Everything Under the Sky

Elvira DePoulain is a middle aged artist living in Paris in 1923. Although she has not lived with her husband Remy in twenty years, they are on good terms. When she receives notice that he has passed away, she travels to China with her orphaned young niece Fernanda to settle his affairs. When she arrives she is stunned by what awaits her. Remy died heavily in debt and under French law, she is responsible for payment. Still in shock, she is further disturbed when Paddy, an Irish journalist tells her that her husband was not randomly killed by thieves but was murdered by the Green Gang, as they believed he possessed an ancient carved box. They did not find the box, but Elvira does. A Chinese antiquarian- Lao Jiang - explains the box holds show more clues to a wealth of treasure. He persuades her to accompany him on the quest. She agrees as she needs the money to pay off Remy's debts.

Asensi does a wonderful job with descriptions of China and it's culture. Particularily fascinating are the explanations of the concepts of Tao and Feng Shui. Her puzzles are well thought out and rival any adventure book of this type- The Da Vinci Code for example.

Where I found myself wanting more was in the characters themselves. Although Elvira is portrayed as a strong, independent woman who grows even more along the trek, I just didn't buy it. Her pronouncements seem forced and awkwardly placed, especially those dealing with her niece. Much more interesting was Fernanda and the young servant boy Biao. Their youthful enthusiasm and intelligence came across as much more realistic. Lao Jiang seems to be written as a bit of a caricature, as does Paddy the Irishman. We know Lao Jiang is not quite what he seems with his brooding silences and taciturn manner.

All in all, not a bad read, but not as good as I would have hoped. Looking for something similar? Try James Rollins. show less

Over all, this book was an enjoyable read. It was interesting getting to see the different aspects of Chinese culture.

I knocked two stars off for a couple of reasons: the repetition of events by the narrator (Elvira), got really annoying, really quickly. The second reason is that the characters were profoundly annoying for the first half or so of the book to the point that I almost abandoned this book.

Loved this book! It had great characters, memorable setting, and exciting plot. I loved Elvira, the main character of the book. She reminded myself of me so many times throughout the book, just in the things she said or thought, and in her constant surprise in herself, and of all the brave things she was accomplishing. Another thing I really like about the book is that the author tied up all the loose ends at the end of the book, and allowed the reader to see how the lives of the characters ended up years after their adventure. I think that as a reader this is a wonderful thing, as many times you are left wondering, OK....so they made it to the end of their adventure, but then what? It makes the story and characters seem so much more show more believable. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, yet plausible adventure read. show less

An adventure in 1920s China with an Indiana Jones vibe. It’s excellently researched and I thought the exposition was done fairly well - the reader learns about things like concepts of Taoism and feng shui. Chinese culture, beliefs, language and history are woven into the story and into the puzzles. I liked the challenges of getting through the multilevel underground tomb in particular. I felt the setting and puzzles were the strongest and most distinguishing parts of the book.

There are some endnotes, about 50 of them.

Over all, this book was an enjoyable read. It was interesting getting to see the different aspects of Chinese culture.

I knocked two stars off for a couple of reasons: the repetition of events by the narrator (Elvira), got really annoying, really quickly. The second reason is that the characters were profoundly annoying for the first half or so of the book to the point that I almost abandoned this book.

Over all, this book was an enjoyable read. It was interesting getting to see the different aspects of Chinese culture.

I knocked two stars off for a couple of reasons: the repetition of events by the narrator (Elvira), got really annoying, really quickly. The second reason is that the characters were profoundly annoying for the first half or so of the book to the point that I almost abandoned this book.

Spanish artist Elvira De Poulain travels, with her ward, orphaned teenage niece Fernanda, to China to finalize the affairs of her recently deceased husband. Rather than any useful inheritance she finds that her estranged husband has left her burdened with debt. Over the next few months Elvira and Fernanda, teamed up with an expatriot irishman and a couple of locals, follow clues in a search for untold treasures. This is a great adventure tale, easy to read and hard to put down.