The Iron Khan

The Iron Khan (2010) Liz Williams

I stumbled across The Snake Agent in 2007, and since then have eagerly bought books in the Detective Inspector Chen series whenever they came out. However, at some point finding those books was getting to be more and more difficult. Scuttlebutt has it that Night Share Books (the original publisher of the series) got itself into serious trouble, so although The Iron Khan had been listed as coming soon for ages, it never did. Then about the time I heard about Night Shade getting itself into trouble, it was listed as not available and I became even more frustrated.

Then, I somehow stumbled across a printing from a completely different publisher–Morrigan Books–and snatched it up. Hopefully she has sorted out her publisher issues, and I can look forward to a new Detective Inspector Chen book in a much more timely fashion.

Now, onto our story…

Chen is contacted by the Emperor of Heaven and asked to find The Book–an artifact the is akin to the blueprint for the creation of the world. Except that it’s a self-aware blueprint that has decided on its own to wander off and change the world.

Zhu Irzh, Chen’s sometimes partner, ends up with a task of his own: finding and stopping the Iron Khan–an unpleasant immortal. The Khan is already being chased through time by others, including the young warrior Omi, and at least one ghost.

Meanwhile, Inari–Chen’s wife–is pregnant, and it looks like (aside from being half-demon and half-human) this will not be an ordinary child. The Celestial Miss Qi has been visiting Inari while Chen is gone, and it seems as if this child is already the center of attention for many people.

Confusing? It is a bit. But there is something about Liz William’s writing that draws me in and ties everything together.

Unlike previous books, Chen and Zhu Irzh don’t spend much time in Hell (any Hell) and I have to say I liked that change. It’s not that I disliked Hell or Heaven, but Singapore Three and the world that surrounds it are such fascinating places, it’s nice to spend time there. Not that we actually spend a lot of time in Singapore Three, but we do get to see more of the world in which Chen and all live.

If you have not read a previous Detective Inspector Chen book, I’m not sure this is the best introduction. Chen and Inari and Zhu Irzh (and Jhai) are somewhat settled into their lives right now, and I wonder if it would be confusing trying to understand their backgrounds AND Singapore Three AND Heaven and Hell and the Sea of Night. That’s not to detract in any way from this book, it’s just that there is a lot in their pasts, and a lot of world building that has gone on previously, and I’m not sure how easy a read this would be without that knowledge.

Oh, with the new publisher, a new artist is doing to covers for this series. Although I really like this cover, and although the cover does represent the story very well, somehow, the style just feels a bit off to me. I’m not saying it’s not gorgeous, because it is. I’d totally pick up this book on the strength of this cover. But the style is so very different from previous books, it just feels alien to me. But that is, I fully admit, entirely my problem. And it really is a gorgeous cover. The feel just isn’t what I’ve built up in my mind.

And now you know who I hate movies made from books so much.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Morrigan Books

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