When Plum Blossoms Grow - A. A. Jaeon

An immortal. A demon. Two opposing realms on the brink of another war.

675 years ago, the Demon Rebellion disrupted the peace among the six lands and four seas. When the Demon Realm "rebelled" against the Heaven Realm, the Water Tribe who helped them were branded as traitors and punished with confinement. YuXi, daughter of the Water Chief, serves the Heavenly Emperor as his right hand to repay the life debt they owe to him. Under his reign, the reestablishment of peace has never been closer. As reports of an uprising stirring in the Demon Realm threatens everything they've been working towards, the Heavenly Emperor devises a plan to sneak into their land to retrieve a sample of the Tree of Decay, something he hopes will aid the immortals in a potential fight against the demons.

But their covert mission goes awry, resulting in YuXi taking the blame and meeting the rumored new demon king, LanShan. He's intelligent, powerful, and a little too charming for someone who's supposed to be the enemy. Instead of killing her, he offers her the chance to serve him as his right hand. What started as a deal of convenience leads YuXi to discover that everything they know about the Demon Realm cannot be further from the truth. And worse, LanShan's rule might just end up being the key to establishing the well-sought peace.  

Filled with court politics, action-packed fight scenes, and slow-burn star-crossed lovers romance, When Plum Blossoms Grow is the first installment in an epic Chinese fantasy (Xianxia) inspired trilogy that is perfect for fans of Sue Lynn Tan, Stacia Stark, and Sabaa Tahir.