A literary novel, not a wish-fulfillment story.
Set against the history of the High Tang, the story gives rise within the established imperial order to a new force beyond its time: the Imperial Sovereign Society.
Built on a vast, unknown world, this novel breaks with conventional storytelling to create a distinctive blend of hard science fiction and romance. This is no ordinary tale of political intrigue and tangled affairs of the heart. It is a battle of worldviews, through and through.
The era lies beneath our feet, history behind us, and the unknown in our hands. Some hesitate and falter; others feign sleep, deaf to reason.
A barren, impoverished civilization has worn down the hearts of all, leaving only hollow, numb souls. So-called humans and gods are merely prisoners, trapped in turn. Generation after generation endures endless torment, countless souls facing calamity, washing the way to a bright future with blood and tears.
The countless famous figures of history and the brilliant stars scattered through the vast cosmos matter not because we should bow before them, but because they were human, just like us, and their heights are within our reach.
Greatness rises from the ordinary, and nameless people build the land. If one person cannot do it, then let everyone stand as one.
Anyone can become a god among mortals. They are afraid, and that is why he stands all the more firm.
Save them. Every moment they remain conscious is worse than death, and yet every moment they live is filled with pride and freedom.
This book brings together fantasy, literary depth, history, science fiction, romance, wish fulfillment, uncompromising hard-edged storytelling, a large cast depicted one by one, and compassion, forging them into a single whole.
My guiding principle: I write with reverence, without chasing speed or traffic. I strive to make every chapter a classic, every one worthy of a place in the textbooks, hammering and polishing each word until it is worthy of divine craftsmanship.
