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A Qing Court Novel #1
The Other Empress
In this exciting novel from USA Today best-selling author Amanda Roberts, the story of the slow march toward the fall of the Qing Dynasty comes to life in vivid detail, revealing a world of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue surrounding the world of empresses, princesses, consorts, and concubines, and the emperors they served.
History books may tell about the fall of the Qing Dynasty. But they haven't told my story...
Born to a family of wealth and privilege, Zhenxiu was trained from a young age to become the wife of a very powerful man, though she prayed it would not be Prince Yizhu, the future Xianfeng Emperor, a man with cruel and salacious appetites. The sudden death of the prince's consort, however, thrusts fifteen-year-old Zhenxiu into the prince's bed and the center of the Qing Court, a court still reeling from the aftershocks of the Opium War.
Zhenxiu finds solace in the friendship of a girl named Lanhua, and she does her best to help her friend rise in the emperor's estimation. When the emperor dies and leaves only Lanhua's five-year-old son as his heir, Zhenxiu finds herself as the de facto ruler of China, a position she was never trained to occupy. As she leans more and more on Lanhua for help, she slowly comes to realize that Lanhua's ambition has no bounds. An ambition that could get them both killed.
The Other Empress is a riveting historical drama that brings to light the story of an empress who stood at the helm of the Qing Dynasty for more than twenty years. An empress overshadowed by the strong presence of the woman who would prove to be her dearest friend—and her most dangerous rival.
History books may tell about the fall of the Qing Dynasty. But they haven't told my story...
Born to a family of wealth and privilege, Zhenxiu was trained from a young age to become the wife of a very powerful man, though she prayed it would not be Prince Yizhu, the future Xianfeng Emperor, a man with cruel and salacious appetites. The sudden death of the prince's consort, however, thrusts fifteen-year-old Zhenxiu into the prince's bed and the center of the Qing Court, a court still reeling from the aftershocks of the Opium War.
Zhenxiu finds solace in the friendship of a girl named Lanhua, and she does her best to help her friend rise in the emperor's estimation. When the emperor dies and leaves only Lanhua's five-year-old son as his heir, Zhenxiu finds herself as the de facto ruler of China, a position she was never trained to occupy. As she leans more and more on Lanhua for help, she slowly comes to realize that Lanhua's ambition has no bounds. An ambition that could get them both killed.
The Other Empress is a riveting historical drama that brings to light the story of an empress who stood at the helm of the Qing Dynasty for more than twenty years. An empress overshadowed by the strong presence of the woman who would prove to be her dearest friend—and her most dangerous rival.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2023
31 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 2, 2025
2.5 stars.
This was quite an enlightening experience, though I can't definitively say whether I enjoyed it as a whole. There were moments in the book when I was deeply absorbed, captivated by the unfolding narrative and the rich historical context. However, there were equally significant periods when I felt disconnected, struggling to engage with the story meaningfully.
One of the most striking aspects of the book was the author’s portrayal of Empress Ci'an, which, I must admit, left me feeling somewhat frustrated. While it is true that Ci'an is depicted as a stark contrast to the more well-known Empress Cixi, this distinction does not automatically imply that Ci'an was ignorant or lacked depth. The author seems to blur the line between a disinterest in political affairs and outright foolishness, making Empress Ci'an appear less competent than the historical record would suggest.
Throughout the narrative, multiple characters emphasize her shortcomings and naive perspective, which suggests the author was consciously aware of how she was framing Empress Ci'an. Yet, despite this awareness, the portrayal continues, leaving me annoyed and perplexed. Although Empress Ci'an is often characterized as lacking interest in political machinations in real life, this does not equate to a complete unawareness of the pressing issues beyond the walls of the Forbidden Palace. It’s hard to believe, given the historical context, that she was entirely oblivious to the threats posed by foreign powers or the complexities of governance.
In the book, Ci'an is illustrated as naive and foolish to such an extent that, even years into her reign, she seems entirely oblivious to her surroundings and the implications of her position. Additionally, I found her recurring declarations about her identity as a woman and her feelings of uselessness to be particularly bothersome. It is essential to recognize that during her time, many women were indeed expected to be submissive. Yet, it is hard to believe that they genuinely viewed themselves as ineffectual or believed they lacked intelligence compared to men.
History is replete with examples of formidable women who recognized their worth and successfully challenged societal norms. While it is true that not every woman held such enlightened views, it stands to reason that those in positions of power, such as Empress Ci'an, likely possessed a degree of confidence in their abilities and authority.
In contrast, I found the author's portrayal of Empress Cixi to be far more nuanced and aligned with historical accounts. Cixi was depicted as intelligent and powerful, embodying a strong sense of self-assurance. She confronted the many challenges facing China with a resolute belief in her capacity to lead, despite the mistakes she made along the way.
In conclusion, while this experience did expand my understanding of this fascinating period in Chinese history, it ultimately felt somewhat disappointing. I entered the book eager to learn more about Empress Ci'an but emerged feeling that the author did not do her justice, relegating her to a role that seemed overly simplistic and unrepresentative of the complex reality she navigated.
This was quite an enlightening experience, though I can't definitively say whether I enjoyed it as a whole. There were moments in the book when I was deeply absorbed, captivated by the unfolding narrative and the rich historical context. However, there were equally significant periods when I felt disconnected, struggling to engage with the story meaningfully.
One of the most striking aspects of the book was the author’s portrayal of Empress Ci'an, which, I must admit, left me feeling somewhat frustrated. While it is true that Ci'an is depicted as a stark contrast to the more well-known Empress Cixi, this distinction does not automatically imply that Ci'an was ignorant or lacked depth. The author seems to blur the line between a disinterest in political affairs and outright foolishness, making Empress Ci'an appear less competent than the historical record would suggest.
Throughout the narrative, multiple characters emphasize her shortcomings and naive perspective, which suggests the author was consciously aware of how she was framing Empress Ci'an. Yet, despite this awareness, the portrayal continues, leaving me annoyed and perplexed. Although Empress Ci'an is often characterized as lacking interest in political machinations in real life, this does not equate to a complete unawareness of the pressing issues beyond the walls of the Forbidden Palace. It’s hard to believe, given the historical context, that she was entirely oblivious to the threats posed by foreign powers or the complexities of governance.
In the book, Ci'an is illustrated as naive and foolish to such an extent that, even years into her reign, she seems entirely oblivious to her surroundings and the implications of her position. Additionally, I found her recurring declarations about her identity as a woman and her feelings of uselessness to be particularly bothersome. It is essential to recognize that during her time, many women were indeed expected to be submissive. Yet, it is hard to believe that they genuinely viewed themselves as ineffectual or believed they lacked intelligence compared to men.
History is replete with examples of formidable women who recognized their worth and successfully challenged societal norms. While it is true that not every woman held such enlightened views, it stands to reason that those in positions of power, such as Empress Ci'an, likely possessed a degree of confidence in their abilities and authority.
In contrast, I found the author's portrayal of Empress Cixi to be far more nuanced and aligned with historical accounts. Cixi was depicted as intelligent and powerful, embodying a strong sense of self-assurance. She confronted the many challenges facing China with a resolute belief in her capacity to lead, despite the mistakes she made along the way.
In conclusion, while this experience did expand my understanding of this fascinating period in Chinese history, it ultimately felt somewhat disappointing. I entered the book eager to learn more about Empress Ci'an but emerged feeling that the author did not do her justice, relegating her to a role that seemed overly simplistic and unrepresentative of the complex reality she navigated.
November 5, 2024
The Other Empress was an interesting novel in that it goes into the perspective of the other empress, Cian, during the reign of empress Cixi. This book focuses on the dysfunctional relationship between Cixi and Cian which makes it unique for a historical fiction as people and events are usually the focus, not relationships.
In this book we see Cian, known before her time as empress as Zhenxiu. Zhenxiu is an amiable, pragmatic, and pleasant girl but there are sparks of jealousy and moments of classism. She's hard to properly describe with so many different and conflicting sides of her showing. One moment she is a wonderful friend and doting mother, the next she is in a fit of jealousy and decrying the servants at the forbidden palace for being of a lesser class. After reading this 451 page book I'm still not sure how much I liked Cian, especially when compared to Cixi, known early on as Lanhua. Lanhua is bold, ambitious, clever, and calculating. I felt a little like maybe I wasn't supposed to like Lanhua but I couldn't help it. She was so cunning and courageous, her love for her eunuch Little An was also quite touching and made her a much more empathetic character than you'd think a ruler would be.
The relationship between the two girls is somewhat dysfunctional with the brazen Lanhua getting help and advice from Zhenxiu whose primary motivation is to keep Lanhua as a friend to quell her own loneliness. I found Zhenxiu to be frustrating at times, unable to speak for herself and standup on her own feet. It isn't until the very last two chapters that Zhenxiu finally comes into her own as confident and capable.
I thought the characters and history were interesting as was the relationship between Cian and Cixi. The biggest complaint I have though is the ending is just so abrupt. I know when and how Cian died can't be altered because it's a historical event, but I felt that the writing could have given the reader more because the abrupt writing makes the ending feel rushed, so rushed it doesn't even feel like it could possibly be the final product.
In this book we see Cian, known before her time as empress as Zhenxiu. Zhenxiu is an amiable, pragmatic, and pleasant girl but there are sparks of jealousy and moments of classism. She's hard to properly describe with so many different and conflicting sides of her showing. One moment she is a wonderful friend and doting mother, the next she is in a fit of jealousy and decrying the servants at the forbidden palace for being of a lesser class. After reading this 451 page book I'm still not sure how much I liked Cian, especially when compared to Cixi, known early on as Lanhua. Lanhua is bold, ambitious, clever, and calculating. I felt a little like maybe I wasn't supposed to like Lanhua but I couldn't help it. She was so cunning and courageous, her love for her eunuch Little An was also quite touching and made her a much more empathetic character than you'd think a ruler would be.
The relationship between the two girls is somewhat dysfunctional with the brazen Lanhua getting help and advice from Zhenxiu whose primary motivation is to keep Lanhua as a friend to quell her own loneliness. I found Zhenxiu to be frustrating at times, unable to speak for herself and standup on her own feet. It isn't until the very last two chapters that Zhenxiu finally comes into her own as confident and capable.
I thought the characters and history were interesting as was the relationship between Cian and Cixi. The biggest complaint I have though is the ending is just so abrupt. I know when and how Cian died can't be altered because it's a historical event, but I felt that the writing could have given the reader more because the abrupt writing makes the ending feel rushed, so rushed it doesn't even feel like it could possibly be the final product.
March 25, 2023
Immersive historical fiction. The characters may be fictional but a vast amount of research ensures that the historically significant details are accurate. You will experience the lives of women within the Forbidden City. Endlessly intriguing.
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 1, 2025
I really liked this novel. It's about real historical figures, but instead being about the best known woman of the time, it's about the one who was sidelined by the history. It's about a woman who was raised to believe in being less worth as a female, who strived for her entire life to be the perfect dutiful wife and woman, which meant submitting to her husband in all matters, not concerning herself with anything that exists outside her home, never raising her voice or disobeying the rules of society.
If you like this novel, you must read Threads of Silk: A Historical Chinese Fiction Novel by the same author which is set at the same time and has many of the same characters but is told from a different perspective. There is also a sequel 'The Pearl Concubine' coming out next year.
If you like this novel, you must read Threads of Silk: A Historical Chinese Fiction Novel by the same author which is set at the same time and has many of the same characters but is told from a different perspective. There is also a sequel 'The Pearl Concubine' coming out next year.
April 23, 2023
A qualified wife is a true gem
It takes more than a pretty face and a high-ranking father for a female to be considered for the role of wife, let alone Empress. This concept not only applies for royal courts, but also in higher-income families of status. This book spells out some of the expectations:
‘She [father’s first wife] had taught me how to keep servants in order and consorts happy when jealousy arose. How to ensure we had enough food in stock and order silks and furs. How to entertain guests and show honor to dignitaries. How to show discipline and love to children in equal measure.’
Unfortunately, many mothers do not educate their daughters on their bodies. Young teens freaking out about the shock of receiving their first menstrual cycle (happened to my best friend in seventh grade), having no idea what to expect on their wedding night, not understanding how pregnancies and/or STD’s occur, etc. We are doing a great disservice to our girls by not providing them this relevant and crucial information.
I really enjoy historical fiction based on actual people. I for sure want to continue with ‘The Pearl Concubine’ and ‘The French Princess’.
It takes more than a pretty face and a high-ranking father for a female to be considered for the role of wife, let alone Empress. This concept not only applies for royal courts, but also in higher-income families of status. This book spells out some of the expectations:
‘She [father’s first wife] had taught me how to keep servants in order and consorts happy when jealousy arose. How to ensure we had enough food in stock and order silks and furs. How to entertain guests and show honor to dignitaries. How to show discipline and love to children in equal measure.’
Unfortunately, many mothers do not educate their daughters on their bodies. Young teens freaking out about the shock of receiving their first menstrual cycle (happened to my best friend in seventh grade), having no idea what to expect on their wedding night, not understanding how pregnancies and/or STD’s occur, etc. We are doing a great disservice to our girls by not providing them this relevant and crucial information.
I really enjoy historical fiction based on actual people. I for sure want to continue with ‘The Pearl Concubine’ and ‘The French Princess’.
March 30, 2023
Book Review for The Other Empress- Amanda Roberts
I enjoyed “The Other Empress” very much. From the first paragraph, I felt like I stepped back into the Qing Dynasty. It was easy to read, the story flowed nicely. It was well written and I can only imagine the number of hours Ms. Roberts spent researching for this novel. I also found her characters well fleshed out; it made them believable and memorable. She is also very talented at giving the reader just enough information and weaving it into the story without straying away from the storyline. I look forward to reading more of this tale she plans to write.
I enjoyed “The Other Empress” very much. From the first paragraph, I felt like I stepped back into the Qing Dynasty. It was easy to read, the story flowed nicely. It was well written and I can only imagine the number of hours Ms. Roberts spent researching for this novel. I also found her characters well fleshed out; it made them believable and memorable. She is also very talented at giving the reader just enough information and weaving it into the story without straying away from the storyline. I look forward to reading more of this tale she plans to write.
April 21, 2023
Dual Empresses Ruling China
This book completely immerses the reader into the inner workings of Chinese royal society during England's Victorian age. Any reader of this author's prior books about historical China will find this book more of the same. This world is a far cry from the European worlds of the same era. As an ancient civilization, their traditions, clothing, and even punishments seem top-heavy. It is very interesting and educational. While it is a fictional account, it is still verified history. I highly recommend this book as I wait for the next in the series.
This book completely immerses the reader into the inner workings of Chinese royal society during England's Victorian age. Any reader of this author's prior books about historical China will find this book more of the same. This world is a far cry from the European worlds of the same era. As an ancient civilization, their traditions, clothing, and even punishments seem top-heavy. It is very interesting and educational. While it is a fictional account, it is still verified history. I highly recommend this book as I wait for the next in the series.
April 26, 2023
Wow! This is not my usual reading, but I am so glad I got to adventure into The Other Empress! The world building, the deep dive into the culture and descriptions of events were mesmerizing and beautiful. I enjoyed the bits of history peppered in throughout that drives this story forward. I loved learning about the characters and I look forward to more in this series as we see them continue to grow and thrive, or survive, in this world.
January 18, 2024
Terrible ending!
The book dragged on. Names of different characters hard to keep straight as many were similar. The ending just stopped, without any warning so you are just left guessing what happens next. Book never explained situations it would start without finishing. Not well written at all. Instead of a plot, it was filled with tiny unimportant details. I won't bother reading book two as book 1 was irritating enough!
The book dragged on. Names of different characters hard to keep straight as many were similar. The ending just stopped, without any warning so you are just left guessing what happens next. Book never explained situations it would start without finishing. Not well written at all. Instead of a plot, it was filled with tiny unimportant details. I won't bother reading book two as book 1 was irritating enough!
March 24, 2024
Long tale of a 19th century empress sharing child rearing and eventually governance duties with a consort she chose for her imperfect husband, the emperor, whose brother would have been her preferred choice. Protagonist is an almost completely static character. She is a good person who always does her duty and trusts others even when warned roundly not to, and that never changes nor needs to. So I liked the book but wouldn't call it literature.
February 19, 2025
I had high expectations for The Other Empress by Amanda Roberts, but it didn't quite live up to them. The main character, Empress Dowager Cian, felt flat and hard to connect with. This made it tough to get fully into the story. On the other hand Empress Dowager Cixi, a more interesting historical figure, wasn't explored much, which made the story feel unbalanced. The setting had potential, but the way it was written didn't quite work for me. Overall, it was a disappointing read.
April 8, 2023
As someone who does not know much about China and the Opium wars, this book held my attention from page one. Every time it seemed like the book was coming to an end it would kick back up again. The heroine is very strong when nothing goes her way. I can’t wait to read more of Amanda Roberts books.
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.
May 5, 2025
Wowza, the perfect blend of history, culture, and politics. Describing the wars and rebellions without being daunting.
Strong characters, friendships, love, denied love, jealousy, heartbreak! All the stuff!
I was fascinated to learn more about the consort and concubine system and how well it worked in this story.
I'm looking forward to reading more books by Amanda Roberts.
Strong characters, friendships, love, denied love, jealousy, heartbreak! All the stuff!
I was fascinated to learn more about the consort and concubine system and how well it worked in this story.
I'm looking forward to reading more books by Amanda Roberts.
May 24, 2023
This book had me riveted throughout. I enjoyed going on this journey and I was blindsided when the book ended. I really hope the next one is available soon!.
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.
June 20, 2024
Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. It feels well researched but the story is quite simplistic in my opinion. Fun, easy read
April 9, 2025
Strong story and strong women.
Fascinating.
Highly recommend.
Fascinating.
Highly recommend.
December 18, 2023
Verdict - Exciting! which is a strange word to use for what is essentially a historical saga, but exciting it is. An intriguing look behind the scenes of power, a chance to view a world where women have no voice, no control over their destinies and are the property of men. Not unusual in may cultures of days gone by but this was China, powerful and troubled, dynastic and traditional.
Written in the first person, Robert's extensive research is obvious. She paints such a descriptive and rich picture, you would think you were in the courts of the Forbidden City. This amazing treat offers such a revelation into a culture so different from the west, views so removed from today's and yet it can be so easily understood and empathized with. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot rate it highly enough. More please!!
Written in the first person, Robert's extensive research is obvious. She paints such a descriptive and rich picture, you would think you were in the courts of the Forbidden City. This amazing treat offers such a revelation into a culture so different from the west, views so removed from today's and yet it can be so easily understood and empathized with. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot rate it highly enough. More please!!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews