Precious Dragon

The Inspector Chen universe is a well-deserved gold-mine for the author. I had read some of her earlier books, such as The Poison Master and they were quite decent fantasy, but this series resonates in a special way and so far is just getting better with each book. Over the first two books, Inspector Chen has evolved into the human liaison officer between Singapore III and Heaven and Hell. He starts out this book acting in this official capacity, and then all Hell breaks loose. And then Heaven does too.

Think of these books as a more gritty, updated version of Bridge of Birds combined with Tea with the Black Dragon. The use of elements of Chinese mythology combine with a near-future dystopia, and the roles and relationships power the show more actions. I have enjoyed the first two, Snake Agent and The Demon and the City, quite a bit, but think I liked this one even more. Although I sometimes am put off by multi-viewpoint stories, the three POVs in this book are handled very well and contribute greatly to the telling of the story. show less

Starring (in order of appearance): a precocious orphan chorus boy with the Island Opera; a demon emissary from Hell; Inspector Chen, detective with Singapore Three's police force; an elderly woman; her daughter, currently a resident of Hell; an ancient water dragon; and a mysterious grandson and his equally mysterious pearl. They are supported by an emissary from Heaven with an apologetic talent for violence, a badger who is also a teakettle, and a pharmaceutical mogul who has tigress tendencies. How can you not be intrigued by such a cast of characters?


While the plot for Precious Dragon is a little tighter than the prior book, this isn't as much mystery as epic quest. The trouble is that instead of bringing her fellowship together, show more Williams tries to carry the storylines separately--that of the opera youth who inadvertently becomes a ghost, the daughter who lives in Hell and works at the Ministry of Epidemics, the detectives' investigation and diplomatic journey to Hell, the grandmother and her strange grandson trying to survive strange attacks, and that of the dragon and her journey through the world's waters--and it doesn't quite maintain enough integrity to succeed. Eventually the majority of stories dovetail, but it occurs so late, it is without that accompanying "ah-ha" moment.

While I love the dragon viewpoint and the opportunity it gives to let Williams' writing shine, it was not truly necessary for the plot, and I suspect the daughter's focus could have been eliminated as well. I do acknowledge that the challenge could just be me and my everlasting irritation with the multiple-viewpoint narrative. It almost succeeds. Characters are more coherent than Weeks' Shadow series, for instance, so if you didn't mind that style, by all means, give Williams a whirl--she's infinitely more inventive. In fact, this might be the trouble with the work--because she is very good at the "show, don't tell," and because her setting is an alternate-reality Singapore/China, it does require more reader effort than the average UF.

I find the world-building nicely balanced with action and characterization. The basis in Chinese culture and myth is fascinating, unique in the fantasy world. (If you've read any Chinese myths, you might have already guessed at the identity of the boy with the pearl). The characters are interesting and well done--the grandmother especially was a delight with her common sense viewpoint and willingness to accept unusual definitions of family. I enjoy Williams' writing style, her metaphors and colorful imagery. I love her affection for Chinese culture, the humor sprinkled throughout and her clear disdain for bureaucracy (notable in the sections with Inspector Chen dealing with his superior who recently attended a management course and [misfiled] paperwork required for entry into Heaven). There's a pleasing thematic balance between everyday issues, and larger philosophical issues of what hell/evil/chaos and heaven/good/order really mean.

I want to wholeheartedly recommend Williams' Detective Chen series to every fantasy lover, but alas, the convoluted narrative prevents me. I suspect this book will appeal mostly for those who like highly imaginative fantasy, perhaps along the lines of [a:Catherynne M. Valente|338705|Catherynne M. Valente|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1220999852p2/338705.jpg]'s work. Starting the series at the beginning will help with the Singapore setting and the Heaven-Hell conflict, although there is a short introduction to main characters through the eyes of the chorus boy.

Three and a half tentative stars...Or... On reflection, Williams deserves more for being so inventive and thoughtful. Four determined stars.

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"Night passed and the new day shone under the surface of the water, light curving and fragmented. She was coming closer to the cold waters, the ice seas of the north, and she breathed in the fresh water, snowmelt running cold along her dappled sides."

"Chen had thought he'd been given a tough job as liaison officer with Hell, but it was nothing compared to being a member of the traffic department. He felt almost smug as Ma took the police car the wrong way along a one-way street, up a flight of steps, and shot along the harbor road against the flow of in-bound traffic."

"When he died, as a devoted servant of the Goddess Kuan Yin, Most Merciful and Compassionate, he might reasonably expect to enter Heaven himself. Okay, he'd married a demon. His right-hand man was from Hell. On a previous, unfortunate occasion, he'd used the goddess' sacred image as a battering ram. Good thing she was Merciful and Compassionate, really."

Cross posted at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/precious-dragon-by-liz-williams/ show less

In this third volume in the Inspector Chen series, Liz Williams continues the stories of the strangest and most interesting police partner duo in fantasy or straight fiction--Inspector Chen and Seneschal Zhu Irzh. The one is a devotee of the goddess Kuan Yin working as a "Snake Agent" for the Singapore Three police force. His partner is a liaison from the Chinese Hells, and is, in fact, yes, a demon. Together they fight crime!

That may sound flippant, but by this third novel, Williams really starts making this pair work. Ostensibly, while the novel is about the titular character, who is a little boy who is far more than he appears, the novel positively sings and dances with delight when Chen and Zhu are back on screen. Be it Zhu's show more complicated relationship with his lover and his family, or Chen's attempts at trying to do the right thing in Earth AND in Hell, the buddy cop routine never fails to please.

I recently read a story by Williams in the Songs of the Dying Earth anthology and now, based on that, I can see that Vance is an inspiration for these characters, and some of the descriptive motifs and styles in these novels. The amazing "hell-bound train" is an image that has been indelibly burned into my memory.

Williams is also willing to avoid the reset button. Things have changed from the start of the first novel, and through the second, and the balance of things changes by the end of this one as well. Its an organic process of her world growing, developing and changing in a real way.

You shouldn't start here, of course. And the start of this novel is a little slow. But when the novel gets on all cylinders, Williams shows that she is an entertaining, engaging, and most talented fantasy novelist. I am looking forward, eagerly, for the next novel in her Inspector Chen series. After reading this, I am pretty sure you will, too. show less

EXCELLENT. Totally excellent.

I adore this series (this is the third book therein), and so does my husband, who is not much of a reader.

The plot is complex and brings all sorts of seemingly disparate elements into play before it resolves. I totally adore the linkages between Earth, Hell, and Heaven, and the way the relationships between these work- as a Westerner the whole basis is strange to me, but it's consistent, builds with every book, and is fascinating.

I can hardly wait to read #4!

I have been waiting for this book for 2 years. It came out in hardcover in 2007, disappeared and kept pushing back the date for the paperback. It was finally published at the end of June.

It is the 3rd book in the Detective Inspector Chen series. The setting is in the future somewhere on the coast of Asia where its warm. The city is called Singapore 3 and it is the 3rd city franchised from Singapore. The technology is a little advanced from us, and magic is used. The series is very strong on Chinese mythology.

The main character, Chen, is a police officer whose job it is to liaise with Hell (Chinese version). His partner, Zhu Irzh is a demon from the vice squad in Hell (their job is to encourage it) on assignment to earth. Chen is also show more married to a demon, Inari, in hiding on earth from her family and Hell.

In this book there are many threads. In the main one Chen and Jhu Irzh are joined by a celestial being, Miss Qi, from heaven (Chinese version) and they go on a fact finding mission to Hell. They have been invited by the Ministry of War. While Miss Qi is a pure being, she is also a heavenly warrior.

Another thread is about a young man, Pin, who is poor and lacks connections. He is in the chorus at the Bejing opera. They have come to town and he is practicing his other trade after the show ends: prostitution. He is hoping to make enough money to find a better way to live. He has an engagement in a demon lounge and his soul is sucked out of his body and sent to Hell. He becomes a living ghost in Hell and has many interesting adventures.

An elderly dragon is asked to leave her shelter of hundreds of years and make a great aquatic journey across the planet, looking for the remnants of dragon kind. She finds a pearl of great price and is asked to return it to the Dragon King so the dead guardians can move on.

An old poor lady who cleans houses, Mrs. Pa, is asked by her dead daughter, Mai, who is in Hell to take in her living grandchild and raise him. Though he is supposed to be just born, he comes to earth as a young child, and he too carries a magical pearl. He is named Precious Dragon.

All the threads tie together in the end, and of course there is a lot of fun and romping along the way: Ms Qi is kidnapped, the Ministry of Lust is destroyed, Jhu Irzh has family issues, and his girlfriend invites herself along, Precious Dragon is being stalked by the lords of Hell called Kuei and so is Pin. Even Inari puts in a brief appearance with her familiar badger/teakettle. It turns out Heaven is not as good as it should be and is shirking its responsibility.

I enjoyed the book a lot, but I felt it lacked a single story focus. It seemed to be characters in search of a larger theme. The setting and the Chinese mythology was done well, and the characters are wonderful, though the demons are more interesting than the humans. I can't wait for the next one. show less

Book three in this series pretty much fixes whatever problems were in book 2. Tight story, great character fun. Accurate (within reason) depictions of alternate universe Chinese mythologies.

I'm not certain I exactly like relationship Irzh has with his paramour, however, all interactions between him and Chen are excellent. Inari gets to come out and play, and actually do something!

While book one was explosive and tight for a story in the human realm, Book three notches up several levels in Hell. Now I'm just curious what else Williams will be able to come up with for her other stories that will beat Precious Dragon's rather apocalyptic kick in the pants.

In this third installment of the adventures of Inspector Chen, most of the characters Liz Williams has introduced to us make a further appearence, as matters have come to a head in the affairs of Heaven and Hell; the big question being to what end. I might note that this novel will make no sense whatsoever unless you've read the previous two installments in what has turned into a series, with apparently more turns of the screw yet to take place. This is what with the author juggling four seperate plot lines, between Inspector Chen acting as escort of an emissary of the Celestial Emperor to Hell's Ministry of War, an old dragon trying to complete a prophecy, a member of Singapore 3's Beijing opera finding himself stuck in Hell as a show more ghost, and an old lady trying to protect her otherworldly grandson (the Precious Dragon of the title). If you're an initiate of the series you will have a good time with this. show less