomes clear that she is an Iron Widow, a rare female pilot who can sacrifice men to power the machines.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 45 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a furious, feminist sci-fi reimagining of Chinese history.
You'll love it if you liked
Red Rising
The Hunger Games
The Poppy WarGood to know
It's a young-adult novel with violence and dark themes. It's inspired by Wu Zetian, China's only female emperor.
By the numbers
- Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller64 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #88 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #130 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #239 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1366 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
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Tress of the Emerald Sea
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Death of the Author
A Sorceress Comes to Call
Light From Uncommon StarsExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is Iron Widow worth reading?
Yes. It spent 45 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,366 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Iron Widow about?
Eighteen-year-old Zetian offers herself as a concubine-pilot for the giant robots that fight alien invaders, planning to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. When she succeeds, it becomes clear that she is an Iron Widow, a rare female pilot who can sacrifice men to power the machines.
How long does it take to read Iron Widow?
About 10 hours (394 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Iron Widow?
If you liked it, try Red Rising by Pierce Brown, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang.