<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Fun!
Review: I bought this book for my boyfriend's brother for his birthday. The kid is 13 and I wanted something well written but still fun, that was a change from Harry Potter, Eragon, or anything closely linked to the whole teen sorcery genre. And this book does have some Chinese mythology in it, which he likes, so I thought that was a plus too.I did read this book myself, just to make sure it was a good story for a young guy without any *gasp! mushy stuff. I was pretty pleased. There is a lot of action from the very beginning, as well as a lot of humor. The characters are like sophisticated superheroes, and overall this is a really fun book (I think) for any teenish reader who likes action and adventure without mush ;)
Rating:
Summary: Fun!
Review: I bought this book for my boyfriend's brother for his birthday. The kid is 13 and I wanted something well written but still fun, that was a change from Harry Potter, Eragon, or anything closely linked to the whole teen sorcery genre. And this book does have some Chinese mythology in it, which he likes, so I thought that was a plus too. I did read this book myself, just to make sure it was a good story for a young guy without any *gasp! mushy stuff. I was pretty pleased. There is a lot of action from the very beginning, as well as a lot of humor. The characters are like sophisticated superheroes, and overall this is a really fun book (I think) for any teenish reader who likes action and adventure without mush ;)
Rating: 
Summary: Not for a quick read, but an engaging one
Review: I truly enjoyed this book and the depth of texture that the author gives. It reminds me very much of Barry Hugharts Bridge of Birds trilogy in the amount of mythology, theology, and philosophy that is included. I look forward to the next book - although at 33 I am a bit beyond the "target" age group!
Rating:
Summary: Richly engaging "Outlaws"
Review: L.G. Bass makes a stunning debut in "Sign of the Qin," the first book of a series drawing on Chinese myth and legend. Taut, lushly written and wonderfully characterized, "Sign" is an enthralling fantasy with plenty of action, mythic monsters, and a dash of romance and destiny.
The emperor is horrified when he sees his newborn son, because the child has the mark of the Qin, a rebel sign, on his cheek. He throws out the child's mother, Silver Lotus, and secretly plots to kill the baby -- especially since the commoners adore him, since they believe he is the new Starlord, who will renounce his noble birth and be their savior. But the Starlord has a nursemaid and rebel allies who will do whatever it takes to keep him safe.
A recent volcanic eruption has let all sorts of demons loose on the land, and the evil Lord of the Dead Yamu is also plotting against the Starlord's life, calling out vile shapeshifters and evil harpies. To combat him, the lords of heaven send the incorrigible trickster Monkey to take care of the innocent little boy as he comes closer to his rebel allies.
Like a flower, "Sign" has to unfold slowly and carefully. But Bass makes it worth the while, infusing the story with lots of character development and background information. Chinese legends aren't used very often in fantasy, allowing Bass's story to seem entirely fresh and original, complete with sea dragons and conveniently-placed goddesses.
Bass's writing is suitably detailed and solemn, with lots of details on swords, filthy streets and jewelry. The descriptions of things like moving tattoos or statues coming to life are astounding. But there's humor as well; the immortality-hungry Monkey provides most of it, but there is also the putrid demon kappa being defeated with good manners, or the elaborate funeral held for a woman who had only fainted. And most stunning of all are the action scenes, usually quite bloody, gritty and very fast-paced.
At first glance, Prince Zong (or "little Starlord") seems like a pretty typical Child of Destiny -- he walks and talks within days of being born, and has immense wisdom. But Bass makes him a little naive and very sweet. The twin rebels (who are also sons of a sea-dragon) White Streak and Black Whirlwind are also well-drawn. Even the villains like Yamu and the snivelling Emperor are well-written.
Bass provides a slow-moving but rich fantasy in "Sign of the Qin," and the finale promises more adventures to come. Fantastical, funny and grim, this is a definite must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling Yamu,Lord of the Dead
Review: My favorite character was Monkey because he was sneaky, but he took his responsibilities well. I think the author wrote very deep words and had a very positive idea about what she was going to write. For example, if she had put "Monkey was very fast," she would have changed it to "quick". It is very violent although it is soft in a way. I like how the prince was very accurate even though he was young. His personality was stubborn just like the Star Lord, Hung Wu. The Master Hand was firm, but never too hard.General Calabash had alot of patience but knew when to let his students in on advice. He was secretive and knew when he couldn't get caught. It is unusual that the author put Puk as the king of the sea, but when it came to fighting he was a coward.White Streak was a very agile fighter, but did not test the limits of life. He wouldn't go too far in trying to do something. For example, he wouldn't try to defeat Yamu without some help. I like how the author made up the name of the cave that the statue of the river goddess stood upon. It was the best book I've ever read. I hope you like my review and please make the next book soon.
Rating: 
Summary: L.G. is a descriptive author, but fails to catch my interest
Review: Sign of the Qin seemed to have all the ingredients for success: Well-developed characters, terrific vocabulary, and a traditional, yet original plot. Yet Bass' novel instead is a boring, uninteresting chore to finish, which is sad, because it has a lot of potential. The story: After a volcanic eruption that releases several demons (which seems to have no relevance to the plot whatsoever) the First Consort, Silver Lotus (basically the Emperor's mistress) gives birth to a child, but when the sign of the qin, a mark that symbolizes the famous outlaw group, is discovered on his cheek, he is marked for death. After he is saved by said outlaws, he is rescued by Monkey, a thieving demi-god who longs for immortality, and being bodyguard to the prince is his ticket to it. Silver Lotus also escapes from the Emperor, and meets the Tattoed Monk, a mysterious ninja-like man who has shifting tattoes on his back that predict the future. As you can see, this is an intricate yarn, and one that isn't particularly good. Some highlights of the book, though, include some very delicious writing; it seems that Bass has the ability to describe the events and places in the book richly, yet not overuse or repeat words. Another feature is some very interesting yet confusing chinese proverbs in each chapter of the book. Very philosophic, yet some of them had to have been there for comic relief (one said, "If you are not here, you are somewhere else.") Unfortunately, that's about all L.G.'s book has. While there's no denying that there is character development, each chapter of the book doesn't seem to be very essential to the plot, at least not now. Apparently, they are only there so Bass can keep readers slightly interested while she makes up dull excuses for characters' conflicts and histories. While on the topic of characters, don't be fooled into thinking the character Monkey is as witty and funny as you think; he does absolutely nothing in my opinion. By the end, after all the terrible fight scenes and impossible-to-comprehend heavenly events, the ending is rushed and it becomes painstakingly confusing as to what's happening. L.G. Bass takes a good story idea with Chinese mythology, but the bottom line is instead of takin a little poetic license and spicing it up, she stays strict to the tales and gives us a boring book.
Rating:
Summary: Richie's Picks: SIGN OF THE QIN
Review: THE SIGN OF THE QIN is both the best and one of the most complex Young Adult fantasies being published during the first half of 2004. If book awards were given to characters the way Oscars are given to actors, then the smartass Monkey would be a shoe-in for Supporting Character of the Year. This exciting, humorous, and meticulously crafted book, an absolute piece d'resistance, is written by a highly respected children's book editor under her married name and contains not a single out-of-place word. Our most experienced middle school fantasy reader, who thoroughly enjoyed the tale, noted that it borrows heavily from Chinese legends. I have no experience with those legends, but found THE SIGN OF THE QIN to be an absolute delight to read and savor. I look forward to rereading it next year before the second book in the trilogy appears.
Rating: 
Summary: B O R I N and G boring
Review: This book is so boring that i almost fell asleep while reading it nothing happens and it has an exttremley weak plot i hated it do not waste ur time reading this (...)
Rating:
Summary: How about an original idea?
Review: This is the kind of book that happens when someone attempts to fill in a niche for diversity in order to get published without real respect for the source material or culture.
So here we have the author lifting whole parts from classic Chinese novels like Journey to the West (Monkey) and The Water Margin (aka Outlaws of the Marsh--she couldn't even come up with a different title!)
She then mixes up a bunch of aspects from different Asian cultures together as if they are all one and the same. A common Westerner's mistake.
She should have also done more research on names. No one is going to have the name "Zong" since that's reserved for the Emperor--after he's dead! And like most Westerners who come up with Chinese names, the women all get fanciful names like those taken by women in brothels. Of course when you lift from a notorious book like "The Golden Lotus" this would tend to happen.
The author should have spent more time looking into Chinese culture and legend rather than merely reading a few translated books and watching some kung fu films.
<< 1 >>
|
