B- Reviews / Book Reviewscourtesan heroine / Historical / Historical-China / joint review / law-enforcement / Lotus Palace series / murder mystery / POC / POC author / road-romance / Tang DynastyComments Off on JOINT REVIEW: Red Blossom in Snow by Jeannie Lin
Murder and forbidden love in the Tang Dynasty. The latest in the bestselling Lotus Palace Mystery series. Magistrate Li Chen harbors a secret. One that could destroy his hard-earned reputation, as well as his growing passion for the talented courtesan, Song Yi. Li Chen’s duty to his family and the ... more >
B- Reviews / Book Reviewsfamily relationships / Historical fiction / Historical-China / Jewish characters / Kaifeng Chronicles / Ming dynasty / novella / POC / scholarComments Off on REVIEW: Grand Canal: Kaifeng Chronicles, Book Three by Robert Campbell
Li Bing travels from Hangzhou to Beijing along the Grand Canal, planning to stop at Kaifeng along the way. Meanwhile, developments in his new wife’s family take some interesting twists. Unforeseen circumstances have a way of derailing even the best plans. Dear Mr. Campbell, Book three in the Kaifeng Chronicles ... more >
A Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended ReadsAsian heroine / Buddhism / children's book / Historical-China / picture books / POC / POC author / religion / sistersComments Off on REVIEW: Kuan Yin by Maya van der Meer, illustrated by Wen Hsu
Two sisters discover the power of love and the true meaning of compassion in this princess-adventure story based on an ancient Chinese tale. Miao Shan isn’t your typical princess. She likes to spend her time quietly meditating with the creatures of the forest or having adventures with dragons and tigers. ... more >
B Reviews / Book ReviewsFantasy / Historical-China / POC / POC author / short-story / Tang Dynasty / Wuxia2 Comments
A Tang Dynasty martial arts fantasy from bestselling author Jeannie Lin Lu Yan is a hard-drinking, womanizing scholar on a crooked path to enlightenment. When a mysterious woman at a roadside inn warns him of an approaching horde of demons, it’s time for Lu Yan to sober up and discover ... more >
B Reviews / Book Reviewsfamily relationships / Historical fiction / Historical-China / Jewish characters / Kaifeng Chronicles / marriage / Ming dynasty / novella / POC / scholarComments Off on REVIEW: Mandarin Ducks: Kaifeng Chronicles, Book Two by Robert Campbell
In late autumn 1630, Li Bing prepares to depart for Beijing to write the metropolitan examinations. Before he goes, he learns more about his heritage from his maternal grandfather and hopes to marry his childhood sweetheart Xiaoyun. However, political intrigue between his father and hers has the potential to derail ... more >
B Reviews / B+ Reviews / B- Reviews / Book Reviewsarranged-marriage / Asian characters / class-difference / historical romance / Historical-China / Lotus Palace series / mystery / POC / POC author / Reading lists / scholar / Tang Dynasty6 Comments
Several years ago I fell in love with Jeannie Lin’s Lotus Palace novels. Whether you consider them romances or mysteries (I think of them as romances), the setting, a pleasure quarter called the Pinkang Li, part of the Tang Dynasty capital, Chang’an, during the 840s CE, is beautifully rendered and ... more >