Two great writers team up to give us this beautiful, intriguing tale of fantasy. Silver Snow is the intelligent and lovely daughter of a disgraced general of the Han dynasty. Sent to be a concubine of the Emperor, but too poor to bribe the Chief Eunuch, she is banished to the Cold Palace and then sent to become the bride of the leader of the barbarian horde to cement a peace treaty. She is accompanied only by her maid Willow, a shapechanger of the fox people. Silver Snow sees this as an opportunity to bring her father back to favor. Both settings are vividly brought to life. She is a strong heroine fighting to accomplish her goals where women are just property but she seems like a real person not just a set character in a chick novel.

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