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Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea Hardcover – May 30, 2023
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A Good Morning America Buzz Pick
For readers of Outlawed, Piranesi, and The Night Tiger, a dazzling historical novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of power.
As Recommended By
The TODAY Show * Washington Post * Goodreads * LitHub * Real Simple * Time * Popsugar * HuffPost * Los Angeles Times * Ms. Magazine * Book Riot * Elle.com * The Rumpus * Tor.com * Polygon * Debutiful * Electric Lit * Shondaland *
When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: immediately marrying her husband’s second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet.
But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans―tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung’s alliance―have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung’s cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life.
A book of salt and grit, blood and sweat, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an unmissable portrait of a woman who leads with the courage and ruthlessness of our darkest and most beloved heroes.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
- Publication dateMay 30, 2023
- Dimensions6.45 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-101639730370
- ISBN-13978-1639730377
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“In this swashbuckling saga, the Chinese Emperor, colonial European forces and even the mythological sea goddess Ma-Zou attempt to thwart Shek Yeung's plans at every turn, and she must battle fiercely for the world she believes in.” ―The Washington Post
"For anyone who loves pirates, historical fiction, and a strong heroine force . . . Turn to this book for swashbuckling adventures written with immersive, lyrical prose." - Qian Julie Wang, the TODAY Show
“A captivating portrait of legendary 19th-century pirate queen Shek Yeung . . . [A] lyrically written high-seas adventure." - Time
"The strength of Chang-Eppig’s book is the extensive research that colors it. Disparate historical events and details are woven into a continuous backdrop. The novel offers the pleasures of learning about the siege of Fort Zeelandia, coral houses in Taiwan and stilt houses in the Philippines, differences in junk construction, early grenades and smoke bombs, and the sea goddess Matsu." - New York Times Book Review
“A rollicking 19th-century adventure on the South China Sea . . . The prose is lyrical and the plot is clever and serpentine, exploring questions of power, violence, gender, and fate. This is not to be missed.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Rita Chang-Eppig's sharp, gritty first novel, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, takes readers on a high-seas adventure…This fascinating portrait of a woman determined to survive no matter the challenge will captivate readers' imaginations…Book clubs and solo readers alike should find much food for thought in this blend of high-stakes action and a complex character sketch of a fierce and wily leader.” ―Shelf Awareness
"A lyrical tale of a legendary pirate queen and her struggle to maintain power in the South China Seas. Brimming with poetic language and vivid depictions of life in all its facets, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a full-blooded, moving account of a woman’s conflict with her past, present and future as she fights to keep one of the only things that she has left―her fleet." - Booktrib
"The fascinating heroine of Chang-Eppig’s dazzling debut is inspired by the real-life adventures of Shek Yeung, a badass Chinese pirate who commanded a powerful fleet on the South China Sea in the 19th century . . . Chang-Eppig’s elegant prose flows nicely throughout this carefully plotted saga, which expertly weaves pointed commentary about gender roles, poverty, and colonization into swashbuckling adventure." ―Library Journal
“This heart-pounding high-seas adventure is also the moving story of a girl with no options who finds a way to survive, and the costs and consequences of that survival. Shek Yeung - a pirate queen, a mother, a ruthless killer and a loyal friend - is an unforgettable heroine whose journey will keep readers hooked from beginning to end.” ―Anna North, New York Times bestselling author of OUTLAWED
“A powerful, gripping and vivid portrayal of one of history's most fascinating women, and the knife edge she had to walk to survive.” ―Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE and A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT
“With prose as rich and elegant as it is fierce, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, paints a complex portrait of one of history's most powerful women... A gorgeous vivid adventure.” ―Erika Swyler, bestselling author of THE BOOK OF SPECULATION and LIGHT FROM OTHER STARS
“A riveting, heart-pounding exploration of ambition, grit, and ... the fiery, magnetic Shek Yeung.” ―Kirstin Chen, New York Times bestselling author of COUNTERFEIT
“Suspenseful... Y'all had me at the words 'pirate queen.'” ―R.O. Kwon, Electric Literature's 62 Books By Women of Color to Read in 2023
“Rita Chang Eppig is such a daring, thrilling writer. DEEP AS THE SKY, RED AS THE SEA sets a whole new bar for words like swashbuckling and adventure, recasting their assumptions while giving us all the big moments: Seafaring battles, swords and family intrigue, tales of love and revenge. It's all here. And in Shek Yeung, Chang-Eppig has given us a heroine for the ages. This is the start of a big career.” ―John Freeman, author of How to Read a Novelist
“It is the year of lady pirates and outlaws, friends! You'll get no complaints from me, and with Rita Chang-Eppig's debut, it's definitely *Lizzo Voice* Bad Bitch O'Clock… It's refreshing to see not only a mixed-gender crew but also a woman with a complicated relationship to motherhood, her intended place in the world, and her ambitions. Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a non-stop adventure with danger at every turn, and Shek Yeung is forced to make decisions to ensure her survival. But she remains ruthless throughout, and her adventures will make you want to take up the sword and learn to sail.” ―Tor.com
“A pirate queen's adventures in the South China Seas, based on the life of an actual early 19th-century icon--I'm sold a hundred times over on this debut.” ―Julia Fine, author of THE UPSTAIRS HOUSE in Chicago Review of Books' 17 Most Anticipated Books of 2023
“A refreshingly vivid adventure tale, perfect for long days by the ocean's edge.” ―Elle.com, The 39 Best New Books to Read in Summer 2023
“A pirate queen whose husband is murdered? An entire empire at stake? This is the ambitious, suspenseful and kaleidoscopic adventure we all need this summer! In Chang-Eppig's capable hands, this is epic storytelling.” ―Ms. Magazine, May 2023 Reads for the Rest of Us
“A brutal and joyful celebration of an often-overlooked historical figure.” ―Shondaland, Best Books of Summer 2023
“Epic yet intimate, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea brings to life the pirate queen Shek Yeung. Rita Chang-Eppig charts the journey of a brilliant and brave heroine who fights for the survival of her fleet-and her family's-against a fascinating historical backdrop. A stunning debut.” ―Vanessa Hua, bestselling author of FORBIDDEN CITY
“A dazzling feat of storytelling.” ―Clare Beams, author of THE ILLNESS LESSON
“Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a riveting and moving story of a real woman and legend. The woman at the center of this struggles with what sensitive and adventurous women have struggled with always: the choice between love and leadership; a life focused on family and friends or a life that looks outward to politics and society. This is richly researched historical fiction with lush mythology and all the excitement and intrigue of action and suspense.” ―Tiphanie Yanique, award-winning author of LAND OF LOVE AND DROWNING and MONSTER IN THE MIDDLE
“Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a stunning novel filled with adventure, intrigue, and stirring contemplations of what it means to endure in a world of scarcity and violence. Chang-Eppig combines the scope and lyricism of Gabriel García Márquez with the propulsive storytelling of Susanna Clarke. This is an epic novel with the intimacy of a portrait, a literary adventure not to be missed.” ―Seth Fried, author of THE MUNICIPALISTS
“Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a gripping, powerful portrait of a woman on the high seas who is as ferocious as she is human, determined to survive. Brimming with adventure and intrigue, passion and prophecy, fierce battles and moving moments of grace, this novel captures us on a pirate ship and does not let go until long after we've turned the radiant final page.” ―Carolina De Robertis, award-winning author of CANTORAS
“A hold-onto-your-seat ode to an unforgettable woman.” ―Real Simple, Best Books of 2023
“A clever story that explores gender roles, power and even love.” ―Huffington Post
"Chang-Eppig’s debut novel is a thriller from the first page―reading this book is like watching a pirate battle come to life! The perfect blend of action and historical fiction, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a thriller from the very first page! Rita Chang-Eppig brings Chinese pirate Shek Yeung to life in such vivid detail that you can’t help but feel like you’re fighting alongside this ruthless warrior. The story is so gripping you won’t want it to stop, but you’ll be dying to know how it ends. A must-read for anyone who loves a historical thriller!" - Southern Bookseller Review
"This fascinating portrait of a woman determined to survive no matter the challenge will captivate readers' imaginations. Book clubs and solo readers alike should find much food for thought in this blend of high-stakes action and a complex character sketch of a fierce and wily leader." - Shelf Awareness for Readers
"Densely rich and rewarding . . . Shek Yeung’s story also holds terrific heft and relevance for contemporary women, as the pirate queen must figure out how best to balance her various roles and responsibilities . . . [A] remarkable debut." - Bookreporter
"I love a good high-seas adventure, but what sets this one apart is the legendary Chinese pirate at the helm: Shek-Yeung, a woman who goes from being a fisherwoman, to a sex slave, to the Scourge of the South China Sea. Drawing upon the real-life nineteenth-century ‘Pirate Queen,’ Chang-Eppig’s endows her Shek-Yeung with ambition and complexity, to show us a woman who comes into her own power, but not without cost." - Tania James, Lit Hub
"Chang-Eppig’s writing is exciting but acute, taking the grandiose spirit of a pirate story and dissecting it in a close examination of gender and power―and how the socialization of both blur and rewrite reality into what we are taught is history. With storytelling and commentary as sharp as a cutlass, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a riveting, unputdownable novel that slashes through the facade of oppressor narratives and whisks the reader away on a new journey for deeper, courageous understanding." - Manhattan Book Review
"Chang-Eppig offers a page-turning adventure about a Chinese pirate queen who is one of the best characters of the year. Deep as the Sky will captivate readers regardless of what genre or style they like. This is beautifully written with a sharp eye for pace. It feels cinematic in every sense of the word." - Debutiful, Best Debut Books of 2023 (So Far)
"A bold and brutal character study of a real-life Chinese pirate queen, Shek Yeung. Don’t go into this book expecting fast-paced swashbuckling adventures, but do go in looking for some fan-freaking-tastic historical fiction that paints the portrait of a complex woman and the price of holding power. None of us could believe this book was a debut." - USA Today
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing (May 30, 2023)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1639730370
- ISBN-13 : 978-1639730377
- Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.45 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #594,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #759 in Sea Adventures Fiction (Books)
- #941 in Asian American Literature & Fiction
- #29,611 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Rita Chang-Eppig received her MFA from NYU. Her stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2021, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Conjunctions, Clarkesworld, The Rumpus, Virginia Quarterly Review, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from the Rona Jaffe Foundation/Vermont Studio Center, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Writers Grotto, and the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University.
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I was really invested in Shek Yeung's life and admired her life choices to overcome societal gender roles during the time period. The plot faltered when it started off strong as an excellent historical fiction about pirates, solid commentary on the society in China, and what drives people to turn to piracy or how they survive it when thrust into it unwillingly.
Shek Yeung in particular had me eager to learn more, especially knowing some of her history but the book didn't accurately describe the massive size of the fleet she led. It would have been a better read if the reader knew it was the East India Company that she actually went up against instead of the wide brush strokes of the English and Portuguese with no real scope of the massive undertaking that was.
Her story was so captivating until the last third; I really wanted to know what happened to her after the truce between her and the Qing Empire. I mean she brought an empire to the brink where they had to get "foreign barbarians" to stop Shek Yeung and her alliance. And all through this she was fighting for her very survival be it at sea or in childbirth and she inevitably won by outliving her husbands and adversaries.
The book was good if you look at it as a historical commentary on gender roles with a philosophical portrait of Shek Yeung versus the cutthroat pirate adventure it was billed as. I can appreciate Rita Chang-Eppig's portrait of one of the most successful pirates in history and her thoughtful prose but it landed more in the textbook/fictional biography realms rather than an adventure novel.
Unfortunately, the execution to depict the main character’s realistic feat failed for me. I couldn’t properly visualize the scale of the company she commanded, or the forces she was up against. The adventure portion admittedly was enjoyable, but the story didn’t feel fully realized. Possibly it would have benefited from expansion, which might have required several books to do so. The compression forced the story into summary mode when I would have preferred to experience the story with the character.
A Chinese pirate queen. A Chinese pirate queen! I mean, do I really need to say more? Shek Yeung is a fierce leader that does what needs to be done in order to ensure the survival of her fleet. She is the embodiment of starting from the bottom and learns and grows from the hardships she faces throughout her life, rarely letting the atrocities that befell her to deter her from being just as ruthless and cunning. But don't let that fool you, she still struggles internally with finding her place in the world and what she wants out of life. She's not perfect, but she is real and relatable.
We are thrown into action from the opening line of the book which sets the entire mood. Even though the story is not quite as fast-paced as a regular swashbuckling pirate tale, it still felt fairly action-packed to me as we follow Shek Yeung’s journey to command her fleet and evade the Chinese Emperor’s attempts to end piracy. Throw in some underhanded actions by European powers and you've got yourself a story that you just can't put down. Though it presents as a pirate story on the surface, its grandeur lies in the commentary on powerful women in a male-dominated arena and how they manage that balance between hard and soft.
Even though some of Shek Yeung’s actions are morally questionable, her choices and reasons behind those choices are understandable given the world in which she finds herself living. A pirate’s gotta do what a pirate’s gotta do and that is doubly truly for a female pirate who was thrust into piracy through no fault of her own. She'll never be the hero of anyone's story, but she's definitely not the villain that the Emperor and his followers paint her to be.
As a piece of historical fiction (with some bits of fantasy weaved in), this story does what I expect good historical fiction to do - it made me want to fall down a deep research rabbit hole in regards to piracy in China, the real life inspiration for Shek Yeung, and the mythology behind Ma-Zou. The key factor leading the charge into research is the way that Rita is able to effortlessly weave in stories of the sea goddess that perfectly relate to the main storyline. Balancing past, present, and myth feels like a hefty task and Rita expertly navigates this in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat and turning page after page to find what happens next.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book for free and have voluntarily written this review.