Empress Orchid sweeps readers into the heart of the Forbidden City to tell the fascinating story of a young concubine who becomes China’s last empress. The novel introduces the beautiful Tzu Hsi, known as Orchid, and weaves an epic of a country girl who seizes power through seduction, murder, and endless intrigue.

When China is threatened by enemies, she alone seems capable of holding the country together. This is a novel of high drama and lyricism, providing an extraordinary look inside the Forbidden City during its last days of imperial glory. It breathes life into one of the most important women in history.

Richly detailed and completely gripping, this story portrays a flawed yet utterly compelling woman who survived, and ultimately dominated, a male world. Through her life, readers are introduced to the world of the Chinese court and the sexual and political lives of the royal concubines.