Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea

Named a Most Anticipated Novel by: Washington Post * Goodreads * LitHub * NetGalley's We Are Bookish * Debutiful * Our Culture * The Chicago Review of Books * The Rumpus * Tor.com

“A hold-onto-your-seat ode to an unforgettable woman.” —Real Simple

“A pirate queen whose husband is murdered? An entire empire at stake? This is the ambitious, suspenseful and kaleidoscopic adventure we all need this summer! In Chang-Eppig’s capable hands, this is epic storytelling.” —Ms. Magazine, May 2023 Reads for the Rest of Us

“Rita Chang-Eppig's sharp, gritty first novel, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, takes readers on a high-seas adventure . . . This fascinating portrait of a woman determined to survive no matter the challenge will captivate readers' imaginations . . . Book clubs and solo readers alike should find much food for thought in this blend of high-stakes action and a complex character sketch of a fierce and wily leader.” —Shelf Awareness

“A rollicking 19th-century adventure on the South China Sea . . . The prose is lyrical and the plot is clever and serpentine, exploring questions of power, violence, gender, and fate. This is not to be missed.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A refreshingly vivid adventure tale, perfect for long days by the ocean’s edge.” —Elle.com, 39 Best New Books to Read in Summer 2023

“It is the year of lady pirates and outlaws, friends! You’ll get no complaints from me, and with Rita Chang-Eppig’s debut, it’s definitely *Lizzo Voice* Bad Bitch O’Clock . . . It’s refreshing to see not only a mixed-gender crew but also a woman with a complicated relationship to motherhood, her intended place in the world, and her ambitions. Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a non-stop adventure with danger at every turn, and Shek Yeung is forced to make decisions to ensure her survival. But she remains ruthless throughout, and her adventures will make you want to take up the sword and learn to sail.” —Tor.com

"A pirate queen's adventures in the South China Seas, based on the life of an actual early 19th-century icon—I'm sold a hundred times over on this debut." –Julia Fine, author of The Upstairs House in Chicago Review of Books' 17 Most Anticipated Books of 2023

“Suspenseful . . . Y’all had me at the words ‘pirate queen.’” —R.O. Kwon, Electric Literature’s 62 Books By Women of Color to Read in 2023

“This heart-pounding high-seas adventure is also the moving story of a girl with no options who finds a way to survive, and the costs and consequences of that survival. Shek Yeung — a pirate queen, a mother, a ruthless killer and a loyal friend — is an unforgettable heroine whose journey will keep readers hooked from beginning to end.” —Anna North, New York Times bestselling author of Outlawed

“Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a riveting and moving story of a real woman and legend. The woman at the center of this struggles with what sensitive and adventurous women have struggled with always: the choice between love and leadership; a life focused on family and friends or a life that looks outward to politics and society. This is richly researched historical fiction with lush mythology and all the excitement and intrigue of action and suspense.” —Tiphanie Yanique, author of Land of Love and Drowning and Monster in the Middle

“At last, one of the greatest pirates finally gets her due, and what a fabulous accomplishment it is. I loved this book. With prose as rich and elegant as it is fierce, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, paints a complex portrait of one of history’s most powerful women, Shek Yeung, while considering the roles that gender, motherhood, and fate play for us all. This is a gorgeous vivid adventure that delves into what a person will do to survive, and if there can be redemption for a woman who has the gall to live at any cost. Rita Chang-Eppig has made something truly special.” –Erika Swyler, bestselling author of The Book of Speculation and Light from Other Stars

“Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a riveting, heart-pounding exploration of ambition, grit, and what it takes to survive in a world on the brink—all seen through the eyes of the fiery, magnetic Shek Yeung. Rita Chang-Eppig has delivered a singular heroine and a truly unforgettable tale.” —Kirstin Chen, New York Times bestselling author of Counterfeit

“Epic yet intimate, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea brings to life the pirate queen Shek Yeung. Rita Chang-Eppig charts the journey of a brilliant and brave heroine who fights for the survival of her fleet—and her family’s—against a fascinating historical backdrop. A stunning debut.” —Vanessa Hua, bestselling author of Forbidden City

"Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an adventure story so absorbing that I kept neglecting my real life so I could keep reading. I'd have followed this novel's courageous, complicated pirate heroine anywhere. A dazzling feat of storytelling." –Clare Beams, author of The Illness Lesson

“Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a stunning novel filled with adventure, intrigue, and stirring contemplations of what it means to endure in a world of scarcity and violence. Chang-Eppig combines the scope and lyricism of Gabriel García Márquez with the propulsive storytelling of Susanna Clarke. This is an epic novel with the intimacy of a portrait, a literary adventure not to be missed.” —Seth Fried, author of The Municipalists

"Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a gripping, powerful portrait of a woman on the high seas who is as ferocious as she is human, determined to survive. Brimming with adventure and intrigue, passion and prophecy, fierce battles and moving moments of grace, this novel captures us on a pirate ship and does not let go until long after we've turned the radiant final page." —Carolina De Robertis, award-winning author of Cantoras

“Rita Chang Eppig is such a daring, thrilling writer. Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea sets a whole new bar for words like swashbuckling and adventure, recasting their assumptions while giving us all the big moments: Seafaring battles, swords and family intrigue, tales of love and revenge. It's all here. And in Shek Yeung, Chang-Eppig has given us a heroine for the ages. This is the start of a big career.” —John Freeman, author of How to Read a Novelist