The Moon in the Palace (The Empress of Bright Moon Duology) by Weina Dai Randel(2016-03-01) Paperback – 1 Jan. 1663

I have always been fascinated by Chinese history. In particular the role and place of woman.This book has it allBeautifully written and so well researched. Can't wait to start reading the next book

Did what it said on the tin. Happy bunny

A good read ready for the next one

Bought this because I enjoyed “The Last Rose of Shanghai” by the same author. This book is clearly well researched and it is well written (apart from some misuse of personal pronouns), but I have stopped reading for the time being, as I was finding it a little tedious. I will probably go back and finish it before long.

Bought as a gift. Person it was bought for liked it.

A well written, exciting tale of ancient China. It’s complex hierarchy and way of life within the royal court. It fills your mind with pictures of how it must have been.

Great story

A delightful read that engaged [and engrossed] me totally.

Great wrting

The Moon in the Palace is inspired by the story of Wu Zetian, or Empress Wu, who reigned China between 684-705 during the Tang dynasty. It tells the fictitious story of her youth and early years as a concubine in the Imperial Palace in Chang An (present-day Xian), and of her rise to power to become the consort of a prince, and eventually, Empress of China. It is filled with palace intrigue, particularly among the Emperor's four wives and countless concubines, all of whom strive for the Emperor's favor and the power that comes with it. The historical background to the story is well-researched and is certainly fascinating. However, the book does contain some unlikely scenarios and inconsistencies. I think it was a brave thing for the author to write the book in the first person singular from the main character's point of view, as this inevitably leads to overly romantic (fictitious) embellishments. Nonetheless, the prose reads easily enough, and is fairly enjoyable if you like women's historical fiction set in Imperial China. (

This is a most intriguing and wonderful story. So well written that it was hard to put down.So many twists and turns to keep me engrossed. I absolutely loved it.I will recommend it to my sisters book club.Thank you for writing such a wonderful story.

This book was on my Intriguing Debuts list this year. In fact, it’s the only one I’ve read so far from the list. Oops. I’m so glad I read this one. I haven’t read many historical fiction novels, and certainly not many set in China. So that was already exciting to me. This novel managed to captivate me, educate me on a part of Chinese history and the customs, and get me attached to all the characters.SETTINGAs I mentioned earlier, this book is set in China. This is the story of Mei, who will later be known as Empress Wu. I don’t see that as a spoiler, considering it’s both history, and mentioned on the cover of the book. It chronicles her life, which according to Wikipedia was February 17, 624 – December 16, 705. Yes, I used Wikipedia. I’m sorry, okay, I’m just really uneducated on Chinese history!This book is the first in the duology (can I just say how underappreciated duologies are?). As this is the first, it follows Mei from the time she is a little girl to her time at the palace as a concubine for Emperor Taizong. Mei wants to help her family by becoming the Emperor’s Most Adored -which is of course the concubine he likes best. To get there though, Mei must go through schemes, plots and other concubines who want nothing more than be Most Adored.I honestly learned so much about 7th century China while reading this book, yet it never felt like an information dump. As Mei lives at the palace, you learn a lot about the Emperor and the customs in the palace. For example, I never knew the concubine/consort system existed. There are 8 ranks of consorts, each with their duties and perks. Then there is the Empress and the Most Adored -who are not the same woman. There’s also a bedding rotation among the ranks.I thought the setting of this book was really rich. I could imagine the palace, the world Mei lived in, the other women set on making her fail. I’m honestly so impressed with the setting of this book.Like I said, I don’t know much about Chinese history. As it’s historical fiction, I’m assuming there are some fiction/inaccurate aspects present, but I wouldn’t know. If you are well aware of Chinese culture/history and have read this, feel free to educate me.:)PLOTThis book is definitely a character-driven book instead of a plot-driven one. It is after all, a chronicle of Mei’s life. I’ve always loved character-driven books because my attachment or interest in the characters usually defines how much I like the book. However, this does mean that you shouldn’t expect a fast-paced book. This definitely isn’t. While it isn’t fast-paced, I never felt bored or like I wasn’t making any progress in the book or story. Instead, I found myself reading huge chunks at a time, and thinking about it when I wasn’t reading.I really loved following Mei on her journey. I was often surprised by her actions -or those of other characters– and even though I know how she will end up (seeing as she’s known as Empress Wu) I’m so intrigued to see how she’ll get there.If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might know that I love stories with political intrigue, scheming and backstabbing. I always love trying to figure out who is on the “good” side. The fact that this is basically a contest of concubines to win the favor of a man who is revered, means that this novel has plenty of it.CHARACTERSObviously, I need to talk about Mei. If there is one aspect of her person that stood out to me the most, it’s that she perseveres. She does not give up, no matter how bad her situation may suddenly have gotten. I love that she is such a smart woman, yet at times is still ruled by her heart and makes some less than perfect decisions. It makes her feel much more realistic to me. I truly admire her, as I think she is both brave and smart -a combination many people really need. Being brave without being smart will get you killed.There were many other characters I loved. Like Pheasant -I think he’s my favorite. And the Noble Lady. And there are many characters I hate, like the Pure Lady and Rain. And then there are many characters I feel are really grey-area. I like them, yet I don’t? For example, Jewel. And Mei’s mother. I feel like it’s a strong aspect of this novel, that it has created characters I love, hate, pity, and so on. There are so many characters who induced emotions in me while reading, not just Mei.I would highly recommend this book. It’s a great historical fiction novel. It’s set in China. It’s character-driven, and I care for both Mei and many side characters. And lastly, it’s part of a duology, and the second book has been released as well, which means that you won’t have to read a 6-book series OR wait for the next one!

Historical fiction is my favorite genre. I especially enjoy those written about women and I have a fascination with ancient Chinese culture. The Moon in the Palace was no different. It was an interesting read that held me from beginning to end. I enjoyed this book nearly as much as Lisa See’s novels. I am looking forward to the second book in the duology, The Empress of Bright Moon.