Release Date: 30 October 2025
Orphaned twice over Yining’s only wish is to escape her step-aunt and find a life free of lies, thievery and poverty. Yet when fate offers her a chance at luxury as one of the future King’s concubines in the palace she sees only another cage. With limited options she must decide who to trust: the prince who offers her the world but has a quick temper, or the advisor who offers her true freedom as long as she risks her life for him first.
Events quickly spin out of control as Yining finds there is even more at risk than her life and freedom. After years of lies and abuse, will she finally find the truth and can she learn to trust her heart?
This book is described as being inspired by Cinderella, but it has a much richer tapestry of fairy tales and myths woven into it. I found hints of Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel and Medusa, as well as a host of Chinese inspirations that have me adding a Chinese mythology book to my Amazon wish list. Combined these give the story a unique and expansive depth that make it impossible to put down.
As with her other books, Sue Lynn Tan’s characters also have a lot of depth. Yining’s mysterious past is a constant theme throughout the book and her yearning for knowledge clashes with her need for survival. She is portrayed as a strong female character willing to do whatever it takes, but her goals seem to be constantly shifting as new insights change her priorities and her view of the world around her. Zixin has two sides: the kind, charming boy and the cruel, ruthless King. These two sides are constantly at war with one another, creating a fragile peace in his court that could snap at any moment. For the reader this creates uncertainty as we try to work out which of his two natures will eventually win out. In contrast Jin is an unreadable enigma. He keeps many secrets and his motives are veiled in shadow, but his actions portray him as a good man.
There are two particularly big plot twists in this book: one good and one bad, but both changing the course of the novel entirely. They are also both unresolved, leaving a lot more to be revealed and decided in the next book.
Escape to the Bookshelf 