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Weina Dai Randel

WEINA DAI RANDEL is the author of The Moon in the Palace and The Empress of Bright Moon, historical novels of Empress Wu of China. She was born and raised in China. Her passion for history compels her to share classical Chinese literature, tales of Chinese dynasties, and stories of Chinese historical figures with American readers.

Weina received an M.A. in English from Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas, where she was inspired to write about Empress Wu of China when she took a class in Asian American literature. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Writer's Garret in Dallas.

The Moon in the Palace is her first novel.

Genres: Historical

Series

Empress of Bright Moon Duology
1. The Moon in the Palace (2016)
2. The Empress of Bright Moon (2016)

Novels

   The Last Rose of Shanghai (2021)
   Night Angels (2023)
   The Master Jeweler (2025)

Weina Dai Randel recommends

The Last Assignment (2025)
Erika Robuck
"In The Last Assignment, Erika Robuck brings to life Georgette 'Dickey' Chapelle, a fiercely daring photographer who dedicated her life to capturing history through her lens. In an era when female photographers were often overlooked, Dickey took extraordinary risks--crossing borders in Hungary, confronting communists in Cuba, parachuting into Laos--all in pursuit of one goal: to tell the truth to the American public. Vivid and compelling, rich with historical significance and sharp-edged like Dickey's own haunting snapshots, The Last Assignment offers not only a gripping account of the tumultuous events of the 1960s, but also serves as an elegiac anthem for a woman who lived boldly on her own terms, and lives on as a legend."

When Sleeping Women Wake (2025)
Emma Pei Yin
"A powerful tribute to the forgotten women and men who fought and resisted the merciless grip of the Japanese forces during a dark period of Hong Kong's history . . . Readers of historical fiction will be swept away by this stunning tale. Emma Pei Yin is a talent to watch!"

The Woman Back from Moscow (2023)
Ha Jin
"The Woman Back from Moscow is a brilliant historical novel of a young woman who dares to pursue her artistic dream amid the political shadow of China from the late 1930s to the 1960s, a poignant revelation of Chinese affinity to Russian culture and politics, and a penetrating study of the powerful Communist Party leaders, whose love and lust spell the rise and fall of those close to them, all told in Ha Jin's signature prose, simple yet hypnotic. The Woman Back from Moscow reminds me of Wolf Hall, in its epic range and intensity and importance. Readers of historical fiction and literary fiction will relish this masterpiece."

The Other Princess (2023)
Denny S Bryce
"In The Other Princess, Denny S. Bryce brings to life the little-known story of Aina, the daughter of a chieftain in West Africa, who later becomes Queen Victoria's goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a real historical figure new to me. Engrossing, unique, The Other Princess vividly depicts Aina's intelligence and love for music and Western literature, as well as her destiny and dilemma as a black princess in a Victorian court. A stunning saga of tragedies, trials, and triumphs, this is a remarkably told story of a remarkable woman!"

All You Have to Do Is Call (2023)
Kerri Maher
"Brings to life these courageous women, their complicated relationships, and their efforts with seamless grace, realism, and humor. A bold celebration of female friendship and resilience, All You Have To Do Is Call is immersive, irresistible, and captivating from page one!"

The Life She Wanted (2023)
Anita Abriel
"The Life She Wanted radiates with realistic, lovable characters; stunning plot twists; and the glorious description of the opulent life of the elite class in New York. Told with care and tenderness, the novel is a mesmerizing and triumphant tale of love, loyalty, and how a talented woman discovers herself, desire, marriage, and success in a world full of prestige and prejudice. Spellbinding, joyful, and timeless, The Life She Wanted is a gemstone of a novel. I couldn't put the book down!"

The Porcelain Moon (2023)
Janie Chang
"The Porcelain Moon is a vivid, riveting story of a Chinese woman bound by tradition, a Frenchwoman trapped in marriage, and a bright young Chinese man emboldened by his dreams of freedom. Set in Paris during WWI, the novel deftly excavates a piece of forgotten history during which thousands of Chinese men left home and toiled as mechanics, trench diggers, and railway repairers to support their European allies, who regarded them as strangers. Chang's masterfully crafted novel challenges our views of the traditional images of the Chinese, our beliefs about identity, and ultimately, the western opinions that have defined the WWI narrative. Profound and precious, The Porcelain Moon is a novel for anyone who believes they know about history."

The Crimson Thread (2022)
Kate Forsyth
"The Crimson Thread is a lyrical, majestic work of fiction. Kate Forsyth writes beautifully about the mythic and the romantic, about the minotaur hidden in a maze, about ruins of the palace of Knossos on Crete and the brutal, heartbreaking moments that entrap all. I didn't want the book to end!"

Our Last Days in Barcelona (2022)
(Cuba Saga, book 5)
Chanel Cleeton
"Superbly paced, suspenseful, and sumptuous!"

You Belong Here Now (2021)
Dianna Rostad
"Rostad has successfully crafted a heartwarming, unflinching story of orphans, family, and horses, wrought in finely chiseled prose. Timeless, irresistible, You Belong Here Now, set in the wild grasslands of Montana, is for fans of Orphan Train and all of us who long for acceptance. A brilliant debut!"

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