History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

T he Windsor Affair Author: Melanie Benjamin  Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: Dell Book Release Date: June 2, 2026 Pages: 370 Source: Publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A scandalous affair. A power struggle for the throne. A sensational rivalry between an English queen and an American social climber. In this electrifying novel, the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue tells the story of the Abdication of Edward VIII—and the two women at the center of it all.       Feuding Windsor brothers and their wives—some things, it seems, never change. The Windsor Affair recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Wallis Simpson. Told from the perspective of both women, the novel propels readers into the fabulous world of the debonair Prince of Wales, café society of the 1930s, and the glittering private lives ...

A Song to Drown Rivers Author: Ann Liang Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy  Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 327 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic novel steeped in myth about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds as the fate of two kingdoms hangs in a delicate balance.       Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.       Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All ...

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea Author: Rita Chang-Eppig Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing  Publishing Date: 2023 Pages: 287 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The dazzling historical novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of power.      When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: immediately marrying her husband's second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet.      But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans-tired...

The Duke and I: The Princess of Blackmare (Liji Chronicles #1) Author: Veronica Skye Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Veronica Skye Release Date: 2019 Pages: 122 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review/ Synopsis: The Duke wants me. I must fulfill the duty to my country. But there is more to me than meets the eye.       It was 672 BC and the Central Kingdom had been divided into over a hundred of warring fiefdoms. The army of my country, Lirong, perched high on top of the secluded Mount Blackmare had been miserably defeated by the invading army from the State of Jin, one of the biggest states of all with a Duke that was ready to crown himself King.       The Duke demanded not only compensation in foodstuff and livestock from my father, the Baron of Lirong, he also wanted beauties from Lirong to decorate his court. When his eyes landed on my younger sister and I, I knew my opportunity for rev...

Descendant of the Crane Author: Joan He Genre: YA, Mystery, Historical Fantasy Publisher: AW Teen Release Date: 2019 Pages: 416 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review Synopsis: Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own . Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she's thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father's killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer―a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.      Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira―a brilliant investigator who's also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too ...

Wu Zhao: China’s Only Woman Emperor Author: N. Harry Rothschild Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Pearson Release Date: 2007 Pages: 256 Source: My Personal Collection Synopsis: This new entry in the Longman Library of World Biography series offers the compelling story of Wu Zhao - one woman’s unlikely and remarkable ascent to the apex of political power in the patriarchal society of traditional China.       Wu Zhao, Woman Emperor of China is the account of the first and only female emperor in China’s history. Set in vibrant, multi-ethnic Tang China, this biography chronicles Wu Zhao’s humble beginnings as the daughter of a provincial official, following her path to the inner palace, where she improbably rose from a fifth-ranked concubine to becoming Empress. Using clever Buddhist rhetoric, grandiose architecture, elegant court rituals, and an insidious network of “cruel officials” to cow her many opponents in court, Wu Zhao inaugurated a new dyn...

American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt Author: Stephanie Marie Thornton Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Berkley Release Date: March 12, 2019 Pages: 448 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Alice may be the president's daughter, but she's nobody's darling. As bold as her signature color Alice Blue, the gum-chewing, cigarette-smoking, poker-playing First Daughter discovers that the only way for a woman to stand out in Washington is to make waves--oceans of them. With the canny sophistication of the savviest politician on the Hill, Alice uses her celebrity to her advantage, testing the limits of her power and the seductive thrill of political entanglements.      But Washington, DC is rife with heartaches and betrayals, and when Alice falls hard for a smooth-talking congressman it will take everything this rebel has to emerge triumphant and claim her place as an American icon. As Alice soldiers through t...

Empress Wu: Rise Author: Jeff Hortman, Andrew Knighton Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Peachill Release Date: February 11, 2018 Pages: 206 Source: Publicist in exchange for an honest review Synopsis: In a world of choreographed behavior. A trap of etiquette and standardized rules. In the palace of the most powerful kingdom on Earth. In the midst of this web of constraint and rigid authority, one woman triumphed over centuries of ritual. One Machiavellian courtesan rose above the rules and became the most powerful ruler in the world.       My Review: This novel chronicles Empress Wu’s rise to becoming the queen consort to Emperor Gaozong. As a young girl, Wu meets a fortune teller that says her destiny is to be a king. Even though this seems like an impossible future, Wu still dreams one day of ruling China. Years later, she is given an opportunity to become the concubine to Emperor Taizong. The position of concubine seems to Wu a life of luxury at the pa...

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress #1) Author: Julie C. Dao Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Philomel Books Release Date: October 10, 2017 Pages: 377 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: The Wrath and the Dawn meets Snow White and the Huntsman in this dark and mystical East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress.       Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her.      Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and...

The Dragon Empress: Life and Times of Tz'u-Hsi, 1835-1908, Empress Dowager of China Author: Marina Warner Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: George Weidenfeld & Nicholso Release Date: 1972 Pages: 271 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: From 1861 to 1908 a woman - the Empress Dowager Tz'u-hsi, born the daughter of a minor mandarin - held the supreme power in China. Opportunist, ruthless, malicious, she ruled over 400 million people. This biography explores her complex personality - her extreme conventionalism, her hatred of foreigners, her passion for power and intrigue, her vanity and her delight in ritual, her extravagance and corruption, and her love of gardens, painting and the theatre. The book also portrays a China in rapid decline, as poverty, civil war and foreign exploitation and invasion brought about the fall of the Ch'ing dynasty.        My Review: Empress Dowager Cixi is one of history’s most controversial empresses. It w...

Dragon Lady: The Evil History of China's Last Empress Author: Sterling Seagrave and Peggy Seagrave Genre: Nonfiction. History, Biography Publisher: Bowstring Books Release Date: 2010 Pages: 624 Source: Kindle Unlimited Synopsis: The author of The Soong Dynasty gives us our most vivid and reliable biography yet of the Dowager Empress Tzu Hsi, remembered through the exaggeration and falsehood of legend as the ruthless Manchu concubine who seduced and murdered her way to the Chinese throne in 1861.       My Review: Empress Dowager Cixi was one of the last empresses of the imperial dynasty. She is attributed to the fall of the dynasty. She is often portrayed as a cunning, manipulative, and power-hungry figure. However, in this biography of the Empress Dowager, the authors claim that the rumors surrounding Cixi are false. The people who started the rumors were foreigners who blackened her name for personal reasons. Thus, the authors conclude that Empress Dowager ...

The Empress of Bright Moon Author: Weina Dai Randel Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Release Date: April 5, 2016 Pages: 370 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The time for taking hold of her destiny is now.      At the moment of the Emperor's death, everything changes in the palace. Mei, his former concubine, is free, and Pheasant, the heir and Mei's lover, is proclaimed as the new Emperor, heralding a new era in China. But just when Mei believes she's closer to her dream, Pheasant's chief wife, Lady Wang, powerful and unpredictable, turns against Mei and takes unthinkable measures to stop her. The power struggle that ensues will determine Mei's fate–and that of China.      Surrounded by enemies within the palace that she calls home, Mei continues her journey to the throne in The Empress of Bright Moo n, the second book in Weina Dai Randel's acclaimed duology. Only by fighting back aga...