[H4G]⇒ PDF The Embers of Heaven ALMA ALEXANDER 9780007204076 Books

The Embers of Heaven ALMA ALEXANDER 9780007204076 Books

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The Embers of Heaven ALMA ALEXANDER 9780007204076 Books

Embers of Heaven is a fantasy novel, set to a fantastic version of the Chinese cultural revolution. Students of history will recognize many of the beats in the story, and are likely to enjoy the Fantasy telling of events. I wouldn't QUITE call it Hist-fic, as it doesn't take place on earth as we know it, but it is close enough.

The main story revolves around a young woman who was raised from birth by the grand-daughter of an exiled empress, raised to understand and respect the traditions of "The Woman's Country." The Woman's Country concept, and the Women's Language are what set this series apart from similar ones. The themes were fun, and played at with some skill. Alma can be brutal when it is required, but is never gratuitous in the violence. It is clear that horrible things are going on in the background, but she doesn't over-dwell on them as many fantasy authors are wont to do.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the novels, and through a quirk of fate, one of the messages was directly applicable to my circumstances as I finished the novel.

Recommended for people who love fantasy, especially fantasy that isn't eurocentric.


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The Embers of Heaven ALMA ALEXANDER 9780007204076 Books Reviews

When I learned Alma Alexander's sequel to Jin-shei had been released, I knew I had to read it right away. Once I started reading I couldn't stop. The tension builds steadily throughout and the characters are vibrantly drawn. Amais searches for jin-shei and finds it in an unexpected place. The dream sequences, mysterious at first, gradually blossom to complete the yin-yang circle of life in the world of Syai. Embers of Heaven is not to be missed.
Embers of Heaven starts 400 years after the much loved The Secrets of Jin-shei, one of my favorite books of all time. While the main character, Amais, searches for the ancient ways of her ancestors' past, she is forced to endure the hardships of the fictional country, Syai, in the grips of its own cultural revolution. Her journey and the heritage that she passes along the maternal chain is a wonderfully complex and enjoyable read on an emotional level.

Though I was fully aware that Syai was a fictional country, I was enthralled with the details Alexander wove into the story that mirrored some of those that took place during the Cultural Revolution in China of the 20th century. You can see how much history she researched to pull these details into the story, and as someone who enjoys historical fiction, I was delighted.

The story's main plot is about Amais' alienation, her longing for a time long ago, and her forbidden, secret love. Her trials are almost hard to read on an emotional level. However, the sisterhood -- Jin-Shei -- though part of Syai's past, was evident in the stories of the women who surrounded her, whether spoken or not. Those connections were touching and moved me to tears in some places.

Overall, I'd say that Embers of Heaven is well worth the read, though there was a bit more romance than I normally enjoy, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the book to my closest friends.
I liked this second book, but not as much as the Secrets of Jin-Shei, even if they are both quite tragic (though in the beginning of the first book, the barage of characters almost made me not want to continue reading it). Still, I think one will enjoy this book if they liked the first. Admittedly, I probably wouldn't have read Embers of Heaven it if I hadn't read the first one. I was glad that the second book linked to the women in the first book, since I really loved them, even if it is 400 years later.

I think the author makes clear this is historical fantasy, not historical fiction, and I can't stress that enough. This is a made up country, and though it feels more real in the second book than the first because of the historical events (which I liked), there is something inherently jarring and confusing in both books to not know where you are located (especially in the beginning of the first book, since the description on is only one sentence, you don't really know what you are getting into). You think you are in China, but really it is fictitious - no names match anything you have ever heard of, etc.

Obviously, in fantasy, there is some suspension of belief (which I did not find a stretch in the dreams, etc., but did in the locale). The fishing island is supposed to be half way around the world, yet you still feel that it is part of China/Syai. After 400 years and so many generations, an exiled prince from Syai ends up on this island. It would really be coincidence if it were somewhere like Greece that two people from Syai went to, not to mention the happa children would visually look very different from those in Syai when they went back. I know they felt like they didn't fit in because of their belief of the old ways, but I would think the author would have drawn more attention to their differing physical appearance if that were really the case (plus, both covers I have seen the women look very Asian). But, it's fantasy, so maybe there are islands owned by Syai half way around the world. Either way, it is not super clear, and a bit hard to believe.

There are a fair amount of mistakes in the text of this book, and I wouldn't by any means call the author a fantastic writer, but I did appreciate her creativity and really liked all the female relationships and their accompanying storylines (in both books) and how the men were more of a backdrop (aside from Iloh's importance in the second book).

I still can't figure out why there are only 6 reviews on this book. The book isn't listed on the author's page as a sequel, and I know it was really hard for me to find this sequel, so maybe that is it?
Embers of Heaven is a fantasy novel, set to a fantastic version of the Chinese cultural revolution. Students of history will recognize many of the beats in the story, and are likely to enjoy the Fantasy telling of events. I wouldn't QUITE call it Hist-fic, as it doesn't take place on earth as we know it, but it is close enough.

The main story revolves around a young woman who was raised from birth by the grand-daughter of an exiled empress, raised to understand and respect the traditions of "The Woman's Country." The Woman's Country concept, and the Women's Language are what set this series apart from similar ones. The themes were fun, and played at with some skill. Alma can be brutal when it is required, but is never gratuitous in the violence. It is clear that horrible things are going on in the background, but she doesn't over-dwell on them as many fantasy authors are wont to do.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the novels, and through a quirk of fate, one of the messages was directly applicable to my circumstances as I finished the novel.

Recommended for people who love fantasy, especially fantasy that isn't eurocentric.