Precious Dragon

Precious Dragon (2007) Liz Williams

The third Detective Inspector Chen novel, it seems as if recent activities have brought Chen and Zhu Irzh to the attention of authorities, and they are charged with escorting the emissary from Heaven, Miss Qi, through Hell.

Meanwhile, an old woman arranges the marriage of her only daughter, and soon after is entrusted to care for her only grandson. And elsewhere, a teenage boy who sings in the chorus of the Opera is pulled into a mystery that tangentially involves Chen and Zhu Irzh.

By the end, everyone is involved including Chen’s wife, Zhu Irzh’s mother, and the Badger Teakettle, and we taken a rather thorough tour of Hell.

Although there are rather strong elements of horror in the story (particularly the time spent in the Ministry of Lust) I didn’t find it particularly disturbing. Possibly because at least some of the characters treat their surroundings in such a matter-of-fact manner it was easy for me to do the same.

As with previous books, Precious Dragon is a complete story arc, however, this story builds upon previous stories, and it looks like future books in the series will continue to do so. You should be able to read this book without having read the previous books in the story, but as usual I recommend going back and reading the series in order.
Rating: 8/10

• Browse the archives:
  
• Blood and Iron » »
• « « The Hobbit