The Iron Khan

Currently the last in the Detective Inspector Chen series. It deserves more than this partial review, but I am, after all, on vacation, so we'll all take what sunshine we can get.

And this, after four books, seems like a solid return to form. It's not the ideal place to start, as certain relationships have all progressed, and a certain demon has undergone character progression. Oh, and a certain somebody ascending to Heaven. So, yes: not the ideal place to start. Otherwise, a plot-establishing line like:

“In that case,” Mhara said, “could you come to Heaven for a day or so? To look at the scene of the crime?”

just won't make any sense. Or what about a description of the setting?

But no one wanted to leave the comforts of the east show more for this difficult and still dangerous land, a place where sandstorms scoured the desert and the land stretched red and black for miles. Not unlike Hell, really, but without the crowds.

In this, Williams weaves myths of the desert with the otherworldly mythology of China as all of China faces an existential threat. As crazy as it eventually gets--and at one point, it's definitely quite unique--it is nonetheless possible to follow the plot and enjoy it, particularly with a little helpful summing up:

“That was—a friend. At least, I think he’s a friend. Says he’s in a floating moveable city in the middle of Tibet and my fiancé’s gone back in time to try and sort things out. We’re in trouble.”

Williams is one of those writers that consistently hits my sweet spot between description and plotting, never losing sight of either. Though the missions are deadly serious, there's also opportunities for a smile or two, particularly as the demon: "Zhu Irzh once more felt that faint, strange tremor of unease that he’d learned to identify as his conscience."

If you've come this far, be bold! Finish the series (although, to be honest, it does seem like Williams left the door open a crack for further adventures). If you haven't tried the series yet, what are you waiting for?

A simple matter, he thought, and then reflected on the nature of famous last words. show less

There was a time, when this series was in its prime, that I would drop everything to read a new addition to the epic. However, Ms. Williams became a victim of Night Shade Books' corporate "reorganization" (i.e. escaping collapse by the skin of its teeth), leaving this book in limbo. I did eventually hunt down a copy of this edition, but it sat on Mount TBR for a long while, a victim of my dwindling interest regarding urban fantasy.

Having said all that, if you ever liked this series you do owe it to yourself to read it, even though it feels over-stuffed with characters and event, to the point that it could be expanded into two novels; this really feels more like a Zhu Irzh story than an Inspector Chen novel. Still, If there was a sixth show more novel I probably would drop all that I was doing to read it, and at least this series is now readily available in electronic format. There is a poignant element in that the Uyghur lands are a setting here, and one is reminded of the ongoing genocide being inflicted on those people by Beijing. show less

I was pretty bitter when Night Shade dropped this series. I'm glad to see that this has been picked up by distributors at last. It's not quite as well edited as the previous installments - it drags a little in spots, could be tighter, and the short story at the end has a few outright typos - but fellow fans of the series will not be disappointed. I maintain that Williams is one of the sharpest writers working in sci fi, and though the Snake Agent books are breezier than her stand alone novels, they remain rewarding entertainment.