Genre Fiction
![Rita Chang-Eppig - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0BD37SCH4.jpg)
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea
For readers of Outlawed, Piranesi, and The Night Tiger, a dazzling historical novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of power.
As Recommended By
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When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: immediately marrying her husband's second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet.
But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans-tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung's alliance-have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung's cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life.
A book of salt and grit, blood and sweat, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an unmissable portrait of a woman who leads with the courage and ruthlessness of our darkest and most beloved heroes.
As Recommended By
The TODAY Show * Washington Post * Goodreads * LitHub * Real Simple * Time * Popsugar * HuffPost * Los Angeles Times * Ms. Magazine * Book Riot * Elle.com * The Rumpus * Tor.com * Polygon * Debutiful * Electric Lit * Shondaland *
When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: immediately marrying her husband's second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet.
But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans-tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung's alliance-have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung's cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life.
A book of salt and grit, blood and sweat, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an unmissable portrait of a woman who leads with the courage and ruthlessness of our darkest and most beloved heroes.
Editorial Reviews
"In this swashbuckling saga, the Chinese Emperor, colonial European forces and even the mythological sea goddess Ma-Zou attempt to thwart Shek Yeung's plans at every turn, and she must battle fiercely for the world she believes in." ―The Washington Post
"A rollicking 19th-century adventure on the South China Sea . . . The prose is lyrical and the plot is clever and serpentine, exploring questions of power, violence, gender, and fate. This is not to be missed." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Rita Chang-Eppig's sharp, gritty first novel, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, takes readers on a high-seas adventure…This fascinating portrait of a woman determined to survive no matter the challenge will captivate readers' imaginations…Book clubs and solo readers alike should find much food for thought in this blend of high-stakes action and a complex character sketch of a fierce and wily leader." ―Shelf Awareness
"This heart-pounding high-seas adventure is also the moving story of a girl with no options who finds a way to survive, and the costs and consequences of that survival. Shek Yeung - a pirate queen, a mother, a ruthless killer and a loyal friend - is an unforgettable heroine whose journey will keep readers hooked from beginning to end." ―Anna North, New York Times bestselling author of OUTLAWED
"A powerful, gripping and vivid portrayal of one of history's most fascinating women, and the knife edge she had to walk to survive." ―Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE and A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT
"With prose as rich and elegant as it is fierce, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, paints a complex portrait of one of history's most powerful women... A gorgeous vivid adventure." ―Erika Swyler, bestselling author of THE BOOK OF SPECULATION and LIGHT FROM OTHER STARS
"A riveting, heart-pounding exploration of ambition, grit, and ... the fiery, magnetic Shek Yeung." ―Kirstin Chen, New York Times bestselling author of COUNTERFEIT
"Suspenseful... Y'all had me at the words 'pirate queen.'" ―R.O. Kwon, Electric Literature's 62 Books By Women of Color to Read in 2023
"Rita Chang Eppig is such a daring, thrilling writer. DEEP AS THE SKY, RED AS THE SEA sets...
"A rollicking 19th-century adventure on the South China Sea . . . The prose is lyrical and the plot is clever and serpentine, exploring questions of power, violence, gender, and fate. This is not to be missed." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Rita Chang-Eppig's sharp, gritty first novel, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, takes readers on a high-seas adventure…This fascinating portrait of a woman determined to survive no matter the challenge will captivate readers' imaginations…Book clubs and solo readers alike should find much food for thought in this blend of high-stakes action and a complex character sketch of a fierce and wily leader." ―Shelf Awareness
"This heart-pounding high-seas adventure is also the moving story of a girl with no options who finds a way to survive, and the costs and consequences of that survival. Shek Yeung - a pirate queen, a mother, a ruthless killer and a loyal friend - is an unforgettable heroine whose journey will keep readers hooked from beginning to end." ―Anna North, New York Times bestselling author of OUTLAWED
"A powerful, gripping and vivid portrayal of one of history's most fascinating women, and the knife edge she had to walk to survive." ―Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE and A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT
"With prose as rich and elegant as it is fierce, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, paints a complex portrait of one of history's most powerful women... A gorgeous vivid adventure." ―Erika Swyler, bestselling author of THE BOOK OF SPECULATION and LIGHT FROM OTHER STARS
"A riveting, heart-pounding exploration of ambition, grit, and ... the fiery, magnetic Shek Yeung." ―Kirstin Chen, New York Times bestselling author of COUNTERFEIT
"Suspenseful... Y'all had me at the words 'pirate queen.'" ―R.O. Kwon, Electric Literature's 62 Books By Women of Color to Read in 2023
"Rita Chang Eppig is such a daring, thrilling writer. DEEP AS THE SKY, RED AS THE SEA sets...
Readers Top Reviews
Chelsea Reining
3.5/5 stars This book was fascinating, though it had one (2?) major flaw: length (and possibly pacing). Was the story interesting, the characters well done, and are pirates awesome? Absolutely. However, this felt too long and too slowly paced. I was enthralled at the start, but felt it start dragging and became almost bored by the end. I do think this is an important and interesting piece of feminist literary fantasy. And I did genuinely enjoy it…but it was also difficult to continue reading at times. But, it did manage to keep my attention enough that I never really wanted to stop reading. The action scenes were well done, the politics and intrigue was interesting, and I was invested in the main character - the book was just probably about 33% (roughly 100 pages) too long in my opinion. Overall, I still recommend this for lovers of pirate stories, but do recommend checking trigger warnings. It won’t be for everyone, but I think there is a lot to enjoy and I would definitely pick up another book by this author.
Sherry Fundin
The cover for Deep As The Sky, Read As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is EXCELLENT! It says it all, a woman pirate on the high seas. I would have grabbed the book no matter what, so, yes, a cover does have a big influence over me when it comes to choosing books. I love anything to do with water, and women pirates, well, how awesome is that? They can be just as vicious as the men. Sometimes it’s a choice between fighting or death, and Shek Young chose life. She can birth a baby and behead an adversary. Her life is a strategy, with few she can trust. She suffers losses, but cannot let it show, or those watching on the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity, would see it as a sign of weakness, putting her life in jeopardy. In the beginning, she had no power over her life. Once she found it, she did everything to keep it. Yes, she had to make compromises, but she was the one making the choice, not someone making it for her. And what waits for her at the end? Will her death be violent? Deep As The Sky, Red As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is an action packed adventure novel of life on the high seas and how many of those who chose or were forced came to be there, living, loving, fighting, dying. I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Deep As The Sky, Red As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig.
Bamamele.reads
So obviously I saw "lady pirates" and had to read this immediately. I do think it's inaccurate to label this as fantasy. This is historical fiction with a tinge of magical realism in the guise of Shek Yeung imagining the goddess Ma Zou responding to her entreaties. That being said, this was a fascinating and well-told story about a remarkable woman making her mark on a world typically run by men. Shek Yeung is realistic, smart, tactical, brutal when she needs to be, and above all, a survivor. She does what she thinks she needs to do, whether that is killing potential spies, forging alliances, or giving up her children. This is a harsh world she lives in, with famine, village raids, murder, piracy (nothing romantic here), and cutthroat government officials. There were also thought-provoking passages on power, feminism, and what power means when wielded by men vs women. Also, having read Babel this year, it was FASCINATING to see the beginning of the English strategy in regards to opium and counteracting the imbalance of imports/exports between China and the West. I definitely enjoyed this book, even if it wasn't exactly what I was expecting at the beginning. Absolutely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy for review. All opinions are my own.
