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Detective Inspector Chen #3
Precious Dragon
In this, the third Detective Inspector Chen novel, Chen and Zhu are given a major assignment to escort an emissary from heaven on a diplomatic mission to hell. Zhu tries to dodge his demonic family's overtures, but ends up embroiled in hell's political intrigues. At the same time, a young boy born to ghostly parents in Hell is sent to live with his grandmother in Singapore Three. The boy, Precious Dragon, is being chased by Hell's most dangerous creatures and ends up being the key to unlock the mystery that is quickly spiraling out of control. Chen and Zhu find themselves in the middle of a struggle much bigger then they can fully comprehend, and when the dust finally settles, neither heaven nor hell will be the same.
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Liz Williams
135 books256 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Liz Williams is a British science fiction writer. Her first novel, The Ghost Sister was published in 2001. Both this novel and her next, Empire of Bones (2002) were nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.[1] She is also the author of the Inspector Chen series.
She is the daughter of a stage magician and a Gothic novelist. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Science from Cambridge. She has had short stories published in Asimov's, Interzone, The Third Alternative and Visionary Tongue. From the mid-nineties until 2000, she lived and worked in Kazakhstan.[2] Her experiences there are reflected in her 2003 novel Nine Layers of Sky. Her novels have been published in the US and the UK, while her third novel The Poison Master (2003) has been translated into Dutch.
Series:
* Detective Inspector Chen
* Darkland
Liz Williams is a British science fiction writer. Her first novel, The Ghost Sister was published in 2001. Both this novel and her next, Empire of Bones (2002) were nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.[1] She is also the author of the Inspector Chen series.
She is the daughter of a stage magician and a Gothic novelist. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Science from Cambridge. She has had short stories published in Asimov's, Interzone, The Third Alternative and Visionary Tongue. From the mid-nineties until 2000, she lived and worked in Kazakhstan.[2] Her experiences there are reflected in her 2003 novel Nine Layers of Sky. Her novels have been published in the US and the UK, while her third novel The Poison Master (2003) has been translated into Dutch.
Series:
* Detective Inspector Chen
* Darkland
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 23, 2013
Starring (in order of appearance): a precocious orphan chorus boy with the Island Opera; a demon emissary from Hell; Inspector Chen, detective with Singapore Three's police force; an elderly woman; her daughter, currently a resident of Hell; an ancient water dragon; and a mysterious grandson and his equally mysterious pearl. They are supported by an emissary from Heaven with an apologetic talent for violence, a badger who is also a teakettle, and a pharmaceutical mogul who has tigress tendencies. How can you not be intrigued by such a cast of characters?
While the plot for Precious Dragon is a little tighter than the prior book, this isn't as much mystery as epic quest. The trouble is that instead of bringing her fellowship together, Williams tries to carry the storylines separately--that of the opera youth who inadvertently becomes a ghost, the daughter who lives in Hell and works at the Ministry of Epidemics, the detectives' investigation and diplomatic journey to Hell, the grandmother and her strange grandson trying to survive strange attacks, and that of the dragon and her journey through the world's waters--and it doesn't quite maintain enough integrity to succeed. Eventually the majority of stories dovetail, but it occurs so late, it is without that accompanying "ah-ha" moment.
While I love the dragon viewpoint and the opportunity it gives to let Williams' writing shine, it was not truly necessary for the plot, and I suspect the daughter's focus could have been eliminated as well. I do acknowledge that the challenge could just be me and my everlasting irritation with the multiple-viewpoint narrative. It almost succeeds. Characters are more coherent than Weeks' Shadow series, for instance, so if you didn't mind that style, by all means, give Williams a whirl--she's infinitely more inventive. In fact, this might be the trouble with the work--because she is very good at the "show, don't tell," and because her setting is an alternate-reality Singapore/China, it does require more reader effort than the average UF.
I find the world-building nicely balanced with action and characterization. The basis in Chinese culture and myth is fascinating, unique in the fantasy world. (If you've read any Chinese myths, you might have already guessed at the identity of the boy with the pearl). The characters are interesting and well done--the grandmother especially was a delight with her common sense viewpoint and willingness to accept unusual definitions of family. I enjoy Williams' writing style, her metaphors and colorful imagery. I love her affection for Chinese culture, the humor sprinkled throughout and her clear disdain for bureaucracy (notable in the sections with Inspector Chen dealing with his superior who recently attended a management course and [misfiled] paperwork required for entry into Heaven). There's a pleasing thematic balance between everyday issues, and larger philosophical issues of what hell/evil/chaos and heaven/good/order really mean.
I want to wholeheartedly recommend Williams' Detective Chen series to every fantasy lover, but alas, the convoluted narrative prevents me. I suspect this book will appeal mostly for those who like highly imaginative fantasy, perhaps along the lines of Catherynne M. Valente's work. Starting the series at the beginning will help with the Singapore setting and the Heaven-Hell conflict, although there is a short introduction to main characters through the eyes of the chorus boy.
Three and a half tentative stars...Or... On reflection, Williams deserves more for being so inventive and thoughtful. Four determined stars.
****************************************************
"Night passed and the new day shone under the surface of the water, light curving and fragmented. She was coming closer to the cold waters, the ice seas of the north, and she breathed in the fresh water, snowmelt running cold along her dappled sides."
"Chen had thought he'd been given a tough job as liaison officer with Hell, but it was nothing compared to being a member of the traffic department. He felt almost smug as Ma took the police car the wrong way along a one-way street, up a flight of steps, and shot along the harbor road against the flow of in-bound traffic."
"When he died, as a devoted servant of the Goddess Kuan Yin, Most Merciful and Compassionate, he might reasonably expect to enter Heaven himself. Okay, he'd married a demon. His right-hand man was from Hell. On a previous, unfortunate occasion, he'd used the goddess' sacred image as a battering ram. Good thing she was Merciful and Compassionate, really."
Cross posted at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
July 1, 2015
There's nothing quite like returning to a beloved series. I don't really know what it is about these books that just feel right to me. Singapore Three and Detective Chen's houseboat feel like a second home to me by now because so much of the writing is dedicated to the vibrant locales. I feel like I can navigate the streets and back allays just by following the books' descriptions of each neighborhood.
This book starts out slow and builds up momentum as it goes. Chen and Zhu Irzh return to Hell, but this time for a sanctioned trip to escort Ms Qi, an ambassador of Heaven, to the Minister of War. Of course the trip turns out to be disastrous, more disastrous than expected, and the group find themselves in the middle of an impending war with Heaven and Zhu Irzh, in particular, finds his family in the middle of a coup. Things only get more awkward and hilarious from there.
The combination of Liz William's humor and her takes on Chinese mythology, satire, and fantasy never fail to entertain me. I like that
Side note: I always thought Singapore Three was a franchise city, like there are at least 3 cities modeled after Singapore all over Asia (or the world?). But what if Singapore has been destroyed completely twice before and this is the third time it's been rebuilt?
More reviews at https://covers2covers.wordpress.com/2...
This book starts out slow and builds up momentum as it goes. Chen and Zhu Irzh return to Hell, but this time for a sanctioned trip to escort Ms Qi, an ambassador of Heaven, to the Minister of War. Of course the trip turns out to be disastrous, more disastrous than expected, and the group find themselves in the middle of an impending war with Heaven and Zhu Irzh, in particular, finds his family in the middle of a coup. Things only get more awkward and hilarious from there.
The combination of Liz William's humor and her takes on Chinese mythology, satire, and fantasy never fail to entertain me. I like that
Side note: I always thought Singapore Three was a franchise city, like there are at least 3 cities modeled after Singapore all over Asia (or the world?). But what if Singapore has been destroyed completely twice before and this is the third time it's been rebuilt?
More reviews at https://covers2covers.wordpress.com/2...
September 7, 2023
This is my third venture into Williams’ world of Singapore 3. Nothing is quite as it seems and, what is more disorienting, is the way in which the story unfolds. Hell and Heaven are real realms that have an impact on life (yes, even daily life) for many in Singapore 3.
"The main roads, which followed the meridians, were still present and he could see the dark energy lines of which ran beneath them. The principal buildings of his own city were also mirrored. The pagoda towers of the Ministries of Storms, Water, Epidemics and Fire occupied their place, named silently by the demon as they passed, and there were other buildings, too, which Pin did not recognise. The Ministry of Lust: a fat scarlet blob below. The Ministry of War—a towering iron ziggurat and at this the demon’s heart inexplicably leaped. Fires burned blue in the spaces between the streets and beyond,"
"…here (Hell) there was only a suggestion of life. Every building was dark and silent. Shadows watched them from the doorways as they passed and Pin sensed a growing anticipation in the air. They knew what was passing by, concealed within the demon’s carapace: a small, succulent spirit, rent prematurely from its body and still warm. Now, Pin understood why they said that ghosts were hungry. He had never failed to honour the dead. Before she herself had died, his mother had impressed upon him the importance of compensating the ancestors for their current inconvenienced state."
Detective Inspector Chen in this story is tasked with investigating the disappearance of Pin. In his investigations he is accompanied by the demon, Zhu Irzh, we met earlier in the series, and a representative of Heaven.
"“What,” Pin said, inside the demon’s mind “is that?” “That is the Ministry of Epidemics,” an echoing thought replied. He had the impression that the demon was outraged at being addressed by a mere spirit. “We’re going there?” Pin asked in horror, but before he could protest, the demon had leaped from the top of the steps. Even in this disincarnate state, however, he was thankful to be leaving behind the needle teeth and hollow tongues of the hungry ghosts of Shaopeng."
There is more than one story running simultaneously in this novel. Mrs. Pa can communicate with her daughter (who died at age 3) in Hell. Somehow that daughter gets married and the wedding celebration comes to Singapore 3.
"“Hurry!” cried the broker, and Mrs Pa and the Kung family hastily bundled all the waiting presents out of their scarlet envelopes and threw them into the blaze. The little gifts went first: sweets, crackers and cookies vanished into the fire before raining down on the deck of the junk. Then as the fire caught, the proper gifts followed. Flat paper chairs and tables, a handsome parchment bed, the paper stove and pots and pans, everything for the young couple, were consumed by the flames. They would go to the new house, to which Mai and her husband would return. Then the two families threw the money onto the fire, each note bearing the smiling face of the demonic banker, and a fine representation of the Bank of Hell."
Then before much time passes, Mrs. Pa finds that her daughter has sent her a grandchild.
"“She didn’t tell me your name.” She tried hard not to sound accusing. “I haven’t got one yet. This one—” he gestured towards the bones “—died, but it did not leave me a name. Maybe you could give me one?” He was very articulate for his age, Mrs Pa considered, but then, how old was he, this strange spirit child? She thought hard. She supposed she ought to give him his father’s name, but it sounded too prosaic, somehow. Then, dreaming, she saw the boat that had brought Mai and Ahn to their wedding, sailing out of the salt darkness with its crimson sails hanging in wind-blown tatters. “Precious Dragon!” she said. This produced an alarmingly big smile. “Do you like that name? All right, grandson. Precious Dragon it is, then.”"
A third story concerns the long lived “sea dragon” Embar Dea. "The world had changed too much, while Embar Dea dreamed in Sulai-Ba."
Are these stories going to converge? You must read to discover that. Along the way there are some imaginative scenes.
"To him, the ordered line of the dead seemed sad but proper, a progression from the chaos of their last illness to this quiet hallway. Some of them wore costumes that had gone out of fashion a hundred years before, and their wearers seemed frail and thin as paper, bearing their wounds and tumours with a dignity that only the dead can attain."
"Close to Chen and his companions sat two individuals, wearing full armour with war bonnets, the dress of ancient China. Beneath the helms, however, they had the faces of boar: fierce tusks and black bristles, with little black eyes like seeds. They were both staring at Miss Qi with a kind of avidity. Chen felt his heart sink; the last thing they needed was to attract attention to the Celestial, but it seemed that this was going to be inevitable. He couldn’t tell whether they were aware that she was a warrior or not; nor which option was preferable."
"Chen watched as words tumbled out of the informer’s mouth, spiky ideograms bursting like red leaves in the air. As they began to disappear, a picture formed instead, tiny and perfect as if unreeling onto a screen. Miss Qi, backed against a wall with the midnight sky of Hell far above her, fighting grimly. One of the shadow-forms went down, but the others—one black, one dressed in bloody red—stepped up behind her and threw a cloth like a fragile web over her head. It glowed, briefly, and Miss Qi sank to the floor. The two demons in black, moving with a curious jerkiness, picked her up by the head and the feet and ran with her down the alleyway, followed by the lithe shape in red. Then they were gone"
"“I’ve never travelled to Hell by train before,” Chen said. “I didn’t know you could.” Miss Qi seemed impressed."
There is a battle between Heaven and Hell that is full of surprises…..but that could be said for this entire story.
"The main roads, which followed the meridians, were still present and he could see the dark energy lines of which ran beneath them. The principal buildings of his own city were also mirrored. The pagoda towers of the Ministries of Storms, Water, Epidemics and Fire occupied their place, named silently by the demon as they passed, and there were other buildings, too, which Pin did not recognise. The Ministry of Lust: a fat scarlet blob below. The Ministry of War—a towering iron ziggurat and at this the demon’s heart inexplicably leaped. Fires burned blue in the spaces between the streets and beyond,"
"…here (Hell) there was only a suggestion of life. Every building was dark and silent. Shadows watched them from the doorways as they passed and Pin sensed a growing anticipation in the air. They knew what was passing by, concealed within the demon’s carapace: a small, succulent spirit, rent prematurely from its body and still warm. Now, Pin understood why they said that ghosts were hungry. He had never failed to honour the dead. Before she herself had died, his mother had impressed upon him the importance of compensating the ancestors for their current inconvenienced state."
Detective Inspector Chen in this story is tasked with investigating the disappearance of Pin. In his investigations he is accompanied by the demon, Zhu Irzh, we met earlier in the series, and a representative of Heaven.
"“What,” Pin said, inside the demon’s mind “is that?” “That is the Ministry of Epidemics,” an echoing thought replied. He had the impression that the demon was outraged at being addressed by a mere spirit. “We’re going there?” Pin asked in horror, but before he could protest, the demon had leaped from the top of the steps. Even in this disincarnate state, however, he was thankful to be leaving behind the needle teeth and hollow tongues of the hungry ghosts of Shaopeng."
There is more than one story running simultaneously in this novel. Mrs. Pa can communicate with her daughter (who died at age 3) in Hell. Somehow that daughter gets married and the wedding celebration comes to Singapore 3.
"“Hurry!” cried the broker, and Mrs Pa and the Kung family hastily bundled all the waiting presents out of their scarlet envelopes and threw them into the blaze. The little gifts went first: sweets, crackers and cookies vanished into the fire before raining down on the deck of the junk. Then as the fire caught, the proper gifts followed. Flat paper chairs and tables, a handsome parchment bed, the paper stove and pots and pans, everything for the young couple, were consumed by the flames. They would go to the new house, to which Mai and her husband would return. Then the two families threw the money onto the fire, each note bearing the smiling face of the demonic banker, and a fine representation of the Bank of Hell."
Then before much time passes, Mrs. Pa finds that her daughter has sent her a grandchild.
"“She didn’t tell me your name.” She tried hard not to sound accusing. “I haven’t got one yet. This one—” he gestured towards the bones “—died, but it did not leave me a name. Maybe you could give me one?” He was very articulate for his age, Mrs Pa considered, but then, how old was he, this strange spirit child? She thought hard. She supposed she ought to give him his father’s name, but it sounded too prosaic, somehow. Then, dreaming, she saw the boat that had brought Mai and Ahn to their wedding, sailing out of the salt darkness with its crimson sails hanging in wind-blown tatters. “Precious Dragon!” she said. This produced an alarmingly big smile. “Do you like that name? All right, grandson. Precious Dragon it is, then.”"
A third story concerns the long lived “sea dragon” Embar Dea. "The world had changed too much, while Embar Dea dreamed in Sulai-Ba."
Are these stories going to converge? You must read to discover that. Along the way there are some imaginative scenes.
"To him, the ordered line of the dead seemed sad but proper, a progression from the chaos of their last illness to this quiet hallway. Some of them wore costumes that had gone out of fashion a hundred years before, and their wearers seemed frail and thin as paper, bearing their wounds and tumours with a dignity that only the dead can attain."
"Close to Chen and his companions sat two individuals, wearing full armour with war bonnets, the dress of ancient China. Beneath the helms, however, they had the faces of boar: fierce tusks and black bristles, with little black eyes like seeds. They were both staring at Miss Qi with a kind of avidity. Chen felt his heart sink; the last thing they needed was to attract attention to the Celestial, but it seemed that this was going to be inevitable. He couldn’t tell whether they were aware that she was a warrior or not; nor which option was preferable."
"Chen watched as words tumbled out of the informer’s mouth, spiky ideograms bursting like red leaves in the air. As they began to disappear, a picture formed instead, tiny and perfect as if unreeling onto a screen. Miss Qi, backed against a wall with the midnight sky of Hell far above her, fighting grimly. One of the shadow-forms went down, but the others—one black, one dressed in bloody red—stepped up behind her and threw a cloth like a fragile web over her head. It glowed, briefly, and Miss Qi sank to the floor. The two demons in black, moving with a curious jerkiness, picked her up by the head and the feet and ran with her down the alleyway, followed by the lithe shape in red. Then they were gone"
"“I’ve never travelled to Hell by train before,” Chen said. “I didn’t know you could.” Miss Qi seemed impressed."
There is a battle between Heaven and Hell that is full of surprises…..but that could be said for this entire story.
February 28, 2022
Rating: 3.6/5
Review: So the series continues with the consistent plot vehicle of “World Ending” events that drag our heroes too and fro between the realms. Sound Sarcastic? Nah, still a fun ride with good world building and characterization. There is some continuity and grammatical errors but are minor and hard to catch. Of all things I liked Grandma the best. Go figure.
I will continue on, yet feel the slide downward coming.
Review: So the series continues with the consistent plot vehicle of “World Ending” events that drag our heroes too and fro between the realms. Sound Sarcastic? Nah, still a fun ride with good world building and characterization. There is some continuity and grammatical errors but are minor and hard to catch. Of all things I liked Grandma the best. Go figure.
I will continue on, yet feel the slide downward coming.
October 11, 2009
In this third volume in the Inspector Chen series, Liz Williams continues the stories of the strangest and most interesting police partner duo in fantasy or straight fiction--Inspector Chen and Seneschal Zhu Irzh. The one is a devotee of the goddess Kuan Yin working as a "Snake Agent" for the Singapore Three police force. His partner is a liaison from the Chinese Hells, and is, in fact, yes, a demon. Together they fight crime!
That may sound flippant, but by this third novel, Williams really starts making this pair work. Ostensibly, while the novel is about the titular character, who is a little boy who is far more than he appears, the novel positively sings and dances with delight when Chen and Zhu are back on screen. Be it Zhu's complicated relationship with his lover and his family, or Chen's attempts at trying to do the right thing in Earth AND in Hell, the buddy cop routine never fails to please.
I recently read a story by Williams in the Songs of the Dying Earth anthology and now, based on that, I can see that Vance is an inspiration for these characters, and some of the descriptive motifs and styles in these novels. The amazing "hell-bound train" is an image that has been indelibly burned into my memory.
Williams is also willing to avoid the reset button. Things have changed from the start of the first novel, and through the second, and the balance of things changes by the end of this one as well. Its an organic process of her world growing, developing and changing in a real way.
You shouldn't start here, of course. And the start of this novel is a little slow. But when the novel gets on all cylinders, Williams shows that she is an entertaining, engaging, and most talented fantasy novelist. I am looking forward, eagerly, for the next novel in her Inspector Chen series. After reading this, I am pretty sure you will, too.
That may sound flippant, but by this third novel, Williams really starts making this pair work. Ostensibly, while the novel is about the titular character, who is a little boy who is far more than he appears, the novel positively sings and dances with delight when Chen and Zhu are back on screen. Be it Zhu's complicated relationship with his lover and his family, or Chen's attempts at trying to do the right thing in Earth AND in Hell, the buddy cop routine never fails to please.
I recently read a story by Williams in the Songs of the Dying Earth anthology and now, based on that, I can see that Vance is an inspiration for these characters, and some of the descriptive motifs and styles in these novels. The amazing "hell-bound train" is an image that has been indelibly burned into my memory.
Williams is also willing to avoid the reset button. Things have changed from the start of the first novel, and through the second, and the balance of things changes by the end of this one as well. Its an organic process of her world growing, developing and changing in a real way.
You shouldn't start here, of course. And the start of this novel is a little slow. But when the novel gets on all cylinders, Williams shows that she is an entertaining, engaging, and most talented fantasy novelist. I am looking forward, eagerly, for the next novel in her Inspector Chen series. After reading this, I am pretty sure you will, too.
November 29, 2009
This is more like it.* (Also, I'd probably give this a 3.5 if I could.) Jhai is still annoying (And why did she do something that was distinctly counter to her best interests? Unless I read too fast and missed it, we never get an explanation or even a very good justification.), but Mrs Pa and Precious Dragon are the bees' knees.
There is beginning to be a distinct Singapore Three is the Center of the Universe vibe here, though. (Unlike in, say, Kim Harrison's Hollows series, where things happen to or because of Rachel, who happens to live in Cincinnati.)
I realized toward the end of this one what this series also reminds me of: Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality books. (See my review of Snake Agent for a list of other things this made me think of.) Edited to add: if books were people, this one would probably live a few streets away from The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump.
*I was not terribly fond of The Demon and the City, this book's immediate prequel. (My review contains some spoilers.)
There is beginning to be a distinct Singapore Three is the Center of the Universe vibe here, though. (Unlike in, say, Kim Harrison's Hollows series, where things happen to or because of Rachel, who happens to live in Cincinnati.)
I realized toward the end of this one what this series also reminds me of: Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality books. (See my review of Snake Agent for a list of other things this made me think of.) Edited to add: if books were people, this one would probably live a few streets away from The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump.
*I was not terribly fond of The Demon and the City, this book's immediate prequel. (My review contains some spoilers.)
August 10, 2012
This book follows on like the previous instalment - all building and growing the scale and involvement of the various characters. There are several of the plot twists - one of once is so obvious that it smacks of a certain Eddie Murphy film. However the sense of satisfaction when literally hell goes to war and is subsequently stopped in its tracks is suitably satisfying. The book is now settling in and i guess a little more predictable however I cannot help but enjoy it and again it was finished in record time
February 3, 2018
Rarely are we treated to such an enjoyable cataclysm.
Liz Williams has been assembling a rich world in the past two Detective Inspector Chen novels, a world where a charmingly bureaucratic, surprisingly efficient (unless they decide not to be, for the sake of cruelty) Hell butts up against the agents of a frigidly virtuous, colorless and perfect Heaven on the sweaty streets of Singapore Three.
In this one she takes a sledgehammer to it.
Well, I guess she already did that twice. (Spoilers.)
But this time, it really felt like she meant it, and it's a special feeling to see a fantasy author who's willing to take the world she built so lovingly and really fuck with the status quo.
Liz Williams has been assembling a rich world in the past two Detective Inspector Chen novels, a world where a charmingly bureaucratic, surprisingly efficient (unless they decide not to be, for the sake of cruelty) Hell butts up against the agents of a frigidly virtuous, colorless and perfect Heaven on the sweaty streets of Singapore Three.
In this one she takes a sledgehammer to it.
Well, I guess she already did that twice. (Spoilers.)
But this time, it really felt like she meant it, and it's a special feeling to see a fantasy author who's willing to take the world she built so lovingly and really fuck with the status quo.
December 16, 2015
I read the first two books of this series as paperbacks and then it sort of hung out in the back of my mind as something I liked, but I never really remembered to look for more when I was shopping for ebooks. Finally I stumbled across the series again while looking at a sale at Amazon and decided to pick up where I left off.
It's been long enough since I read the second book (The Demon and the City, I think) that I couldn't remember a whole lot about what had happened, but I remembered the characters: Detective Inspector Chen, police liaison between Earth, Heaven and Hell, and his demon partner Zhu Irzh, late of Hell's Vice Squad.
This series is an entertaining near-future urban fantasy with an Asian setting and lots of side-jaunts into Hell and even a little bit into heaven as well. It's pretty enjoyable -- in this volume in particular I enjoyed all the thought the author put into the details of Hell's Ministry of Lust, for instance.
However, this particular book suffered from a bit of rough writing. Not only were there some embarrassing typos -- misspelling the names of important characters at least twice, for instance -- but it felt like certain subplots and minor characters were kind of abandoned in the rush to wrap up the story.
There are two books left in this series and I'll go ahead and pick them up and read them over the next few months, as I do really enjoy the characters and the setting, and they're a good light read to intersperse between heavier books. Plus the next one apparently features the badger tea kettle as a central character, and I have a soft spot for him.
It's been long enough since I read the second book (The Demon and the City, I think) that I couldn't remember a whole lot about what had happened, but I remembered the characters: Detective Inspector Chen, police liaison between Earth, Heaven and Hell, and his demon partner Zhu Irzh, late of Hell's Vice Squad.
This series is an entertaining near-future urban fantasy with an Asian setting and lots of side-jaunts into Hell and even a little bit into heaven as well. It's pretty enjoyable -- in this volume in particular I enjoyed all the thought the author put into the details of Hell's Ministry of Lust, for instance.
However, this particular book suffered from a bit of rough writing. Not only were there some embarrassing typos -- misspelling the names of important characters at least twice, for instance -- but it felt like certain subplots and minor characters were kind of abandoned in the rush to wrap up the story.
There are two books left in this series and I'll go ahead and pick them up and read them over the next few months, as I do really enjoy the characters and the setting, and they're a good light read to intersperse between heavier books. Plus the next one apparently features the badger tea kettle as a central character, and I have a soft spot for him.
March 14, 2020
Precious Dragon opens slowly and somewhat confusingly, as Liz Williams has to set three or four parallel story-trains into motion. Unlike the first two D.I. Chen books, you definitely shouldn't start here. Even readers who've read the first two book may be doing a bit of head-scratching (and toe-tapping) until she gets all her balls into the air.
But then -- wow! All the cool stuff I loved in the first two books, and more! Viz, Chen musing on his mortality, aboard the Hell-Bound Train:
"When he died, as a devoted servant of the Goddess Kuan Yin, Most Merciful and Compassionate, he might reasonably expect to enter Heaven. Okay, he'd married a demon. His right-hand man was from Hell. On a previous, unfortunate occasion, he'd used the goddess' sacred image as a battering ram. Good thing she was Merciful and Compassionate..."
The Hell-Bound Train! Can there be a more resonant image in SF&F, either in words or pictures? Williams' iteration is spectacular:
"It was bullet-shaped, black and silver..., coruscated with magnificent ornamentation. Its engine was encased in the head of a centipede: of a kueri, and the name on its side read STORM LORD."
"Wow," Chen remarked. "It's certainly baroque."
Which isn't a bad description of Williams's book. Plus, it made me smile a lot. Liz Williams is a Jack Vance fan, and it shows. I haven't quite decided who Zhu Irzh, "large as life and twice as unnatural," reminds me of... Not quite as finely-crafted as the first two, in my judgement, but if you've come this far, you won't want to stop now.
[review written in 2008 for SF Site]
But then -- wow! All the cool stuff I loved in the first two books, and more! Viz, Chen musing on his mortality, aboard the Hell-Bound Train:
"When he died, as a devoted servant of the Goddess Kuan Yin, Most Merciful and Compassionate, he might reasonably expect to enter Heaven. Okay, he'd married a demon. His right-hand man was from Hell. On a previous, unfortunate occasion, he'd used the goddess' sacred image as a battering ram. Good thing she was Merciful and Compassionate..."
The Hell-Bound Train! Can there be a more resonant image in SF&F, either in words or pictures? Williams' iteration is spectacular:
"It was bullet-shaped, black and silver..., coruscated with magnificent ornamentation. Its engine was encased in the head of a centipede: of a kueri, and the name on its side read STORM LORD."
"Wow," Chen remarked. "It's certainly baroque."
Which isn't a bad description of Williams's book. Plus, it made me smile a lot. Liz Williams is a Jack Vance fan, and it shows. I haven't quite decided who Zhu Irzh, "large as life and twice as unnatural," reminds me of... Not quite as finely-crafted as the first two, in my judgement, but if you've come this far, you won't want to stop now.
[review written in 2008 for SF Site]
July 2, 2012
Not as good as the other two in the series I read, but a still good, solid, entertaining romp through Hell. The setting (s) seemed bigger than the characters, and towards the end they felt like marionettes dancing half heartedly in front of a really, really good drop background. Williams is excellent at painting vivid word pictures describing the scene (particularly that of Hell), but her characters - at least in Precious Dragon - became a little bit flat and manipulated by the end. It occasionally felt like a fantasy version of It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, with a huge ensemble cast that played comedically off one another, and several good cameos. But, as those kids in Sound of Music so whiningly say "But it doesn't mean anything..." A stronger plot and much, much, much more character development would, I think, make for a better story in the end. Detective Inspector Chen, who I feel is supposed to be the main character, gets so little development and so little to do - for the second book in a row! I'm only going to keep going with these because Williams does a great job of making you want to keep on reading and find out what's going on; it's a good mystery.
June 4, 2012
While this was still not as focused on the characters that I found most interesting in the first novel as I would have liked, I'm delighted that this one was more on track with the first one and had a page-turning, engaging story. THESE new characters were actually endearing - Mrs. Pa and Precious Dragon: really, really loved them. However, I still dislike Jhai, and, honestly, WHAT was the point of the Pin narrative? I find this take on the different afterlives to be fascinating. However, when we get into them too much, I lose interest and the flow of the narrative. I will certainly (hmmmm...wondering what I was going to say next? Just realized this was left unfinished...I think I was going to say "be reading the next one," but it could have been "be putting this one in the garbage," or "making a bonfire with this one..." no idea, really.)
December 23, 2007
"Just for once, Chen thought, I'd like to be taken aback by proof of someone's innocence."
Ahh, Inspector Chen. He so crazy.
Liz Williams' Inspector Chen novels are beautiful, awesome and excellently told tales and if you don't like them I can only assume that you are just no fun and hate everything that is good in the world. Obviously, the terrorists have already won.
Ahh, Inspector Chen. He so crazy.
Liz Williams' Inspector Chen novels are beautiful, awesome and excellently told tales and if you don't like them I can only assume that you are just no fun and hate everything that is good in the world. Obviously, the terrorists have already won.
January 12, 2015
I'm reading this series in order, and this is the best one so far.
And Jon Foster's cover art for this series is simply divine!
And Jon Foster's cover art for this series is simply divine!
November 28, 2021
In this 3rd Inspector Chen novel, Chen and Zhu Irzh get sent on a diplomatic mission to Hell along with a warrior nun representative of Heaven - Miss Qi. Zhu has to visit his relatives much to his dismay and finds his mother has divorced his father and taken up with the Minister of War. A huge scale battle between heaven and Hell is brewing....
There's an awful lot going on in this one, and it jumps around between several sets of characters so you really do need your wits about you and a good knowledge of the previous book. We have:
1) Chen/Zhu/Miss Qi visiting Hell
2) Old Mrs Pa (human realm) who has been given guardianship of her grandson, 'precious dragon' born in hell by her newly married dead daughter
3) Pin a young opera dancer/male prostitute who's spirit gets trapped in hell after a bungled seance - he meets up with Mai, Mrs. Pa's daughter in hell.
4) Mhara (son of the celestial emperor) and his lover ghost Robin from the previous book
5) Jahi - Zhu's Devas girlfriend
6) Embar Dea and the ancient dragons
And then you have all Zhu's family scheming behind the scenes. Chen himself is rather superfluous - there's so much other stuff going on and you do have to keep referring back to certain passages to keep things straight.
Scenes of this I absolutely adored - the destruction of the ministry of lust in particular is fantastic. However it is overly complex and really doesn't work that well as a stand alone - still if you are a fan of the other Inspector Chen novels there's lots to enjoy and I have to say these are a breath of fresh air in the urban fantasy genre using Asian mythology and a staggering imagination.
There's an awful lot going on in this one, and it jumps around between several sets of characters so you really do need your wits about you and a good knowledge of the previous book. We have:
1) Chen/Zhu/Miss Qi visiting Hell
2) Old Mrs Pa (human realm) who has been given guardianship of her grandson, 'precious dragon' born in hell by her newly married dead daughter
3) Pin a young opera dancer/male prostitute who's spirit gets trapped in hell after a bungled seance - he meets up with Mai, Mrs. Pa's daughter in hell.
4) Mhara (son of the celestial emperor) and his lover ghost Robin from the previous book
5) Jahi - Zhu's Devas girlfriend
6) Embar Dea and the ancient dragons
And then you have all Zhu's family scheming behind the scenes. Chen himself is rather superfluous - there's so much other stuff going on and you do have to keep referring back to certain passages to keep things straight.
Scenes of this I absolutely adored - the destruction of the ministry of lust in particular is fantastic. However it is overly complex and really doesn't work that well as a stand alone - still if you are a fan of the other Inspector Chen novels there's lots to enjoy and I have to say these are a breath of fresh air in the urban fantasy genre using Asian mythology and a staggering imagination.
December 20, 2022
I made the mistake of reading Precious Dragon not realizing it is part of a series. That being said I was still able to enjoy it by itself since it feels like the detective inspector chen series has a more episodic feel to its stories. This look into this world set up by Liz Williams has intrigued me enough to seek out the rest of the books and I look forward to getting to know the characters better.
February 3, 2018
Fun read!
I really like this series. Fun to read and hard to put down. This moved fast and the ongoing story has another layer. And there were dragons! I was instantly sucked in! I did notice that there were quite a few editing errors, mostly wrong words or proper names not capitalized. That’s why a 4 Star. Looking forward to the next book.
I really like this series. Fun to read and hard to put down. This moved fast and the ongoing story has another layer. And there were dragons! I was instantly sucked in! I did notice that there were quite a few editing errors, mostly wrong words or proper names not capitalized. That’s why a 4 Star. Looking forward to the next book.
March 21, 2020
Another fine romp, this one taking the Inspector and his demon sidekick to Hell just in time for a battle between it and Heaven. Lots of continuing characters, but works well enough as a standalone. There’s something here that reminds me of a Miyazaki film, particularly “Spirited Away,” but can’t quite put a finger on it. Onward!
July 23, 2024
This is an exceptionally interesting book on this series as Chen and Zhu Irzh visit Hell on an official mission. Seeing Zhu Irzh coping with his family is amusing, with serious undertones, and the story of Precious Dragon, back on Earth, is thrilling. The climax of the battle between Heaven and Hell is well told, and a logical consequence of what's happened before
March 27, 2020
I love this series so much. So few American authors can write convincingly of other cultures, Williams really pulls it off.
May 25, 2020
this is the best of these books so far. while i liked the first two books i found them somewhat hard to follow and a bit boring at first. but this one was much easier to follow and not so boring.
February 20, 2022
Another exciting mystery set in the Singapore of the near future and encompassing Earth, Heaven and Hell. It's a complicated world but a very engaging one.
July 23, 2024
Outstanding
Love this series. So different from so many others I've read. But not so different where it isn't relatable. Looking for it the next one!
Love this series. So different from so many others I've read. But not so different where it isn't relatable. Looking for it the next one!
October 16, 2008
I think we're reading in a good time to be a fan of F&SF. When I go to the bookstore or library, I'm literally blinded by the choices, but unfortunately most of it is crap. If I get another time travel or Narnia ripoff story, or a small band against impossible odds Star Wars/LotR imitation, I think I'm going to vomit until I die.
Then Liz Williams comes along. (AND Daniel Abraham AND Karl Schroeder, I <3 you all). This is the third Detector Inspector Chen novel. DI Chen is a cop in Singapore Three (a franchise (YES, A FRANCHISE! OMFG) of the original), which is somewhere on the coast of China. He's a "snake agent" (also the name of the first DI Chen book) for the S3PD, which means he deals with occult crimes. And early in the first book he runs into a Vice from from Chinese Hell. Of course they end up partners.
Yes. A demon cop. Who smokes opium cigarettes. And Mrs. Chen is also a demon (but a nice one).
Originality? Fsck yes (except for the partner bit, but picking on a cop story for unwilling partners is like harping on a space opera for being in, well, space).
I started Precious Dragon right after I finished Pirate Sun and I have to admit I thought it was slow initially, but only because Pirate Sun wrapped up with such a bang. But did Liz make up for that. Holy poop. As the climax built I remember peeking at the last page to see I only had 40 pages left. How the heck was she going to wrap it up.
Like an effing champ. That's how. Someday they may be able to reattach my jaw.
Then Liz Williams comes along. (AND Daniel Abraham AND Karl Schroeder, I <3 you all). This is the third Detector Inspector Chen novel. DI Chen is a cop in Singapore Three (a franchise (YES, A FRANCHISE! OMFG) of the original), which is somewhere on the coast of China. He's a "snake agent" (also the name of the first DI Chen book) for the S3PD, which means he deals with occult crimes. And early in the first book he runs into a Vice from from Chinese Hell. Of course they end up partners.
Yes. A demon cop. Who smokes opium cigarettes. And Mrs. Chen is also a demon (but a nice one).
Originality? Fsck yes (except for the partner bit, but picking on a cop story for unwilling partners is like harping on a space opera for being in, well, space).
I started Precious Dragon right after I finished Pirate Sun and I have to admit I thought it was slow initially, but only because Pirate Sun wrapped up with such a bang. But did Liz make up for that. Holy poop. As the climax built I remember peeking at the last page to see I only had 40 pages left. How the heck was she going to wrap it up.
Like an effing champ. That's how. Someday they may be able to reattach my jaw.
June 21, 2016
I love Liz William's Inspector Chen books. Chen is a Snake Agent, in the branch of Singapore Three's police force that deals with transgressions in all three realms, Heaven, Earth and Hell. This is the third in the series in which Chen and his demon policing partner Zhu Irzh are called away from investigating the disappearance of a girl from the opera to accompany Miss Qi, a Celestial warrior, on a cultural exchange trip from Heaven to Hell.
There are several story arcs: Chen and Zhu Irzh, of course, as they negotiate not only Hell but Zhu Irzh's overbearing demonic family; Pin from the opera, soon to follow the hapless missing girl to the depths of hell; Embar Dea, the elderly dragon; Mrs Pa and her grandson Precious Dragon who was born in Hell, has come to earth and is now being chased by the deadly demonic kuei; Mhara, son of the Celestial Emperor (introduced in the previous book, The Demon and the City); Jhai Tserai, Zhu Irzh's amoral, wealthy industrialist girlfriend, part demon herself, and Inari, Chen's gentle demon wife. Everything interlinks and comes together satisfactorily at the end, of course.
This is absorbing and beautifully written and I'm already itching to get on to the next one, The Shadow Pavilion.
There are several story arcs: Chen and Zhu Irzh, of course, as they negotiate not only Hell but Zhu Irzh's overbearing demonic family; Pin from the opera, soon to follow the hapless missing girl to the depths of hell; Embar Dea, the elderly dragon; Mrs Pa and her grandson Precious Dragon who was born in Hell, has come to earth and is now being chased by the deadly demonic kuei; Mhara, son of the Celestial Emperor (introduced in the previous book, The Demon and the City); Jhai Tserai, Zhu Irzh's amoral, wealthy industrialist girlfriend, part demon herself, and Inari, Chen's gentle demon wife. Everything interlinks and comes together satisfactorily at the end, of course.
This is absorbing and beautifully written and I'm already itching to get on to the next one, The Shadow Pavilion.
March 14, 2010
#24 - 2010.
Williams almost has too many characters doing too much in too many situations here. However, she pulls it off. I love Mrs. Pa's character and enjoyed the discovery of what lies at the bottom level of Hell, although I found the sudden craziness of the Emperor of Heaven rather too much. I still enjoyed it overall though.
Rereading this I rediscovered that she suddenly develops a linguistic twitch partway into the book. Or perhaps that is simply where it forced its way into my consciousness. At any rate, once you have noticed that she uses "given" every three sentences or so, it becomes so very annoying that it is difficult forcing one's way past it. Where was the editor? Dozing? Or perhaps in love with that phrase. Given that I am not, one might take it as a given that I was unable to force my way through the next book in the series, The Shadow Pavilion. Especially given the fact that not only is Williams using given sometimes three times in a paragraph, she crammed even more characters in more situations into this one. Nope. I'm not going along for that ride.
Williams almost has too many characters doing too much in too many situations here. However, she pulls it off. I love Mrs. Pa's character and enjoyed the discovery of what lies at the bottom level of Hell, although I found the sudden craziness of the Emperor of Heaven rather too much. I still enjoyed it overall though.
Rereading this I rediscovered that she suddenly develops a linguistic twitch partway into the book. Or perhaps that is simply where it forced its way into my consciousness. At any rate, once you have noticed that she uses "given" every three sentences or so, it becomes so very annoying that it is difficult forcing one's way past it. Where was the editor? Dozing? Or perhaps in love with that phrase. Given that I am not, one might take it as a given that I was unable to force my way through the next book in the series, The Shadow Pavilion. Especially given the fact that not only is Williams using given sometimes three times in a paragraph, she crammed even more characters in more situations into this one. Nope. I'm not going along for that ride.
February 20, 2016
Komisario Chenin ja senesalkki Zhu Irzhin seikkailut jatkuvat tutuilla uomillaan. Tapahtumia käydään maassa ja helvetissä, unohtamatta taivaallisen väen mukana oloa. Chenin demonivaimolla Inarilla on myös osuutensa tarinassa. Tarina on itsenäinen, vaikka on eduksi lukea edelliset osat ensin. Sivuosissa on edellisen osan henkilöitä.
Sarjassa on omaperäinen maailma, vaikka kolmannessa osassa se on jo tuttu. Sinänsä uutta kolmas osa ei maailmaan tuo. Helvetti ja taivas ovat tavallaan maanpäällisen elämän rinnakkaismaailmoja – maailmojen arkkitehtuuri ja tiet ovat samoilla sijoillaan niin helvetissä kuin maan päällä. Maailmojen välillä ei kuljeta noin vain, mutta tietyt väylät yhdistävät maailmat toisiinsa. Puhelin yhteys, tosin heikkotasoinen, on myös olemassa maailmojen välillä.
Kultaisen lohikäärmeen juoni kootaan useasta erillisestä tapahtumavyyhdestä. Juoni on vetävä eikä liian simppeli. Meno on todella vauhdikasta. Tapahtumien ryöppy ja tarinan vauhdikkuus alkoi loppupuolella tuntua liialta, tuli ähkyinen olo. Sen vuoksi kiinnostus tarinaa kohtaan ei kantanut ihan loppuun saakka.
Sarjassa on omaperäinen maailma, vaikka kolmannessa osassa se on jo tuttu. Sinänsä uutta kolmas osa ei maailmaan tuo. Helvetti ja taivas ovat tavallaan maanpäällisen elämän rinnakkaismaailmoja – maailmojen arkkitehtuuri ja tiet ovat samoilla sijoillaan niin helvetissä kuin maan päällä. Maailmojen välillä ei kuljeta noin vain, mutta tietyt väylät yhdistävät maailmat toisiinsa. Puhelin yhteys, tosin heikkotasoinen, on myös olemassa maailmojen välillä.
Kultaisen lohikäärmeen juoni kootaan useasta erillisestä tapahtumavyyhdestä. Juoni on vetävä eikä liian simppeli. Meno on todella vauhdikasta. Tapahtumien ryöppy ja tarinan vauhdikkuus alkoi loppupuolella tuntua liialta, tuli ähkyinen olo. Sen vuoksi kiinnostus tarinaa kohtaan ei kantanut ihan loppuun saakka.
May 8, 2009
I enjoyed this way more than The Demon and the City - it builds on those events and features characters we met in it (Jhai, Mhara), but has a lot more of Zhu Irzh and Inspector Chen working together, which is what I liked best about the first book and what was missing from the second, so I was really happy that they were together again. I enjoyed Miss Qi and Underling No, the Zhu family drama, and the dragons. Even Inari got to do something in this one, though I would like her to have a large, more active role in future stories.
I am also amused that it featured Heaven waging unprovoked war on Hell (based on a lie!), and that it did not have humanity's best interests at heart.
I am also amused that it featured Heaven waging unprovoked war on Hell (based on a lie!), and that it did not have humanity's best interests at heart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2014
Liz Williams has created a unique world: Hell, Heaven, Singapore Three, ..., but there are also a multitude of levels, and you never can tell who will pop up from where 'cause these worlds are populated with demons, celestial beings--with attitude, ghosts, dragons, and there are characters sort of hanging in limbo. I like the imaginative characters, especially Inspector Chen; his demon colleague, Zhu Irzh; Inari, Chen's wife and her companion/familiar, Badger; Jhai; the new characters, Miss Qi and Precious Dragon; and so many more!
The chapters focus on a variety of characters, and sometimes it takes a few seconds to remember who Pin is and Mrs. Pa and ....
I am impressed by the characters and settings and descriptions. And since I read this book out of sequence, I need to read the sequel, The Shadow Pavilion, again.
The chapters focus on a variety of characters, and sometimes it takes a few seconds to remember who Pin is and Mrs. Pa and ....
I am impressed by the characters and settings and descriptions. And since I read this book out of sequence, I need to read the sequel, The Shadow Pavilion, again.
December 4, 2007
Book three in this series pretty much fixes whatever problems were in book 2. Tight story, great character fun. Accurate (within reason) depictions of alternate universe Chinese mythologies.
I still don't like the relationship Irzh has with his paramour, however, all interactions between him and Chen are excellent and had me squealing happily. Inari gets to come out and actively do something!
While book one was explosive and tight for a story in the human realm, Book three notches up several levels in Hell. Now I'm just curious what else Williams will be able to come up with for her other stories that will beat Precious Dragon's rather apocalyptic kick in the pants.
I still don't like the relationship Irzh has with his paramour, however, all interactions between him and Chen are excellent and had me squealing happily. Inari gets to come out and actively do something!
While book one was explosive and tight for a story in the human realm, Book three notches up several levels in Hell. Now I'm just curious what else Williams will be able to come up with for her other stories that will beat Precious Dragon's rather apocalyptic kick in the pants.
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