The Empress of Bright Moon by Weina Dai Randel
“Could I fight against rumor? I did not think so, for rumor had no grave and only bore seeds. It germinated in the air, thrived in the sun, and ripened in the shadows. It would not die in the rain and fly only higher in the wind.”
The Empress of Bright Moon is the sequel to The Moon in the Palace (The Review of the first book you can find here ). When Emperor Taizong dies, it seems like all will be well for a new era of the Tang dynasty. Her lover, Emperor Gaozong, is ready to be the good ruler that he has always dreamed of. However, Emperor Taizong’s brother-in-law becomes Regent, and Mei is forced to enter a Buddhist monastery. After years of loneliness and separation, she is finally reunited with Emperor Gaozong, and she becomes the second highest lady in the court. However, she finds that she has made a deadly enemy in Empress Wang, and the two of them become rivals as they fight for the title of Empress and the Emperor’s heart.
In The Moon in the Palace, we see Mei as a naive girl who is thrust into the political intrigues of the court. In this novel, Mei is mature, and she is more adept at politics. She becomes a close advisor to the Emperor. However, she finds that this court is more dangerous than during Emperor Taizong’s reign. She realizes that finding happiness is difficult, and she realizes that she has to experience the loss of her dear ones. This makes her angry, sometimes ruthless, and vengeful. However, she soon learns to gives acts of kindness, mercy, and forgiveness to her enemies. To forgive her enemies is something she struggles throughout this novel, yet it also demonstrates her strength. She is also very intelligent and strategic. She is very observant of how to defeat her enemies.
Mei is a very complex character. She is very flawed, yet she is very real. I also found the villain to be very compelling. The empress was a victim of her circumstances. She too has suffered. She is evil because the court is cruel. She is the empress, and yet she is not treated as one. She is humiliated and criticized for not bearing a son. Like Mei, she, too, has to fight for the Emperor’s affections to bring duty and honor to her family. Instead, she is the laughingstock of her family and is mocked. This novel perfectly shows the dangers and cruelty of the Tang court.
The author combined her historical knowledge with her superb storytelling skills and told a gripping story of China’s first female emperor, who had to overcome many hurdles and endure many heartbreaks to rise to the top. Through vivid storytelling, the author brought many characters to life. She told the stories with such eloquence that few contemporary authors can match. Beautifully described surroundings, fashions, and everyday items add to the enchantment, bringing to vibrant life the Chinese court of the Tang Dynasty.
Overall, this novel is about loss, choices, forgiveness, and redemption. It is about a woman who is trying to cope with loss. This novel is very heart-wrenching and is an emotional, poignant, and raw read.
My Rating:
✬✬✬✬✬
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