The Empress of Bright Moon

Weina Dai Randel (The Moon in the Palace) brings her Empress Wu duology to a conclusion in a passionate drama that portrays Mei Wu's rise to power, but at terrible cost.

When the old emperor dies, all childless concubines receive orders to become Buddhist nuns and spend the rest of their lives praying for him, never to have contact with another man. Gaozong, the new emperor and Mei's lover, fights Mei's exile but gives up after his uncle, the Regent, feeds him false reports of her death. Despite dark days in the monastery, Mei perseveres and manages to reunite with her love, but his devotion to her puts Mei in danger from Gaozong's first wife, the cruel and powerful Empress Wang. Mei and Gaozong must pull together through profound grief and hardship, otherwise they will lose China to the machinations of the Regent and the Empress.

A fascinating vision of ancient China concludes far too soon in this suspenseful, romantic finale. Mei uses her formidable wits to defend her family and secure her country's future. Randel introduces new challenges for Mei, as well as new friends, including Princess Gaoyang, a female warrior-philosopher. The author also imagines the inspirations for Mei Wu's real-life passions, including equal access to education and support for the Buddhist monasteries, which in turn supported the poor. Published just one month after its predecessor, The Empress of Bright Moon provides gratifying closure to readers who fell in love with Mei's tenacious spirit the first time around. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads

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