Book Summary Contents
- 1 Heart-Wrenching Eco-Fantasy: A Palace Near the Wind Summary
- 2 A Palace Near the Wind Book Details
- 3 A Palace Near the Wind Summary and Review
- 4 A Palace Near the Wind Summary By Chapter
- 4.1 Chapter 1: Bridewealth
- 4.2 Chapter 2: Feng
- 4.3 Chapter 3: The Palace
- 4.4 Chapter 4: The Market
- 4.5 Chapter 5: The Portraits
- 4.6 Chapter 6: The Room
- 4.7 Chapter 7: The Hall
- 4.8 Chapter 8: The Ceremony
- 4.9 Chapter 9: The Agreement
- 4.10 Chapter 10: Gear and Engine
- 4.11 Chapter 11: The Dinner
- 4.12 Chapter 12: Return
- 4.13 Chapter 13: Water
- 4.14 Characters: Roots and Wounds
- 4.15 Themes & Symbolism: Where Magic Meets Meaning
- 4.16 Writing Style & Pacing
- 4.17 Ending: Cliffhanger or Catharsis?
- 4.18 Overall Rating
- 5 About Ai Jiang
- 6 FAQs: Your Burning Questions
- 7 Conclusion
Heart-Wrenching Eco-Fantasy: A Palace Near the Wind Summary
Introduction
What if marrying a king meant betraying everything you love? That’s the brutal choice facing Lufeng in Ai Jiang’s A Palace Near the Wind. I devoured this lush, heartbreaking tale where a girl with bark-skin and wind-song blood fights a bone-and-steel empire devouring her homeland.
When Lufeng becomes her family’s fourth sacrificial bride to the Palace, she uncovers nightmarish experiments and a shattering family secret.
This A Palace Near the Wind summary unpacks the storm of rebellion, identity, and hope in a world where nature screams against machines. Trust me—you’ll feel this story in your roots.
TL;DR: A Palace Near the Wind at a Glance
Plot: Wind Walker Lufeng marries a mechanical king to save her forest home, uncovers horrific experiments, and escapes with her siblings to ignite a rebellion.
Heroine: Lufeng—part-tree, all-courage.
Villain: Zinc—corporate greed personified.
Themes: Nature vs. industry, identity erosion, fragile hope.
Ending: Thrilling escape setting up a larger war.
Rating: 5/5. A masterpiece of eco-fantasy.
Perfect for: Ghibli fans, climate fiction readers, myth lovers.
Pros: Jaw-dropping world-building, fierce protagonist, lyrical prose.
Cons: Some terms need quicker explanation.
One-sentence hook: A tree-skinned girl becomes a king’s bride to save her home—only to discover her family is the next target in a war against nature itself.
Reader Reviews
“Made me feel the wind’s cry. Lufeng is iconic.”
“Jiang doesn’t write fantasy—she writes bleeding, breathing worlds.”
“That escape scene? I read it twice, heart pounding.”
“Changqing’s water magic—Ghibli-level wonder.”
“Zinc is a villain for the climate crisis age.”
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A Palace Near the Wind Book Details
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Titan Books |
| Publication Date | April 15, 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Print Length | 192 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1803369388 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1803369389 |
| Item Weight | 6.4 ounces |
| Dimensions | 5.37 x 0.67 x 8.1 inches |
| Best Sellers Rank | #295,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) |
| #2,183 in Dark Fantasy | |
| #4,253 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Books) | |
| #5,935 in Paranormal Fantasy Books | |
| Customer Reviews | ⭐ 3.3 out of 5 stars (12 ratings) |
A Palace Near the Wind Summary and Review
What’s A Palace Near the Wind Book About?
Imagine a world split in two:
Feng: Where Wind Walkers speak through breath, heal by moonlight, and have bark-like skin.
The Palace: A mechanical empire of Land Wanderers, expanding via bone-mold towers and crushing machines.
Lufeng is a Wind Walker from Feng. To stall the Palace’s destruction of her home, she’s sent as a sacrificial bride to the King—just like her mother and sisters before her. But inside the sterile, bone-white citadel, she discovers horror:
Photos of her sisters, now hollow-eyed with new names (Yunshu → “Yena”).
A contract secretly condemning her little sister Chuiliu to deadly “experiments.”
Her own father—the King—helpless against the true villain: Zinc, corporate overlord of Z. Inc.
Armed with wind-wisdom and rage, Lufeng plots to escape with Chuiliu and her water-shifting baby brother Changqing. Their flight? A heart-pounding plunge from a tower into churning waves, guided by an injured ally.
This A Palace Near the Wind summary reveals only the beginning—Lufeng’s fight to reunite her family and ignite a rebellion has just begun.
Main Ideas: Nature’s Cry Against Metal
This isn’t just fantasy—it’s a scream for our planet:
Nature vs. Industry: Wind Walkers are trees (bark skin, sap blood). The Palace consumes nature (bone buildings, oil machines). Zinc’s creed: “Innovation is the future.” Lufeng’s retort: “We are trying to save our future.”
Grief as a Weapon: The King abandoned Feng for power. Zinc tortures Wind Walkers to “improve” them. Every betrayal stems from unhealed wounds.
Assimilation = Death: Changing names (like Heshi → “Harley”) means killing your soul. Lufeng’s refusal to wear Palace slippers is resistance.
Hope in Hybridity: Baby Changqing—half Wind Walker, half Water Shifter—hints at a blended, liberated future.
Plot Summary (No Spoilers!)
Lufeng’s journey follows three crushing waves:
1. The Sacrifice
After her mother and sisters “marry” the King to stall the Palace’s expansion, Lufeng is the last hope. She leaves Feng’s storm-trees and rain-blooms for a fortress of “watching orbs” and metallic stench.
2. The Awakening
Inside, Lufeng finds:
Her sister Sangshu branded a “Contract Breaker” for escaping.
Library files revealing Z. Inc.’s experiments on her people.
Her own father—the King—a puppet to Zinc’s greed.
3. The Escape
When Lufeng learns Chuiliu will be experimented on in 4 months, she:
Recruits Geyser, a dying Water Shifter ally.
Steals a comscreen to contact rebel sister Sangshu.
Leaps from the Palace with Chuiliu and Changqing in a stolen Traveler machine—her father’s wind aiding their fall into the sea.
Their goal? Gear, the rebel stronghold. But the Palace’s shadow stretches far…
A Palace Near the Wind Summary By Chapter
Chapter 1: Bridewealth
In the opening chapter, Lufeng’s arranged marriage to the King is negotiated as a strategic move to stop the Palace’s relentless encroachment on Feng’s land. The bridewealth discussions are led by Lufeng’s aunt and the King’s aunt, Copper. During the process, Lufeng discovers shocking news — her mother and sisters, long thought dead, may still be alive within the Palace. The chapter closes with Lufeng’s private vow: to marry the King… and assassinate him.
Key Themes: Betrayal, sacrifice, rebellion
Chapter 2: Feng
Feng is under threat as the Palace’s technology — steam engines and Ground Turners — devastates its eastern regions. Grandmother uses the bridewealth pact to temporarily stop the destruction. However, many Wind Walkers, seduced by the Palace’s innovations, begin migrating away. Lufeng, heartbroken by this cultural erosion, prepares to leave her homeland.
Key Themes: Cultural displacement, environmental decay
Chapter 3: The Palace
Lufeng arrives at the Palace — a vast, cold monument built from bone. Unlike Feng, the Palace is sterile and devoid of life. She’s overwhelmed by its mechanical sophistication and disturbed by the King’s faceless authority. Her mission to uncover the fate of her family and kill the King intensifies.
Key Themes: Alienation, power structures
Chapter 4: The Market
In the Land Wanderers’ market, Lufeng encounters bizarre inventions and customs. She meets Zinc, a mysterious Designer who recognizes her family and shows her photos — including a cryptic moving image of her sister, Sangshu. These visual clues hint that her sisters are alive and potentially communicating through hidden messages.
Key Themes: Memory, identity, surveillance
Chapter 5: The Portraits
Lufeng discovers an eerie portrait gallery with manipulated and missing images of her family. She confronts the King, who mocks her longing for truth. This fuels her internal conflict between familial love and political rebellion.
Key Themes: Erased histories, psychological warfare
Chapter 6: The Room
A secret chamber holds grotesque metal pods. Inside one, Lufeng finds Geming, her older brother, suspended in blue-green liquid — the victim of horrific experiments. She tries to rescue him, setting off alarms. The escape underscores the Palace’s inhumane scientific agenda.
Key Themes: Genetic manipulation, forbidden knowledge
Chapter 7: The Hall
Lufeng attends her first royal banquet. She observes the King’s dependence on machines and his psychological manipulation. She eyes a ceremonial knife — her planned murder weapon. The tension builds toward a bold assassination attempt.
Key Themes: Ritual and power, control through symbolism
Chapter 8: The Ceremony
During the wedding ritual, the King presents a deer skull and heart. Lufeng fails to complete the rite, vomiting it up. As she moves to stab the King, he reveals Chuiliu — her sister — is alive and held hostage, forcing Lufeng to sign the agreement instead. Her transformation is complete — from rebel to royal pawn.
Key Themes: Emotional manipulation, power reversal
Chapter 9: The Agreement
The King drops a bombshell: he is Lufeng’s father. The marriage is a facade for a resource deal with Feng. Her mother is still alive, imprisoned to keep the King in check. Lufeng learns that defiance has grave costs — death or imprisonment — and resolves to escape with her family.
Key Themes: Familial betrayal, corporate colonialism
Chapter 10: Gear and Engine
Lufeng meets her mother and her younger brother Changqing, both victims of the Palace’s cruelty. Her mother gives her a comscreen linked to Sangshu, now a wanted fugitive. Sangshu’s mysterious message and the horrors of Engine fuel Lufeng’s resolve to fight the system from within.
Key Themes: Resistance, hidden communication
Chapter 11: The Dinner
Through a Palace tutor and secret research, Lufeng learns of experiments on Wind Walkers and Water Shifters, and Chuiliu’s imminent danger. At a dinner in the city of Clay, she reunites with Yunshu (Yena) and Heshi (Harley) — now loyal to the Palace. Zinc reveals himself as the CEO of Z. Inc., the force behind it all.
Key Themes: Corporate dystopia, betrayal
Chapter 12: Return
Lufeng escapes the Palace with Changqing. Her father helps by fighting off guards. Back in Feng, Grandmother reveals she knew about the experiments and allowed them for survival. Lufeng is shattered. When Zinc threatens more harm, she bargains — taking Chuiliu’s place in the experiments to save her siblings.
Key Themes: Generational compromise, sacrificial courage
Chapter 13: Water
In a daring rescue, Geyser crashes a Traveler through the Palace to save Lufeng and her siblings. They escape into the water. Changqing reveals his powers as a Water Shifter, helping them reach Gear, a shadowy, industrial city. Lufeng discards her comscreen to evade tracking and embraces hope, freedom, and family.
Key Themes: Escape and transformation, inherited power
Characters: Roots and Wounds
| Character | Role | Arc |
|---|---|---|
| Lufeng | Protagonist, Wind Walker | From reluctant bride to fierce rebel leader |
| Zinc (Z. Inc.) | Main antagonist | Embodies corporate greed, tortures nature |
| The King | Lufeng’s father | Trapped by regret, aids her escape |
| Chuiliu | Lufeng’s sister | Innocence Lufeng must protect |
| Changqing | Baby brother | Symbol of hope (Water/Wind hybrid) |
| Geyser | Water Shifter ally | His sacrifice enables their flight |
Themes & Symbolism: Where Magic Meets Meaning
| Theme | How It Bleeds Through |
|---|---|
| Identity Erosion | Sisters’ name changes = soul loss |
| Eco-Rage | Machines “scarring” land vs. healing winds |
| Fragile Hope | Changqing’s water-shifting gifts |
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Wind | Freedom, ancestral wisdom, rebellion |
| Bone Buildings | Death of nature, Palace’s consumption |
| Sap Blood | Life force of Wind Walkers vs. cold metal |
Writing Style & Pacing
Jiang’s prose is lyrical and vicious. She paints Feng with featherstrokes: “whispering winds,” “rain-bloom fields.” The Palace? Jagged sentences: “metallic creaks,” “saws slicing wooden flesh.” Dialogue crackles with cultural tension—Wind Walker “Breath” vs. Land Wanderer “Script.”
Pacing is relentless. From Feng’s lush slowness to the Palace’s claustrophobic dread, every scene thrums with purpose. No filler—even “quiet” library moments scream with hidden dread. The escape chapter? I held my breath.
Ending: Cliffhanger or Catharsis?
No spoilers, but the climax wrecks you. Lufeng’s tower leap with her siblings is cinematic—wind howling, Geyser’s water-magic surging. Changqing’s tiny hands controlling waves? Electrifying. It’s a satisfying escape, yet the battle’s just begun. Zinc’s empire still poisons the world. Sangshu’s rebels await. That final plunge into the sea isn’t an ending—it’s a promise of war.
Overall Rating
5/5 stars. Like Princess Mononoke meets The Handmaid’s Tale, with Chinese myth breathing through every page. I’d shove this into the hands of eco-fantasy lovers, Studio Ghibli fans, and anyone who roots for nature’s rebels.
Pros:
Lufeng’s growth (bark skin, iron will)
Jaw-dropping world-building
Themes that claw your conscience
Cons:
Some terms (Breath/Script) need early glossary
About Ai Jiang
Chinese-Canadian writer Ai Jiang crafts stories where myth and modernity collide. Her work (Linghun, I Am Ai) often explores displacement—a theme echoing in Lufeng’s struggle. Awards like the Bram Stoker Award® nomination cement her as a rising star of dark fantasy.
Jiang’s style? Poetic brutality. She makes sap blood feel real, metal towers smell like decay. Her Wind Walkers aren’t just tree-people—they’re nature’s last stand. A Palace Near the Wind is her most ambitious work yet: a “breathtakingly imagined” call to arms for our planet.
FAQs: Your Burning Questions
1. Is Lufeng human?
Wind Walkers have tree-like traits (bark skin, sap blood) but human emotions.
2. What are Z. Inc.’s experiments?
Twisting Wind Walkers/Water Shifters into “synthetic” beings for profit.
3. Why marry the King?
Each bride temporarily halts the Palace’s land destruction.
4. Does Lufeng love the King?
No—he’s her estranged father. Their bond is betrayal, not romance.
5. What’s “Breath” vs. “Script”?
Breath: Wind Walkers’ wind-language. Script: Land Wanderers’ written control.
6. Is this a series?
Yes! This book sets up a larger rebellion.
7. How does Changqing’s magic work?
As a Water Shifter, he commands currents—a symbol of hybrid hope.
8. Age rating?
Teens+/adults for body horror and complex themes.
9. Similar books?
Ghibli’s Nausicaä × The Handmaid’s Tale × Chinese folklore.
10. Biggest theme?
Ecological resistance: “Nature isn’t a resource—it’s family.”
Conclusion
A Palace Near the Wind isn’t just fantasy—it’s a roots-deep anthem for anyone who’s fought for home. Lufeng’s journey from sacrificial bride to rebel leader left me breathless.
Jiang reminds us: even in concrete jungles, seeds of revolution grow.
Ready to join the resistance? Grab this book—let its wind carry you.
Get Your Copy
Sources & References
- Amazon’s book page
- Goodreaders’s book page
- Author’s image source: wikipedia.org
- Book Cover: Amazon.com
- Quotes Source: Goodreads.com
