Into the Jade Empire: Book 1
TWO CONTINENTS. ONE FATE.
Jade is still a child when she first hears news of her betrothal to someone across the seas, far from everything she knows. Destined to leave France against her will, she must sail to the Ming Empire, a place she had never imagined she would see with her own eyes. But as years pass and the threat of her departure looms closer, her outrage starts to waver in the face of a growing passion for an extraordinary culture. As she embarks on a journey that will change her life forever, Jade must come to understand that her new home is a land governed by different rules, a place where hatred and jealousy can hide behind the most beautiful smile. Petrified at the thought of her mysterious fianc? and unable to tell ally from foe, Jade will need to learn the game in order to survive. Unless, of course, the answer is not to conform but to break the mold altogether.ELLIE ARINY is a French author who left home at 19 to study Mandarin in Northern China and has since spent most of her adult life in Asia. After calling Hong Kong home for more than nine years, she now lives in Singapore with her husband and her ever-increasing book collection. INTO THE JADE EMPIRE is Ariny's first novel. TAKE A LOOK INSIDE
Silverware and dried tea leaves.
This letter is all I have left of my father. The ink has faded and the paper is torn from being handled again and again. It doesn't matter. I remember every word. For years I've hoped time would heal my wounds. But the truth is, time is not that forgiving. Even now, despite the trials and the wonderful moments of bliss, I only need to hold this letter in my hands to return to the day my life changed without warning. To become the little girl I was then, self centered, naive, and above all terrified.
Silverware and dried tea leaves.
The price they had set for my hand.
Where should I begin my story? Should I tell you about my father, the genius shipowner who was able to extend his business empire from our native France to the coast of Asia? His is another tale entirely. Should I tell you about the emperors who placed their trust in me, the expedition I led across the borders of the empire or the imperial pavilion that now bears my name? Certainly, yes, but the time has not yet come. I would like to paint without delay what turned out to be my glory days, but since I have decided to put my life down on paper, I must be honest and start from the beginning. No matter how grim.
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