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The Pingkang Li Mysteries #2.5
The Liar's Dice
Lady Bai's first taste of freedom brings her face-to-face with murder. A dangerous and enigmatic stranger becomes Bai Wei-wei's ally while the killer may be someone closer than she ever imagined.Part of the bestselling Lotus Palace seriesTang Dynasty China, 849 A.D.Lady Bai, called Wei-wei by her aristocratic family, has always been the perfectly obedient daughter--but only on the outside. When she dares to pay a forbidden visit to a public tea garden in men's clothing, only Gao looks close enough to notice her disguise. When the pair witnesses a fatal stabbing, Wei-wei discovers that her brother has been hiding secrets. Street-smart with a shady past, the enigmatic Gao becomes her ally as she unravels the mystery, but soon she's faced with a cruel choice -- discover the truth and bring the killer to justice, or protect her family at all costs. ***First published in the GAMBLED Historical romance anthology**** THE LIAR'S DICE is a novella in the Lotus Palace series, taking place after the events of The Jade Temptress. ~100 pages
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2016
54 people are currently reading
466 people want to read
About the author
Jeannie Lin
47 books1,024 followersUSA TODAY Bestselling author Jeannie Lin grew up fascinated with stories of Western epic fantasy and Eastern martial arts adventures. When her best friend introduced her to romance novels in middle school, the stage was set. Jeannie started writing her first romance while working as a high school science teacher in South Central Los Angeles. After four years of trying to break into publishing with an Asian-set historical, her 2009 Golden Heart Award–winning manuscript, Butterfly Swords, sold to Harlequin Mills & Boon. Her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal with The Dragon and the Pearl listed among Library Journal's Best Romances of 2011.
Titles by Jeannie Lin:
Gunpowder Alchemy (Gunpowder Chronicles #1)
The Jade Temptress (The Lotus Palace #2)
The Lotus Palace
Butterfly Swords
The Dragon and the Pearl
My Fair Concubine
The Sword Dancer
For updates, sign up for her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/42oZL
Find out more about Jeannie Lin online at http://www.jeannielin.com
Titles by Jeannie Lin:
Gunpowder Alchemy (Gunpowder Chronicles #1)
The Jade Temptress (The Lotus Palace #2)
The Lotus Palace
Butterfly Swords
The Dragon and the Pearl
My Fair Concubine
The Sword Dancer
For updates, sign up for her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/42oZL
Find out more about Jeannie Lin online at http://www.jeannielin.com
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November 19, 2018I swooped on this like a hunting hawk having read the first in the terrific series: I was dying to get the story of brilliant scholar Lady Bai in her restricted aristocratic life and the ?assassin street thug Gao. This is a great introduction to them ending in a very tentative start of a romance. But it isn't a novel with a HEA and that doesn't seem to exist yet. *howls into night* I would buy that in a heartbeat.
In the meantime you should absolutely read the Pinkang li series because it's great, with lovely characters and a well developed world. Wish there were more.
In the meantime you should absolutely read the Pinkang li series because it's great, with lovely characters and a well developed world. Wish there were more.
August 12, 2022
Described as an interlude, this is actually a fully developed story, following some side characters from the previous books.
Don't skip this one, as it builds on the past and sets up the next book.
Don't skip this one, as it builds on the past and sets up the next book.
April 13, 2021
3.75 stars
Several years ago I fell in love with Jeannie Lin’s Lotus Palace novels. Whether you consider them romances or mysteries (I think of them as romances), the setting, a pleasure quarter called the Pinkang Li, part of the Tang Dynasty capital, Chang’an, during the 840s CE, is beautifully rendered and immersive. It serves the backdrop for two gorgeous, romantic novels in the series, The Lotus Palace and The Jade Temptress, and now for two more books.
One of the fascinating things about the setting—among others—is that it shows just how much more advanced China was during this time than many societies to its west. There was a power structure of administrators within the government and in The Lotus Palace we saw how Huang, the hero, though a member of the nobility, had to study hard and pass the imperial exams in order to attain a position there. His younger sister, Bai Wei-ling, known to her family by the diminutive Wei-wei, helped Huang with his studies and later facilitated his romance with Yue-ying.
Wei-wei’s own love story is told in two books, a novella of approximately 100 pages titled The Liar’s Dice, and a full-length (320-page) sequel novel, The Hidden Moon and this review is of The Liar’s Dice.
The Liar’s Dice begins when Wei-wei decides to pay a visit to the Pinkang Li. Wei-wei is by her own admission spoiled, and she decides to do something with her envy of men’s freedom. Venturing into the pleasure quarter dressed in her brother’s clothes is her act of rebellion.
Wei-wei enjoys the pretty lanterns, the hum of conversation and the smells of appetizing foods, but on her way back to her conveyance she gets lost. A man calls after her, thinking she is Huang, but as he gets closer he sees through her disguise. He introduces himself as Gao.
Wei-wei is attracted to the stranger, even though most people of her class would not consider it appropriate. Then Wei-wei and Gao hear a cry for help from an alley. Moments later, they find the man who cried out, dead.
Since they were near the site of the killing when Gao mistook Wei-wei for Huang, Wei-wei worries that her brother might be connected to the murder. She sneaks back to the Pinkang Li the next day and teams up with Gao to solve the case so as to prove to herself that Huang had nothing to do with it.
This novella was pretty good, but it didn’t engage me as deeply as The Lotus Palace or The Jade Temptress. I had some difficulty getting used to the first person narration and I’m not sure why—maybe just because I’m used to third-person, alternating viewpoints in historical romances or (more likely) because I wasn’t that hot on Wei-wei. This straightened out around a third of the way in, though.
Compared to Yue-ying and Mingyu, the heroines of the earlier books, Wei-wei is privileged. While I sympathized with her chafing at her cloistered life and her desire for freedom, my inevitable comparison of her to the other heroines in the series made my sympathy more philosophical than visceral. The contrast highlighted how much less adversity she faces, how sheltered and spoiled she is relative to them.
Gao is a more interesting character but in this novella I didn’t feel I knew him. He is rough-hewn and tough (I don’t want to give away too much about his background or his job here since Wei-wei doesn’t discover these things right away). In this novella I couldn’t see how he and Wei-wei fit together (happily I didn’t feel that way by the time I reached the end of the second book). There was a scene in which he and Wei-wei share fried cakes together and Wei-wei tells him her favorite story, a tale that parallels her own life and desires, that I really liked.
The mystery does not have high stakes since I never believed for a minute that Huang was guilty of the crime and the murder victim wasn’t someone I cared about. The romance is just beginning here so the the story was open-ended. I loved revisiting the Pinkang Li and how immersive an experience that was. I loved seeing Huang again. My appetite was whetted for the next book (I have now reviewed it here.)
Several years ago I fell in love with Jeannie Lin’s Lotus Palace novels. Whether you consider them romances or mysteries (I think of them as romances), the setting, a pleasure quarter called the Pinkang Li, part of the Tang Dynasty capital, Chang’an, during the 840s CE, is beautifully rendered and immersive. It serves the backdrop for two gorgeous, romantic novels in the series, The Lotus Palace and The Jade Temptress, and now for two more books.
One of the fascinating things about the setting—among others—is that it shows just how much more advanced China was during this time than many societies to its west. There was a power structure of administrators within the government and in The Lotus Palace we saw how Huang, the hero, though a member of the nobility, had to study hard and pass the imperial exams in order to attain a position there. His younger sister, Bai Wei-ling, known to her family by the diminutive Wei-wei, helped Huang with his studies and later facilitated his romance with Yue-ying.
Wei-wei’s own love story is told in two books, a novella of approximately 100 pages titled The Liar’s Dice, and a full-length (320-page) sequel novel, The Hidden Moon and this review is of The Liar’s Dice.
The Liar’s Dice begins when Wei-wei decides to pay a visit to the Pinkang Li. Wei-wei is by her own admission spoiled, and she decides to do something with her envy of men’s freedom. Venturing into the pleasure quarter dressed in her brother’s clothes is her act of rebellion.
Wei-wei enjoys the pretty lanterns, the hum of conversation and the smells of appetizing foods, but on her way back to her conveyance she gets lost. A man calls after her, thinking she is Huang, but as he gets closer he sees through her disguise. He introduces himself as Gao.
Wei-wei is attracted to the stranger, even though most people of her class would not consider it appropriate. Then Wei-wei and Gao hear a cry for help from an alley. Moments later, they find the man who cried out, dead.
Since they were near the site of the killing when Gao mistook Wei-wei for Huang, Wei-wei worries that her brother might be connected to the murder. She sneaks back to the Pinkang Li the next day and teams up with Gao to solve the case so as to prove to herself that Huang had nothing to do with it.
This novella was pretty good, but it didn’t engage me as deeply as The Lotus Palace or The Jade Temptress. I had some difficulty getting used to the first person narration and I’m not sure why—maybe just because I’m used to third-person, alternating viewpoints in historical romances or (more likely) because I wasn’t that hot on Wei-wei. This straightened out around a third of the way in, though.
Compared to Yue-ying and Mingyu, the heroines of the earlier books, Wei-wei is privileged. While I sympathized with her chafing at her cloistered life and her desire for freedom, my inevitable comparison of her to the other heroines in the series made my sympathy more philosophical than visceral. The contrast highlighted how much less adversity she faces, how sheltered and spoiled she is relative to them.
Gao is a more interesting character but in this novella I didn’t feel I knew him. He is rough-hewn and tough (I don’t want to give away too much about his background or his job here since Wei-wei doesn’t discover these things right away). In this novella I couldn’t see how he and Wei-wei fit together (happily I didn’t feel that way by the time I reached the end of the second book). There was a scene in which he and Wei-wei share fried cakes together and Wei-wei tells him her favorite story, a tale that parallels her own life and desires, that I really liked.
The mystery does not have high stakes since I never believed for a minute that Huang was guilty of the crime and the murder victim wasn’t someone I cared about. The romance is just beginning here so the the story was open-ended. I loved revisiting the Pinkang Li and how immersive an experience that was. I loved seeing Huang again. My appetite was whetted for the next book (I have now reviewed it here.)
October 29, 2017
A lovely short read for a character I'd been interested in since the first book. Wei-wei is wonderfully crafted to be smart, bold, and beyond her times; while at the same time she's unassuming enough to understand her own faults. I wish the "disguised as a man" part of the story would have been a bit more fleshed out, since it is one of the classic romance tropes I love; but as a novella, I suppose it'll have to do.
The romance in this novella was understated, with the focus being more on Wei-wei's self-revelations about herself and her role in her family. I would love to see more of Wei-wei and Gao, as their relationship is one that would definitely be disapproved of enough in the traditional, historical Chinese sense to be an interesting development if allowed to progress.
The romance in this novella was understated, with the focus being more on Wei-wei's self-revelations about herself and her role in her family. I would love to see more of Wei-wei and Gao, as their relationship is one that would definitely be disapproved of enough in the traditional, historical Chinese sense to be an interesting development if allowed to progress.
July 11, 2020
I adored this novella so much but it’s not exactly a romance because there’s no HEA. But the interactions between Wei-Wei and Gao hold *so* much promise and I adore them as a potential couple. I hope that Lin is planning on writing their story.
September 9, 2020
Short and sweet. Wei-wei is naive, which can be annoying, but it is absolutely in character. In fact, I appreciate that the author didn't make her worldly and knowledgeable to increase her appeal. In this novella, Wei-wei begins her exploration outside of the carefully proscribed arenas she has moved in her entire life, and I'm excited to see where her journey will take her in Lin's next book.
March 21, 2022
This is a prequel novella to The Hidden Moon and we highly recommend that you read this before plunging into that one. It involves a tidy little murder mystery set in the Pingkang Li and two characters just getting to know each other. We've got Wei-wei, whose dissatisfaction with her cloistered life has her sneaking out to the pleasure quarter at night wearing her older brother's clothes. And we've got Gao, street criminal with his own sense of honor, who has a complicated relationship with Wei-wei's family.
It's a novella with a ton of chaste pining and there's no HEA because it's setting up for the next book. That said we both thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely recommend it for anyone who's been enjoying the series.
It's a novella with a ton of chaste pining and there's no HEA because it's setting up for the next book. That said we both thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely recommend it for anyone who's been enjoying the series.
September 4, 2020
Wei-Ling lives a comfortable, sheltered life and her family is everything to her. And yet, she feels stifled by the societal constraints on women. She has a yearning for more knowledge, to hear and discuss ideas, and to see and do new things away from the confines of her family home. Her disguise as a young scholar and a night in a tea house leads to her presence near a murder, an investigation, a new acquaintance with the intriguing Gao, fears her oldest brother might be involved in the murder and back to gambling. Wei-wei follows the trail to the truth fearing its answers, but needing them even while she can't keep Gao out of her thoughts.
I love the Lotus Palace series and was thrilled to get this follow up installment that tells the story of the hero from book one's sister. Characters from both earlier books move through this shorter story. The color and taste of historical China were so well-drawn and I loved Wei as a narrator. Her thirst for knowledge and enough freedom to pursue it and her need to track down the truth about her brother and the murdered man along with her interest in a man from a lower class made for a great story. The end left things open-ended yet hopeful. I can't wait to continue with more from the Lotus Palace series.
I love the Lotus Palace series and was thrilled to get this follow up installment that tells the story of the hero from book one's sister. Characters from both earlier books move through this shorter story. The color and taste of historical China were so well-drawn and I loved Wei as a narrator. Her thirst for knowledge and enough freedom to pursue it and her need to track down the truth about her brother and the murdered man along with her interest in a man from a lower class made for a great story. The end left things open-ended yet hopeful. I can't wait to continue with more from the Lotus Palace series.
April 29, 2019
I remember reading The Pingkang Li Mysteries back in 2014. While I wished this was a longer book, this was a great read over the weekend!
Would love to see a proper book about these two - make it happen please.
Would love to see a proper book about these two - make it happen please.
Want to read
January 26, 2020included in the Gambled Away anthology
September 6, 2021
Great clean story
Enjoyed the suspense. The hidden culture of the Orient was intriguing. The chemistry between the main character and Gao was well played.
Enjoyed the suspense. The hidden culture of the Orient was intriguing. The chemistry between the main character and Gao was well played.
April 13, 2022
In this novella Wei-wei, disguised as a man, meets Gao for the first time - and he isn't fooled at all.
February 17, 2023
Call me a fan. Jumping into the next story of Wei-Wei.
April 5, 2023
After Wei-Wei, Bai Huang's younger sister, was introduced in The Lotus Palace, I had a sneaking suspicion that she was going to wind up as the protagonist of her own book, and what do you know, she ended up getting two books! This novella is the first of them, and it’s a lot of fun.
I’m always a sucker both for bookish protagonists and the trope of ‘woman does male drag for reasons,’ and this one has both. The idea of the rich young woman sneaking out for freedom and adventure is a familiar one—I think I was first introduced to it when Aladdin came out back in the day--but the nuances of Wei-Wei’s character made some of these old favorite tropes feel fresh. She’s in a really interesting and difficult position, having carved out a place for herself as a tutor and help for her brothers in passing the imperial exams, because she can’t take them herself. Though she takes pride in that, and has a great deal of her identity wrapped up in her brothers’ success, she’s also champing at the bit for something of her own, and feeling the pressure of the marriage that her family will inevitably arrange for her. This novella is in first-person POV, which was something new with this series and kind of a nice change of pace for getting to know Wei-wei, who’s a different kind of heroine than the more worldly Yue-ying and Mingyu.
Of course, because this series is all about the forbidden love, she’s got unresolved tension with Gao, who was a sort of…I don’t know, gangster type from The Lotus Palace. I wouldn’t have immediately flagged him as a potential love interest from the first book, but I was glad to see him return for a mystery that centers, once again, around the pleasure district of Chang’an, this time around the gambling dens. Wei-wei, sneaking out dressed in her brother’s old clothing, catches the attention of Gao, who immediately recognizes that she isn’t Huang. Before she can even give him a fake name, a guy gets stabbed practically right in front of them, leaving behind only a gaming slip from a local gambling den. The victim turns out to be an imperial scholar, Chen Xi Hao, and suddenly Wei-wei is dealing with two mysteries: a) who killed this guy and b) is her brother, who recently got his own imperial degree (and is also a gambling addict with a rough past) involved in something shady?
We don’t get a lot of knowledge about Gao in this, since it’s through Wei-wei’s POV, but he seems suitably mysterious, and the tension between Wei-wei and Huang gives some added drama and tension to the plotline. It’s very obviously set up for a sequel, but it’s a fun read in its own right.
I’m always a sucker both for bookish protagonists and the trope of ‘woman does male drag for reasons,’ and this one has both. The idea of the rich young woman sneaking out for freedom and adventure is a familiar one—I think I was first introduced to it when Aladdin came out back in the day--but the nuances of Wei-Wei’s character made some of these old favorite tropes feel fresh. She’s in a really interesting and difficult position, having carved out a place for herself as a tutor and help for her brothers in passing the imperial exams, because she can’t take them herself. Though she takes pride in that, and has a great deal of her identity wrapped up in her brothers’ success, she’s also champing at the bit for something of her own, and feeling the pressure of the marriage that her family will inevitably arrange for her. This novella is in first-person POV, which was something new with this series and kind of a nice change of pace for getting to know Wei-wei, who’s a different kind of heroine than the more worldly Yue-ying and Mingyu.
Of course, because this series is all about the forbidden love, she’s got unresolved tension with Gao, who was a sort of…I don’t know, gangster type from The Lotus Palace. I wouldn’t have immediately flagged him as a potential love interest from the first book, but I was glad to see him return for a mystery that centers, once again, around the pleasure district of Chang’an, this time around the gambling dens. Wei-wei, sneaking out dressed in her brother’s old clothing, catches the attention of Gao, who immediately recognizes that she isn’t Huang. Before she can even give him a fake name, a guy gets stabbed practically right in front of them, leaving behind only a gaming slip from a local gambling den. The victim turns out to be an imperial scholar, Chen Xi Hao, and suddenly Wei-wei is dealing with two mysteries: a) who killed this guy and b) is her brother, who recently got his own imperial degree (and is also a gambling addict with a rough past) involved in something shady?
We don’t get a lot of knowledge about Gao in this, since it’s through Wei-wei’s POV, but he seems suitably mysterious, and the tension between Wei-wei and Huang gives some added drama and tension to the plotline. It’s very obviously set up for a sequel, but it’s a fun read in its own right.
July 16, 2017
Low rating, only because I felt that some of the events were rushed to condense this into a novella-length story. It had less romance and more crime-mystery in the Tang Dynasty period. Though short, I love that Wei-wei and Gao's characters were evenly fleshed out, making me want more from them. The setting and the way of life in gambling during ancient China are also vividly described. I also love the cameo roles from the author's previous works. I hope there will be a follow-up on this story, because I will definitely read it. Historical romance in the Asian setting is one of my favorite genres.
February 19, 2025
4.5 stars
*This is a #TBRChallenge review, there will be spoilers, I don't spoil everything but enough, because I treat these reviews as a bookclub discussion.
“Who is he?” I asked Zhou Dan as we moved to where he’d left the carriage.
“No one you should associate with,” he replied abruptly.
I took one final glance back over my shoulder at Gao. He stood still and tall in the middle of the street, watching me. It wasn’t long before his tall figure faded into the darkness.
This month's TBRChallenge theme was “Previously, in romance” and I knew immediately this was my chance to return to The Pingkang Li Mysteries series. Remember when I lost my mind reading The Lotus Palace in 2022 for a TBRChallenge theme? I've been itching for the chance to read the rich girl and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks next in the series romance. I'm also a very, very behind book blogger and only remembered the third Wednesday of the month was today around 9pm last night, so while I knew I couldn't finish The Hidden Moon, I knew I could the novella prequel to it, The Liar's Dice.
I shouldn’t have wanted for anything, yet I wanted. I stared down at my hands and how soft and empty they were. I didn’t even know what I wanted.
If you haven't read the previous two books in the series, Wei-wei is the rich sheltered sister of Huang (book 1) and Gao is the street kid who kind of works with/for Huang but also stabbed him once. When I found out these two were going to be paired up, I lost my mind, lol. This prequel would work to jump into the series here, as you get to know Wei-wei and Gao, previously secondary characters we got glimpses of. This novella delivered a mini murder mystery and a tantalizing look at the beginning of their romance.
“Your brother pays me whenever he needs things done, Lady Bai. We are not friends.”
Wei-wei is twenty-five and realizes she's a sheltered rich girl and is starting to itch against some of her restraints, while also realizing that she doesn't want to move out of her parent's home. She's created a niche where she helped her older brother Huang and now her younger brother study for the Imperial exams. This takes place in the Tang Dynasty China, so there was a wealth of new historical elements that will have you wanting to go down rabbit holes on. She has purpose but is starting to realize it feels for other people and not herself but she also has some freedom, she can get one of their servants, Zhou Dan, to keep secrets for her and her parents kind of let her do her thing.
“You want me to stay away,” I said.
“I want you to stay away.”
Wei-wei doesn't want to marry and lose what she has at her home but her favorite tale, The Butterfly Lovers about Zhu and Liang, has her wondering if she could also dress like a male and experience life outside her home walls. She tests these limits one night by getting Zhou Dan to take her to Mingyu's (book 2) tea house and while she enjoys the conversation she gets to overhear, if not yet participate in, she also gets lost when trying to find Zhou Dan. In the alleyways she meets Gao and comes upon a murder victim. From here, we get a murder mystery that twists and weaves, involving Huang and gives Wei-wei opportunity to be in Gao's presence.
I reached out to him, just my hand against his chest for no reason other than that I wanted to. Just so he’d know, and so I’d know, but this time it was Gao who moved away.
This was all told from Wei-wei's pov but we get enough from her observations of Gao to know his feelings and how hard he's trying to repress them. Y'all, from the first time they meet and he puts his hand on the small of her back (screeching!) I was losing it for this couple. It's obvious Gao likes her, finds her actions and thoughts interesting and frustrating when they put her in danger and some of that she's the sun warming him and Wei-wei finds him intriguing in that he's supposed to be dangerous but why do I feel safe with him and why does he bring out a side of myself that I try to quiet. In case you didn't know, I'm goo for this kind of dynamic. They have a kiss but Wei-wei is too thrown by it to really react and Gao's insecurity has him thinking Wei-wei is probably doing a version of slumming.
When I was around him, I could be fearless too.
The murder mystery has Wei-wei land in danger and Huang and Gao have to come in to rescue. We do get a wrap-up to the who and why of the mystery, which was honestly pretty strong for a novella, but the romance is left drifted off for it to continue in the next book. Wei-wei and Gao both had a quiet intensity to them but also a sweet playfulness that I'm dying to read in their full story. If anyone wants to buddy read The Hidden Moon in March, let me know! This was a perfect appetizer novella and great if you wanted to jump into the series here (but don't, the first two books are so good!)
A simple message, one without words that held all the promise in the world. It had been folded into the shape of a butterfly
(Gao knows Wei-wei's favorite tale is the Butterfly Lovers!!! He's sending her a message he hasn't forgotten about her, at the end of this.)
*This is a #TBRChallenge review, there will be spoilers, I don't spoil everything but enough, because I treat these reviews as a bookclub discussion.
“Who is he?” I asked Zhou Dan as we moved to where he’d left the carriage.
“No one you should associate with,” he replied abruptly.
I took one final glance back over my shoulder at Gao. He stood still and tall in the middle of the street, watching me. It wasn’t long before his tall figure faded into the darkness.
This month's TBRChallenge theme was “Previously, in romance” and I knew immediately this was my chance to return to The Pingkang Li Mysteries series. Remember when I lost my mind reading The Lotus Palace in 2022 for a TBRChallenge theme? I've been itching for the chance to read the rich girl and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks next in the series romance. I'm also a very, very behind book blogger and only remembered the third Wednesday of the month was today around 9pm last night, so while I knew I couldn't finish The Hidden Moon, I knew I could the novella prequel to it, The Liar's Dice.
I shouldn’t have wanted for anything, yet I wanted. I stared down at my hands and how soft and empty they were. I didn’t even know what I wanted.
If you haven't read the previous two books in the series, Wei-wei is the rich sheltered sister of Huang (book 1) and Gao is the street kid who kind of works with/for Huang but also stabbed him once. When I found out these two were going to be paired up, I lost my mind, lol. This prequel would work to jump into the series here, as you get to know Wei-wei and Gao, previously secondary characters we got glimpses of. This novella delivered a mini murder mystery and a tantalizing look at the beginning of their romance.
“Your brother pays me whenever he needs things done, Lady Bai. We are not friends.”
Wei-wei is twenty-five and realizes she's a sheltered rich girl and is starting to itch against some of her restraints, while also realizing that she doesn't want to move out of her parent's home. She's created a niche where she helped her older brother Huang and now her younger brother study for the Imperial exams. This takes place in the Tang Dynasty China, so there was a wealth of new historical elements that will have you wanting to go down rabbit holes on. She has purpose but is starting to realize it feels for other people and not herself but she also has some freedom, she can get one of their servants, Zhou Dan, to keep secrets for her and her parents kind of let her do her thing.
“You want me to stay away,” I said.
“I want you to stay away.”
Wei-wei doesn't want to marry and lose what she has at her home but her favorite tale, The Butterfly Lovers about Zhu and Liang, has her wondering if she could also dress like a male and experience life outside her home walls. She tests these limits one night by getting Zhou Dan to take her to Mingyu's (book 2) tea house and while she enjoys the conversation she gets to overhear, if not yet participate in, she also gets lost when trying to find Zhou Dan. In the alleyways she meets Gao and comes upon a murder victim. From here, we get a murder mystery that twists and weaves, involving Huang and gives Wei-wei opportunity to be in Gao's presence.
I reached out to him, just my hand against his chest for no reason other than that I wanted to. Just so he’d know, and so I’d know, but this time it was Gao who moved away.
This was all told from Wei-wei's pov but we get enough from her observations of Gao to know his feelings and how hard he's trying to repress them. Y'all, from the first time they meet and he puts his hand on the small of her back (screeching!) I was losing it for this couple. It's obvious Gao likes her, finds her actions and thoughts interesting and frustrating when they put her in danger and some of that she's the sun warming him and Wei-wei finds him intriguing in that he's supposed to be dangerous but why do I feel safe with him and why does he bring out a side of myself that I try to quiet. In case you didn't know, I'm goo for this kind of dynamic. They have a kiss but Wei-wei is too thrown by it to really react and Gao's insecurity has him thinking Wei-wei is probably doing a version of slumming.
When I was around him, I could be fearless too.
The murder mystery has Wei-wei land in danger and Huang and Gao have to come in to rescue. We do get a wrap-up to the who and why of the mystery, which was honestly pretty strong for a novella, but the romance is left drifted off for it to continue in the next book. Wei-wei and Gao both had a quiet intensity to them but also a sweet playfulness that I'm dying to read in their full story. If anyone wants to buddy read The Hidden Moon in March, let me know! This was a perfect appetizer novella and great if you wanted to jump into the series here (but don't, the first two books are so good!)
A simple message, one without words that held all the promise in the world. It had been folded into the shape of a butterfly
(Gao knows Wei-wei's favorite tale is the Butterfly Lovers!!! He's sending her a message he hasn't forgotten about her, at the end of this.)
December 10, 2022
What a great bridge novella setup between Jade Temptress and Hidden Moon. The perfect light touch on previous characters and plots that still leaves you itching for the next book!
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February 23, 2024We read all books in the series and reviewed them together. Find more at The Lotus Palace, The Jade Temptress, The Hidden Moon, Death of a Sorcerer: A Lotus Palace Mystery, Red Blossom in Snow and Love, Death & Lanterns, and our full review can be read at The Smut Report.
Heat Factor: First we have to have ALL THE FEELS
Character Chemistry: Mutual pining
Plot: There has been a(nother) murder in the Piking Li, and we will work together to solve it. And also pine for each other.
Overall: If you like mystery romances, these are so good.
I skipped this novella, but I’m including it here because I recommend reading it before The Hidden Moon. It features the same protagonists and sets the stage for their relationship. The events in this book are frequently, if obliquely, referred to in The Hidden Moon, and I definitely felt like I was missing background information on Wei-wei and Gao and their initial attraction.
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Heat Factor: First we have to have ALL THE FEELS
Character Chemistry: Mutual pining
Plot: There has been a(nother) murder in the Piking Li, and we will work together to solve it. And also pine for each other.
Overall: If you like mystery romances, these are so good.
I skipped this novella, but I’m including it here because I recommend reading it before The Hidden Moon. It features the same protagonists and sets the stage for their relationship. The events in this book are frequently, if obliquely, referred to in The Hidden Moon, and I definitely felt like I was missing background information on Wei-wei and Gao and their initial attraction.
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June 6, 2022
A short and sweet required reading prequel tale that can be read as a stand-alone introduction into the Lotus Palace series. It does reference some things that have happened in earlier books, but I didn't feel left out not having read them. You do need to read this prior to The Hidden Moon however, as it details the meeting (and insta-attraction) of Wei-Wei and Gao without which the main book might feel a bit underdeveloped.
I liked getting to know the wilful but resigned Wei-Wei as she tried to challenge the status quo of being trapped in her role as an intelligent female unable to speak with scholars or ever leave her home compound. She's a strong historical heroine; a little feisty, but not unbelievably so. The first person narration felt a bit difficult to get into at first, but gradually I got used to her voice. Her interactions with her brother Huang and the roguish mystery man Gao were fun to watch though I wished that in true romance novel style we'd gotten something from Gao's POV () . Basic romance trope stuff occurs, but not enough to be off-putting.
I liked the idea of the mystery plot even though it didn't quite work for me - if it felt to be told out of order (as in characters knowing things before they've actually worked them out or found evidence for them, or just knowing things somehow) so when the reveal came I felt like I didn't quite understand it. The suspense element was good.
I did wish it could have been more descriptive in setting the scene of characters and costumes and the details of the streets of Pinkang as in that regard it's pretty sparse. It also had a habit of repeating information, as if chapters had each been written separately at different times like episodes and not gone through to check for continuity (or typos).
It did what it needed though, as I'm looking forward to a bigger mystery in The Hidden Moon and seeing how these two fated lovebirds can find their HEA.
I liked getting to know the wilful but resigned Wei-Wei as she tried to challenge the status quo of being trapped in her role as an intelligent female unable to speak with scholars or ever leave her home compound. She's a strong historical heroine; a little feisty, but not unbelievably so. The first person narration felt a bit difficult to get into at first, but gradually I got used to her voice. Her interactions with her brother Huang and the roguish mystery man Gao were fun to watch though I wished that in true romance novel style we'd gotten something from Gao's POV () . Basic romance trope stuff occurs, but not enough to be off-putting.
I liked the idea of the mystery plot even though it didn't quite work for me - if it felt to be told out of order (as in characters knowing things before they've actually worked them out or found evidence for them, or just knowing things somehow) so when the reveal came I felt like I didn't quite understand it. The suspense element was good.
I did wish it could have been more descriptive in setting the scene of characters and costumes and the details of the streets of Pinkang as in that regard it's pretty sparse. It also had a habit of repeating information, as if chapters had each been written separately at different times like episodes and not gone through to check for continuity (or typos).
It did what it needed though, as I'm looking forward to a bigger mystery in The Hidden Moon and seeing how these two fated lovebirds can find their HEA.
April 6, 2025
Oh, I loved this. Tight and compelling, with an effective mystery and a lot of great character interactions crammed into less than 100 pages. I was trepidatious about the switch to first person—I strongly prefer third, especially in histrom—but it works really well here. It echoes the ways in which Wei-wei’s world is so tightly circumscribed, and the more intimate look into her thoughts highlights both her intelligence and her naïveté.
One of the things I think Lin is great at is illuminating the ways in which characters’ particular life experiences shape them and their perceptions, even when they struggle to articulate it, and how difficult it is to truly understand the world from someone else’s point of view. The conversation between Wei-wei and Yue-ying is a great example—Wei-wei tries to express that she feels trapped in her life as compared to the perceived freedoms of the women of the Pingkang li, but Yue-ying points out that she was literally enslaved during the time in which Wei-wei considered her “free.” It’s not, I think, that Lin is attempting to undermine Wei-wei’s feelings, but rather that she understands the multitude of ways in which women are and were historically oppressed, confined, and controlled, as well as how class interacts with gendered oppression (I’m thinking also of Gao dismissively telling Wei-wei “you’re rich” while she thinks of squirreling away bits and pieces of her allowance to pay for her disguised outings—again he’s not wrong, but it’s also more complicated than that).
Anyway, I continue to be delighted by the thoughtfulness of Lin’s writing, the vibrancy of her characters (I particularly loved the developing relationship between Wei-wei and Kaifeng, at once unexpected and completely, charmingly in character for both of them), and the rich, interesting setting. I also was extremely into Wei-wei and Gao’s dynamic and chemistry, so I’m very excited to read their full-length book next.
One of the things I think Lin is great at is illuminating the ways in which characters’ particular life experiences shape them and their perceptions, even when they struggle to articulate it, and how difficult it is to truly understand the world from someone else’s point of view. The conversation between Wei-wei and Yue-ying is a great example—Wei-wei tries to express that she feels trapped in her life as compared to the perceived freedoms of the women of the Pingkang li, but Yue-ying points out that she was literally enslaved during the time in which Wei-wei considered her “free.” It’s not, I think, that Lin is attempting to undermine Wei-wei’s feelings, but rather that she understands the multitude of ways in which women are and were historically oppressed, confined, and controlled, as well as how class interacts with gendered oppression (I’m thinking also of Gao dismissively telling Wei-wei “you’re rich” while she thinks of squirreling away bits and pieces of her allowance to pay for her disguised outings—again he’s not wrong, but it’s also more complicated than that).
Anyway, I continue to be delighted by the thoughtfulness of Lin’s writing, the vibrancy of her characters (I particularly loved the developing relationship between Wei-wei and Kaifeng, at once unexpected and completely, charmingly in character for both of them), and the rich, interesting setting. I also was extremely into Wei-wei and Gao’s dynamic and chemistry, so I’m very excited to read their full-length book next.
July 8, 2022
This was my first Jeannie Lin, which I picked up from the library as an ebook because I want to read the one that follows this, Hidden Moon. The Liar's Dice "introduces" the two main characters - Lady Bai and Gao - although they apparently show up in the first two books in this series as well. It also introduced me to Lin's style here: a lightweight mystery but with a strong focus on characters and romance, set in Tang China (800s AD).
This novella is written in the first person about Wei-Ling (Wei Wei), an educated highborn lady who longs for some freedom and while seeking it happens to witness a murder, alongside criminal-for-hire, Gao. Mostly the story is Wei Wei learning about the world outside her home and trying to investigate/protect her older brother, Huang. Plus a tiny bit of romance, since Gao is totally unsuitable - both he and Wei Wei know it, but can't help with the feels, which is delicious.
"Lightweight" is a good word to describe all the story elements. The mystery is not much, the romance is not much, and the historical time period is relevant and real without burdening you with jargon about period-specific clothes. My favorite parts were Wei Wei's astute observations about how much she does for her family - which she doesn't mind, necessarily - but also while being quite conscious of the limitations placed on her.
This novella was a good setup to get into the vibe of the series and these two characters' specific story, but I do hope Hidden Moon goes a bit deeper, on all levels.
This novella is written in the first person about Wei-Ling (Wei Wei), an educated highborn lady who longs for some freedom and while seeking it happens to witness a murder, alongside criminal-for-hire, Gao. Mostly the story is Wei Wei learning about the world outside her home and trying to investigate/protect her older brother, Huang. Plus a tiny bit of romance, since Gao is totally unsuitable - both he and Wei Wei know it, but can't help with the feels, which is delicious.
"Lightweight" is a good word to describe all the story elements. The mystery is not much, the romance is not much, and the historical time period is relevant and real without burdening you with jargon about period-specific clothes. My favorite parts were Wei Wei's astute observations about how much she does for her family - which she doesn't mind, necessarily - but also while being quite conscious of the limitations placed on her.
This novella was a good setup to get into the vibe of the series and these two characters' specific story, but I do hope Hidden Moon goes a bit deeper, on all levels.
April 27, 2023
I almost didn't read this book bc my brain refuses to read books out of order in a series and I didn't have the previous books. That would have been such a loss.
This is a prequel to The hidden moon by I really suggest reading it as it sets everything and you would miss the MCs meeting by skipping this novella. There is a character list that recaps the big lines from the previous books so I was never lost and I got the important background information for the side characters.
" That was what Gao was to me. Someone completely unexpected. "
Wei-Wei is sneaking out of her family's residence at night dressed like her brother. That's where she meets Gao, and they stumble upon a murdered men. That starts a quest for answers and the opportunity to see Gao again. Gao is a dangerous person but Wei-Wei still feels safe with him.
They're drawn to each other but this novella only sets the scene for the events of the full novel. We get adorable moments, banter, and Wei-Wei being smart but unprepared for the challenges she faces in the underground. A good mystery with romance undertones.
" His mouth quirked. “And see? It didn’t cost you anything.” I thought of the touch of his hand on my cheek and the missed moment between us. There had been a price. "
This is a prequel to The hidden moon by I really suggest reading it as it sets everything and you would miss the MCs meeting by skipping this novella. There is a character list that recaps the big lines from the previous books so I was never lost and I got the important background information for the side characters.
" That was what Gao was to me. Someone completely unexpected. "
Wei-Wei is sneaking out of her family's residence at night dressed like her brother. That's where she meets Gao, and they stumble upon a murdered men. That starts a quest for answers and the opportunity to see Gao again. Gao is a dangerous person but Wei-Wei still feels safe with him.
They're drawn to each other but this novella only sets the scene for the events of the full novel. We get adorable moments, banter, and Wei-Wei being smart but unprepared for the challenges she faces in the underground. A good mystery with romance undertones.
" His mouth quirked. “And see? It didn’t cost you anything.” I thought of the touch of his hand on my cheek and the missed moment between us. There had been a price. "
April 9, 2021
Wei-wei is the daughter of an aristocratic family during the Tang Dynasty. Her elder brother, Huang, has recently been promoted to a government position because of his high level of scholarship. He's married, and his wife is expecting a child any day now. But Huang is behaving strangely, and Wei-wei is determined to find out why.
Disguised as a man, she makes her way into the forbidden part of the city as she follows her brother ... and finds a body. The victim has only recently been killed, and the murderer appears to have Wei-wei in his sights as a potential witness. Huang's brother-in-law, Wu, is the constable ... but he doesn't seem nearly as interested in Wei-wei's observations as is the mysterious, handsome Gao.
There are two puzzles to be solved: the murder, and Huang's apparently nefarious activities. The book itself is a fair play puzzle, with all of the information available to the reader.
I particularly enjoyed this book because of its look at both scholarship and women's roles in 9th C. China. While the novella is not a lengthy read, it's packed with information and entertainment. Nicely done.
Disguised as a man, she makes her way into the forbidden part of the city as she follows her brother ... and finds a body. The victim has only recently been killed, and the murderer appears to have Wei-wei in his sights as a potential witness. Huang's brother-in-law, Wu, is the constable ... but he doesn't seem nearly as interested in Wei-wei's observations as is the mysterious, handsome Gao.
There are two puzzles to be solved: the murder, and Huang's apparently nefarious activities. The book itself is a fair play puzzle, with all of the information available to the reader.
I particularly enjoyed this book because of its look at both scholarship and women's roles in 9th C. China. While the novella is not a lengthy read, it's packed with information and entertainment. Nicely done.
September 26, 2020
I love this author and her unusual historical settings. This quick tease book, 98 pages!, was a short story with Lady Bai "Wei Wei" escaping the stifling life of tutoring her younger brother and living to serve her family for an exhilarating moment of freedom that results in an encounter with a dangerous man Gao and a mysterious murder. Wei Wei realizes her beloved older brother Huang may be involved in the murder, and the mysterious intriguing Gao can give her information about both problems. This is told in 1st person, which threw me since the other books in the Lotus Palace series are 3rd person. However, i was able to immerse myself in this quick look into Wei Wei's life, and it set the stage for a future relationship between the intriguing Gao and Lady Bai. I see Wei Wei's story was released in August, so great timing on my part - I am definitely reading the next novel. I love this series and author!
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November 13, 2024Read this because I started The Hidden Moon and it quickly became apparent that by skipping this novella I would be missing out on how Gao and Wei wei met, and early interactions are often my favorites in romances so I doubled back. I'm extremely glad I did. While this is too short for the mystery to really be satisfying, it reads much more like an extended prologue for The Hidden Moon. As such, it's very successful in getting you excited for that book - Gao and Wei wei's chemistry is immediately palpable and some good angst is promised from their few interactions here. I'm not sure that makes it entirely successful as a stand-alone novella in itself, but that's not how I was reading it, either, so it did the job it needed to for me.
January 13, 2022
4 stars
I really love the Pingkang Li series and I was dying for Lady Bai's story. This isn't that story, just a little bitty taste that hints and it and whets the appetite for it. I'm glad I waited to finish reading it until I had a copy of The Hidden Moon just waiting for when I have a chance to read it next.
This was a really interesting story that revisited all the characters of the previous two books but finally let us see more of Lady Bai as her own character. It was also an intriguing mystery and a delicate start to a romance that managed to fit very well within its short length. I loved it.
I really love the Pingkang Li series and I was dying for Lady Bai's story. This isn't that story, just a little bitty taste that hints and it and whets the appetite for it. I'm glad I waited to finish reading it until I had a copy of The Hidden Moon just waiting for when I have a chance to read it next.
This was a really interesting story that revisited all the characters of the previous two books but finally let us see more of Lady Bai as her own character. It was also an intriguing mystery and a delicate start to a romance that managed to fit very well within its short length. I loved it.
January 1, 2018
Wei-wei, sister to Bai from the novel The Lotus Palace, is the perfect daughter. Until she isn't. Inspired by her favorite story, she dresses as a man, visits a tea house and becomes the unwitting chief witness to a murder. Fortunately, Gao, an acquaintance of her brother, quickly maneuvers her safely through the experience. Unfortunately, she finds herself caught up in the mysteries of that night - and fascinated by Gao, a man not of her class but very much of her choice.
This was an interesting, intriguing story but the ending left a bit to be desired.
This was an interesting, intriguing story but the ending left a bit to be desired.
January 28, 2021
Several years ago, when I first discovered Jeannie Lin, I had the vague feeling that she’d be one hell of an author to watch.
Now I can truly say that she has outdone herself.
This reads like the period romance novels written by the Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese Julia Quinns and Lisa Kleypases, except that this is all in English and rapidly filling a long-underrepresented niche in the romance genre. I will leave this here first and come back with more thoughts on what makes Lin’s two latest books amazing.
But seriously, guys, stop waiting. Read the damn book already.
Now I can truly say that she has outdone herself.
This reads like the period romance novels written by the Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese Julia Quinns and Lisa Kleypases, except that this is all in English and rapidly filling a long-underrepresented niche in the romance genre. I will leave this here first and come back with more thoughts on what makes Lin’s two latest books amazing.
But seriously, guys, stop waiting. Read the damn book already.
May 1, 2023
Generally I find shorts lacking but this was okay. I am interested to have Gao's POV in Book 3 of the Pingkang Li Mysteries. I wonder how Wei Wei will acquire more mobility in that book and in this book, I get my answer for why she remains unmarried. It'e because there is no rush/they are rich and high status-ed enough for others to not wag their tongues about. The Liar's Dice is a sort of a taster for the full length story of Gao and Wei Wei.
August 6, 2024
3.3! Intrigued and ready for the main novel about our protagonists! The mystery is not as developed as could be but the intrigue about Gao and Weiwei are enough to hold the book.
Unrelated: I know Bai Huang is keeping secrets for his family’s sake and probably because of imperial politics (and probably that’s just how men are supposed to act) but as I read on, he continues to be one my least fave ML. I hope Yueying loves the traditional domesticity of their marriage.
Unrelated: I know Bai Huang is keeping secrets for his family’s sake and probably because of imperial politics (and probably that’s just how men are supposed to act) but as I read on, he continues to be one my least fave ML. I hope Yueying loves the traditional domesticity of their marriage.
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