Truthfully, the one word that comes to mind when I think about this book is feminism. I absolutely loved Zetian and how she fought fiercely for her rights, her place, and her status. She refused to let the way men viewed her—and women in general—stop her from reaching her highest potential. Zetian didn’t take crap from anyone, and the fact that it was her mind and determination that kept her strong for 300 pages really says something. And holy moly, the dynamic between Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi completely solidified the fact that they were meant to be together!