Synopsis: It is a time of celebration in the Pingkang Li, where
imperial scholars and bureaucrats mingle with beautiful courtesans. At the
center is the Lotus Palace, home of the most exquisite courtesans in
China... Maidservant Yue-ying is not one of those beauties.
Street-smart and practical, she's content to live in the shadow of her infamous
mistress-until she meets the aristocratic playboy Bai Huang. Bai Huang lives in a privileged world Yue-ying can barely
imagine, yet alone share, but as they are thrown together in an attempt to
solve a deadly mystery, they both start to dream of a different life. Yet Bai
Huang's position means that all she could ever be to him is his concubine-will
she sacrifice her pride to follow her heart? (from the back of the book)Review: I picked this book up solely because it was not based on a ranch, in Regency England, or somewhere in the Scottish Highlands. No, it's based in the Tang Dynasty, around 850 A.D. Lin does a fine job of creating real characters and setting them in a rich world. I wish she had given more details about life during this time, as it would have added more to the story. Aside from that, my only complaint is how neatly the love story over came what felt like a larger obstacle. But Lin's way of handling that included a mild gender comment and didn't detracts from the overall story. Worth reading this one, and I plan to read any others of her's I can get.
Bookmarks: 7 of 10
Awards: None
ISBN: 978-0-373-77773-0
Date Finished: 12-19-2015
Pages: 378
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