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Summary: Fascinating tale of eight women's lives
Review: Alma Alexander (real name Alma Hromic Deckert, and shame on Harper Collins for not thinking people would buy a book written by someone with that name) has combined intensive research into Chinese history with a fantasy tale of eight young women whose lives become intertwined through the bonds of Jin Shei, a voluntary sisterhood with its own language and rules.
In the real China, women have for generations developed their own secret societies with their own writing, since women were not allowed to learn the "male" languages. Only recently have Western researchers discovered these secret societies and their women's language, which is in danger now of disappearing along with thousands of other languages and cultures in this ever-more-homogenized world.
This discovery set Alma Alexander off into a what-if world of Jin Shei sisters from highly diverse backgrounds whose lives could not possibly become so complex and dependent on each other and their voluntary sisterhood. Chinese empires rise and fall with the machinations of these women and their secrets and those who would manipulate and use them. This is a novel of epic proportions and rewards.
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Summary: The best work of fiction I have read in years
Review: Disclosure: I happen to know the author. Not well, but I do know her, mainly through a good friend. That's why I bought the book. I read it because it was sitting on my bookshelf, waiting. I loved it because it is excellent.
Far from being another "Joy-Luck Club" treatment of Asian culture, "The Secrets of Jin-shei" is a story about power, growth, and intrigue in a quasi-Asian world which is everything and nothing like the world in which we live. Magic and sexuality are wound around each other and around a story that highlights a special, different culture, with all that entails.
Simply put, I was up until 3am reading this book, and only put it down because I knew I had to be up at 8am. I cannot wait to get home tonight to read more.
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Summary: MORE than pleasantly surprised ...
Review: Having looked at the novel's plot and read some of the other books the author has published under another name, I thought I knew what to expect: A diverting novel, sweeping in scope, with deeply examined emotions. You know, a good book. Possibly heavy on the chick-itude.Upon entering JIN-SHEI (note the choice of words; it's less like beginning a book than falling into its world), however, I was blown away. Yes, it's sweeping. Yes, characters are given to the deepest of emotions. And yes; the main characters are women.
But the book is so very well-constructed that the characters become real; are drawn with such verisimilitude that they become as friends to the reader. As for the chick-itude? Well, on the occasions when I read fantasy, I go for the darker stuff: The Harlan Ellison-blow-your-scalp-off stuff. And though I can appreciate the talent of, say, an Amy Tan, it's not my thing. JIN-SHEI, however, I find, IS my thing; I simply could not put it down--and in fact could not sleep until I had finished it.
Even one of my best friends, whose taste in fantasy is more given to the Thud-and-Blunder school, read it in a shot and was similarly taken by the book.
Though by a woman, and ABOUT women, THE SECRET OF JIN-SHEI is a book for ALL readers who appreciate a good story well-told, be they male, female, or whatever else is possible. This is writing at its finest.
Wait--did I say "writing"? Scratch that. This is WEAVING--of a tapestry so rich and defined, you cannot help but be ensnared by its threads.
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Summary: PICK UP JIN-SHEI AND READ IT NOW!
Review: I just finished The Secrets of Jin-Shei, and I have to say, it was a great read.
At first, I had a hard time getting into the story, since I'm not used to fantasy books, but after the first couple chapters, I was hooked! I couldn't put the book down. Jin-Shei is a fast paced book, the kind where you're like, "ok, I'll put the book down after this chapter...", but you're so into the story that you end up finishing the book in one sitting.
Oh, towards the end, I practically bawled my eyes out (something I rarely do), and almost threw the book across the room. It was so sad (particularly at the part with Xaforn), but it was so good at the same time, that I just had to keep on reading.
When I finished the book, I wanted to pick it up and read it again! I will, soon.
Rating: 
Summary: A little odd...
Review: I would say that this book had a very promising beginning but lost credibility somewhere in the middle. It was very interesting and intertwined the lives of ten women. Then it just got weird--Alexander incuded a lot of magical events that really did not seem to fit in with the story. It would have been a much better novel if she had found some real conflicts in which to confront all the protagonists. Overall, I was dissappointed...I had hoped that this would be good fiction, but I really feel that this book belongs in the fantasy category.
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Summary: Jin-Shei: Intrigue, alchemy, and sisterhood
Review: In the ancient Chinese kingdom of Syai, in a land of myth and magic, yet stark reality as well, the last words of a dying girl to her first and only jin-shei, or sister of the heart, sets into motion a series of events that will change the fate of the kingdom. And in these years of the sacred jin-shei sisterhood, eight girls share their lives with each other. Tai, the poet who's quiet ways and caring instincts form the very foundation of the jin-shei circle, Xaforn, the orphaned warrior, who would protect her sisters no matter what the cost, Khailin, the scholar who's insatiable thirst for knowledge would draw her into a world of alchemy and black magicks, Nhia, the crippled sage of humble beginnings, Tammary, the gypsy, whose tangled past and secret lineage could ruin the royal house, Qiann, the rebel leader with family secrets of her own, Yuet, the healer with undying loyalty to each of her sisters, and Liudan, the empress whose quest for immortality could destroy them all. In the years and lifetimes that follow the first of the jin-shei oaths, the circle is plunged deeper into a mad world of rebellion and loyalty, alchemy and mythology, immortality and the ultimate realization of the harsh mortality of all. How long with the jin-shei circle last before the corrosive darkness begins to erode away the ties that bind them all together?
A must-read that will surely become a favorite!
Rating: 
Summary: Started out great, but....
Review: The story was completely engrossing at the beginning, and I was hooked for about 300 pages. In fact, I searched to find other books this author had written because I wanted to read everthing she'd created. Then things started getting wierd in the book: characters would be introduced with such detail that they appeared to be main, or at least secondary, characters. Then they'd leave with little explaination. There were parts of the story that were extraordinary: the magic was incredible, the descriptions were poetic, and the characters came to life. The only thing that kept this book from being 5 stars, for me, was that I had to keep flipping back thinking "who was this person again?". That kind of ruined the momentum.
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Summary: The Secrets of Jin-shein - destined to become a classic
Review: They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but in the case of The Secrets of Jin-shei, the book jacket is almost as beautiful as the magical story inside. With muted browns, varying shades of ivory and an artist's sketch of blossoming, oriental flowers, the cover depicts a young Chinese woman who, at once, appears innocent yet deep in thought. Coupled with the book's title, the reader wonders what secrets such a woman might hold.
Written in the fictitious Chinese kingdom of Linh-an, the capital of Syai, author Alma Alexander tells the story of eight women brought together by fate and circumstance, but bound together by choice as jin-shei sisters, sisters of the heart. Over the course of the women's lives, they are struck with both tragedy and triumph, their lives irrevocably intertwined as their sisterhood crosses all social, economic and political boundaries.
Alexander artfully creates the fictitious Chinese custom of jin-shei, modeled after the real-life custom known as Jiebai Zhimei, a sworn sisterhood of women bound by heart and spirit, rather than by blood. Through the magnificent telling of this custom, the secret sisterhood of Chinese women is gradually revealed through their deeds as well as their secret language jin-ashu. This unbreakable bond is handed down from each generation of women and shared by only those who choose to engage in it.
In this beautifully crafted tale, Alexander paints detailed visions of the city of Linh-an, the capital city of Syai where most of the story is set. In many areas of the city and its kingdom, the descriptions are rich and delightful. In others, however, the author cleverly depicts the darkness and deception hidden within the kingdom's walls. With these colorful descriptions, Alexander brings the city, its people and the royal kingdom to life.
The reader easily becomes enraptured by the multi-faceted women as the depths of their characters are revealed through both their personal histories and their actions throughout the story. Each character is introduced during her youth with a brief explanation of how her personality and beliefs have evolved as a young girl. Then, one by one, each girl meets the others, choosing to become jin-shei sisters as their paths cross and their lives become entwined with one another.
Among a myriad of other fascinating characters, the eight jin-shei sisters are Nhia, the natural philosopher and seer of all things; Tai, the poet who makes her promise to a dying Empress-to-be; Xaforn, the royal Guard member destined to become a warrior; Khailin, the alchemist who thirsts for knowledge at any price; Tammary, the lost traveler who seeks love and belonging; Qiann, daughter of a captain of the Guard who seeks truth; Yuet, the wise and patient healer; and Liudan, the unlikely Empress who reigns over them all.
Throughout the novel, the story of these incredible women unfolds naturally, easily holding the reader's attention from cover to cover. With Alexander's fluent dialogue and detailed story-telling, she has created a book destined to become a classic here and abroad and one that, as the cliché goes, is difficult to put down. This is a "must read" for anyone with a penchant for the Orient or who understands that the bond of sisterhood, whether by blood or by spirit, is both unique and unbreakable.
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Summary: Jin-shei
Review: This book is very well-written, and keeps you interested throughout. You essentially do enter the world of Jinh-shei, and feel like you have become one of the sisters. There are many twists in the novel, things that you never actually thought would happen. Throughout it, I was very surprised. I liked the plot details and I admit that Alma Alexander is a good writer. I hope to track down her other novels and read them. The details are amazing. You are fully transported into the world, and the ending certainly surprised me.
I name it a Must-Read.
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Summary: What an amazing book.
Review: This book, written by Alma Alexander, was one of the best novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It was gripping, compelling, beautiful, an elaborate tapestry of words wonderfully woven together to create a world that was at once real and mystical. The eight central characters -- Tai, Xaforn, Nhia, Qiaan, Liudan, Yuet, Tammary, and Khailin -- each had their own distinct personalities, and yet each drew from the others so easily. All had their faults, their good points, their weaknesses and their strengths. By the end of the book, you had experienced so many different emotions -- anger, hatred, sadness, grief, happiness. There were characters you wish had never existed. There were those you grew to love so much they seemed real. Utterly and completely real. The very idea of jin-shei is something I wish all women actually had in their lives. I myself would love to have a cadre of jin-shei sisters, and yet I realize I probably already do.
I cannot recommend this book enough. The characters develop into real people among the 492 pages of this volume. I shed tears over this book, towards the end. I was shocked, elated, angered, infuriated by the actions on the pages. This is a book that the second I finished it, I wanted to pick it up and start reading it again. I probably would have, if I didn't have three other books sitting on my nightstand, waiting to be read. It's a book I bought in a moment of impulsive shopping, and it's one I will probably read again and again. I don't regret buying it in the least, and I would highly, highly recommend it to all of you to read.
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