From New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He, comes Sound the Gong , the dazzling, sweeping conclusion to the critically-acclaimed Kingdom of Three duology.
Joan He Book order
Having discovered that stories are her favorite kind of art after receiving classical instruction in oil painting, this author explores themes emerging from her studies in psychology and Chinese history. Her writing possesses a unique voice that draws readers into the depths of human experience. She examines the complexities of the world and human nature with precision and empathy. Her debut young adult novel marks a significant contribution to contemporary literature.
- 2024
- 2022
Strike The Zither
- 368 pages
- 13 hours of reading
Set in the chaotic era of the Xin Dynasty, the story follows Zephyr, a skilled strategist and orphan, as she navigates a fractured realm ruled by a puppet empress and ambitious warlordesses. Serving the last loyal lordess, Zephyr faces moral dilemmas in a treacherous landscape where betrayal is inevitable. Tasked with infiltrating a rival camp, she confronts not only human foes but also divine challenges. This action-packed YA fantasy reimagines the classic Three Kingdoms, emphasizing themes of found family, rivalry, and identity through a fresh female perspective.
- 2021
The Ones We're Meant to Find
- 375 pages
- 14 hours of reading
Jennifer Besser at Roaring Brook, Macmillan has won at auction North American rights to Joan He's YA novel, The Ones We're Meant to Find. Pitched as We Were Liars meets Black Mirror, the story follows two sisters, one living on a deserted island with little memory of who she was, the other fighting to save an Earth decimated by natural disasters, while believing her sister to be dead. Publication is set for fall 2020; John Cusick at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management did the two book deal.
- 2019
In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception. Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she's thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father's killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer-a treasonous act, punishable by death ... because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago. Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira-a brilliant investigator who's also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?
