Rise of the Empress

Soon to be a major Prime Video series, executive produced by Viola Davis, Gemma Chan and Forest Whitaker.

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress. But only if she embraces the darkness within her.

In order to achieve greatness, Xifeng must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins. Is the price of the throne too high?

How far is she willing to go to achieve her destiny?

Perfect for fans of dark fantasy, romantasy and villain origin stories, including readers of The Last Tiger, The Invocations, The Girl With No Reflection and the Dark Rise series.

Praise for Rise of the Empress

'A stunning reimagining of the Evil Queen. Filled with treacherous courtesans, dark magic, terrible choices, and bloody hearts, Julie Dao's exquisite take on this classic villain rises far above the average retelling.' - Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

'Magnetic, seductive, and alluring . . . a lush, captivating read about desire and the lengths to which we will go to find our true destiny.' - S. Jae-Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong