This book is inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous four beauties of Ancient China.
The villagers of Yue see Xishi’s beauty as a blessing – they are convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well so she can support her family. She catches the eye of Fenli, a young military advisor, who advises her to use her beauty as a weapon. He convinces her she could topple the neighbouring kingdom of Wu, improving the lives of her people and to avenge her sister’s death.
This is such a beautiful book, both in looks and the story. I have the hardback with sprayed edges which is stunning!
Next to that, I found this story engrossing and loved the prose.
Read for The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 23: A Sprayed Edge
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
