"Women do not inherit anything but misery in China." So declares the Fox Faerie to the Ming princess Li in this historical fantasy epic, THE PIRATE EMPRESS. Li finds herself in the center of a vast and terrifying web of palace intrique, imperial politics and run-ins with pirates as she becomes a pirate leader forced to marry a cruel admiral in order to further her quest to save her abducted son—a future Son of Heaven. Malignant forces are gathering against that destiny, and plotting over all is the supernatural Fox Faerie, who seeks the annihilation of all humankind.