Inthelongspanofhumanhistorytothetwentiethcentury,almostallgreatleadersofempiresandstatesweremen,withfewexceptions.OneofthemwasHeavenlyEmpressWuZetian.SheistheonlyfemalerulerinhistorytohavereplacedapowerfuldynastywithherowninamajorcountryandcrownedherselfemperorofChina.Thisbookisabouthowthisdaughterofaconcubine,whobeganlifeinthepalaceasalowlyconcubineofEmperorTaizong(seeHeavenlyKhan)ataveryyoungage,overcameallobstaclesinaman-dominatedworldandrosetothesummitofpowerinmedievalChina.
PRAISEFORTHEPREVIOUSNOVELSOFVICTORCUNRUIXIONG
HEAVENLYKHAN
“AnengrossingfictionalizedhistorythatexaminesaningeniousandpowerfulChineseruler.”
—KirkusReview
“[An]extraordinaryandsolidlyentertainingstorythatrevealsauthorVictorCunruiXiongtobeanexceptionalandimpressivenovelistofthefirstorder.”
—MidwestBookReview
FROMPEASANTTOEMPEROR
“[It]shouldbea‘mustread’notjustforfictionreadersinterestedinChinesehistory,butfornonfictionbookwormswhowillfindabsorbingthisportraitofhowonemansucceedsinchangingthecourseofChinesehistoryandcultureinancienttimes.”
—MidwestBookReview
“Xiongdoesanimpressivejobofpiecingtogetherhistoricalplaces,people,andeventsinthisfictional,yetveryrealistic,storyaboutEmperorLiuBang.”
—SanFranciscoBookReview
EMPRESS AGE WU PEOPLE HEAVENLY
