Breaking Bamboo

China Trilogy #2

by Tim Murgatroyd

The second installment in the epic historical trilogy that began with Taming Poison Dragons , set in Song and Yuan Dynasty China, charting the trials and adventures of the Yun clan   Central China, 1264. When Mongol armies storm into the Middle Kingdom, the descendents of Yun Cai are trapped in a desperate siege that will determine the fate of the Empire. Guang and Shih are identical twins—one a heroic soldier idolized by the city he defends, the other a humble doctor. In the midst of war, jealous conflicts over Shih's wife and concubine threaten to tear the brothers apart. Enemies close in on every side, some disturbingly close to home. Can the Yun family survive imprisonment, ruthless treachery, and Kublai Khan's bloody hordes—or will their own reckless passions destroy them first? Aimed at   readers who relish epic historical novels rich in exotic detail, this story will captivated aficionados of Umberto Eco and James Clavell.

Genres: Historical Fiction

640 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2010

About the author

Tim Murgatroyd was brought up in Yorkshire. He read English at Hertford College, Oxford University, and now lives with his family in York. Tim became fascinated with Ancient China when he discovered a slim volume of Chinese poetry in a second hand bookshop.

His first novel, Taming Poison Dragons set in 12th Century China, has been described as 'a captivatingly original and unforgettable story of tragedy and enduring love'. The sequel, Breaking Bamboo, is the second instalment of a trilogy charting the trials and adventures of the Yun clan during the Mongol invasion of China. The third part of his trilogy, The Mandate of Heaven, set during the brutal Mongol occupation of China was published in October 2013.

Taming Poison Dragons and Breaking Bamboo have now been translated into Chinese by the prestigious Shanghai Literature and Arts publishing house.

In an exciting new venture, Tim will be publishing a number of new e-titles with Matador (UK) in 2017.

The Nazi’s Daughter, a haunting time-shift novel set in World War 2 and contemporary New York.

Dust of the Earth, an epic love story set in troubled 1870s California and its fascinating early wine industry.

Three e-booklets of poetry in a series called ‘Poems for Mobiles’: Lullaby, Drunk and The Stars are Apples.

Please visit Tim's website www.timmurgatroyd.co.uk for further information about the fascinating background to these novels and his poetry.

Reviews

[Tasha Mellins-Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it - this is the perfect sequel to Taming Poison Dragons. Time has moved on and descendants of Yun Cai are now exiled from their home in Wei Valley. The twin boys are living very different lives, as a doctor and a decorated soldier, in a city under siege by the Mongol horde. The delicate inter-twinings of their lives is rendered beautifully by Murgatroyd, who has a deftness of touch that one rarely encounters. Read this book!

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 2 out of 5]

A drop from the 1st book, I felt. I gave up. -- I swear, it wasn't only his stereotyped Evil Mongols that put me off.

[Andrew Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. at least as good as the first book in the trilogy. Perhaps a little slow to get going but ignore the poor reviews. definitely worth it.

[Nilan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good trilogy - learned lots about the medieval chinese civil service