Rating: 
Summary: Another fun frolic through ancient China
Review: _
Reviewed by Randy Farnsworth, Author of "A Stand Yet Taken"Once again, Hughart has written an entertaining, humorous and engaging tale filled with history, tradition, intrigue, mystery and of course, a plethora of outlandish characters. Having read the first two books in the series, I found this to be less enjoyable than the others; the first is still the best of the three. That doesn't mean this is bad, however - I just don't think it's as good as the other two. This one goes a bit overboard in parts, such as the scene where they're disposing of a corpse by turning it into an extravagant banquet and serving it to the guests - humorous, but a bit over the top. As a student of Chinese history, I am enthralled by stories, facts and traditions from the earliest of Chinese civilizations - such as the Shang, Xia, and earlier Neolithic and prehistoric cultures. While this book is set in 7th century China, it references the pre-"Chinese" China. In fact, the main plot centers around events that took place prior to China becoming China. The intertwining of tales and customs from "modern" (A.D. 640) China with those from three thousand years earlier is very intriguing. But, I must add, I also found it confusing at times with so many characters, events and stories. Hughart has a great gift for inventing stories, but in trying to convey all that to the reader, I must admit he lost me now and again. As with the previous two books, this one tends to be a bit crass in places, so I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers. But the story really is fascinating and Hughart continually throws in enough facts with the fantasy that it's also quite educational.
Rating:
Summary: Another fun frolic through ancient China
Review: _
Reviewed by Randy Farnsworth, Author of "A Stand Yet Taken" Once again, Hughart has written an entertaining, humorous and engaging tale filled with history, tradition, intrigue, mystery and of course, a plethora of outlandish characters. Having read the first two books in the series, I found this to be less enjoyable than the others; the first is still the best of the three. That doesn't mean this is bad, however - I just don't think it's as good as the other two. This one goes a bit overboard in parts, such as the scene where they're disposing of a corpse by turning it into an extravagant banquet and serving it to the guests - humorous, but a bit over the top. As a student of Chinese history, I am enthralled by stories, facts and traditions from the earliest of Chinese civilizations - such as the Shang, Xia, and earlier Neolithic and prehistoric cultures. While this book is set in 7th century China, it references the pre-"Chinese" China. In fact, the main plot centers around events that took place prior to China becoming China. The intertwining of tales and customs from "modern" (A.D. 640) China with those from three thousand years earlier is very intriguing. But, I must add, I also found it confusing at times with so many characters, events and stories. Hughart has a great gift for inventing stories, but in trying to convey all that to the reader, I must admit he lost me now and again. As with the previous two books, this one tends to be a bit crass in places, so I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers. But the story really is fascinating and Hughart continually throws in enough facts with the fantasy that it's also quite educational.
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