Date of Reading: 1/2/2023
Author: Amélie Wen Zhao
Publisher: Harper Collins UK
Publication Date: February 2, 2023
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4/5
About the book:
In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation’s past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart. An epic fantasy series inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.
Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.
The mark is mysterious—an untranslatable Hin character—and no one but Lan can see it. Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life.
Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic was rumoured to have been drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.
When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.
Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within—secrets they must hide from others, and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.
Review:
As a hardcore wuxia/xianxia fan, it was no surprise I was drawn to this story. Demons, qi-based magic and colonialism -- it has everything to keep you enthralled from the very beginning. The presence of Elantian colonisers will definitely give you some "Poppy War" vibes, but the similarity ends there. The grim dark milieu slowly changes as the plot moves onto the territories still untouched by Elantians and the mystery of an ancient force beckons us.
Lan's life itself is the greatest mystery. A song girl with a seal on her arm that is only visible to her. The first book in this series is all about her quest to know her past, understand who she is and find her destiny. In Zen she finds an ally, a friend and a lover who can guide her to the world of practitioners. With secrets unfolding one after another, we cannot find a dull moment in the story.
If I have to point out some drawbacks, then the first one will be the romance between Lan and Zen. That sizzling chemistry we imagine . . . that is not really there. Hopefully, the sequel will remedy that to some extent. The Demon Gods were another dilemma. I know the plotline supports Len's point of view, but it is hard to resist Zen's reasoning. Shouldn't the Demons be used against the Elantians? Why should their people suffer under foreign rule when they can be liberated by a power that may or may not cause disaster? Well, I guess the second instalment of the series has a lot to answer for. Can't wait to read it.
Meet the author:
Amélie Wen Zhao（赵雯）was born in Paris and grew up in Beijing, where she spent her days reenacting tales of legendary heroes, ancient kingdoms and lost magic at her grandmother’s courtyard house. She attended college in the United States and now resides in New York City, working as a finance professional by day and a fantasy author by night. In her spare time, she loves to travel with her family in China, where she’s determined to walk the rivers and lakes of old just like the practitioners in her novels do.
