Book cover of The Court of the Lion

Book description

Set in eighth-century China amidst the splendour and decadence of the court of the T'ang emperor, this tale aims to transport the reader to a mysterious and fascinating era. Cooney is a writer and painter and Altieri is a scholar of Chinese history.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked The Court of the Lion as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I have loved historical fiction set in an Asian Atmosphere ever since I fell head over heels into the writing of James Clavell with books like Shogun and Tai-Pan. So I picked up Court of the Lion and fell in love again. The book recounts the fateful collapse of the Chinese Tang Dynasty during the An-Lushan rebellion, and shows how this general came in from the fringes of the empire and worked his way right into the heart of the Imperial family. With exquisitely drawn characters and prose that can be lyrical at times, the authors present the story of…

Based on a true story from the eighth century, it is a fictionalized telling of one of the most powerful, tragic chronicles in Chinese history: the events leading up to the Rebellion of An Lushan and the fall of the Emperor Minghuang (Xuanzong) and his Precious Consort Yang Guifei and the dazzling Yang family. All of the major characters are real people, immortalized in the works of renowned Tang poets Li Po (Li Bai) and Du Fu.

This novel deals with the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, grandson of the Empress Wu and Tang Gaozong, and great-grandson of Tang Taizong (Li…

From Victor's list on China in the Tang period.

If you love The Court of the Lion...

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Want books like The Court of the Lion?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Court of the Lion.

Browse books like The Court of the Lion

Book cover of The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of t'Ang Exotics
Book cover of China's Cosmopolitan Empire
Book cover of The Sui Dynasty

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,343

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Court of the Lion, you might also like...

Book cover of Let Evening Come

Let Evening Come by Yvonne Osborne,

After her mother is killed in a rare Northern Michigan tornado, Sadie Wixom is left with only her father and grandfather to guide her through young adulthood. Miles away in western Saskatchewan, Stefan Montegrand and his Indigenous family are displaced from their land by multinational energy companies. They are taken…

Book cover of The Sarcophagus Scroll

The Sarcophagus Scroll by Kat Miller,

A dark academia mystery thriller set in contemporary St Andrews, with snappy dialogue and a strong sense of place.

When Ellie Meikle moves to the picturesque seaside town of St Andrews to study for her PhD in Ancient History, she soon feels as if she has made a mistake. She…

5 book lists we think you will like!