Product Description

To rescue her family from poverty and avoid marrying her slope-shouldered cousin, seventeen-year-old Orchid competes to be one of the Emperor's wives. When she is chosen as a lower-ranking concubine she enters the erotically charged and ritualised Forbidden City. But beneath its immaculate facade lie whispers of murders and ghosts, and the thousands of concubines will stoop to any lengths to bear the Emperor's son. Orchid trains herself in the art of pleasuring a man, bribes her way into the royal bed, and seduces the monarch, drawing the attention of dangerous foes. Little does she know that China will collapse around her, and that she will be its last Empress.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16425 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'Empress Orchid is strong on both sexual chicanery and violent conspiracy a fascinating account' Guardian 'A wild, passionate, fearless American writer' New York Times 'An engrossing story enhanced by Min's imaginative power Like all good novelists, she implies as much as she says, and her characterisation is subtle and worldly-wise' Glasgow Herald 'Rich in detail and historical background, the novel drenches readers in the colours, textures and affluence of the Forbidden City a stirring, exotic novel that is a treat for the senses and the intellect alike' Los Angeles Times

New York Times
‘A wild, passionate, fearless American writer’

Glasgow Herald
‘Engrossing ... enhanced by Min’s imaginative power ... Like all good novelists, she implies as much as she says’

Customer Reviews

Brings the Forbidden City to life
I loved it. The story of a girl overcoming hardships, set in the Forbidden City. She goes from nothing to becoming one of the most formidable women in China at the time. It's a work of fiction but is based on a real character, the Empress Dowager. This book only takes us through her early life though, before she becomes the Dowager empress and the story continues with the sequel. It was wonderful to soak up the atmosphere, pomp and ceremony from the pages and I can't wait to read what happens to her next.

Must Read
I thought this book was excellent. I read it in a day, from the first page you just can't put it down. Annchee Min writes superbly. The book is factual so you gain not only a fab read but also a history lesson!

The plot is excellent, gaving the reader insight into the life of china with emperors, thousnds of concubines, the colonialist rampage, corruption, the whole system and values of the people...

Through Annchee Mins writing you really associate with Orchid, how she comes from nothing to becoming a wife of the Emperor of China. But once attinting this highly sought after position she realises her life is now within a golden cage, lined with flawless diamons! Every step she treads must be with upmost caution as she could get her head chopped off or worse. With her prowess Orchid competes with five other wives and thousnds of concubines to gain attention from her Husband. The story continues with the downfall of china, the opium wars, and seizing or Hong Kong. Can Empress Orchid keep her head on her shoulders (literally), produce an heir to the throne, battle with the other wives and eunuchs.

I can't recommend this book enough, it is a MUST READ!!

I couldn't put it down
I saw this book advertised on Richard and Judy's Bookclub and decided to get it. I'm so glad that i did, for it is a fantastic read. I found the main character Orchid to be a really strong and determined woman, who I grew to love. Her life is so tragic as a young girl, and you wonder how she and her family will survive with no money and no father to provide for them. I was horrified at the thought of her marrying her opium-addict cousin, and desperatley wanted her to fall in love with the emperor, which she did, but unfortuantley, it wasn't that simple in that time. Her fight to win the affections of the emperor and the things that she did in order to gain experience were incrediable, and the relationship between Orchid and the other empress, Nuharoo, had me turning the pages until the end. It also has some humerous parts which made me laugh out loud, like when she wanted to use the chamber pot with her maids around. I also grew to love the character of An-te-hai, and really wanted to slap her son Tun Chih at times! A truely enchanting and enlightening tale, the only reason it didn't get five as that it sometimes dragged a little.