Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Huaxia, a country under siege by alien invaders known as Hunduns, is locked in an ongoing war for survival. These massive, metallic creatures, resembling faceless beetles, threaten humanity’s existence. Two centuries ago, the Zhou province fell to a devastating Hundun counterattack after the legendary Yellow Dragon pilot, Qin Zheng, succumbed to a fatal illness. In a last-ditch effort to preserve hope, Zheng hid himself and the Yellow Dragon in a volcano, entering a qi-induced stasis in anticipation that someone might one day bring a cure.

The war against the Hunduns continues under the rule of Huaxia’s Sages, a council of men who claim to relay decrees from the Heavenly Council—a mysterious group of “gods” orbiting the planet in a spacecraft. In exchange for offering Hundun corpses as tribute, these gods provide Huaxians with schematics to create Chrysalises: giant magical robots forged from the spirit metal of Hundun corpses. This malleable metal responds to strong qi, making it invaluable in the war effort. Yet, unbeknownst to most, Huaxia is a colony established by these gods on the Hunduns’ homeworld. The people of Huaxia, manipulated into hatred for the Hunduns, remain unaware of their true role as pawns harvesting spirit metal for their colonizers.

The Chrysalises require two pilots: a boy in the yang seat and a girl in the yin seat. In Huaxia’s deeply misogynistic society, girls in the yin seat are little more than disposable batteries, their qi drained to power the Chrysalis while their male counterparts dominate. This system ensures the survival of male pilots while dooming most female copilots to early deaths—a sinister truth hidden from the public.

Yang Guang, Huaxia’s most celebrated pilot and commander of the Nine-Tailed Fox Chrysalis, enjoys unrivaled fame. Young girls aspire to become his concubine-pilots, lured by promises of wealth despite the fatal risks. When Wu Zetian’s sister, Ruyi, is sold as Yang Guang’s concubine-pilot and dies under suspicious circumstances, her family receives no compensation. Driven by grief and vengeance, Zetian enlists as a concubine-pilot for Yang Guang, leaving behind her secret lover, Gao Yizhi, the son of Huaxia’s wealthiest man.

Zetian’s plan to kill Yang Guang derails when she is forced into battle alongside him during a Hundun attack. Trapped in Yang Guang’s mind-realm—a magical space reflecting his psyche—she defies the odds, fights her way out, and kills him, seizing control of the Chrysalis. This act brands Zetian as an Iron Widow: a woman whose spirit pressure overpowers and kills her male copilot. Her crime lands her in prison, but with no viable replacement for Yang Guang, the military pairs her with the notorious Iron Demon, Li Shimin, a death row inmate whose immense spirit pressure has killed every previous copilot. To everyone’s shock, Zetian and Shimin form a rare Balanced Match.

At a special training camp, Zetian navigates assassination attempts and growing tension with her fellow pilots. Yizhi reenters her life, saving her from an attack and joining forces with her and Shimin. The trio develops a complex bond as they grapple with their roles and growing feelings for one another. Their unity becomes critical when the military plots their elimination, seeing the pair as a threat to the status quo.

As media attention on the trio grows, Zetian leverages their newfound celebrity to push for a counterattack on Zhou province. Meanwhile, a kidnapped strategist reveals the truth: the yin seat is designed to sacrifice female pilots to protect their male counterparts. Zetian plans to expose this after the counterattack.

During the mission, the Hunduns spring a deadly trap, and betrayal by the Black Tortoise pilots forces Shimin to sacrifice himself to save Zetian and Yizhi. Devastated, Zetian seeks the legendary Yellow Dragon. Guided by nomads, she awakens Qin Zheng with a cure for his illness and forces him to take the yin seat. Fueled by rage, Zetian avenges Shimin by killing the Black Tortoise pilots, destroying the Sages, and dismantling the military leadership. She also kills her own family, taken hostage by the army, and aids Yizhi in assassinating his father, leaving Huaxia without a government.

In the aftermath, Zetian learns Shimin’s body has disappeared, while Yizhi uncovers the truth about the Heavenly Council and Huaxia’s role as a colony exploiting the indigenous Hunduns. Zetian receives a message from the Heavenly Council demanding her compliance in maintaining the colony’s façade, with Shimin’s life held as leverage. Refusing to bow, Zetian stands poised to redefine Huaxia’s fate, even as the forces of the Heavenly Council loom above.

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