The Moon in the Palace Pdf Download 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. The first volume of the Empress of Bright Moon duology 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. The Moon in the Palace Pdf
The Moon in the Palace Community Reviews I didn't know anything about the history of 7th century China but was intrigued from the beginning with Mei and her story . The author successfully transported me there and for two days I found it difficult to come back . I was intrigued by the emperor and by the complex political atmosphere of the palace as well as the fierce competition among the women and girls wanting to be "the Most Adored" of the Emperor, as they fall in and out of favor by deceit and lies. The hierarchy of concubines, the promise of a better life , of being closer to the Emperor and perhaps bearing him son , breeds deceit and schemes to move others out of the way, conspiracies and bribery. There are lovely descriptions of the palace , the royal attire and so much more without going overboard in this fast paced story of the power struggles among the women of the court and the politics of the palace. Watching Mei move closer and further away from the Emperor and then closer again, I read these 400 pages pretty quickly. In a Q&A at the end of the book, Weina Dai Randel tells how she wanted to write about "Chinese women who succeeded in controlling their destinies" , so she chose to write about Empress Wu and began in this book with her early life . She has done extensive research for years even reading ancient Chinese texts. I'm very much looking forward to the second book , The Empress of Bright Moon. Community Reviews-2 Before I start this review I want to say that this book, and it's sequel, and the most incredible and stunning books of this kind that I have ever read. They tell a story I didn't know and had never heard of and that made reading these books a sheer joy and ultimate pleasure. The book tells the beginning of the life of Empress Wu, during the Tang Dynasty, when she first joins the palace women under the name of Mei and begins a life she could never have dreamed of and
would maybe have horrified her if she'd been told what her life had in store for her. What a terribly intriguing life she led if this book is to be believed too intriguing and dangerous to boot. To live in the way Mei does is heartbreaking to read, never knowing which way things will go for you, will you be accepted and loved or shunned and hated. Seems like a terrible way to live but Mei does it with calm aplomb, knowing what she wants without any real clue how to get there without sheer luck. Mei is a curiously fascinating girl/woman and one that I really wanting to learn more about so when the sequel appeared on my radar it was a must read as I felt I needed to know what happened next in her life and where her love affair with the enigmatic Pheasant would progress next. The romantic side of this book doesn't overshadow the underlying story at all and lies peacefully with the rest of Mei's tale. This book is so very detailed and I put my hands up to the author for bringing such incredible detail and depth to the story. The characters are all very deep, intense and credibly realistic, they evoke love and hatred within the reader in equal amounts which is the way a reader needs the character to be to keep the book interesting and evocative. The evolution of the character over the course of the book is also wonderfully constructed giving each one extra depth and making each of them even the more remarkable. The world-building is also perfectly done, the vibe for the time is brilliant and the descriptive work on the scenery and architecture is also well crafted and evokes the images in detail within your mind's eye which only adds to the overall feel of the book. The pacing within the story is also well done with the perfect ebb and flow that keep the story evolving in the way that keeps you hooked and makes the book almost impossible to put down, which I suffered from seeing as I read the book in just two sittings myself. In all seriousness if you enjoy historical fiction and are intrigued by Asian culture then this book is one to consider as it truly is a scenic and evocative tale full of beautiful elements structured into one of the most stunning tales I have ever read, as is the sequel. It's definitely worth trying in my opinion as this is a sensational air of books that deserve every accolade they receive. Community Reviews-3 Mei - She begins the book as a child, and by the end of it, she has blossomed into a courageous, captivating woman who stays true to her heart, and her loyalties take her beyond her own expectations. She was truly mesmerizing. Pheasant - His gentleness, and kindheartedness circled my heart like a ray of sunshine. He's a man of honor and distinction. I look forward to reading more about him in the next novel. The other characters were very well developed. Some I loved, and others I loved to hate, all making for a sensational read. It is the first book that I have read that takes place in China. A while back I watched a documentary about The Forbidden City, which sparked my interest in China's traditional past, and then when searching for my next book to read, The Moon in the Palace enticed me with its beautiful cover. I am so thankful it did, because this is, by far, the best book I have read all year. No lie. The emperor in this book makes Henry VIII look like a saint. The intricate details within the pages are woven together so eloquently. It amazed me to find such deep seeded deceit, and harsh betrayals
among the palace walls. I was completely consumed from the very first page. It took me two and a half days to read, and this is a long book. I didn't want to put it down. The ending caught me a little off guard though, as I expected something a little more gratifying, but it ended the way it did because the next book will pick up where it left off. I will be thrilled to get my hands on a copy of the remainder of the story. There was a lot of action, and the plot was well paced. There is a lot of philosophy, and meaning to be taken from the book. There wasn't a lot of romance, but just enough to warm my heart. It's kind of hard to get caught up in a romantic relationship with an emperor breathing down your neck. I do hope the next has a little more love sprinkled through the pages though. I'm a romantic at heart. The author is brilliant and writes like she was born to. I hope she writes many more books, as I can see her becoming a favorite, without question. This book was given as an advanced copy to review by NetGalley, my review is written with honesty and without any ties to the author. I did not receive any monetary gain from doing so. The Moon in the Palace Pdf Download Free Community Reviews-4 How gorgeous is that cover? Honestly, even if the book hadn’t been about Wu Zetian, I would have picked up this book based on the cover alone. But thankfully the book is also very good. I really enjoyed the story that Randel told here. She did a great job of creating the character of Wu Zetian, especially the young woman we don’t really know much about. Wu is often portrayed as a villainess in history, but here, she is a sympathetic protagonist. Randel did a great job humanizing the character of Wu. She also did a good job of taking us inside Tang Dynasty China, an era I don’t know a lot about (I usually focus on Qing Dynasty China). While this is a work of fiction, it is clear a lot of research went into her descriptions and it was interesting to see what life was like inside the palace at that time. Unfortunately, the book is part of a two-book set, and I haven’t read the second one yet. I’m dying to know what happens from Wu’s point of view! I mean, I know from history the basic outline of events, but reading about this from a first person perspective will be very interesting. My suspicion is that Randel actually wrote one book, but it was too long so the publisher divided it into two. I really can’t wait to get my hands on the second half! Community Reviews-5 So here's the thing: I always wondered what it'd be like to read biographical novelisations of some of the most famous historical figures in China. I've been on multiple tours in various historical spots in China. I grew up watching all those TV dramas and films set in all the different dynasties of ancient China with my mum, who always made it a point to school the rest of us by pointing out the historical inaccuracies (she studied Chinese history in her old schooling days). But I guess all that wasn't enough. I wanted to read about it in an English text. You know, the way we get to read about life during the world wars in YA?
I'd admit, I didn't have very high hopes when I came across The Moon in the Palace. But that's because most of the books that I've come across that tackles Chinese history/culture have been vastly disappointing. The glowing reviews on Goodreads gave me some kind of a hope, but sadly, having read the book, I just can't say it lives up to it. For one, I felt like the author butchered Wu Zetian's story and presented them in selected selections in a very "touch and go" manner. I'm not even sure why some of it is in different sections it didn't seem like there was that much of a time leap (if there was one at all). There were too many blitz sections in the narrative and a lot of stuff just doesn't seem to add up. I mean, I can't say I'm a 100 percent sure, but it seems to me like the author took a few too many creative leaps with the story because there's quite a number of historical inaccuracies. The most obvious being the portrayal of Li Shimin (aka Emperor Taizong) and his son Li Zhi (Emperor Gaozong), as well as her story with the both of them. Even if I were to overlook these, there sadly isn't very much in the plot/characters themselves that can salvage things. It all felt kind of sloppy to be honest. The story was all over the place -- first it was all about her trying to win the Emperor's attention/favour, then it was about seven other different things. The characters were one-dimensional and if you consider all this with all the inconsistencies, it really just makes you want to be like The Moon in the Palace Pdf Download