Really interesting urban fantasy series utilizing Chinese folklore/zodiac/Mah Jong as the backbone of the "fantasy" elements, which makes it pretty unusual as far as this genre goes. Really good complicated characters, this is not so non-stop action as character driven punctuated with pockets of excitement. I really appreciated the asian-themed magic and learning more about mah jong. Looking forward to the next two books and checking out this author's other series. ( )

What a nice book! It's clearly urban fantasy, but not of the kick-ass kind. Although there is enough ass-kicking going on, it is not of the Harry Dresden kind. Which is all to the good, as far as I am concerned. The magic is nicely original with its oriental shape. I'll admit some of the mahjong details went over my head, but fortunately it was not really important to be able to follow it. I liked very much that the crew was so mixed. Both in race, in gender, and in age. And they were properly mixed: not only young women and old men, or the other way around. Also, each of the characters was treated with respect: the young woman stood her own and did not act rashly when she had the opportunity; the old one was formidable and flexible.
The pacing was very much to my liking: stately in the beginning, with time for explanations and relationships to form; faster towards the end, when the conflict comes to a head. I liked that the villains were human as well, and I liked the ending, where the enemies become allies all of a sudden. This is an unusual turn of events and not often seen in fantasy. I'm quite curious to see where this will go, and will definitely buy the sequel. ( )

Pretty obviously a book about a culture from outside that culture. Yuck. Also, the whole reaction to a character being black turned me right off.

Please, having the characters sign a treaty on the 4th of July, & viewing it as auspicious? From a Chinese cultural perspective, I think not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraphobia

Not bad otherwise. ( )

A patchy but entertaining book, with a really nifty central concept rooted in Chinese history and mythology but playing out in the modern US (and some interesting things to say about the contrast between the two). Flaws include too much exposition, which could be quite repetitive at times, a slow-moving plot in which very little happens for long stretches, and some awkward characterisations (like many reviewers, I found the older characters considerably more interesting than the younger ones, who frequently rang a little false). However, it really shines during some gripping and imaginative sequences utilising the mahjong and Chinese zodiac imagery, and I definitely want to read the sequel. ( )