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Natural Engines - A Palace Near the Wind
Brief Description
Natural Engines - A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang tells the compelling story of Liu Lufeng, the eldest princess of the Feng royalty. Bound by duty and tradition, she is destined to become the next bride of the human king. With their bark faces,...
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Natural Engines - A Palace Near the Wind
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From a rising-star author, winner of the both the Bram Stoker (R) and Nebula Awards, a richly inventive, brutal and beautiful science-fantasy novella. A story of family, loss, oppression and rebellion that will stay with you long after the final page.
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Description
Natural Engines - A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang tells the compelling story of Liu Lufeng, the eldest princess of the Feng royalty. Bound by duty and tradition, she is destined to become the next bride of the human king. With their bark faces, arms of braided branches, and hair of needle threads, the Feng people are deeply connected to nature, nurtured by the land they inhabit.
Yet, this harmony is threatened by the relentless expansion of humans. The negotiation of bridewealth has become the only means to halt—or at least delay—the destruction of their home. Lufeng, determined to put an end to these marriages, hatches a plan to kill the king on her wedding day.
As she finds herself trapped in the grand human palace during the lead-up to the union, Lufeng begins to unravel the truth about her people’s origins. She soon realises that the Feng will never be safe from human encroachment. To secure freedom for her family and forge her own destiny, she must release herself from the constraints of duty and tradition, choose her allies wisely, and face the uncertainties ahead.
From a rising-star author, winner of both the Bram Stoker® and Nebula Awards, this richly inventive tale weaves a brutal yet beautiful narrative of family, loss, oppression, and rebellion.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781803369402
Publisher: Titan Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 07 April 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Titan Books Ltd
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 192
About the Author
Ai Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian writer, winner of the Bram Stoker®, Nebula and Ignyte Awards, and Hugo, Astounding, Locus, and BSFA Award finalist, and an immigrant from Changle, Fujian currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. Her work can be found in F&SF, The Dark, Uncanny, The Masters Review, among others. She is the recipient of Odyssey Workshop’s 2022 Fresh Voices Scholarship and the author of Linghun and I AM AI. The first book of her novella duology, A Palace Near the Wind, is out now, with A River From the Sky coming in Spring 2026. Find her on most social media platforms and for more information go to aijiang.ca.
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