The Majesties

Reviews / Votes

Fresh, sharp, and thrilling... A darkly gorgeous read you won't soon forget. * Tanen Jones, author of The Better Liar * Hints turn to clues turn to evidence of damaging secrets in the privileged world of the Asian superrich, and it turns out that a sisterly bond is no match for the corrupt forces that surround them. Riveting. * Sunday Times Crime Club * A sharply realised page-turner with a brilliant twist, written with an effortless command of pace and suspense. * Sydney Morning Herald * The Majesties, although it rolls out easily, troubles deeply, haunting and even chilling its reader well beyond the final page. * New York Journal of Books * Tsao spins a Crazy Rich Asians-esque saga of family wealth and deception as a nasty-fun murder mystery chronicling the events leading up to a woman's poisoning of her extended clan. * Entertainment Weekly * The ultimate toxic twist. * Salon * Tsao cannily pulls back the gilded surface from a wealthy Indonesian family, revealing a rotten core... the narrative unfolds in a manner that's both suspenseful and creepily claustrophobic... A bold and dramatic portrayal of characters on the cusp of an impossible choice between complicit self-preservation and total annihilation. * Publisher's Weekly * Tsao excels at delivering biting social commentary while also telling a riveting story... It's shocking how enjoyable and delicious this dark, disturbing novel was. * NPR * A dark, delicious tale that will creep its way into your brain and leave you examining your own soul for signs of moral rot. I downed it in one greedy shot. * Jade Chang, author of THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD * Tiffany Tsao's visceral debut...reads a bit like Crazy Rich Asians if the book began with familicide instead of romance... Why not start off the new year with the perfect tear-it-all-down read? * Crimereads * A sobering look at the dark side of extreme wealth among Chinese families in Indonesia... Tsao's depiction of domestic abuse is powerful. * Kirkus Reviews * An urgent literary thriller that also affectingly, seamlessly acts as a social treatise exposing the moral and legal abuses of the ultra-elite...an engrossing, eloquent story of fatal familial dysfunction. * Shelf Awareness, starred review * The Majesties is a thrilling, tender page-turner, the darker side of Crazy Rich Asians. * Krys Lee, author of HOW I BECAME A NORTH KOREAN * Tsao deftly juggles a large cast of characters, and her thorough examination of the life of a wealthy Chinese-Indonesian family, as well as her insights into the false assumptions those in the Chinese, Indonesian, and Western communities make about its members, are intelligent and lively. * Booklist * One of the most gripping, original and enlightening novels of the day. * SA Weekend * A compelling page-turner, it reveals the intricate dynamics between love, ambition, and fear as we journey through dark family secrets and unlock door after door before reaching the dead end. The Majesties is a chilling novel about what a family is capable of for the sake of maintaining illusions and the desperate, destructive ways that its entrapped members must take in order to escape. * Intan Paramaditha, author of APPLE AND KNIFE and THE WANDERING * Tiffany Tsao's novel of sisters Gwendolyn and Estella is haunting, disturbing and vivid. It is one of those novels that has such a strong opening chapter that I questioned if the author would be able to meet my expectations for the rest of the novel. But meet them she did. * Readings * [A] riveting and disquieting thriller about the secrets and betrayals that accompany exorbitant wealth. * The Nerd Daily * A glorious, dark and haunting depiction of Indonesian-Chinese high society. Awesome characters. A masterclass in storytelling. Fierce social commentary. Highly recommended & a privilege to read * Maxine Mei-Fung Chung, author of THE EIGHTH GIRL * Ideal for fans of My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, it is full of suspense and steeped in opulence. Well-paced and beautifully written, ignore any comparisons made to the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy - this book is in a world of its own. * Lifestyle Daily * A fascinating twist on the domestic thriller, with unexpected twists and a rather unique voice...this proves a terribly intense but sharp exploration of the dark side of human nature. -- Maxim Jakubowski * Crimetime *