In the beginning, the King of Shang was a good man…

China, 1057 B.C. The well-meaning but foolish king of the Shang Dynasty has gravely insulted a goddess. In revenge, the angry goddess sends a thousand-year-old fox demon to extinguish the soul of the beautiful young Daji, inhabit her body, and seduce the king into taking her as his chief concubine. Daji slowly gains control of the king and his kingdom, leading the Shang Dynasty towards chaos and disaster. But gods and demons are all watching closely and try to take matters into their own hands.

This book is based on chapters 1 through 50 of The Investiture of the Gods, one of the most famous novels in classic Chinese literature. It is a gripping tale of powerful gods, scheming mortals and epic battles, but it also explores the dilemma faced by loyal government officials who must choose between their country and its corrupt leader.

This book was originally written in the 16th century by Xu Songlin, but up until now it has never been translated in full by a native English speaker. Now best-selling author Jeff Pepper retells the story in contemporary language for modern readers, making it readable while preserving all the core elements of this dramatic story.

This book covers the first half (chapters 1 – 50) of the story. It is in English only, and is available in paperback and ebook formats.  You can also purchase the entire story (all 100 chapters) in English, Chinese, or a combination of Chinese, pinyin and English, as well as a Chinese-only audiobook.