Strike the Zither
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A dazzling new fantasy from New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He, Strike the Zither is a powerful, inventive, and sweeping fantasy that reimagines the Chinese classic tale of the Three Kingdoms.
The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions, and three warlordesses hope to claim the continent for themselves.
But Zephyr knows it’s no contest.
Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged—while Ren’s honor draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed.
When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren’s followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one—and not all of them are human.
Featuring gorgeous map art by Anna Frohmann and black-and-white portraits by Tida Kietsungden, Strike the Zither is the first book in Joan He's riveting Kingdom of Three duology. Don't miss the epic conclusion in Sound the Gong!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A skilled strategist infiltrates an enemy camp in service to a warlord in this expansive fantasy series opener from He (The Ones We're Meant to Find). Eighteen-year-old Zephyr believes she's the best strategist in the Xin Dynasty, which is ruled by "prepubescent sovereign" Xin Bao and her merciless regent, Miasma. Zephyr loyally serves Xin Ren, one of three warlords vying for continental reign and, as a member of the Xin family, the only one with a legitimate claim to the throne. When Zephyr is trapped in the empire's capitol, she falsely defects to protect her cover and meets enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who suspects her motives. Amid shifting political agendas, she must survive perilous encounters with Crow, a long-lost family member, and nonhuman beings in this striking gender-swapped reimagining of the Chinese classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The protagonist's clever narration and boundless ambition, coupled with He's powerful, action-packed prose, quick pacing, anticipatory atmosphere, and immersive worldbuilding, exemplify the origins of the source material while developing a distinct and evocative adventure. An author's note delves into the original work's influence. Ages 12–17.
