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Liji Chronicles #1
The Duke and I: The Princess of Blackmare
The Duke wants me. I must fulfill the duty to my country. But there is more to me than meets the eye. It was 672 BC and the Central Kingdom had been divided into over a hundred of warring fiefdoms. The army of my country, Lirong, perched high on top of the secluded Mount Blackmare had been miserably defeated by the invading army from the State of Jin, one of the biggest states of all with a Duke that was ready to crown himself King. The Duke demanded not only compensation in foodstuff and livestock from my father, the Baron of Lirong, he also wanted beauties from Lirong to decorate his court. When his eyes landed on my younger sister and I, I knew my opportunity for revenge had come. Amid the chaos in the war-torn state of Lirong, I prepared carefully for my long and assiduous journey from Lirong to Jin with the help of my childhood sweetheart. Us, weaklings compared to the beasts from Jin, were going to turn their country upside down. I would use not only the advantage of my unrivaled beauty, but also my incredible wit to make the Duke of Jin succumb. Read the book to take this amazing and dangerous journey with me in the beautiful landscape of Northwestern China, where the beginning of the Great Wall of China was starting to form. Dear readers, this is an alternative historical romance with dramatizations of actual historical events about the legendary Princess Liji from Lirong. She was named one of the four most vicious beauties in ancient Chinese history. All the main characters in the story were also real. Note that this is Book 1 of The Duke & I series and it ends with a cliffhanger. The whole series will span nearly twenty years of Liji's life. BONUS Map of the northwestern Central Kingdom now attached for history fans!
141 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2019
46 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 5, 2022
Look at this beautiful stunning cover!
I mean just wow. Absolutely beautiful.
But the story? Characters? i were just bored and confused.
It started quickly right into death and the main heroine was laughing because she got her revenge...
But it felt like lots was missing, dept of the characters, information and detailes... everything went very quickly and i really disliked it.
I got this eARC from Netgalley
I mean just wow. Absolutely beautiful.
But the story? Characters? i were just bored and confused.
It started quickly right into death and the main heroine was laughing because she got her revenge...
But it felt like lots was missing, dept of the characters, information and detailes... everything went very quickly and i really disliked it.
I got this eARC from Netgalley
March 1, 2020
Beautiful story of a Duke and his two Princesses, and the landscape of ancient China. There’s a variety of characters & action, and it’s fast paced. I won this Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
April 11, 2020
The Duke and I: The Princess of Darkmare is the first book in Veronica Skye's is the first book in her Liji Chronicles. In this book, the author takes readers back in time to the feudal era of China where the country is fragmented in every man of wealth's quest to be the "Lord/Duke" of his own "country" in the absence of the true royals of the land who fled when war broke out and became too much. The story follows two sisters who become the "spoils" of war after a major defeat at the hands of an invading army from the "country" of Jin. The journey will be fraught with danger as political intrigue makes its self known from the beginning and secrets slowly come to light threatening all who know.
The Duke and I is the first book that I have read by Veronica Skye. I, being a fan of historical fiction, was eager to dive into this book and read the storyline that the author would weave together. Liji quickly captures my attention as the main character of this story. She is the oldest and the one that the author focuses the most on. I like and appreciate how Liji takes such good care of her younger sister and fully understands the trappings of the court. The author beautifully orchestrates the ins and outs of how one must compose themselves especially the females during this time and era. I can tell that she has done her research thoroughly and it shines through. I was easily drawn into this story and more than once feared for the younger sister when she was being more than a bit obnoxious with her outbursts. All in all, I can easily say that the author refrains from having overt violence be a focus of detail in this book. When I say overt violence I speak of the fights that break out along the journey of when lives are lost. The author chooses to focus on characters who interact directly with the main, but there is not a lot of detail for those who dislike detailed gore/violence.
This story is short and ends on a cliffhanger, but the reason why I am taking away a star is the amount of editorial/grammatical errors throughout the book. There are so many of them that they are hard to ignore. If they have been corrected by now then, of course, I will edit this out of my review, but as it stands I can only base my review off of what I have personally read. The story is well-written and engaging, so I look forward to the next installment of this series.
I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. The story captivated my attention and kept me page-turning to learn what was going to happen next. There are some surprise elements that pulled me in deeper and I am eager to learn what happens next with Princess Liji and her sister Princess Lily. If you enjoy historical fiction novels set in feudal China then this is a good book to pick up.
The Duke and I is the first book that I have read by Veronica Skye. I, being a fan of historical fiction, was eager to dive into this book and read the storyline that the author would weave together. Liji quickly captures my attention as the main character of this story. She is the oldest and the one that the author focuses the most on. I like and appreciate how Liji takes such good care of her younger sister and fully understands the trappings of the court. The author beautifully orchestrates the ins and outs of how one must compose themselves especially the females during this time and era. I can tell that she has done her research thoroughly and it shines through. I was easily drawn into this story and more than once feared for the younger sister when she was being more than a bit obnoxious with her outbursts. All in all, I can easily say that the author refrains from having overt violence be a focus of detail in this book. When I say overt violence I speak of the fights that break out along the journey of when lives are lost. The author chooses to focus on characters who interact directly with the main, but there is not a lot of detail for those who dislike detailed gore/violence.
This story is short and ends on a cliffhanger, but the reason why I am taking away a star is the amount of editorial/grammatical errors throughout the book. There are so many of them that they are hard to ignore. If they have been corrected by now then, of course, I will edit this out of my review, but as it stands I can only base my review off of what I have personally read. The story is well-written and engaging, so I look forward to the next installment of this series.
I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. The story captivated my attention and kept me page-turning to learn what was going to happen next. There are some surprise elements that pulled me in deeper and I am eager to learn what happens next with Princess Liji and her sister Princess Lily. If you enjoy historical fiction novels set in feudal China then this is a good book to pick up.
January 14, 2020
Really good!
May 6, 2020
**I received a complimentary copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only**
I give this 2.5 stars.
I am someone who loves historical fiction, especially when it takes place somewhere in East Asia. That's one of the primary reasons my interest was piqued by this book's premise. The concept is really great, and holds a lot of potential to be both a gripping political intrigue and a riveting tale of action and romance. The foundations are there, but where this book suffers is in its execution.
The amount of grammatical and spelling errors in this book was very distracting when trying to immerse myself in the world the author created. I was usually able to figure out what the author meant, but it disrupted the flow of my reading. Run-on sentences are another recurring issue in this book. The writing also lacked detail in certain parts, making it difficult to establish who is speaking or understand how a scene is transitioning.
The length of this book is also an issue for me. It's very short, and while shorter stories can indeed work, this one suffers because of its length. The story is a large premise that's setting itself up to require many pages to adequately tell it, and so this book feels cut short. By the time you reach the end, a complete narrative arc has not occurred. Instead, it feels like you've simply read the first few chapters of a book.
I wish I was able to give this book a higher rating, because I truly loved the plot and how well Skye foreshadowed and set up certain plot elements, but this novel feels incomplete and is in dire need of editing.
I give this 2.5 stars.
I am someone who loves historical fiction, especially when it takes place somewhere in East Asia. That's one of the primary reasons my interest was piqued by this book's premise. The concept is really great, and holds a lot of potential to be both a gripping political intrigue and a riveting tale of action and romance. The foundations are there, but where this book suffers is in its execution.
The amount of grammatical and spelling errors in this book was very distracting when trying to immerse myself in the world the author created. I was usually able to figure out what the author meant, but it disrupted the flow of my reading. Run-on sentences are another recurring issue in this book. The writing also lacked detail in certain parts, making it difficult to establish who is speaking or understand how a scene is transitioning.
The length of this book is also an issue for me. It's very short, and while shorter stories can indeed work, this one suffers because of its length. The story is a large premise that's setting itself up to require many pages to adequately tell it, and so this book feels cut short. By the time you reach the end, a complete narrative arc has not occurred. Instead, it feels like you've simply read the first few chapters of a book.
I wish I was able to give this book a higher rating, because I truly loved the plot and how well Skye foreshadowed and set up certain plot elements, but this novel feels incomplete and is in dire need of editing.
April 18, 2021
This was a very short and simple book. I was torn between two and three stars for the rating. The story is set in China and is very simply involves a Princess being taken as the spoils of war to the harem of the victor and the journey that she undertakes with a few adventures en route. I found the main characters to have a bit of depth to them BUT the really annoying thing was the atrocious grammatical errors.... I found myself looking for the next one as I was reading and this spoiled the story for me. Strangely I am considering reading another one of the series but I don’t know if I can face reading the story and trying to ignore the errors.
April 15, 2020
This historical adventure tale is an intriguing story that immediately captured my attention. The Princess Liji and her younger sister are used as pawns in war, as they are sent to be wives to the new ruler, whose country overthrew their smaller territory. They are forced to travel to their new home accompanied by the Crown Prince Jin who is to escort them to his father. They are constantly fighting for their lives on the journey, from other enemies who try to kidnap them, and the forces of nature that they come through. It's a suspenseful book that has much to offer, and there are plenty of surprises throughout the story, including a cliffhanger at the end, which leaves the reader shocked and anxiously waiting for the next book in the series. I highly recommend "The Duke and I: The Princess of Blackmare.
November 1, 2020
Amazingly written. Super adventurous and has epic characters. The ending was such a surprise, I never thought that was going to happen. Duke and I was very hard to put down. It gripped me from he first page itself. I loved this book. Can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.
March 19, 2022
Princess Liji has been known in history as one of China’s most vicious beauties. She took the throne of Jin away from her righteous stepson and gave it to her unworthy son. The first installment of a series of historical novels about Princess Liji tells of a defeated princess who is forced to marry her conqueror. Princess Liji’s life has been torn apart when she could not marry the boy she loves and is sent on a journey to marry her stranger. The first book in the series chronicles Princess Liji’s journey to marry the Duke of Jin.
I have written a few biographies on women of the Spring and Autumn period, including Princess Liji for the History of Royal Women website. When I learned that there was a historical fiction series on Princess Liji, I was excited to pick this book up. I wanted to see if Ms. Skye attempted to rehabilitate Princess Liji’s reputation or show her as the evil woman she has been traditionally portrayed. In this first installment, I found Princess Liji to be a very fun character. She was lively, tough, and very clever. She was manipulative only when it came to protecting her loved ones. Therefore, I am excited to see how Princess Liji will be portrayed in future books!
Overall, this novel was a fast-paced adventure filled with action, adventure, and secrets! I thought Ms. Skye did an excellent job in introducing the characters because they will play a larger role in Princess Liji’s action in future installments. Mrs. Skye also did a fantastic job in making Ancient China come alive and made the complicated era of the Spring and Autumn period to be very comprehensive for the general reader who knows very little about the time period. My only complaint about the book was that it was a short read and wished it was longer to make it a full-length novel. Nevertheless, it was very well-written, and it ended in a cliffhanger! This made me eager to pick up the sequel and continue the series! The Duke and I: The Princess of Blackmare was a refreshing historical fiction read because it was not set in Europe! I recommend this for fans of Moon in the Palace, Spirit’s Princess, and The Cold Palace!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
I have written a few biographies on women of the Spring and Autumn period, including Princess Liji for the History of Royal Women website. When I learned that there was a historical fiction series on Princess Liji, I was excited to pick this book up. I wanted to see if Ms. Skye attempted to rehabilitate Princess Liji’s reputation or show her as the evil woman she has been traditionally portrayed. In this first installment, I found Princess Liji to be a very fun character. She was lively, tough, and very clever. She was manipulative only when it came to protecting her loved ones. Therefore, I am excited to see how Princess Liji will be portrayed in future books!
Overall, this novel was a fast-paced adventure filled with action, adventure, and secrets! I thought Ms. Skye did an excellent job in introducing the characters because they will play a larger role in Princess Liji’s action in future installments. Mrs. Skye also did a fantastic job in making Ancient China come alive and made the complicated era of the Spring and Autumn period to be very comprehensive for the general reader who knows very little about the time period. My only complaint about the book was that it was a short read and wished it was longer to make it a full-length novel. Nevertheless, it was very well-written, and it ended in a cliffhanger! This made me eager to pick up the sequel and continue the series! The Duke and I: The Princess of Blackmare was a refreshing historical fiction read because it was not set in Europe! I recommend this for fans of Moon in the Palace, Spirit’s Princess, and The Cold Palace!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
April 14, 2020
Princess👸💋 for the Jin
Ancient Chinese Historical Romance💕 with Political Intrigue.
The book is filled with awkward truncated, broken English narrative sentences, and even run on sentences for some reason. This is not native dialogue, this is the narrative.
Princess Liji👸💋 and her sister Lily👸 of Lirong, are being taken across northwestern China to another province to become concubines in the harem of the Duke of Jin. I'm not sure why the author uses the word Duke instead of the Chinese word for a man of that social stature.
Liji👸💋 is somehow going to get in the inside once she gets to the Jin province and crush the Duke, politically.
Women had no rights whatsoever in those days. If the Duke dies, she and her sister will then belong to whichever of his sons becomes the new Duke. She will have to use her intelligence and her feminine wiles to accomplish her goals.
Halfway there, their lumbering wagon caravan is attacked by bandits. Liji👸💋is saved from abduction by the Crown Prince👑, Nine Lives🐺🍆⛲🔪, but the wagon she and her sister were riding in is destroyed and her eunuch, Zeus, is captured by the enemy.
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱.
I also got this ebook with KU.
I liked the story, which is at times violent and shows the total disregard for human life the ancient Chinese Royalty👑 had for commoners, servants, and soldiers. However, execution of the actual mechanics of the book is severely lacking.
The book also ends in a cliffhanger.
Ancient Chinese Historical Romance💕 with Political Intrigue.
The book is filled with awkward truncated, broken English narrative sentences, and even run on sentences for some reason. This is not native dialogue, this is the narrative.
Princess Liji👸💋 and her sister Lily👸 of Lirong, are being taken across northwestern China to another province to become concubines in the harem of the Duke of Jin. I'm not sure why the author uses the word Duke instead of the Chinese word for a man of that social stature.
Liji👸💋 is somehow going to get in the inside once she gets to the Jin province and crush the Duke, politically.
Women had no rights whatsoever in those days. If the Duke dies, she and her sister will then belong to whichever of his sons becomes the new Duke. She will have to use her intelligence and her feminine wiles to accomplish her goals.
Halfway there, their lumbering wagon caravan is attacked by bandits. Liji👸💋is saved from abduction by the Crown Prince👑, Nine Lives🐺🍆⛲🔪, but the wagon she and her sister were riding in is destroyed and her eunuch, Zeus, is captured by the enemy.
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱.
I also got this ebook with KU.
I liked the story, which is at times violent and shows the total disregard for human life the ancient Chinese Royalty👑 had for commoners, servants, and soldiers. However, execution of the actual mechanics of the book is severely lacking.
The book also ends in a cliffhanger.
November 29, 2020
Fantastic Alternative History story to the usual. Well paced and great detail. Full of intrigue and mystery alongside the tragedy of court and regional politics. The relationships built up between the characters leads you wondering about the possibilities. I really appreciated the translation of the names into their English equivalent as it put things into a context you wouldn't get if the original names were left there.
100 pages is a little short and the ending was left on a cliffhanger only for you to want the next installment. Great read.
I received this book via the author from Voracious Readers Only for the pleasure of reading and an honest review
100 pages is a little short and the ending was left on a cliffhanger only for you to want the next installment. Great read.
I received this book via the author from Voracious Readers Only for the pleasure of reading and an honest review
August 12, 2021
I received a free copy of this book from Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review.
I was really interested in the world-building this book creates however the plot is lacking in this book. It's a very short book and it ends on a promise to continue in the second book but I just found myself not invested enough to want to continue reading. Everything seemed to be dragged out and offered no real conclusion whereas if something had been given an outcome and that set up things in the future I would be more interested in reading more.
I was really interested in the world-building this book creates however the plot is lacking in this book. It's a very short book and it ends on a promise to continue in the second book but I just found myself not invested enough to want to continue reading. Everything seemed to be dragged out and offered no real conclusion whereas if something had been given an outcome and that set up things in the future I would be more interested in reading more.
December 7, 2022
I really wanted to like this book, I thought it was an interesting premise, I don't know a lot about the history of China and so it was really cool to see it represented here but I didn't like it. It was easy enough to get through because it was so short but also for that reason I didn't find myself really becoming invested in the characters and what happened to them and I didn't really like the plot twist at the end either.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Voracious Readers Only.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Voracious Readers Only.
May 3, 2021
Great book set in a Chinese dynasty with a story that outlines the story of the Lirong princesses and their fate to save their province. Found the writing easy to read and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Finished on a cliff hanger so I am keen to read the next book in the series and figure out if my theories about the characters come true. Recommend for a good read
Received a complimentary copy of the book from Voracious Readers Only
Received a complimentary copy of the book from Voracious Readers Only
January 22, 2020
Too short
I took a star away for the shear fact that I was beginning to really get soothe story and it end abruptly. It got to the climax of the story and just ends leaving me feel like I am missing out if I don't but the next boom. Good way to make people but the next boom in the series but not a good way of making readers feel satisfied.
I took a star away for the shear fact that I was beginning to really get soothe story and it end abruptly. It got to the climax of the story and just ends leaving me feel like I am missing out if I don't but the next boom. Good way to make people but the next boom in the series but not a good way of making readers feel satisfied.
May 1, 2020
I had high hopes for this story but it didn’t even have an ending and the “feels” I developed with pairings were dashed and I still don’t know what the prologue was about
It is not a complete novel and I find that rather tasteless
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It is not a complete novel and I find that rather tasteless
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 30, 2020
A princess and her sister are dealt an ugly hand. Now they must fight to survive and it is a surprise who they can trust along the way. It I really well written and leaves you not only ready but eager for the next book.
I received a free copy from Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.
I received a free copy from Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.
September 18, 2020
Interesting book, but read a bit slow and ended abruptly. There were grammar mistakes, as well as the wrong words were used in a few places. Looking at context helped decipher those mishaps. Overall, not sure I would recommend unless you are interested in a detailed story that doesn't take you too far along.
January 31, 2021
Really enjoyable read, romance, adventure and wondrous possibilities. I was pulled in immediately with the first few pages and then hooked, I needed to know what happens and was not expecting the end cliff hanger at all. You can see the start of a potential romance bloom through out and can't help but want it to blossom. I NEED to read book 2 now!
Read
April 9, 2020I received as an ARC love love this book. Love the adventure and that I can picture everything that is going on. Would definitely recommend this book to friends and family. The author did an excellent job writing this book.
April 14, 2020
What a good start to what is going to be a fascinating series. Wonderful and intriguing characters telling a fascinating story of a time in history surrounding the Great Wall. Good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 27, 2020
Thanks to Voracious Readers Only for the opportunity to read this book. Took me a bit to get into it but then enjoyed it - was disappointed in the ending as it left me really hanging & slightly confused. Will have to read the next book in the series to find it if it makes me happier.
September 22, 2020
Can't wait for the next part of the story. Liji is a character I can identify with. My complimentary book from Voracious Readers Only was a wonderful surprise. Fantastic book that was hard to put down.
July 26, 2021
An interesting book. Too short in my opinion and ended in a cliff hanger that didn't seem well placed. At times it could be hard to follow as it jumped from scene to scene. As interesting as the story might be, I'm not sure the author's style is one I would continue reading
June 19, 2022
While I loved the concept for this book, it was not well edited (maybe I had a review copy and was unaware?) and there seemed to be chunks missing here and there. Thank you to Goodreads for the free copy, would like to continue the series but probably would not purchase the next book...
Read
November 13, 2022This is a Voracious Readers Only read. I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. I love strong historical women and she seems to be one. For sure something to read when you want to be entertained and informed, very good book.
dnf
July 25, 2020I'm officially putting this down 35% read. There was little much to enjoy about it. Hard to read and in need of a good edit.
February 23, 2021
Loved it!
April 11, 2021
I received this book through Voracious Readers! Overall I loved this book! I loved the little informative tidbits planted throughout and was thoroughly captivated by the characters and story. The plot twist at the end was completely unexpected. The only reason it got 4 stars instead of 5 was the length and some grammatical errors/typos. I wish it had been longer so it wouldn’t have felt as rushed.
October 20, 2021
Read for a true tale of 680 BC Asia, but not for the writing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews