The Moon in the Palace

　　There is no easy path for a woman aspiring to power

　　A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the Emperor's attention. Many paint their faces white and style their hair attractively, hoping to lure in the One Above All with their beauty. Some present him with fantastic gifts, such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. But young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the Emperor a gift he can never forget.

　　Mei's intelligence and curiosity, the same traits that make her an outcast among the other concubines, impress the Emperor. But just as she is in a position to seduce the most powerful man in China, divided loyalties split the palace in two, culminating in a perilous battle that Mei can only hope to survive.

　　In the breakthrough first volume in the Empress of Bright Moon duology, Weina Dai Randel paints a vibrant portrait of ancient China―where love, ambition, and loyalty can spell life or death―and the woman who came to rule it all.

作者簡介

　　WEINA DAI RANDEL is the author of The Moon in the Palace and the sequel The Empress of Bright Moon, historical novels of Empress Wu, the only female ruler inChina. The Moon in the Palace was nominated for Goodreads Best Historical Fiction of 2016 and listed among 25 Favorite Books of 2016 by Washington Independent Review of Books. The two novels will soon be translated into six languages.

　　Weina was born in the east coast of China. She came to the United States atthe age of twenty-four. After she received an M.A. in English from Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas, she began to work on her novel,The Moon in the Palace. It took her six years to research and anotherfour years to write and revise the novel. She has been interviewed on television, WSJ China Real Time, Library Journal, Huffington Post, and other publications. Find more about Weina on herwebsite: weinarandel.com

　　The Moon in the Palace is her first novel.