Since birth, Xishi’s extraordinary beauty has been seen as a blessing.

When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighbouring kingdom, improve the lives of her people and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy and seduce their immoral king.

What neither Xishi nor Fanli expect is the doomed attraction that ignites between them. Even worse, Xishi soon finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king and his advisors. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down.

But the higher she climbs in the court, the further she and Fanli have to fall. And if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down . .

. 'An elegant historical epic' – Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree‘Stunning and heart-rending’ – Chloe Gong, author of Immortal Longings