Release date: January 6, 2017
Subgenre: Epic fantasy, Asian fantasy
About Songs of Insurrection:
The Empire of Cathay teeters on the brink of rebellion, and only the
lost magic of Dragon Songs can prevent the realm from descending into
chaos.
Blessed with an unrivaled voice, Kaiya dreams of a time when music could summon typhoons and rout armies. Maybe then, the imperial court would see the awkward, gangly princess as more than a singing fool.
When members of the emperor’s elite spy clan uncover a brewing rebellion, the court hopes to appease the ringleader by offering Kaiya as a bride.
Obediently wedding the depraved rebel leader means giving up her music. Confronting him with the growing power of her voice could kill her.
Blessed with an unrivaled voice, Kaiya dreams of a time when music could summon typhoons and rout armies. Maybe then, the imperial court would see the awkward, gangly princess as more than a singing fool.
When members of the emperor’s elite spy clan uncover a brewing rebellion, the court hopes to appease the ringleader by offering Kaiya as a bride.
Obediently wedding the depraved rebel leader means giving up her music. Confronting him with the growing power of her voice could kill her.
Excerpt:
Chapter 1: Not So Chance Meetings
If marriage were a woman’s grave, as the proverb claimed,
sixteen-year-old Princess Kaiya suspected the emperor was arranging
her funeral. Entourage in tow, she shuffled through the castle
halls toward the garden where General Lu waited. Given his
notorious dislike of the arts, the self-proclaimed Guardian Dragon of Hua had undoubtedly envisioned a different kind of audition when he
requested to hear her sing.
After all, she was dressed like a potential bride.
She buried a snort. The Guardian Dragon—such a pretentious
nickname. The only real dragon, Avarax, who lorded over some
faraway land, might make for a more appealing audience. A quick
trip down his gullet would spare her a slow death in a marriage
with neither love nor music. And it wouldn’t matter what she wore.
The gaudy dress compensated for her numerous physical
imperfections, but stifled the only thing that made her special.
How was she supposed to sing with the inner robe and gold sash
squeezing her chest, in a futile attempt to misrepresent her
woefully underdeveloped curves? The tight fold of the skirts
concealed her lanky legs, but forced a deliberate pace. At least
the short stride delayed the inevitable, while preventing her
unsightly feet from tripping on the hanging sleeves of the
vermilion outer gown.
At her side, Crown Princess Xiulan glided across the chirping
floorboards. Kaiya suppressed a sigh. If only she could move with
the nonchalant grace of her sister-in-law, or even the six
handmaidens trailing them. She dug her nails into clammy palms.
Through this choreographed farce, appearances had to be maintained,
lest she embarrass her father, the Tianzi.
Chin up, back straight. A racing heart threatened to ruin her
already meager semblance of imperial grace. Eyes forward. Servants
knelt on either side of the looming double doors, ready to slide
them open. She forced a smile, with her best approximation of
feminine charm. If only she’d lived before Dragon Songs had faded
into legend, she could’ve sent the realm’s victorious hero fleeing
with the song he supposedly wanted to hear.
An aging palace official stepped into her line of sight.
Singular focus on the doors broken, she blinked. Her fluttering
pulse lurched to a stop as she blew out a breath.
His blue robes ruffled as he tottered forward with averted eyes and
a bobbing head. He creaked down into a bow. “Emergency, Dian-xia,” he said, using the formal address for her rank. “The Tianzi commands you to greet a foreign delegation in the Hall of
Bountiful Harvests.”
Her heart remembered to beat again, and she looked first toward the
doors and then down at the man, whose insignias marked him as a
secretary for the Ministry of Appointments. Outlandish excuses had
mercifully cut short each of her previous meetings with eligible
young lords: six times in all.
But a foreign delegation? Before even meeting the suitor? That was a first. Her expression slipped as much as it could beneath
the layers of pearl powder caked to her face.Amazon
About J.C. Kang:
JC Kang's unhealthy obsession with Fantasy and Sci-Fi began at an
early age when his brother introduced him to The Chronicles of Narnia,
The Hobbit, Star Trek and Star Wars. As an adult, he combines his geek
roots with his professional experiences as a Chinese Medicine doctor,
martial arts instructor and technical writer to pen multicultural epic
fantasy stories.
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