Empress

The Empress of Bright Moon

Weina Dai Randel · 499 pages

At the moment of the Emperor's death, everything changes in the palace. Mei, his former concubine, is free, and Pheasant, the heir and Mei's lover, is proclaimed as the new Emperor, heralding a new era in China. But just when Mei believes she's closer to her dream, Pheasant's chief wife, Lady Wang, powerful and unpredictable, turns against Mei and takes unthinkable measures to stop her. The power

Imperial Woman

Pearl S. Buck · 376 pages

Imperial Woman is the fictionalized biography of the last Empress in China, Ci-xi, who began as a concubine of the Xianfeng Emperor and on his death became the de facto head of the Qing Dynasty until her death in 1908.Buck recreates the life of one of the most intriguing rulers during a time of intense turbulence.Tzu Hsi was born into one of the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty. According to cu

Empress Orchid

Anchee Min · 346 pages

From the master of the historical novel, Empress Orchid sweeps readers into the splendid heart of the Forbidden City to tell the fascinating story of a young Chinese concubine who becomes China's last empress. Min introduces the beautiful Tzu Hsi, known as Orchid, and weaves an epic of a country girl who seizes power through seduction, murder, and endless intrigue. When China is threatened by enem

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn

Alison Goodman · 576 pages

Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden t

River of Stars

Guy Gavriel Kay · 639 pages

"Ren Daiyan was still just a boy when he took the lives of seven men while guarding an imperial magistrate of Kitai. That moment on a lonely road changed his life-- in entirely unexpected ways, sending him into the forests of Kitai among the outlaws. From there he emerges years later-- and his life changes again, dramatically, as he circles towards the court and emperor, while war approaches Kitai

The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 1

Kairi Yura, Sai Yukino

Sandalwood Death

Mo Yan · 409 pages

Sun Meiniang interacts with the three men in her life during the Boxer Rebellion, including Sun Bing, her father and a leader of the rebellion, who is destined to come to a cruel end.

Radiant Emperor Duology Series, 2 Books Collection Set. She Who Became the Sun, He Who Drowned the World by Parker-Chan, Shelley

Parker-Chan

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1

Nekokurage · 176 pages

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

Julie C. Dao · 373 pages

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic fu

Kushiel's Dart

Jacqueline Carey · 702 pages

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good... and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafi

The King's Mistress

Emma Campion · 520 pages

"From childhood Alice Salisbury learned obedience in all things, so at the age of fourteen, she dutifully marries the man her father has chosen for her - at the cost of losing the love of her mother forever, as well as the family she holds dear. But merchant Janyn Perrers is a good and loving husband and Alice soon learns to enjoy her marriage. Her happiness is short-lived, however, ending when a

The Feast of Roses

Indu Sundaresan · 383 pages

Contines the story of the life and times of Mehrunnisa, the wife of Emperor Jahangir of the Mughal Empire during the seventeenth century.

Peony in Love

Lisa See · 304 pages

"I finally understand what the poets have written. In spring, moved to passion; in autumn only regret."For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle f

The Poet Empress

Shen Tao · 393 pages

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! A LIBRARY READS PICK! Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun. In the waning years of the Azalea Dynasty, the emperor is dying, the land consumed by famine, and poetry magic lost to all ex

Elizabeth I

Margaret George

**New York Times bestselling author Margaret George captures history's most enthralling queen-as she confronts rivals to her throne and to her heart.** One of today's premier historical novelists, Margaret George dazzles here as she tackles her most difficult subject yet: the legendary Elizabeth Tudor, queen of enigma-the Virgin Queen who had many suitors, the victor of the Armada who hated war

The King's Curse

Philippa Gregory · 903 pages

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici

C.W. Gortner · 432 pages

The truth is, none of us are innocent. We all have sins to confess.So reveals Catherine de Medici in this brilliantly imagined novel about one of history's most powerful and controversial women. To some she was the ruthless queen who led France into an era of savage violence. To others she was the passionate savior of the French monarchy. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in

The Heretic Queen

Michelle Moran · 383 pages

In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family's past and remake history.The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty's royal family--all with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl's deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their name

Innocent Traitor

Alison Weir · 432 pages

I am now a condemned traitor . . . I am to die when I have hardly begun to live.Historical expertise marries page-turning fiction in Alison Weir's enthralling debut novel, breathing new life into one of the most significant and tumultuous periods of the English monarchy. It is the story of Lady Jane Grey--"the Nine Days' Queen"--a fifteen-year-old girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center o

The Last Great Dance on Earth

Sandra Gulland · 390 pages

*The Last Great Dance on Earth* is the triumphant final volume of Sandra Gulland's beloved trilogy based on the life of Josephine Bonaparte. When the novel opens, Josephine and Napoleon have been married for four tumultuous years. Napoleon is Josephine's great love, and she his. But their passionate union is troubled from within, as Josephine is unable to produce an heir, and from without, as Engl

My Enemy, the Queen

Victoria Holt · 444 pages

My Enemy the Queen tells of the rivalry between two dominating 16th century women: Lettice Knollys who is related to Elizabeth through the Boleyns; and Queen Elizabeth herself. When Elizabeth came to the throne, Lettice was given a post in the royal household. The most alluring woman at court, she was soon noticed by Robert Dudley, the Queen's favorite...

The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great

Eva Stachniak · 472 pages

Tells the epic story of Catherine the Great's improbable rise to power--as seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible servant close to the throne. Her name is Barbara--in Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, she's allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the world's most eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chance

The Borgia Bride

Jeanne Kalogridis · 544 pages

Vivacious Sancha of Aragon arrives in Rome newly wed to a member of the notorious Borgia dynasty. Surrounded by the city's opulence and political corruption, she befriends her glamorous and deceitful sister-in-law, Lucrezia, whose jealousy is as legendary as her beauty. Some say Lucrezia has poisoned her rivals, particularly those to whom her handsome brother, Cesare, has given his heart. So when