An Empire in the Clouds is a powerful debut science fantasy novel of a royal family’s painful betrayals and deadly secrets on a drowning continent of corruption, deception and strange technology.
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About An Empire in the Clouds
Long isolated from her family following her parents’ murder, Princess Xīlián of Piāo discovers the corrupt royal advisors are plotting to overthrow and kill her brother, the emperor. Desperately seeking help, she flees from the floating empire of lotuses to the drowning continent of Opera, a place of high tech and near environmental collapse where companies vie to sell a chance at immortality. There Xīlián tracks down her exiled brother Làng to assist in her efforts to disrupt the advisors’ plans and remove them from court.
Also residing on Opera is the outcast, No Face. Abandoned by the empire of Piāo, they plot to destroy those who tore their family apart. When Xīlián is caught and imprisoned and No Face discovers the shocking truth about their past, the two must work together to stop the advisors and unify their two lands or lose everyone they love to flood and revolution.
An Empire in the Clouds is a story of torn families, betrayal and deadly secrets. Twisty, cerebral and thrilling, readers will be immersed in a unique new world. Ruthless advisors seek the death of royal siblings, an outcast plans revenge for the destruction of their family. Masks, Opera and deception hold sway. No Face, the outcast and hero and mesmerizing Opera performer, holds a devastating secret and longs for revenge for the pain their family has suffered. Piāo, the floating empire of lotuses, and across the water, the drowning continent of Opera. A dying environment where corruption reigns.
Praise for An Empire in the Clouds
“Floating lotus cities, cyborg koi, and techno-mask face-changing opera contests are a few of the many wonders to be found in An Empire in the Clouds, a sumptuous, dazzlingly inventive, genre-blending tale set in a fraught, divided world.”—Fonda Lee, author of The Last Contract of Isako and the Green Bone Saga
“A fascinating and original spectacle of powerful emotions and incredible vistas.”—Adrian Tchaikovsky
“Intricate, lush, and dangerous, An Empire in the Clouds will satisfy the most devout C-drama fans with its inventive backdrop and multi-layered games of deception! Ai Jiang is a worldbuilder on top of her game, this time bringing us the expansive worlds of Piāo and Opera, different in every conceivable way but for the secrets they hold. Dive into their turbulent waters to find your answers, but beware, some truths are better left undisturbed.”—A.D. Sui, Nebula Award-winning author of The Iron Garden Sutra
“A stunningly assured and beautifully written fantasy.”—Gareth L. Powell, author of Jitterbug and Future’s Edge
“A lush and inventive tale exploring duality in its many forms, beginning with the clash between lands: the ancient beauty of traditionalist Piāo and the gritty neon of tech-obsessed Opera. Against this vibrant backdrop, Jiang deftly combines gorgeous prose, complex characters, and subtle commentary to build a powerful story about the ways we help and hurt each other—whether intentional or not. Don’t miss this heartbreakingly beautiful debut novel from a rising star in speculative fiction!”—Kelsea Yu, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of Demon Song
“Ai Jiang masterfully paints two ideologically disparate but equally corrupt societies: a rigid traditionalist empire at odds with a cyberpunk dystopia in environmental collapse. A transportive story of rebellion and family tragedy, An Empire in the Clouds is deeply theatrical and lush, with a world rich enough to drown in.”—Sara Omer, author of The Gryphon King and The Harpy Knight
“Art can change the world for good or ill. Jiang’s stunning debut novel [An Empire In The Clouds] is a powerful reminder of as much as it celebrates the many ways we tell stories through dance, music, and visual culture.”—A.C. Wise, author of The Ballad of Bone Road
“Ai Jiang has done it again, perfectly blending genres to create something vibrant and new. Mixing cyberpunk with the sensibilities of a Chinese period drama, [An Empire In The Clouds]…is an addictive, heart-stopping feast for the senses. It’s experimental and introspective, while also boasting thrills and suspense aplenty. Jiang’s intriguing philosophical style shines in the tale of a princess who must leave the home she’s always known to free her family from oppression and death….Bravo!”—Frasier Armitage, reviewer at FanFiAddict and author of Time’s Ellipse and New Yesterday
About Ai Jiang, Author of An Empire in the Clouds
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. She is also the author of her novella duology, A Palace Near the Wind, and A River From the Sky.
You can connect with Ai Jiang on her website, and on TikTok and LinkedIn.
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Titan Books
ISBN Hardcover 9781835414941
Pub Date: Sept 15, 2026
Other LitStack Spots by Ai Jiang and Sue Lynn Tan
Along with our spotlight, we’ve also shined our LitStack Spots on titles you need to include in your TBR stack, including A Palace Near The Wind by Ai Jiang, A River From The Sky by Ai Jiang, and Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan.
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