Melissa Addey

You can get a free eBook of The Consorts on my website, www.melissaaddey.com/free The Consorts is a novella, written as a prequel to The Fragrant Concubine. Set a few years earlier, it tells the story of Lady Qing, who has spent the past seven years languishing inside the high red walls of the Forbidden City. Classed as an Honoured Lady, a lowly-ranked concubine, Qing is neglected by the Emperor, passed over for more ambitious women. But when a new concubine, Lady Ying, arrives, Qing's world is turned upside down. As the highest position at court becomes available and every woman fights for status, Qing finds love for the first time in her life... if Lady Ula Nara, the most ambitious woman at court, will allow her a taste of happiness. Melissa Addey meticulously evokes a strange, beautiful and harsh society. Emma Darwin, award-winning author of The Mathematics of Love and A Secret Alchemy.

The Consorts

China, 1760. The Emperor conquers Altishahr, a Muslim country to the west of his empire and summons a local woman from his new dominion to come to the Forbidden City as his concubine. Meanwhile in the market of Kashgar a girl named Hidligh is kidnapped by Iparhan, a woman scarred by the Emperor's conquest of her homeland and bent on vengeance. Iparhan offers her a deal: Hidligh will become the Emperor's concubine, living a life of luxury. In return she will act as Iparhan's spy. But when Hidligh arrives in the Forbidden City, she enters a frightening new world. Every word she utters may expose her as an imposter. Iparhan is watching from the shadows, waiting to exact her revenge on the Emperor. The Empress is jealous of her new rival. And when Hidligh finally meets the Emperor, she finds herself falling in love... "A passionate story, richly imagined in the spaces of real history. Melissa Addey meticulously evokes a strange, beautiful and harsh society." - Emma Darwin, award-winning author of The Mathematics of Love and A Secret Alchemy. "Melissa Addey has given us a new take on the cherished but controversial legend of 'the Fragrant Concubine, ' one that weaves together the many conflicting versions of the story and plausibly embraces how romance might have blossomed between the brilliant Manchu monarch and his fragrant Muslim consort." - Professor James Millward, author of A Uyghur Muslim in Qianlong's Court: The Meanings of the Fragrant Concubine If you enjoyed Lisa See's Peony in Love, Anchee Min's The Last Empress and Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha then The Fragrant Concubine will be a new favourite. Set in China's Forbidden City in the 18th century, where the women of the court vie for the Emperor's attention and every concubine must fight for her position.

The Fragrant Concubine

Rome, 80AD. A gigantic new amphitheatre is being built...The Emperor has plans for gladiatorial Games on a scale no-one has ever seen before. But the Games don't just happen. They must be made. And Marcus, the man in charge of creating them, has just lost everything he held dear when Pompeii disappeared under the searing wrath of Vesuvius. Now it will fall to Althea, the slave woman who serves as his scribe, to ensure the Colosseum is inaugurated on time - and that Marcus makes his way out of the darkness that calls to him. First in a new series. If you loved Pompeii by Robert Harris and enjoy books by Kate Quinn, Lindsey Davis and Colleen McCullough, then the Colosseum series is for you. Following the backstage team of the Colosseum through the risks and rewards of fire, water, earth and air, this is historical fiction at its most captivating: both action-packed and tender. Five-star reviews from Amazon readersI was hooked from the start and gripped to the end. I am familiar with several of this author's book series and have found her writing style to be superb!I love the way Ms Addey manages to capture the life of the Romans of that age Want to watch a book trailer for this title?Just scroll down on the US site, visit my author page on the UK site or come to my own website which has all my book trailers. Happy viewing! About author Melissa AddeyYou can read about me and my books (and get a free novella) on my website, MelissaAddey.com. I mainly write historical fiction, focusing on the Forbidden City in China's 18th century, Morocco in the 11th century and now Ancient Rome in the 1st century.I have a PhD in Creative Writing and was the 2016 Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library. In 2019 I won the Novel London award as well as the Page to Podcast competition. I live in London with my husband and two children.

From the Ashes

Rome, 80AD. The Emperor orders the Colosseum to be flooded. There must be vast battles, spectacular props and epic storytelling. Marcus, manager of the amphitheatre, must face the dangers, mistakes and emotions of the watery depths. His scribe Althea is discovering that careless words may be dangerous, but that desires must be spoken out loud. As the backstage team of the amphitheatre takes on new challenges, a change is coming.

Beneath the Waves

18th century China. All girls aged thirteen to sixteen had to attend the Imperial Daughters' Draft, so that the Emperor could have the first choice of every woman in his empire as a possible concubine. This award-winning series follows the interlinked lives of four real women who entered the Forbidden City and whose lives were changed forever. The Consorts: Lady Qing, whose love was forbidden. The Fragrant Concubine: Lady He, a legendary woman with a secret, Editor's Choice at the Historical Novel Society. The Garden of Perfect Brightness: Lady Niuhuru, drawn to the Jesuit painter who created the most beautiful garden in the world, awarded a BRAG Medallion. The Cold Palace: Lady Ula Nara, exiled for a moment of madness, winner of the 2019 Novel London award. (Please note paperback copy comes as 1 single volume). If you loved Memoirs of a Geisha and enjoy books by Anchee Min, Lisa See and Pearl S. Buck, then the Forbidden City series is for you. Based on real women in 18th century China who became concubines to emperors of the Qing dynasty and spent their lives in the Forbidden City, this is historical fiction at its most intriguing, gripping and romantic. Really fascinating and well plotted. BRAG Melissa uses words to paint images and her writing is sublime. Reads Writes Reviews Five star reviews from Amazon readersExcellent series of interlocking stories and fully-fleshed out characters. I enjoyed every one of them.I have read the entire series and it is wonderful food for thought.Cannot wait for the next collection to be written.Melissa Addey not only picks intriguing subjects, she's a superb writer.Such a wonderful series that will make you travel back to the mysterious and magical world of Emperors, Consorts and Concubines.I have read all of Melissa Addey's books and every single one is excellent. Want to watch a book trailer for this title? Just scroll down on the US site, visit my Amazon author page on the UK site or come to my own website which has all my book trailers. Happy viewing! About author Melissa AddeyYou can read about me and my books (and get a free novella) on my website, MelissaAddey.com. I mainly write historical fiction, focusing on the Forbidden City in China's 18th century (now complete) and Morocco in the 11th century (completing soon). Next up, Ancient Rome! I'm in the final year of my Creative Writing PhD and was the 2016 Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library. In 2019 I won the Page to Podcast competition as well as the Novel London award.

The Forbidden City Series

BRAG Medallion Honoree The most beautiful garden in the world. The man who built it. The woman who had to leave it. China, 1720s. Giuseppe Castiglione, a promising and ambitious Italian painter, is recruited by the Jesuits to serve the Emperor of China. But his painting style is rejected as inauspicious. Meanwhile, Niuhuru, a grey-eyed, too-tall girl is chosen as a concubine to a minor prince and sent to live in the Garden of Perfect Brightness, where Giuseppe meets her when he is tasked with turning the Garden into a wonderland for the Qianlong Emperor. But as the Garden changes and Niuhuru is swept upwards to ever-greater importance, is something precious being lost? And will either of them ever be able to admit to their true feelings for one another? If you loved Memoirs of a Geisha and enjoy books by Anchee Min, Lisa See and Pearl S. Buck, then the Forbidden City series is for you. Based on real women in 18th century China who became concubines to emperors of the Qing dynasty and spent their lives in the Forbidden City, this is historical fiction at its most intriguing, gripping and romantic. An irresistible storyline with sumptuous character and setting details. Historical Novel Society Every time I had to leave the book, even for a short while, I was desperate to get back to it. Discovering Diamonds Melissa uses words to paint images and her writing is sublime. Reads Writes Reviews Five star reviews from Amazon readersA truly lovely story to read.Melissa Addey does it again, her writing is truly magical and so poetic.I felt transported to this time and place.Melissa Addey not only picks intriguing subjects, she's a superb writer.A historical novel of great poise, style and elegance.I have read all of Melissa Addey's books and every single one is excellent. Want to watch a book trailer for this title? Just scroll down on the US site, visit my Amazon author page on the UK site or come to my own website which has all my book trailers. Happy viewing! About author Melissa AddeyYou can read about me and my books (and get a free novella) on my website, MelissaAddey.com. I mainly write historical fiction, focusing on the Forbidden City in China's 18th century (now complete) and Morocco in the 11th century (completing soon). Next up, Ancient Rome! I'm in the final year of my Creative Writing PhD and was the 2016 Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library. In 2019 I won the Page to Podcast competition as well as the Novel London award.

The Garden of Perfect Brightness

Rome, 80AD. A gigantic new amphitheatre is being built. The Emperor has plans for gladiatorial Games on a scale no-one has ever seen before. But the Games don't just happen. They must be made. And Marcus, the man in charge of creating them, has just lost everything he held dear when Pompeii disappeared under the searing wrath of Vesuvius. Now it will fall to Althea, the slave woman who serves as his scribe, to ensure the Colosseum is inaugurated on time - and that Marcus makes his way out of the darkness that calls to him. First in the Colosseum series. Praise for Melissa Addey's previous novels: Reading this novel was a moving and wonderful excursion into a different time. Editor's Choice. Historical Novel Society Ms Addey excels at making ancient worlds come alive: her world-building is superb. Discovering Diamonds The Colosseum series They called it the Flavian Amphitheatre. We call it the Colosseum. It opened with one hundred days of Games: brutal gladiatorial combats, exotic wild animal hunts, naval battles and the re-enactment of extraordinary and dangerous mythological adventures. But no history book, anywhere, mentions the people who made it happen: the backstage team. The Colosseum series follows the lives of the backstage team as they serve an unpredictable Emperor, put on shows to please the masses and live out their lives in the shadowy underworld of the greatest amphitheatre ever built.

11th century, Northern Spain. Isabella has been a nun in the Christian kingdom of Galicia since she was a child, a gifted herbalist leading a quiet and spiritual life, devoted to God. But on a rare journey outside of the convent, she is taken by Viking raiders and sold to Morocco as a slave. Cruelly treated by her first owner, salvation comes from an unlikely source: Yusuf bin Tashfin, leader of a vast Muslim army intent on conquering all of North Africa. Isabella must struggle not only to survive her new life but to hold true to her faith, which is tested by great dangers... and by love. If you loved The Physician by Noah Gordon and enjoy books by Jane Johnson, Anita Diamant and Libbie Hawker, then the Moroccan Empire series is for you. Based on the rise of the Almoravid dynasty, which conquered the whole of North Africa and most of Spain (defeating El Cid), the series explores why a Muslim warlord would give his empire to the son of a Christian slave girl. This is historical fiction at its most dramatic, emotional and intriguing. Want to watch a book trailer for this title? Just scroll down on the US site, visit my Amazon author page on the UK site or come to my own website which has all my book trailers. Happy viewing! About author Melissa AddeyYou can read about me and my books (and get a free novella) on my website, MelissaAddey.com. I mainly write historical fiction and have written two complete series set in 18th century China's Forbidden City and 11th century Morocco. Next up, Ancient Rome! I have a Creative Writing PhD and was the 2016 Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library. In 2019 I won the Page to Podcast competition as well as the Novel London award.

Melissa Addey

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