Bookish Asia's Review of "The Green Phoenix"

I can’t imagine a better way to start the day than reading a heart-warming review of my book first thing in the morning. And the review is one from the renowned book review site Bookish Asia!

Link to the Full Review

Author Alice Poon obviously loves her characters and Chinese history. She treats the historical story with great but not slavish respect, striking a reasonable balance between accuracy and narrative punch.

The Green Phoenix is a moving account of a great woman’s life, one which will appeal to fans of epic family sagas and Chinese dynastic history. There are the familiar pleasures of forbidden desire, royal splendor, court intrigue, and epic battles amid turbulent times, but here with the fresh focus on a less-familiar protagonist.

Alice Poon says an early source of inspiration was Pearl S. Buck’s Imperial Woman about Cixi, the Qing’s last Empress. I think the Empress Xiaozhuang story is every bit as compelling.

 

Thank you, thank you, Bookish Asia!