A search didn't show any previous mention of Kylie Chan's work so I thought I would bring it up. I've only read the first trilogy so far. Two out of the second trilogy are out (and on our shelf
) ... and that brings me to my biggest complaint about the books. They seem to be marketed as a trilogies but really it's all just one series (the first trilogy is not left hanging all that badly but the central story is certainly not over/closed).
I purchased the first book "just to see" ... and it surprised me. The blurb was perfectly accurate but somehow it led me to expect something different to what I found. What did I expect? I'm not really sure, maybe more of a feeling of the mysterious east or something (remember the music and the "back in China" scenes from the old
Kung Fu television series?). What did I get? Well not that.
The whole thing comes over as remarkably direct and straight forward. The story background is all very much in the here and now, it just happens to have some Chinese gods involved. Martial arts are certainly involved but the book never turns into a real action thriller ... things just happen. The romance that evolves never gets really soggy, it just happens.
This is not coming out as a very flattering review, but that's probably down to my lack of expertise. In the first trilogy,
Dark Heavens, there seemed little that was particularly exciting, and yet I found the books compulsive. I'd keep reading because ... well because I was having fun. The dialogue and the characters had me enjoying the ride.
Actions speak louder than words: I keep buying her books as they come out. I don't think I'd call these great books, but I certainly had fun and I am looking forward to starting on the second trilogy (but waiting on the last one to come out). More details of the books etc can be seen at her
site.
Anyone else here read them? What did you think? Can anyone be more eloquent than I?