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The Man in the Dragon Mask
One Face
Two Men
And A Secret That Could Destroy An Empire
At the dawn of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor will do anything to ensure the future of his empire. Building the Forbidden City in fulfillment of his father's dreams is only the beginning.
But few people share the emperor's vision.
When a consort's betrayal has devastating consequences that rock the imperial court, the emperor discovers that the fight for the dragon throne has only begun.
Two Men
And A Secret That Could Destroy An Empire
At the dawn of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor will do anything to ensure the future of his empire. Building the Forbidden City in fulfillment of his father's dreams is only the beginning.
But few people share the emperor's vision.
When a consort's betrayal has devastating consequences that rock the imperial court, the emperor discovers that the fight for the dragon throne has only begun.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 30, 2020
If It Wasn't For Bad Luck💀, He'd👑 Have No Luck At All.
ADULT Ming👑 Dynasty Romance💕, with Murder💀, Bribery, Treachery🔪 and Treason🔪
The whole premise of the book is based upon the then superstition that twin babies👶👶 were extremely bad luck.
The First Ming Emperor👑 is blessed with a son👶 and heir as his first child. He doesn't know that at the same time he is presenting his new baby👶 to his courtiers, his wife, the Empress is having a second baby boy👶, an identical twin!
Superstition is so great against twins👶👶 that the second child👶 is taken away by the Empress's eunuch, to supposedly be put to death.
Twenty-six Years later it's the Dowager Empress👵 and her son Hongdi👑 that control the empire.
He marries👰 and is quite infatuated with his new wife👸, but she never gets pregnant. He takes on some concubines👰 and stays busy, but still, no pregnancies. Is it possible he is sterile?
The Dowager👵, his mother, convinces him to take on even more concubines👰, a total of about 60 now.
In the meantime Hongdi👑 has decided he must move his empire North to Peking, and sets about building and vastly enlarging the Forbidden City. The local people riot against the Emperor👑 and the high taxes. The construction is endless and costly💰.
Hongdi👑 is tone deaf through it all. He also has no inkling of the machinations of both his mother and his wife, the Empress👸 because of his lack of a child.. ..
The treachery and the backstabbing throughout the book are heartbreaking💔to everyone involved in Hongdi's👑 life.
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱
This ebook was $5.99 on Amazon at the time of this review.
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
The book is quite long, but mesmerizing all the way through!
ADULT Ming👑 Dynasty Romance💕, with Murder💀, Bribery, Treachery🔪 and Treason🔪
The whole premise of the book is based upon the then superstition that twin babies👶👶 were extremely bad luck.
The First Ming Emperor👑 is blessed with a son👶 and heir as his first child. He doesn't know that at the same time he is presenting his new baby👶 to his courtiers, his wife, the Empress is having a second baby boy👶, an identical twin!
Superstition is so great against twins👶👶 that the second child👶 is taken away by the Empress's eunuch, to supposedly be put to death.
Twenty-six Years later it's the Dowager Empress👵 and her son Hongdi👑 that control the empire.
He marries👰 and is quite infatuated with his new wife👸, but she never gets pregnant. He takes on some concubines👰 and stays busy, but still, no pregnancies. Is it possible he is sterile?
The Dowager👵, his mother, convinces him to take on even more concubines👰, a total of about 60 now.
In the meantime Hongdi👑 has decided he must move his empire North to Peking, and sets about building and vastly enlarging the Forbidden City. The local people riot against the Emperor👑 and the high taxes. The construction is endless and costly💰.
Hongdi👑 is tone deaf through it all. He also has no inkling of the machinations of both his mother and his wife, the Empress👸 because of his lack of a child.. ..
The treachery and the backstabbing throughout the book are heartbreaking💔to everyone involved in Hongdi's👑 life.
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱
This ebook was $5.99 on Amazon at the time of this review.
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
The book is quite long, but mesmerizing all the way through!
August 20, 2020
Review más tarde
June 8, 2020
Setting in the dawn of the Ming Dynasty, in the early 1400s, the plot resembles Dumas’s worldwide novel, and intentionally so as the title reflects, it is however much more than a mere retelling. It spins fiction and facts into a fairly accurate historical tale with added intrigue, deception and romance for the pleasure of the reader.
Hongdi access the Dragon Throne after the death of the first Ming Emperor (and founder of the dynasty), fully intending to acknowledge the vision of his predecessor for the future, by in the first place, building the Forbidden City as the seat of the Empire after having established Yan as secondary capital and renamed it Beijing. Unfortunately for Hongdi, the majority of the court do not share his vision as they didn’t share his father’s. Hongdi will go to any extreme to assure his father’s wishes become reality, but unbeknownst to him, the fight for the Dragon Throne has only begun.
As Hongdi’s behaviour becomes even more erratic, his enemies begin to plan his dismissal. The pivotal piece of knowledge being that his believed long dead twin, who should have been put to death upon birth, it is indeed very much alive and in hiding. And as his own consort betrays him with devastating consequences that shake the imperial court, a truly universal story.
Amanda Roberts' depictions of Ming China are accurate and well researched, his description of the historical places, such as the Forbidden City and Nanking, come alive before our very eyes, and make the reader a witness to the action. The fictional part of the plot, while being born of the author’s fruitful imagination, are anchored perfectly into the historical facts, making the story a credible tale, with relatable characters, acting in an both legendary and real scenery.
An enjoyable reading until the very last page.
Hongdi access the Dragon Throne after the death of the first Ming Emperor (and founder of the dynasty), fully intending to acknowledge the vision of his predecessor for the future, by in the first place, building the Forbidden City as the seat of the Empire after having established Yan as secondary capital and renamed it Beijing. Unfortunately for Hongdi, the majority of the court do not share his vision as they didn’t share his father’s. Hongdi will go to any extreme to assure his father’s wishes become reality, but unbeknownst to him, the fight for the Dragon Throne has only begun.
As Hongdi’s behaviour becomes even more erratic, his enemies begin to plan his dismissal. The pivotal piece of knowledge being that his believed long dead twin, who should have been put to death upon birth, it is indeed very much alive and in hiding. And as his own consort betrays him with devastating consequences that shake the imperial court, a truly universal story.
Amanda Roberts' depictions of Ming China are accurate and well researched, his description of the historical places, such as the Forbidden City and Nanking, come alive before our very eyes, and make the reader a witness to the action. The fictional part of the plot, while being born of the author’s fruitful imagination, are anchored perfectly into the historical facts, making the story a credible tale, with relatable characters, acting in an both legendary and real scenery.
An enjoyable reading until the very last page.
August 7, 2020
What a great story about ancient China this was! A story that starts with betrayal which becomes a curse for the imperial family.
Hongdi is the Emperor's first-born son. When the Emperor proudly shows his son to his ministers, he is unaware that his wife is giving birth to another son. Twins, a curse, a sign that the gods don't honor him. The Empress Eunich takes the 2nd child and the Empress knows her baby is dead.
Hongdi grows up to be an emperor, marries Wen at a young age and is happy with her. As an emperor he does have concubines, but he does not share much bed with them. In a marriage of 10 years, no child was born and he is convinced that they should move, start over. He continues to build the palace that his father is starting to build and on the advice of his ministers he takes on more concubines. That's how Fei arrives in the red city.
She met a boy as a child, but after his parent's house burned down, she never saw him again. Until she looks in the face of the emperor. It could be Shihong.
The emperor changes after they live in the red city. Full of distrust of everyone around him, he deals punishments based on his thoughts. Even the first concubine to be pregnant with him is not safe. Even his empress cannot escape his anger.
To save the Ming dynasty, drastic steps must be taken.Then there is the man with the dragon mask
Exciting story, many detailed descriptions of ancient China. The life of an imperial concubine is beautifully emphasized. Love, betrayal, fears, mistrust, you feel it coming through the words.
Recommended
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Hongdi is the Emperor's first-born son. When the Emperor proudly shows his son to his ministers, he is unaware that his wife is giving birth to another son. Twins, a curse, a sign that the gods don't honor him. The Empress Eunich takes the 2nd child and the Empress knows her baby is dead.
Hongdi grows up to be an emperor, marries Wen at a young age and is happy with her. As an emperor he does have concubines, but he does not share much bed with them. In a marriage of 10 years, no child was born and he is convinced that they should move, start over. He continues to build the palace that his father is starting to build and on the advice of his ministers he takes on more concubines. That's how Fei arrives in the red city.
She met a boy as a child, but after his parent's house burned down, she never saw him again. Until she looks in the face of the emperor. It could be Shihong.
The emperor changes after they live in the red city. Full of distrust of everyone around him, he deals punishments based on his thoughts. Even the first concubine to be pregnant with him is not safe. Even his empress cannot escape his anger.
To save the Ming dynasty, drastic steps must be taken.Then there is the man with the dragon mask
Exciting story, many detailed descriptions of ancient China. The life of an imperial concubine is beautifully emphasized. Love, betrayal, fears, mistrust, you feel it coming through the words.
Recommended
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 8, 2020
I love books about ancient civilizations and China is on that list. As the title suggests, the book resembles the Dumas book "Man in the Iron Mask." It's about the second Ming emperor feeling the need to outdo his father, the founder of the Ming Dynasty. It proves to be very difficult but, as he has absolute power, he forces the country to do his will.
This emperor is the builder of the Forbidden Palace and he drained his nation's purse and people to build it. The axiom "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is aptly demonstrated in the telling of this story. He decsends into almost madness and it becomes the task of his empress and her allies to restore the country.
As in Dumas' story, there is a secret being held in the dungeons.
This emperor is the builder of the Forbidden Palace and he drained his nation's purse and people to build it. The axiom "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is aptly demonstrated in the telling of this story. He decsends into almost madness and it becomes the task of his empress and her allies to restore the country.
As in Dumas' story, there is a secret being held in the dungeons.
August 1, 2020
This book captured by attention from the start. I enjoyed the historical setting and the court intrigue. The love and betrayal and plots for power kept me reading until the end. I look forward to reading more of this author’s stories. I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 4, 2020
The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexander Dumas. More than a wee bit of plagiarism here?
This novel while enjoyable is simply far too similar to the Dumas novel and the DiCaprio movie of the same title. One setting in China with the empress bearing twins, the other during the reign of Louis the XIV
This novel while enjoyable is simply far too similar to the Dumas novel and the DiCaprio movie of the same title. One setting in China with the empress bearing twins, the other during the reign of Louis the XIV
July 25, 2025
Re-imagining of Dumas tale of The Man in the Iron Mask in Imperial China setting. The original idea of a hidden twin translated surprisingly well to historical China. A very recommended novel, especially if you like Chinese historical dramas like Story of Yanxi Palace, except I was a bit surprised by the change of a main character to another by its end.
June 23, 2020
This book reads like a historical fiction with lots of plots and intrigues.and a touch of romance. I did enjoy reading the story from different POVs and really liked the different Chinese details in the book. You just get sucked into the Ming dynasty. I would definitely read more from Roberts.
July 28, 2020
Reading this story reminds of a martial arts novel (wuxia xiaoshao) that I read a long time ago "The Book and The Sword" except that it was set in the Munchu period instead of the Ming era.
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.
August 13, 2020
This was an awesome read that the premise had me hooked from the beginning, the characters were great and I loved the author's writing style. Overall I really enjoyed reading this.
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.
July 2, 2020
I enjoyed the ride reading this adventure set in ancient China. It's not overly descriptive, so it doesn't "drag". I read everything in one weekend - what a pleasure! I recommend this book!
July 20, 2020
What a story. The Emperor is interested in helping his empire. Not as easy as he thinks. Loved the intensity of the story.
Read
July 24, 2026I liked all the intrigue and the fast paced reading. I wish the ending was different.
December 4, 2019
Set in ancient China, at the start of the Ming dynasty, The Man in the Dragon Mask by Amanda Roberts is a re-imagining of Dumas' Man in the Iron Mask. It was neat to see a new take on this old story, especially set in China. I love historical fiction, and the cultures of Asia are always fascinating to me. It's a glimpse into cultures that are quite different from the past of my own. I loved the description in this book. It was easy to conjure the illusion of the Forbidden Palace or ancient Nanking.
Like it's predecessor, this is a story of intrigue, and deception. When rulership falls upon Hongdi after his father's death, he spirals into disaster. He makes the choice to move the capital from Nanking to Peking, a phenomenal and expensive undertaking. From there, his behaviour becomes more erratic. But unknown to Hongdi, and his mother Chun, his twin lives, smuggled to safety long ago. Far from being unlucky, he becomes a hidden blessing. Perfect for those who enjoy historical fiction!
***Many thanks to the author & publisher for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for Silver Dagger tours.
Like it's predecessor, this is a story of intrigue, and deception. When rulership falls upon Hongdi after his father's death, he spirals into disaster. He makes the choice to move the capital from Nanking to Peking, a phenomenal and expensive undertaking. From there, his behaviour becomes more erratic. But unknown to Hongdi, and his mother Chun, his twin lives, smuggled to safety long ago. Far from being unlucky, he becomes a hidden blessing. Perfect for those who enjoy historical fiction!
***Many thanks to the author & publisher for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for Silver Dagger tours.
November 14, 2019
This book is impressive and gives a feeling of having watched a big-budget period movie. It brings out the impression of a majestic palace, the sounds, the prisons, culture so well. As a reader and author of self-help books, fiction books have not been my interest. The detailing, narration, and articulation made me feel as if I was living in China during the period. The psyche and character sketch of different characters like Fei, Ruolan, Hongdi, the dowager empress is so well-defined. There are so many twists and the racy narration makes you read the book in one go.
November 24, 2019
This a very good read ,especially if you like Far East history and tales. The magic, the tragedy.
The Ming Royal Family, the characters, the culture and the time of ancient Dynasty is really fascinating.
It’s very interesting and engaging read.
The prologue begins with grief of having twin daughters. It’s misfortune and only one should survive.
The Emperor follows the wisdom of predecessor. Or one could say it’s a curse...and sickness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Ming Royal Family, the characters, the culture and the time of ancient Dynasty is really fascinating.
It’s very interesting and engaging read.
The prologue begins with grief of having twin daughters. It’s misfortune and only one should survive.
The Emperor follows the wisdom of predecessor. Or one could say it’s a curse...and sickness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 15, 2019
From the opening scene where the Empress delivers not one but two royal Princes to the beginning of the Ming Dynasty only to have the second one taken to be put to death because it was a bad omen, we are given glimpses of a different culture through the eyes of this talented author. She has a knack for providing details and vivid descriptions of days long past. She brings history to life like no one else
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.
January 4, 2024
A old story re-worked. I have always enjoyed Amanda Roberts' books. She manages to bring an authenticity to the plot and paints a vivid picture with her writing. Familiar yet different, the story of pain, anger, greed and jealousy told in a different time, in a different place and yet resounds with the same intensity that is suffered in this day and age.
A great read, totally enjoyed.
A great read, totally enjoyed.
November 20, 2019
I loved this novel which reflected Dumas' idea of a man in an iron mask! It is a compelling story with many surprises, made more intriguing by being set in China at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. Would it be possible for a twin separated from his family at birth to replace his brother as the emperor?
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.
November 19, 2019
A riveting story, full of palace intrigue, love and betrayal. Also a sort of homage to Alexandre Dumas, this tale is bittersweet from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.
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.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews