To Embers We Return

When Shen Ni, the empire’s foremost machinist, returns home victorious from battle against their long-standing foe, the emperor showers her with rewards, including the hand in marriage of the woman she had loved in her youth — Bian Jin. Bian Jin had once been the empire’s sharpest blade: a weapon in human form whose very name made their enemies cower. After a string of near-fatal battlefield injuries, however, she’s battered, broken, and stands accused of high treason. Bian Jin claims she has no memory of what transpired, but can Shen Ni trust her? And can they trust the empire? Ning Yuan’s most ambitious work yet, this historical cyberpunk novel tells the story of a group of determined women whose lives become ever more intertwined as they seek to uncover secrets both past and future, and make a place for themselves in a turbulent world.