Her Rebel Highness (Daughters of the Dynasty, #2)

HER REBEL HIGHNESS is a riveting YA historical fiction that travels between 1989 and the seventh century in China. The first book in this series followed Gemma Huang in the modern day, where she learned that she is an heiress to a family legacy dating back from the Tang Dynasty. This book takes a step back in her heritage to her mother, Lei's coming-of-age in the 1980s, when the Tiananmen Square protests.

Lei has lived with her family's wealth and their secrets all her life. She is beginning to realize problems in their political structure and sympathizes with the student protesters. As she gets involved, she meets Delun, a student leader of the protests with whom she has a quick connection. Her family and her beliefs and friendships seem to be at odds, and Lei will have to decide where she will stand in this tumultuous time.

This story is interspersed with that of Taiping, a princess in the Tang Dynasty who has recently been betrothed and must decide between love and power.

What I loved: This was a riveting historical fiction read that will resonate with readers who are trying to find themselves, while being true to their beliefs and understanding their families. Although this was a more dramatic circumstance in terms of the protests, Lei's coming-of-age is a theme seen throughout history. Lei is a compelling character who changes a lot from the beginning of the story through to the end, as she begins to realize truths about the people around her, her family, and her country. She really finds her voice and something larger to believe in, despite the dangers.

Ma really brings the Tiananmen Square protests to life in this book, a highly significant time in history and the telling is really powerful. The importance and the tragedy of it resonates through the story. The nuances of Lei's life, family, and politics are also really consuming. The addition of Taiping's story also gives a larger historical perspective on the challenges of family, power, and politics. These themes are really thought-provoking as well as those around sisterhood, friendship, and standing up for your beliefs.

The romance was really strong, and it was great getting to know Lei and Delun. They were easy to love as a couple, even with missteps and challenges faced. The pace of the book is steady, making it highly devourable and tough to put down. I am really excited to see where else this fantastic series will go.

Final verdict: HER REBEL HIGHNESS is a riveting and consuming historical fiction read with strong, thought-provoking themes of coming-of-age, family, and politics/power. Highly recommend picking up this great read!