Heavenly Tyrant Audiobook By Xiran Jay Zhao cover art

Heavenly Tyrant

Iron Widow, Book 2

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Heavenly Tyrant

By: Xiran Jay Zhao
Narrated by: Rong Fu
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About this listen

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
CBC bestseller
USA Today bestseller

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 listeners.

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?

©2023 Xiran Jay Zhao (P)2023 Tundra Books
Literature & Fiction Multicultural Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy

Critic reviews

"Returning fans will find many things to love in this cathartic power fantasy." School Library Journal

What listeners say about Heavenly Tyrant

Highly rated for:

Gripping Storyline Complex Characters Unpredictable Twists Immersive World-building Thought-provoking Themes
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Incredible

Excellent, no notes.
Slay queen.
The is an excellent continuation of the story and I can’t wait for the next book!

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loved it and can't wait for more

fantastic narrator, and the story kept me engaged all the way through. I eagerly await the next in the series

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This was too good

I'm so happy to know there will be atleast one more book and maybe screen adaptation.
This series are that good

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The hype deserved and the anger that follows

This was a long wait that was definitely worth it with the twists catching me off guard, the decisions the characters make causing laughter and annoyance, the length of this second entry making me weary then angering me for feeling too short. All the negatives feeling like positives at the end adds up to me loving listening to this. I will be lying in anguish waiting for the next book but making up for it with more and more listenings.

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Masterpiece of Modern Storytelling

This series has become my new favorite immediately. The author crafted a masterful story that is thrilling and always left me surprised by each turn. The tension between characters and the story arcs are satisfying and left me at the edge of my seat excited to learn what’s next. Beautiful. The book is political in nature, so it is for a specific audience and that audience is me to a tee. It tackles issues of ruling elites vs common people, social power, economic disparity and exploitation, and intersectionality. I am so so so excited for the next book.

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Mechs of liberation!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fantastic sequel and I can't wiat to see where it goes next. I have very few problems with the book twoards the end but they don't even take away from the overall story. This series is a must read.

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The power vacuum of political upheaval

There is a lot going on in this sequel to Iron Widow. I was astonished by the direction of the government reform that was occurring.

It shows what I feel is an accurate representation of what happens when someone with out any actual political savvy or understanding creates a massive power vacuum.

I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next one.

It was an epic level sci fi story.

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Another stand out hit

While there were some moments my heart ached for Wu Zetian to find some flicker of peace, this book delivered and THEN SOME. I can’t wait for the next book, this is truly an epic for the ages.

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I blew through this

I love this story so much it was such a page turner I could not put it down! I love that the heroine isn’t some damsel in distress and she even struggles with the societal shame she grew up with as a woman. Even the cliffhanger on this one was killer! I need the next book asap. I love this author. Immediately on the must read list

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Such a unique world!

Important note:
As the intro of the book warns there is an unflinching depiction of an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. At time it was an incredibly difficult listen in the way any accurate portrayal would be. This does not diminish the book but I think it's important to stress just how much of the book is dominated by this theme and it's repercussions.

This book is phenomenal. The world is unuiqe and engaging while the story does a great job pulling you along and keeping invested with the characters. It is rare to feel a sci-fi fantasy world is truly a new experience and the author is able to do just that. An excellent read!

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