You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I thought this was going to be a fun read about a stinky murder-man finding love. Instead, I sobbed through the entire last third of the book. I want to warn any would-be readers, this is not a romance. This is a book about justice and retribution, corruption and abuse, power and voice. In order to secure her family's future in a famine-stricken kingdom, Yin Wei gambles her own future with the violent, irredeemable heir to the throne, Terren. As she is thrown into the world of political rivalry, intense domestic abuse, and many-layered secrets, Wei fights to uncover the story of how a soft, sweet boy can grow up to have such destructive hate in his heart. What she finds is the tragic tale of two brothers torn apart by the corruption of power and the manipulation of court life. As their story unfurls, she gives voice to a tangle of silenced personal accounts and tragedies. She begins to understand her place in the cycle of power, and how to use that power to save not just her family, but the entire country from the reign of a vengeful tyrant. Shen Tao weaves a powerful story with an unforgettable heroine. This book broke me. Let it break you, too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, War
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Classism