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 These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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.

1,367

readers submitted
so far, will you?

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

Book cover of Pioneer Paddles of the Colonial South

Pioneer Paddles of the Colonial South by William D. Auman,

Award-winning novelist William Auman, author of If Trees Could Testify..., takes the reader on a time-traveling odyssey featuring 345 bodies of water in six states within the historical context through which they unfold.

Journey into remaining Colonial-era wilderness with stories of pirate treasure, epic frontiersmen, Indigenous Peoples, and Revolutionary…

Book cover of A Winter's Disgrace

A Winter's Disgrace by Kathleen Buckley,

Cyprian, a marquess’s heir, will not let his mother choose his next bride. Leaving a house party in a blizzard to avoid her stratagems, he finds a woman trudging half frozen toward the London road. Rosamund fled disgrace, hoping to reach the one person who might shelter her, but even…

5 book lists we think you will like!