The Red Heart of Jade

The Red Heart of Jade (2006) Marjorie Liu

Mirabelle Lee lost the love of her life as a teenager. Since then, she’s become the archeologist she had dreamed of becoming as a child, and is now in China helping uncover ancient mummies and artifacts.

Dean Campbell lost the love of his life as a teenager–the girl who understood him and accepted his strange powers. His work for Dirk & Steel has given him some meaning, but he’s never really gotten over Miri.

This story is set in China, even though both of the main characters are Americans.

Thing one: I don’t remember reading this story any more than the previous two.

Thing two: I think perhaps I’m not in the mood for this. I’ve been listening to The Rook by Daniel O’Malley that does the whole supernatural secret agent thing, but as a government agents, and it’s really good and this series is paling in comparison.

Not that it’s not good, because it is.

The world is a cruel place, she had said, and compassion had to be tempered with a keen eye for safety, survival, because nothing was ever safe. Nothing ever sacred. Nothing, that is, except moments. Moments of joy, of love; peace and good food and warmth at a table surrounded by those you cared about.

(E)very life is given only one chance. You cannot—you should not—go back and change your mistakes. The point is to learn from them. The point is to make the very best life you can with what you’ve got, and love the person that makes.

It’s just not quite what I’m in the mood for I fear.
Rating: 6/10

Publisher: HarperCollins

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