Lady Bai’s first taste of freedom brings her face-to-face with murder. A dangerous and enigmatic stranger becomes her ally while the killer may be someone closer than she ever imagined. Part of the bestselling Lotus Palace series Lady Bai, called Wei-wei by her aristocratic family, has always been the perfectly obedient daughter–but only on the outside. When she dares to pay a forbidden visit to … dares to pay a forbidden visit to a public tea garden in men’s clothing, only Gao looks close enough to notice her disguise.
When the pair witnesses a fatal stabbing, Wei-wei discovers that her brother has been hiding secrets. Street-smart with a shady past, the enigmatic Gao becomes her ally as she unravels the mystery, but soon she’s faced with a cruel choice — discover the truth and bring the killer to justice, or protect her family at all costs.
***First published in the GAMBLED AWAY: Historical romance anthology****
THE LIAR’S DICE is a novella in the Lotus Palace series, taking place after the events of The Jade Temptress. Length: ~100 pages
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From the first page, I was hooked. I could feel the atmosphere, smell the scents and hear the music of the times. Lady Bai, WeiWei, was so engaging, and the mysterious Gao was someone I want to know more about.
I absolutely adored this story, and hope to find more adventures with these same characters by Ms Lin in the future.
Even though this is just a novella, Jeannie Lin manages to paint a vivid picture of Wei-wei’s world. The characters are fascinating, the story intriguing, the writing is excellent as always – and now I definitely want to read the other books in the series, too!
Wei-Ling lives a comfortable, sheltered life and her family is everything to her. And yet, she feels stifled by the societal constraints on women. She has a yearning for more knowledge, to hear and discuss ideas, and to see and do new things away from the confines of her family home. Her disguise as a young scholar and a night in a tea house leads to her presence near a murder, an investigation, a new acquaintance with the intriguing Gao, fears her oldest brother might be involved in the murder and back to gambling. Wei-wei follows the trail to the truth fearing its answers, but needing them even while she can’t keep Gao out of her thoughts.
I love the Lotus Palace series and was thrilled to get this follow up installment that tells the story of the hero from book one’s sister. Characters from both earlier books move through this shorter story. The color and taste of historical China were so well-drawn and I loved Wei as a narrator. Her thirst for knowledge and enough freedom to pursue it and her need to track down the truth about her brother and the murdered man along with her interest in a man from a lower class made for a great story. The end left things open-ended yet hopeful. I can’t wait to continue with more from the Lotus Palace series.
Jeannie’s books never cease to amaze me with their vivid world-building and texture of the mood and setting. She’s a master at transporting the reader to the Tang Dynasty and it’s always an immersive experience. Great story lines with nice twists and turns, and just an absolute pleasure to read this series!
Wei-wei, aka Bai Wei-Ling or Lady Bai, is the character I would have wanted a book for – if I hadn’t already known that The Hidden Moon is her story. The Liar’s Dice is, basically, Wei-wei’s prequel novella.
With a murder mystery and danger in the pleasure district, The Liar’s Dice is very much in keeping with the series. Where it differs is that it is written in Wei-wei’s voice, and where it surprises is in the man she ends up in danger with.
While mainly an adventure for Wei-Wei, this is also the story of her first encounters with Gao, a man with no surname who does what he has to in order to survive in the Pinkang Li. There is much to enjoy in this novella – the appearances of past characters and the heroine-attempts-disguise-as-a-male trope, as well as small moments such as when Wu Kaifeng acknowledges his respect for Wei-wei’s intelligence.
An entertaining novella of peril, mystery, family, class, and the first stirrings of a forbidden attraction. For fans of this series and of author Jeannie Lin, and for those who are curious to experience Wei-wei’s first meeting with Gao.