First published 2022
On the dusty Central Plains of 1345, the Zhu family receives two prophecies. Their eighth son Zhu Chongba will achieve greatness. Their second daughter faces nothingness. When bandits attack their famine-struck village, the boy dies of despair while his sister survives. She steals his name and enters a monastery disguised as a male novice. The girl who became Zhu Chongba discovers she will do anything to stay alive and hidden from her prophesied fate. She lies, manipulates, and kills without hesitation. When Mongol forces destroy her sanctuary for supporting Chinese rebels, she sees her opportunity. She will not merely survive as her brother. She will claim the greatness that was meant for him. In this alternate history of medieval China, one woman rewrites destiny itself through sheer force of will.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, alternate-history, asian-american
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family, gender-disguise
Setting: Central Plains, China
Period: 1345
416 pages · Paperback · Pan Books
Content warnings: violence