River of Stars

Ren Daiyan begins as the son of a provincial clerk and becomes an outlaw after killing men who threaten an imperial magistrate. His skill and conviction eventually carry him into military service, where he is determined to recover the northern lands surrendered by Kitai. Lin Shan, educated by her scholarly father in poetry, calligraphy and political thought, occupies an uncertain place between the freedoms of intellectual life and the restrictions imposed on women at court.

Their paths converge as rival ministers, generals and reformers struggle over how the empire should answer the power rising beyond its northern frontier. Court refinement and cultural achievement cannot conceal military weakness, factional hatred or the cost of decisions made for prestige. Inspired by the Song dynasty, the Jin–Song Wars and the fall of the Northern Song, the novel follows people trying to serve an ideal of their country while confronting the failures of the government that claims their loyalty.