One FaceTwo MenAnd A Secret That Could Destroy An EmpireAt the dawn of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor will do anything to ensure the future of his empire. Building the Forbidden City in fulfillment of his father’s dreams is only the beginning. But few people share the emperor’s vision. When a consort’s betrayal has devastating consequences that rock the imperial court, the emperor discovers that … consequences that rock the imperial court, the emperor discovers that the fight for the dragon throne has only begun.
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This a very good read ,especially if you like Far East history and tales. The magic, the tragedy.
The Ming Royal Family, the characters, the culture and the time of ancient Dynasty is really fascinating.
It’s very interesting and engaging read.
The prologue begins with grief of having twin daughters. It’s misfortune and only one should survive.
The Emperor follows the wisdom of predecessor. Or one could say it’s a curse…and sickness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Seemed to me a re-write of Dumas’ “Man in the Iron Mask”, but none the less a very good read for all that. The author brings to life the time and culture of the building of the Forbidden City. I was fascinated with both the time and place: ancient China’s Ming Dynasty, and the characters, the Ming royal family. The prologue begins with the empress’s grief at having the misfortune of having given birth to ill omened twins, the second of which must be destroyed for the good of both the empire and the dynasty. Through many twists and turns the story leads the reader to the point where the emperor has become an unbalanced monomaniacal tyrant, and how the family deals with his narcissism and unreasonable plans and pronouncements. I found this a very satisfying read.
From the opening scene where the Empress delivers not one but two royal Princes to the beginning of the Ming Dynasty only to have the second one taken to be put to death because it was a bad omen, we are given glimpses of a different culture through the eyes of this talented author. She has a knack for providing details and vivid descriptions of days long past. She brings history to life like no one else
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What a great story about ancient China this was! A story that starts with betrayal which becomes a curse for the imperial family.
Hongdi is the Emperor’s first-born son. When the Emperor proudly shows his son to his ministers, he is unaware that his wife is giving birth to another son. Twins, a curse, a sign that the gods don’t honor him. The Empress Eunich takes the 2nd child and the Empress knows her baby is dead.
Hongdi grows up to be an emperor, marries Wen at a young age and is happy with her. As an emperor he does have concubines, but he does not share much bed with them. In a marriage of 10 years, no child was born and he is convinced that they should move, start over. He continues to build the palace that his father is starting to build and on the advice of his ministers he takes on more concubines. That’s how Fei arrives in the red city.
She met a boy as a child, but after his parent’s house burned down, she never saw him again. Until she looks in the face of the emperor. It could be Shihong.
The emperor changes after they live in the red city. Full of distrust of everyone around him, he deals punishments based on his thoughts. Even the first concubine to be pregnant with him is not safe. Even his empress cannot escape his anger.
To save the Ming dynasty, drastic steps must be taken.Then there is the man with the dragon mask
Exciting story, many detailed descriptions of ancient China. The life of an imperial concubine is beautifully emphasized. Love, betrayal, fears, mistrust, you feel it coming through the words.
Recommended
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Reading this story reminds of a martial arts novel (wuxia xiaoshao) that I read a long time ago “The Book and The Sword” except that it was set in the Munchu period instead of the Ming era.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed the ride reading this adventure set in ancient China. It’s not overly descriptive, so it doesn’t “drag”. I read everything in one weekend – what a pleasure! I recommend this book!
Setting in the dawn of the Ming Dynasty, in the early 1400s, the plot resembles Dumas’s worldwide novel, and intentionally so as the title reflects, it is however much more than a mere retelling. It spins fiction and facts into a fairly accurate historical tale with added intrigue, deception and romance for the pleasure of the reader.
Hongdi access the Dragon Throne after the death of the first Ming Emperor (and founder of the dynasty), fully intending to acknowledge the vision of his predecessor for the future, by in the first place, building the Forbidden City as the seat of the Empire after having established Yan as secondary capital and renamed it Beijing. Unfortunately for Hongdi, the majority of the court do not share his vision as they didn’t share his father’s. Hongdi will go to any extreme to assure his father’s wishes become reality, but unbeknownst to him, the fight for the Dragon Throne has only begun.
As Hongdi’s behaviour becomes even more erratic, his enemies begin to plan his dismissal. The pivotal piece of knowledge being that his believed long dead twin, who should have been put to death upon birth, it is indeed very much alive and in hiding. And as his own consort betrays him with devastating consequences that shake the imperial court, a truly universal story.
Amanda Roberts’ depictions of Ming China are accurate and well researched, his description of the historical places, such as the Forbidden City and Nanking, come alive before our very eyes, and make the reader a witness to the action. The fictional part of the plot, while being born of the author’s fruitful imagination, are anchored perfectly into the historical facts, making the story a credible tale, with relatable characters, acting in an both legendary and real scenery.
An enjoyable reading until the very last page.