A Bright Heart
A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli is a debut young adult fantasy novel published by Union Square & Company in 2023. This 344-page book explores themes of vengeance, court intrigue, and romance, drawing inspiration from classic Chinese tropes. The story follows Mingshin, a brilliant young woman who, after being betrayed and murdered, makes a desperate plea to the gods for a second chance at life. Granted her wish, she awakens two years earlier, determined to change the course of her fate.
Readers will find Mingshin navigating a complex royal court filled with danger and dark magic as she seeks to prevent her past from repeating itself. With the threat of a power-hungry dignitary looming and her former love Ren’s ambitions more dangerous than she anticipated, Mingshin allies with Jieh, another contender for the throne. As she grapples with trust and the possibility of love, this richly woven narrative promises to engage those interested in young adult fiction that combines elements of fantasy and romance with a quest for justice.
Official synopsis Publisher
What if you could avenge your own murder? A brilliant young woman gets a second chance at life in this debut YA tale of vengeance, court intrigue, and romance, inspired by classic Chinese tropes.
“An incredible addition to the classic Chinese court intrigue genre. A Bright Heart is smart, subversive, and certainly swoony.”
–Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
Mingshin outsmarted three princes to help the man she loved become king. But she doesn’t see Ren’s betrayal coming, not until she’s lying in a pool of her own blood on the palace steps.
As she’s dying, Mingshin makes a desperate plea to the gods to turn back time and give her a chance to make things right.
Mingshin wakes up two years earlier, her prayer granted, and swears two things: Ren will never become king, and she will never fall in love again.
But the timeline in this life has changed: a dignitary gifted with dark magic is threatening her kingdom’s peace, and Ren’s thirst for power runs deeper than Mingshin could have imagined.
She finds herself allying with Jieh, another contender for the throne. Mingshin knows better than anyone not to give her heart to a prince. But in the viper’s nest of the royal court, she and Jieh prove a phenomenal team. Can Mingshin avert the catastrophe of her past by once again learning to trust…and maybe even love?
Master storyteller Kate Chenli introduces a singular YA heroine in this vividly rendered and utterly original new young adult fantasy books series.
A spellbinding, tension-filled page-turner with a bold heroine, A Bright Heart will appeal to fans of romance books for teens like The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller, or other YA books that feature rich world-building, captivating romance, and a quest for revenge.
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