My second book of the year is Empress Orchid by Anchee Min, an historical novel about Tzu Hsi, concubine-turned-empress of China. It's "an epic of a country girl who seized power through seduction, murder and endless intrigue... she alone seems campable of holding the country together" (thanks, book jacket).I think I'm going to look back on the year and not rank Empress Orchd in the top ten. It was very good, and definitely one of those books that, while I was reading, I was completely engrossed, but with just a little time away from it, it feels like the poor man's Memoirs of a Geisha - not quite as rich, the characters not quite as likeable, and long. It seemed to go on forever. Of course, that could just be because I'm ten days into the year and have only read two books. Must. Read. Faster!
I would certainly recommend this book to all fans of historical - but if you haven't read Memoirs of a Geisha, what are you waiting for!? Read it first!
Empress Orchid - B
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