Book Reviews

The roots of evil run deep in Prince of Blue Flowers by Ryu Zhong, a sprawling and fantastic opening chapter to the Adventures of Takuan from Koto series.

Demons, gods, emperors, and fatal negotiations with otherworldly beings populate these pages in a relentless weaving of magic, legend, and indigenous folklore. At the same time, the focal characters are unassuming and simple heroes on their own journeys of self-discovery. Whether it is Ta-Guan’s bizarre capers while hunting down the sun, or Hatsukoi pilfering melons, pranking blacksmiths, or artfully acquiring a governor’s horse, there is a childish pleasure imbuing nearly all the […]

Author Thamir Essayyad invites readers into a modern clash of medicine, reality, mortality, and mysticism with his stunning novel, The Lost Dagger.

Kanan Angler is a gifted emergency room doctor with a head for facts, symptoms, and science, but when tell-tale signs indicate that he’s losing his mind, the good doctor sets out on a truth-seeking journey across the ocean. However, searching for answers only leads to more questions about his newfound ability to see spirits, commune with the dead, and apparently look into the past.

From eloquent Spanish aristocrats and black-clad sword masters to secret Islamic societies and […]