Snake Agent

Snake Agent will always occupy a unique position in my library and in my reading history. First, as an aside, is the sheer beauty of the cover art. Four out of the five published books in the series have the same artist, and all four are stunning. Second, and more importantly, is the the familiar world-weary police officer trope in urban fantasy moved into a Chinese cultural and mythological setting. I haven't read many books in an Asian setting, much less urban fantasy, and Williams seems to have played respectfully with aspects of the traditions while turning them sideways in a most enjoyable fashion.

Set in modern Singapore--franchise #3, to be exact--Heaven and Hell are real stops on the reincarnation wheel. It's actually nice to show more have the framework plot of the world-weary detective going his own path, because it helps ground the reader in the unfamiliar. There's the somewhat challenged but staid sidekick, and the uneasy alliance with the criminal (demon)--but possibly honorable--element, and the unobtrusively supportive superior who will throw him to the wolves if the detective fails:

"You have my full and total support, as long as I don't actually have to go any nearer to this supernatural shit than I can help, and as long as you sort it out"

Williams is a talented writer, and the story is filled with rich detail, from the humidity and the desperately functioning air-conditioners in the police station, to the ominousness of the demonic world. The detail provides a sense of atmosphere to a case that literally involves the otherworldly, but yet avoids purple prose:

“The chanting seemed to have been going on for years. Chen could not remember a time when it had not been ringing in his ears: a surging, insistent note, threaded through with discord. He blinked, trying to clear his head. A red and gold ceiling swam above him; lights sparkled by. By degrees, he realized that he was still lying flat on his back on H’suen Tang’s carpet.”

Williams did use one of my unfavorite ploys, beginning the book with a scene fraught with danger, foreshadowing problems to come, but I forgive her, as the rest was so much fun. And so interesting. My only real criticism is the structure of the book; we initially meet Chen in third person view, then his wife (“meanwhile, back at the ranch…”), then the demon Zhu Irzh, and then she adds in a further perspective or two as the story progresses, which I felt might have jumbled the narrative unnecessarily. It would have been more fun seeing Zhu gain humanity through others’ perspective, rather than reading him thinking about it.

But really, what can you say about a book that contains lines such as “Passers-by took one look at Detective Inspector Chen hastening down the road with a lobster on a string, like one of the more eccentric French surrealists, and gave him a very wide berth” or followed by a discussion of how a Ministry of Hell uses pharmaceutical companies? Or realize that one of the major Ministries of Hell is the Ministry of Wealth? Love it.

Very dense, very flavorful, very satisfying. Third read complete.

cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/snake-agent-by-liz-williams/ show less

The Housemate has been raving about these books for several months, so I thought I'd dive in in December, a month which, so far, has not been what I would call either comforting or joyous. Fortunately, she was dead right about the Inspector Chen novels. Snake Agent, the first of the series, is an intriguingly different sort of detective fiction which takes place in a world where magic, magical creatures, gods and goddesses, heaven, hell, demons and ghosts all have a role to play in the mystery of a young woman whose soul is stolen after her death, and wrongly sent to Hell.

Detective Inspector Wei Chen, a human detective who nevertheless is quite familiar with the supernatural, takes on the case with the help of a demonic detective who show more also has a stake in the outcome. Chen serves the goddess Kuan Yin, but they're not on the best of terms because he has married a demon who he rescued from Hell. When his beloved wife is forcibly returned to Hell, he knows he's on his own.

I'm not as conversant with Chinese culture as I might wish to be, so much of Williams' story was even stranger to me than it might otherwise have been. The series has been likened to The Dresden Files books, or John Constantine's adventures, and I think both are apt, but it's very much outside the western fantasy sphere. It is deeply eastern, deeply Chinese in flavor, and for me that meant taking in an extra layer of meaning and experience. It's not difficult since Williams is a good writer, and it makes the reading all the more rewarding.

If you're up for something different, something fantastic, mysterious, and well-written, you might want to give the first book of the series a try. The mystery is solid, the characters won me over, and the humor is subtle. I'm anxious to read the next book in the series now. show less

The setting is A Singapore of the future: Singapore III (There are 5-6 I think.) The protagonist is Detective Inspector Chen who is currently not-so-favored by his patron goddess Kuan Yin because he went against her wishes and married a demon woman. Being that this focuses on the Asian style of bureaucratic heaven and hell, it has come to the attention of several authorities that souls are ending up where they shouldn't be. Chen is sent to investigate, and along the way, picks up a demon adjunct who helps his investigation.

I will add that Snake Agent (and sequels) are one of the few Chinese themed English language books I've read that is written by a Westerner that manages to bypass some of the "exotic orient" pits that tends to leave show more me with a strong sense of distaste. Williams avoids the 'suffering women' Joy Luck Club tones, the 'crazy/exotic/totalitarian/dominating orientals!', or any Confucious-style speech patterns that set my teeth on edge. Any passive traditional women also have their own Asian brand of strength that often gets ignored in stories. There isn't a single samurai sword in sight! No Way Of The Warrior!

This is a story about persons in a futuristic alternate Singapore, dealing with non-Western mythologies in a straight and authentic manner.

The fact that this book exists at all has me curling my toes. The fact that it's an engaging and well written story has me ecstatic. I'm in love with Chen and the Demon-- Irhz(?) and their interactions/chemistry. show less

An enjoyable first foray into a fantastic alternative world, in which the realms of heaven, hell, and earth - and their inhabitants - are closely linked in an unending dance of conflict, confrontation, and negotiation. On earth, in the city of Singapore Three, Detective Inspector Chen Wei is the police department's specialist in mystical investigation. When a case involving the ghost of a young girl - meant for the Celestial Shores, but somehow trapped in Hell instead - comes to his attention, Chen finds himself caught up in a shadowy conspiracy involving the theft of innocent souls, and the creation of a sinister new drug. Now, with the help of Seneschal Zhu Irzh, of Hell's Vice Squad, Chen must confront the immensely powerful Ministry show more of Epidemics, with the safety of his own demon-wife Inari, as well as the balance of the Tao itself, at stake...

I found Snake Agent, the first of Liz Williams' Detective Inspector Chen Novels, to be an engaging story - highly readable, with interesting characters. Chen was likable, if a little bland, and Zhu Irzh was entertaining, in that "seductive sophisticate with a well-hidden heart" kind of way. I know that some thought Inari's characterization was somewhat lacking, but I myself found her sympathetic and believable - she was a being out of her depth, struggling to do the best she could with the circumstances in which she found herself. Her guardian teapot-badger was completely adorable - particularly as he remained (cat-like) aloof and unknowable.

I wouldn't say that this was a terribly well-written book, as I found the narrative somewhat uneven, but there were moments where I needed to stop and reread some particular passage, and think about what Williams was saying. When she writes: "Yet Chen suspected that Hell lay somewhere contained in the group soul of a people, delineating its pathways in accordance with their dominant beliefs," I found myself nodding in agreement. It is clear that the author worked many Taoist and Buddhist beliefs into her story, but as someone with only a passing familiarity with those religions, I am unable to really comment on her understanding of them, although I definitely feel that they gave the story added intellectual depth.

My only real complaint lies in the occasional feeling, especially when her characters comment disparagingly about western beliefs, that Williams intruded too much on her narrative. But that is a minor irritation, and all in all, I am glad to have read this, and thank my friend Sherri for recommending it show less

This book is delicious. I read it with a group last year and we had a lot to talk about it, which I won't recount here. I'll just list off what I liked about it (enough to buy the next 3 books in the series).

First, I enjoyed a book set in a mythos/culture not my own. I can't speak to how accurately this mythos is represented, but it is markedly different from the Western based ones usually found in similar novels. I really found delight in the way the supernatural was interwoven in the lives of the characters.

Second, I loved the SF elements, which kept the book from falling completely over into fantasy. They are small, tucked in here and there, sometimes quite subtly, which made them all the better. I liked the 'weird fiction' vibe, the show more refusal to be easily tossed into a genre hole.

Third, I really enjoyed how the characters interacted with each other. I loved their alien-ness, their ways of viewing the world that were not predictable for me or even all that familiar to me.

I haven't dived into the rest of the series yet, but they sit on a shelf awaiting their turn. show less

Initially, I chose Snake Agent because of the cover. It's a fantastic image and reveals more detail as you look into it. I was hoping that the contents would live up to the jacket.It took me a little while to get into the setting, which is very different from either the modern western setting of most Urban Fantasy or the pseudo-medieval setting of heroic fantasy. It does grow on you, though, and the book is very atmospheric. Williams stays away from the temptation to make Inspector Chen a martial arts expert or to endow him with magical powers. Instead, Chen relies on his charm, wit and the protection of his beliefs to preserve him against powerful foes.One of the things that I really liked was the way Williams uses humour in the book. show more There are some wry moments. Also, the way certain aspects of the story emerge (I'm avoiding spoilers at this point) is handled with a beautifully light and subtle touch as we gradually see deeper into Chen's complex motivations. He makes a very believable hero.I found the book a very enjoyable read, refreshingly different with both a male protagonist and an Oriental setting, well paced and full of interesting characters that lives up to the subtle splendour of its cover.It's in my list of best books of 2010. show less

All you need to know about Snake Agent is: Bladerunner meets Bridge of Birds. If the idea of of dystopian near-future merged with the Chinese afterlife appeals to you, the book won't disappoint.

Detective Inspector Chen works out of the city of Singapore 3, but he's not your usual Inspector. Chen covers the supernatural. Between the circles of Hell and the Celestial Plains, there's a lot of places a soul can go astray, and the wandering spirit of a wealthy industrialist's daughter is just the latest.

Williams has done a wonderful job of world-building in Snake Agent. As reader, you feel plopped down amidst a story already in motion. Chen - and the city of Singapore 3 - have their own narratives and problems well underway by the first show more page. In addition to a sense of nascent possibility, it gives the book a very nice pace that rarely lets up.

Indeed, this pace, coupled with Williams' affectionate and largely understated characterisation, and finally the beguiling nature of Singapore 3 and Hell, disguise a few coincidences and some raggedy plotting. Some may find it bothers them - especially a deus ex machina at the end. But personally, I found these weaknesses minor and *most* of the plotting is definitely up to scratch.

But really, the pleasure of Snake Agent is in the world Williams creates, and her weary, jaded - and surprisingly funny - characters. There's a jovial humour running through the novel that rarely breaks out into jokes but maintains a nice sense of the inherent insanity of the Chinese Afterlife and the fervid pace of life in Singapore 3.

Ultimately, Snake Agent is a great introduction to a fabulous and potential-filled setting. Satisfying in its own right, at the conclusion I nonetheless wanted more time with these people and their realms. Looking forward to the rest of the series. show less