Jade Man's Skin

January 4, 2010
Building on the brilliantly subtle groundwork laid in 2009’s Dragon in Chains
, Fox’s Chinese fantasy series continues as the now-unchained dragon threatens human civilization. Han, the one-time apprentice scribe who freed the dragon, is still tied to her mind. The young emperor, in exile on the island of Taishu, finds the beast is both protector and jailer, while general-turned-pirate Li Ton discovers the hard way that he has other, more immediate enemies from his past. When a sea goddess intervenes, she is no friend of the dragon, but she may be even less kind to the people. Readers who enjoyed Fox’s delicate descriptions and leisurely prose will be thrilled to find more of the same, along with greater depth of story as the numerous characters are pulled together by schemes and destiny.

November 15, 2009
The dragon once chained in the straits of Taishu now flies free, seeking revenge yet still controlled by a slave boy's mind. As civil war rages, a deposed emperor and his allies attempt to thwart the plans of an ambitious general. A wide variety of characters, from a ruthless pirate captain to a beautiful and politically savvy imperial concubine, provide multiple viewpoints to this depiction of a land in turmoil and the people who try to restore it to harmony. VERDICT Fox's love of all things Chinese shines through this sequel to "Dragon in Chains", which should appeal to fans of Asian-themed fantasy such as Lian Hearne's "Across the Nightingale Floor" and Barry Hughart's "Bridge of Birds".

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.