Chasing the Phoenix

June 8, 2015
Hugo-winner Swanwick (Dancing with Bears) takes his longtime rogue heroes, Surplus and Darger, to postapocalyptic China in this intriguing chronicle of adventures. Once Surplus resurrects Darger with the help of the Infallible Physician, the pair and their newfound associate, Capable Servant, ingratiate themselves with the Hidden King and lead him throughout the warring provinces in search of the Phoenix Bride, a war machine from before the AI war. Taking the names Noble Dog Warrior and the Perfect Strategist, Surplus and Darger navigate the personalities of the Hidden King’s court—the mercenary bandit Fire Orchid, who decides that Surplus is her husband; the archaeologist White Squall, a secretive specialist in forbidden technology—while attempting to keep their sterling reputations intact (at least for now) in the face of seemingly intractable situations. Swanwick deftly incorporates the literature and history of imperial China into the established post-technology world. The style may distance readers who are more used to stories of emotional development, but as Darger’s schemes become more intricate, the intellectual puzzles keep interest right to the end. Agent: Martha Millard, Martha Millard Literary Agency.

Starred review from June 1, 2015
A new entry in Swanwick's picaresque post-apocalyptic series, following Dancing with Bears (2011) and various short stories. Technological civilization collapsed long ago, the reasons for which only gradually emerge, yet Swanwick's seductive future swarms with gene-modified creatures, ancient weapons, vengeful artificial intelligences, and other contrivances that would not seem out of place in a steampunk yarn. Surplus, a genetically modified dog with the stance and intellect of a human, arrives in the Abundant Kingdom with the corpse of his friend (and fellow confidence trickster) Aubrey Darger in search of the Infallible Physician, the only agency by which Darger might be revived. They soon learn that the land's paranoid and quite possibly insane Hidden King is both ambitious to reunite the sundered kingdoms of old China and obsessed with locating his Phoenix Bride. Seeing a likely source of great wealth, our heroes attach themselves to the king's entourage, braving the skepticism of Chief Archaeological Officer White Squall (whose mission is to recover and repair ancient war machines) and Ceo Powerful Locomotive. Surplus becomes Noble Dog Warrior, while Darger declares himself to be Perfect Strategist. In turn, various persons attach themselves to the heroes, among them Capable Servant and a band of feisty horse warriors. Somehow, Surplus and Darger's intrigues and stratagems really begin to work. Or so it seems. One drawback to this otherwise witty, supple, artfully humorous, and vastly engaging yarn is the plot's broad similarity with the previous novel. Still, along with a splendid supporting cast, Swanwick offers a pair of delightful rogues whose chief flaw (like Jack Vance's celebrated Cugel the Clever, a likely inspiration) is that they're a little too crafty for their own good. Swanwick's approaching top form, and this one's just too good to miss.

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July 1, 2015

Two con artists roam a far-flung future China, where most technology has regressed to pre-Industrial Age levels. Darger is a master strategist (or so he has everyone believing) and Surplus is a genetically engineered dog with human speech and intellect. They meet an ambitious local warlord styling himself the Hidden King and try to help him conquer his neighbors. Keeping track of their alliances and lies is a full-time proposition for the pair, but things get deadly serious when the king decides to use a centuries-old nuclear weapon. VERDICT Darger and Surplus, stars of Dancing with Bears and a handful of short stories, are sure to appeal to fans of classic Fritz Leiber and movies such as The Man Who Would Be King. The exotic locale adds interest, and readers will laugh as they watch the protagonists dig themselves into and out of endless sticky situations.--MM

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2015
In a future time, where technology is mostly dead (although there are tantalizing hints of the techno-society that once existed), a genetically modified dog, who walks and thinks like a man, turns up in a Chinese city, carrying the corpse of his best friend (and partner in crime). He's searching for the Infallible Physician, who, it is told, can bring his friend back to life. Surplus and Darger, Swanwick's popular pair of con artists, return in this very entertaining novel. Once Darger has been restored to life, he and Surplusthe dog who walks like a manhook up with a local fella who dreams of being the ruler of a new, united China. Is this a con, or is it the real thing? Except there could be someone else who is helping the wannabe ruler of China get what he wants . . . someone or something who's a lot more dangerous than our heroes. For readers who've never met Surplus and Darger, this book is like a breath of fresh air, witty and imaginative and just plain goofy fun. Fans of the duo (they've appeared in several short stories and one previous novel, Dancing with Bears, 2011) will be lining up for the book; libraries with large SF/fantasy collections may want to stock multiple copies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)