I’m
usually not drawn to the historical fantasy genre (with the exception of Chinese
wuxia novels) but the title of this book had me intrigued. I guess I was just
curious to find out what kind of Chinese mythology the American author was so
enamored with as to come up with a whole series based on it (this is book #2).
From
the start, I was wrapped up in the intricate plot and gradually became charmed
by the upright Daoist heroine Xian Li-lin. The plot did branch out into
numerous extraneous but interesting tangents, but in the end the snarled web of
threads eventually became disentangled in a satisfying denouement.
The
general impression I got from reading was a blend of vampire film, Disney
cartoon and wuxia action flick.
The
one thing I was most amazed about was the author’s intimate knowledge of
Chinese religious and traditional beliefs, myths and customs. What touched a chord
with me was the sensitive and respectful way he handled the cultural details
that were not native to him. His thorough research of late 1800’s San Francisco
Chinatown also shone through.
My
favorite quote from the book: “I don’t
see how you can expect me to honor your people’s ways while you’re expressing
scorn for mine, Mrs. Wei.”
Overall,
it was an entertaining read. I’m giving it 4.3 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment