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Dark Heavens #3
Blue Dragon
When Emma's relatives come to visit her, they are totally freaked out by what they learn Emma's beloved, John Chen, is a 3000 year old Chinese god. Not only that, John is becoming weaker by the day. Demons pursue him relentlessly, hoping to use Emma, and his child, Simone, as bargaining tools against him. Emma battles to defend Simone as John's energy is drained by the effort of both living in the mortal world and protecting them. While Emma is nagged by doubts about her own nature, she must find the courage to go on ...
567 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2007
62 people are currently reading
817 people want to read
About the author
Kylie Chan
26 books592 followersKylie doesn't participate in the Goodreads network. You can find her fanpage on Facebook or visit her website at www.kyliechan.com.
Kylie Chan married a Hong Kong national in a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony in Eastern China, lived in Australia for ten years, then moved to Hong Kong for ten years and during that time learnt a great deal about Chinese culture and came to appreciate the customs and way of life.
In 2003 she closed down her successful IT consultancy company in Hong Kong and moved back to Australia. She decided to use her knowledge of Chinese mythology, culture, and martial arts to weave a story that would appeal to a wide audience.
Since returning to Australia, Kylie has studied Kung Fu (Wing Chun and Southern Chow Clan styles) as well as Tai Chi and is now a senior belt in both forms. She has also made an intensive study of Buddhist and Taoist philosophy and has brought all of these together into her storytelling.
Kylie is a mother of two who lives in Queensland's Gold Coast. She is the best-selling author of the Dark Heavens and Journey to Wudang trilogies, which tell the story of Emma, an ordinary Australian woman thrown into the world of Chinese Gods, martial arts, and magic. Emma must deal with a bewildering variety of Chinese mythological creatures from dragons to the Monkey King as she learns martial arts from her employer John Chen, who is really the God of Martial Arts, Xuan Wu.
Kylie Chan married a Hong Kong national in a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony in Eastern China, lived in Australia for ten years, then moved to Hong Kong for ten years and during that time learnt a great deal about Chinese culture and came to appreciate the customs and way of life.
In 2003 she closed down her successful IT consultancy company in Hong Kong and moved back to Australia. She decided to use her knowledge of Chinese mythology, culture, and martial arts to weave a story that would appeal to a wide audience.
Since returning to Australia, Kylie has studied Kung Fu (Wing Chun and Southern Chow Clan styles) as well as Tai Chi and is now a senior belt in both forms. She has also made an intensive study of Buddhist and Taoist philosophy and has brought all of these together into her storytelling.
Kylie is a mother of two who lives in Queensland's Gold Coast. She is the best-selling author of the Dark Heavens and Journey to Wudang trilogies, which tell the story of Emma, an ordinary Australian woman thrown into the world of Chinese Gods, martial arts, and magic. Emma must deal with a bewildering variety of Chinese mythological creatures from dragons to the Monkey King as she learns martial arts from her employer John Chen, who is really the God of Martial Arts, Xuan Wu.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
January 27, 2019
It's been a long time between instalments for me, as I really didn't like Red Phoenix that much. And to be honest I wasn't looking forward to reading this one; had it sitting on numerous challenge lists through 2018, and just never got to it. So here we are - a new year, a new resolve. My verdict? It was better than I expected .
Look, the story is more of the same. I really like the mythology, but the constant demon battles just get very samey after a while. Emma is still spending way too much time running her hands through her hair in exasperation, and verbally over-reacting to almost every word spoken to her. Acknowledging that I haven't liked her since I met her in book #1, I was analysing the reasons as I read this one, and I think a lot of it comes down to the first-person storytelling. Maybe if it had been written in the third person it wouldn't be so grating or noticeable.
Here's the thing. I liked White Tiger so much that I bought paperback editions of the first 6 books. This one is number #3. Will I continue? I wouldn't have thought so, but having been entertained for almost 2 weeks by this book, I guess I won't rule it out just yet.
Look, the story is more of the same. I really like the mythology, but the constant demon battles just get very samey after a while. Emma is still spending way too much time running her hands through her hair in exasperation, and verbally over-reacting to almost every word spoken to her. Acknowledging that I haven't liked her since I met her in book #1, I was analysing the reasons as I read this one, and I think a lot of it comes down to the first-person storytelling. Maybe if it had been written in the third person it wouldn't be so grating or noticeable.
Here's the thing. I liked White Tiger so much that I bought paperback editions of the first 6 books. This one is number #3. Will I continue? I wouldn't have thought so, but having been entertained for almost 2 weeks by this book, I guess I won't rule it out just yet.
March 24, 2018
THIS IS *NOT* A TRILOGY! The story does not wrap up after the this book! I'm so disgusted. I continued to read because I enjoyed the overall idea of the book, but I've come to despise Emma so much and how the writer uses descriptors that don't fit, create excess drama that adds nothing to the story, and, did I mention how much I don't like Emma? I figured I'd deal with it because it's a trilogy so it'll all work out and be worth it... only it's not and it doesn't so it's not. I wish I would have known. I never would have read this far. Just make it a series, tell everyone it's a series and call it done.
April 29, 2016
An amazing book that effortlessly takes you to another reality. A friend recommended these Kylie Chan books to me and to be honest I didn't think it would be to my taste... But here I am at book 3 and I'm still completely immersed by this series and hanging on to see what's coming next
May 30, 2018
I'm not sure how to feel about the end of the series.
I am glad there was no "happily ever after" at the end, and there was some closure, but I feel like there is a lot left unsaid for these characters that I would have liked to see.
The beginning of the series was hard to get into but by the end of it I was fairly invested. My main, real complaint about the series is that I couldn't stand Emma.
She was too much of a Mary Sue type character who was too naturally good at everything and the way she reacted to various things just generally annoyed me.
All the other characters were good and interesting though.
I'll probably read more of her books later on. I know she has other series that are set in. the same universe so maybe I'll be able to pick up more information about some of these gods.
But for now I'll take a break from her work and read a couple light novels.
Overall though, this was a fun series with decent action, interesting mythos and good humor.
I am glad there was no "happily ever after" at the end, and there was some closure, but I feel like there is a lot left unsaid for these characters that I would have liked to see.
The beginning of the series was hard to get into but by the end of it I was fairly invested. My main, real complaint about the series is that I couldn't stand Emma.
She was too much of a Mary Sue type character who was too naturally good at everything and the way she reacted to various things just generally annoyed me.
All the other characters were good and interesting though.
I'll probably read more of her books later on. I know she has other series that are set in. the same universe so maybe I'll be able to pick up more information about some of these gods.
But for now I'll take a break from her work and read a couple light novels.
Overall though, this was a fun series with decent action, interesting mythos and good humor.
June 21, 2020
Notes:
The concepts & use of myths/etc are great. This is one of those deals where I wish the author had a better support system of editors/readers/etc because there are editing errors, grammar issues and story inconsistencies.
The concepts & use of myths/etc are great. This is one of those deals where I wish the author had a better support system of editors/readers/etc because there are editing errors, grammar issues and story inconsistencies.
July 9, 2016
Blue dragon continues in the vein of Red phoenix. Emma learns more energy work, there are attacks by weird demons, and we see some more of the Chinese gods, stones, and dragons. I was disappointed about the ending, though. Way too much to-do about destroying Simon Wong, with no explanation of how it was done. A bit deus-ex-machina-like, with skills coming to the fore that we hadn't seen before. Quite frankly, with skills that could have been used to better effect beforehand if they had been there all along.
On top of that, the mystery around Emma STILL isn't solved, and if I am to believe the blurbs of Dark serpent, it's not going to be solved in the Journey to Wudang series either. Worse, the situation has become more complicated due to Wong's meddling. I'm a bit exasperated by it all, I feel this end is deviating from the path the books were following for 2.8 books, loosing some of its optimism and its feel-good aspect. I'm sure it will all be ok at some point in the next series, but that is just not right. This is a trilogy, a series in its own right. It should have a decent ending on its own. I really am a bit put out about this. I really don't feel like having to go through the whole next series before things are put to rights...
On top of that, the mystery around Emma STILL isn't solved, and if I am to believe the blurbs of Dark serpent, it's not going to be solved in the Journey to Wudang series either. Worse, the situation has become more complicated due to Wong's meddling. I'm a bit exasperated by it all, I feel this end is deviating from the path the books were following for 2.8 books, loosing some of its optimism and its feel-good aspect. I'm sure it will all be ok at some point in the next series, but that is just not right. This is a trilogy, a series in its own right. It should have a decent ending on its own. I really am a bit put out about this. I really don't feel like having to go through the whole next series before things are put to rights...
June 20, 2020
I am enjoying the main story, but unfortunately this book starts with a large section about Emma’s Australian family. These characters are largely two dimensional with little in the way of character development. Because the book is centred on them for a good number of chapters, it is quite jarring. However the second half of the book flows well enough.
I hesitate to say because of the genre but the story becomes increasingly implausible and fantastic in this book. I think it works but there are some issues. As a reader of mystery fiction, the author Is too obvious about plot hints. It has been clear from the first request that Kitty Kwok was somehow bad but in case the reader missed it, the hint was added about eight or more times that Kitty wanted to catch up with Emma. Emma, who gets suspicious about teenagers standing in groups, did not ever notice that was weird. Another example of telegraphing plot points are the dreams, which Emma doesn’t ever really consciously consider for a very long time. But surprises are littered through the text without any hints, like Johns child, the MBA and intelligence etc.
I still enjoy the story, but clearly this was written under time pressure. It would have been nicer to see more complex family members who didn’t swing from one emotion to the next.
I hesitate to say because of the genre but the story becomes increasingly implausible and fantastic in this book. I think it works but there are some issues. As a reader of mystery fiction, the author Is too obvious about plot hints. It has been clear from the first request that Kitty Kwok was somehow bad but in case the reader missed it, the hint was added about eight or more times that Kitty wanted to catch up with Emma. Emma, who gets suspicious about teenagers standing in groups, did not ever notice that was weird. Another example of telegraphing plot points are the dreams, which Emma doesn’t ever really consciously consider for a very long time. But surprises are littered through the text without any hints, like Johns child, the MBA and intelligence etc.
I still enjoy the story, but clearly this was written under time pressure. It would have been nicer to see more complex family members who didn’t swing from one emotion to the next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2025
Chan has expertly built the momentum toward this book with the previous two novels. Emma, now engaged to the second most powerful god in the Chinese mythos, is trying to come to grips with the growing power inside her while she works to permit her fiancé to remain on earth for as long a time as possible. The problem is that her fiancé has stayed away from the celestial realm for too long in his efforts to protect his young daughter and his energy is very low. If he is killed or his energy is fully depleted, he will turn into his true form and return to the celestial realm for decades before he can return again. Trying to keep those circumstances from happening has been a large part of the growing tension as demons who wish to gain a period of time on earth without their major persecutor forcing them stay in line, keep attacking.
This is the book where all the earlier threads come together and we see how Emma deals with the culmination of her fears. It's gripping and exciting. And I think that Chan played fair with the reader as she brings about a conclusion that managed to be even sadder than we expected.
But...and this an important point...it turns out that she has written a sequel trilogy in which hopefully matters can be brought to a happier place. I will continue reading to find out.
This is the book where all the earlier threads come together and we see how Emma deals with the culmination of her fears. It's gripping and exciting. And I think that Chan played fair with the reader as she brings about a conclusion that managed to be even sadder than we expected.
But...and this an important point...it turns out that she has written a sequel trilogy in which hopefully matters can be brought to a happier place. I will continue reading to find out.
February 9, 2018
Overall the series is good. The read was nice and smooth, there was some action (could have been more for my taste) and there was focus on the relationships between the characters as well as growth.
The ending was overall.... happy, with many sad and sort of unresovled feelings about certain things, but the focus is happy.
The one thing that stuck out to me in this last novel of the trilogy is.... why in the world did Gold suddenly have a baby in the middle of a great battle, the one that John was being replenished of his energy by Kwan Yin. Up to that point, there was no hint of Gold being with "child" or that even being a possiblity for "him".
*In the middle of fighting* OOP, I'm a daddy!
...
what IS that?
The ending was overall.... happy, with many sad and sort of unresovled feelings about certain things, but the focus is happy.
The one thing that stuck out to me in this last novel of the trilogy is.... why in the world did Gold suddenly have a baby in the middle of a great battle, the one that John was being replenished of his energy by Kwan Yin. Up to that point, there was no hint of Gold being with "child" or that even being a possiblity for "him".
*In the middle of fighting* OOP, I'm a daddy!
...
what IS that?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2013
This review is pasted for all of the following:
4 1/2 STARS
Reasons I bloody LOVE! Kylie Chan's "Dark Heavens" & "Journey to Wudang" (& soon to be "Celestial Battle") trilogies. . .
#1. You do not need to read the "Dark Heavens" trilogy before reading the "Journey to Wudang" trilogy. It wouldn't hurt, because you'll want to know what happened, but essentially, you can just jump right in at book 4 of the complete series or book 1 of "Journey to Wudang".
#2. These books are written with a lot of humor. The characters always have a light and funny tone, especially with everything that happens in the books.
#3. I love the little asides for those who are like myself. Examples being the mention of Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura & other animes (mainly in the "Dark Heavens" trilogy) & the STAR WARS, Inspector Gadget, Doctor Who & I think I even read a STAR TREK reference. I also enjoy the jokes the characters play on each other, keeping it all in the family.
#4. CH/Celestial High. I admit it, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. When they introduced CH officially in Hell to Heaven, I *squeed* like a fan girl. I want to write a letter to Kylie Chan and beg her to do an offshoot book featured at CH. Could you imagine all the fun and hijinks the characters would get into at a place like that? I mean, a principal who starts classes at 11am because he thinks it's too early to get up after staying up all night playing video games! I laughed so hard. I also loved how he banned all the Anne McCaffrey books from the library because he is a dragon. OMBG, still laughing over here. I cannot say enough about it.
#5. The mythology. This might just be for people like myself, so if you're not as interested in this part, skip over this. The book itself is an interesting read BESIDES the mythology, but I do love how the mythology is woven throughout the books & series. Basically, I am obsessed with Asian Literature and Culture (of course my fields of study were Japanese and Korean, but . . .), so I highly enjoy these books. Kylie Chan is kind enough to put not only a glossary at the back of the books, but also adds a list of books for further reading, while in the books themselves, she give you a small cliffs note version.
Now that I mentioned the pluses, I will tell you my two biggest cons:
#1. It takes too bloody long for the next one to be available!. Please note I said that in a whinny tone and with a sigh of exasperation. I truly love this series, and having to wait for the next one is so difficult, because I need to know what is going to happen - NOW.
#2. A little similar to above, Kylie Chan is from Australia. So, of course when they are released, they are first released over in Australia/NZ (say hello fishpond.com). Then, a while after that, they are released for the UK (say hello Amazon.uk). Then, after that, they are released here in the States & I can re-buy it on my Nook. - YEP, I buy them from fishpond.com so I can have them quicker.
So, you can take my opinion or not, it's up to you. My suggestion is try reading White Tiger or Earth to Hell. If you like it, feel free to drop a line at the bottom of my review here & say what you think. And if you didn't like it, same thing. I'd love to hear other peoples thoughts.
PS: When I read it in Paperback, I always use a BSSM bookmark. ;D Anyone who reads it will understand.
4 1/2 STARS
Reasons I bloody LOVE! Kylie Chan's "Dark Heavens" & "Journey to Wudang" (& soon to be "Celestial Battle") trilogies. . .
#1. You do not need to read the "Dark Heavens" trilogy before reading the "Journey to Wudang" trilogy. It wouldn't hurt, because you'll want to know what happened, but essentially, you can just jump right in at book 4 of the complete series or book 1 of "Journey to Wudang".
#2. These books are written with a lot of humor. The characters always have a light and funny tone, especially with everything that happens in the books.
#3. I love the little asides for those who are like myself. Examples being the mention of Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura & other animes (mainly in the "Dark Heavens" trilogy) & the STAR WARS, Inspector Gadget, Doctor Who & I think I even read a STAR TREK reference. I also enjoy the jokes the characters play on each other, keeping it all in the family.
#4. CH/Celestial High. I admit it, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. When they introduced CH officially in Hell to Heaven, I *squeed* like a fan girl. I want to write a letter to Kylie Chan and beg her to do an offshoot book featured at CH. Could you imagine all the fun and hijinks the characters would get into at a place like that? I mean, a principal who starts classes at 11am because he thinks it's too early to get up after staying up all night playing video games! I laughed so hard. I also loved how he banned all the Anne McCaffrey books from the library because he is a dragon. OMBG, still laughing over here. I cannot say enough about it.
#5. The mythology. This might just be for people like myself, so if you're not as interested in this part, skip over this. The book itself is an interesting read BESIDES the mythology, but I do love how the mythology is woven throughout the books & series. Basically, I am obsessed with Asian Literature and Culture (of course my fields of study were Japanese and Korean, but . . .), so I highly enjoy these books. Kylie Chan is kind enough to put not only a glossary at the back of the books, but also adds a list of books for further reading, while in the books themselves, she give you a small cliffs note version.
Now that I mentioned the pluses, I will tell you my two biggest cons:
#1. It takes too bloody long for the next one to be available!. Please note I said that in a whinny tone and with a sigh of exasperation. I truly love this series, and having to wait for the next one is so difficult, because I need to know what is going to happen - NOW.
#2. A little similar to above, Kylie Chan is from Australia. So, of course when they are released, they are first released over in Australia/NZ (say hello fishpond.com). Then, a while after that, they are released for the UK (say hello Amazon.uk). Then, after that, they are released here in the States & I can re-buy it on my Nook. - YEP, I buy them from fishpond.com so I can have them quicker.
So, you can take my opinion or not, it's up to you. My suggestion is try reading White Tiger or Earth to Hell. If you like it, feel free to drop a line at the bottom of my review here & say what you think. And if you didn't like it, same thing. I'd love to hear other peoples thoughts.
PS: When I read it in Paperback, I always use a BSSM bookmark. ;D Anyone who reads it will understand.
February 17, 2012
Kylie Chan's final-ish volume in her Dark Heavens trilogy is great fun and, unlike Red Phoenix, draws to a real conclusion, even if not everything is resolved.
Picking up almost immediately after the previous volume, Emma's family must be protected from a foe who has no honor and John's time on Earth is running out. What will Emma sacrifice to ensure Simone's safety?
This book features plenty of surprising and entertaining twists and turns but, after reading the full series one after the other, I've caught on to a couple of Kylie Chan's crutches. Throats thicken and words are unnecessary with such frequency to the point that the reader can be distracted. It may not be so bad though if you don't read them in succession.
Still, I enjoyed the series as a whole and am looking forward to reading the next series when it comes to the States.
Picking up almost immediately after the previous volume, Emma's family must be protected from a foe who has no honor and John's time on Earth is running out. What will Emma sacrifice to ensure Simone's safety?
This book features plenty of surprising and entertaining twists and turns but, after reading the full series one after the other, I've caught on to a couple of Kylie Chan's crutches. Throats thicken and words are unnecessary with such frequency to the point that the reader can be distracted. It may not be so bad though if you don't read them in succession.
Still, I enjoyed the series as a whole and am looking forward to reading the next series when it comes to the States.
July 22, 2016
I was disconcerted to learn that in fact this wasn't the series conclusion. The series is actually a trio of trilogies with this being book three of the first trilogy so it ended with tons of things up in the air. Now I have to find a copy of Earth to Hell to continue the series - which is unfortunately not available at my library.
In this installment we finally get a demon showdown and unfortunately for our hero and heroine, the demons are stronger and more vicious than they are. John Chen is basically depleted and needs energy feeds more and more frequently so he is not up to battling One Two Two. Emma is becoming something other than human but exactly what is definitely the question. Even Leo does something unusual and very interesting. But I must say Simone surprised me the most. Her skills are truly amazing and it will be thrilling to see how she matures and what she is capable of.
In this installment we finally get a demon showdown and unfortunately for our hero and heroine, the demons are stronger and more vicious than they are. John Chen is basically depleted and needs energy feeds more and more frequently so he is not up to battling One Two Two. Emma is becoming something other than human but exactly what is definitely the question. Even Leo does something unusual and very interesting. But I must say Simone surprised me the most. Her skills are truly amazing and it will be thrilling to see how she matures and what she is capable of.
July 27, 2008
There was so much happening in this book - so many demon attacks, so many revelations about Emma's powers, that sometimes I felt quite lost. Chan's writing is sometimes a little stiff, and this is very much a grand romance novel with a good dollop of fantasy. I quite like the romance, and the Chinese mythology she uses as a basis for the fantasy element is unfamiliar and interesting enough to keep me reading. I'll be keeping an eye out for book 4 in 2009, but thankfully this book ended on a relatively satisfying note (and apparently there'll be a story gap of about 8 years between this book and the next) that I'm not overly anxious for the next volume.
June 12, 2016
Reads like a Piers Anthony Zanth novel at times. (I gave up on those in the '80s). Sorry to say that I'll not read the next 6 books. I do hope that the author's writing improves. Also, lots of editing mistakes--maybes this is the new norm. I sure hope not.
Lots of interesting plot ideas in this trilogy. However, I seriously think that thousand-year old characters should have greater wisdom than is shown in this series. Onward to other books to read.
Lots of interesting plot ideas in this trilogy. However, I seriously think that thousand-year old characters should have greater wisdom than is shown in this series. Onward to other books to read.
May 16, 2011
Y'know, much as I try to come up with some other way to describe it, really this series continues to read like Mortal Kombat fanfic. With a little romance thrown in.
And yet I keep reading. Something in me evidently enjoys something about the books, but I honestly can't tell you what. I just *DO*, 'k? Call them guilty pleasures, and then let's just move on!
And yet I keep reading. Something in me evidently enjoys something about the books, but I honestly can't tell you what. I just *DO*, 'k? Call them guilty pleasures, and then let's just move on!
January 9, 2019
OMG damn damn damn damn damn! Take my advice, do not read this book before you have access to Journey to Wudang! Because you'll want to know what happens next…
Absofreakinglutely a crackalicious read, in the best sense of the word. As in, all the addictive deliciousness without any of the WTFery. Exciting, satisfying and OMG so addictive. Love.
Is it September 25th yet?
Absofreakinglutely a crackalicious read, in the best sense of the word. As in, all the addictive deliciousness without any of the WTFery. Exciting, satisfying and OMG so addictive. Love.
Is it September 25th yet?
May 2, 2012
I love all three of these books, they are so well written and easy to read, I literally read this book in about a day.
Kylie Chan is awesome, and I look forward to reading more of her books!
Kylie Chan is awesome, and I look forward to reading more of her books!
July 16, 2014
kinda glad there's no book 4. i like these enough to keep reading. but the author does enough repetition of the same goddamn phrase to irk me.
May 21, 2015
I am glad its over
September 25, 2016
1st reread- 26/9/16
November 19, 2020
(This review is for The Dark Heavens Trilogy)
Being a latecomer to Fantasy, I am delighted to have discovered Kylie Chan’s Dark Heavens Trilogy several years ago. Like J.K. Rowling with the Harry Potter series, Stephenie Meyer with the Twilight series, or even Rick Riordan with the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series – Chan has successfully brought a mythical world into our contemporary life. As we discover how conventional – and even conceptual – mythological characters and creatures adapt to the politics, financial and legal systems, social and cultural trends, and scientific and technological revolutions of our modern world, a sense of awe and wonder is cultivated. Which is why we need Fantasy, I suppose.
However, in contrast to other bestselling Fantasy authors, Chan is writing the Chinese mythology, a less known part of our literary universe that is equally rich and diverse as the ones based on Western legends and folklores. As Chan says in a recent interview:
“I deliberately wrote [the Dark Heavens Trilogy] because there wasn’t any Asian-based fantasy on the bookshelves. I had extensive personal experiences of Asian culture and mythology – and not many other authors had the same level of immersion… When it came time to write the books, I was completely over all the Tolkien-esque ‘wizards, elves and dwarves’–type fantasy, and if I had to see another Dwarven Mine, Mountains of Doom, or Mystic Lake, I was ready to throw the book at the wall… At the time, it was less influences and more being tired of the same old tropes being wheeled out in every fantasy book I read.”
As demonstrated in the three books of the trilogy – White Tiger, Red Phoenix and Blue Dragon – Chinese mythology is very much “a mixture of animalism, Buddhism and Taoism, which all seem to fit seamlessly together with a liberal dose of Confucian philosophy” (p.925, Dark Heavens Trilogy, Sydney: Harper Voyager, 2013). Indeed, the conflict between the Confucian notion of political and social order and the Taoist pursuit of harmony between Man and Nature is subtly yet perfectly illustrated in Chan’s books. This is what distinguishes Chinese mythology from its Western peers, as the former very much focuses on BEING AND DOING GOOD, which, like the ideal of Love in the West, transcends all forms of divisions and boundaries.
Hence we have Emma Donahoe, a seemingly ordinary 28-year-old Australian woman, falling in love with a 3,000-year-old Chinese god that is a combination of a turtle and a snake. In this world of martial arts and magic, celestial deities own real estates in Hong Kong and Arabic deserts and go shopping in London and Paris, dragons, lions and tigers serve as lawyers, bodyguards and owners of exotic holiday resorts, stones float and talk (and are relatives of some of Australia’s oldest geological formations), fox spirits aspire to become human beings as much as men and women want to be immortal, and kindergarten operators and notorious gangsters use genetic engineering to create human-demon hybrids. A sense of honour prevails, however, as even the worse monsters refrain from harming innocent women and children. Vows of everlasting True Love and Trust are able to make Heaven and Hell tremble in fear. Finally, a six-year-old girl – like Charlene “Charlie” McGee in Firestarter (1980), Elizabeth in V: The Final Battle (1984) and Renesmee in Breaking Dawn (2008) – is able to right at least some of the wrongs in this fascinating world.
I look forward to reading Chan’s other two series – the “Journey to Wudang” and the “Celestial Battle” trilogies – to fully explore the story of Emma, John and Simone. Indeed, although holding a 927-page “brick” of a collection of three books is a demanding task, I had a great deal of fun reading White Tiger, Red Phoenix and Blue Dragon over a period of six weeks. Even better, while writing this review, I discovered that Chan’s agent Alex Adsett (@alexadsett) recently optioned the film rights to Chan’s nine-book “Dark Heavens” fantasy series to one of the best production companies in Hollywood. Hopefully, Asian and especially Chinese readers will get to appreciate Chan’s unique representation of Chinese martial arts, gods and demons even before the movies come out.
This review was originally published on "Voices under the Sun" blog (https://christinesunflower.com/2016/1...).
Being a latecomer to Fantasy, I am delighted to have discovered Kylie Chan’s Dark Heavens Trilogy several years ago. Like J.K. Rowling with the Harry Potter series, Stephenie Meyer with the Twilight series, or even Rick Riordan with the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series – Chan has successfully brought a mythical world into our contemporary life. As we discover how conventional – and even conceptual – mythological characters and creatures adapt to the politics, financial and legal systems, social and cultural trends, and scientific and technological revolutions of our modern world, a sense of awe and wonder is cultivated. Which is why we need Fantasy, I suppose.
However, in contrast to other bestselling Fantasy authors, Chan is writing the Chinese mythology, a less known part of our literary universe that is equally rich and diverse as the ones based on Western legends and folklores. As Chan says in a recent interview:
“I deliberately wrote [the Dark Heavens Trilogy] because there wasn’t any Asian-based fantasy on the bookshelves. I had extensive personal experiences of Asian culture and mythology – and not many other authors had the same level of immersion… When it came time to write the books, I was completely over all the Tolkien-esque ‘wizards, elves and dwarves’–type fantasy, and if I had to see another Dwarven Mine, Mountains of Doom, or Mystic Lake, I was ready to throw the book at the wall… At the time, it was less influences and more being tired of the same old tropes being wheeled out in every fantasy book I read.”
As demonstrated in the three books of the trilogy – White Tiger, Red Phoenix and Blue Dragon – Chinese mythology is very much “a mixture of animalism, Buddhism and Taoism, which all seem to fit seamlessly together with a liberal dose of Confucian philosophy” (p.925, Dark Heavens Trilogy, Sydney: Harper Voyager, 2013). Indeed, the conflict between the Confucian notion of political and social order and the Taoist pursuit of harmony between Man and Nature is subtly yet perfectly illustrated in Chan’s books. This is what distinguishes Chinese mythology from its Western peers, as the former very much focuses on BEING AND DOING GOOD, which, like the ideal of Love in the West, transcends all forms of divisions and boundaries.
Hence we have Emma Donahoe, a seemingly ordinary 28-year-old Australian woman, falling in love with a 3,000-year-old Chinese god that is a combination of a turtle and a snake. In this world of martial arts and magic, celestial deities own real estates in Hong Kong and Arabic deserts and go shopping in London and Paris, dragons, lions and tigers serve as lawyers, bodyguards and owners of exotic holiday resorts, stones float and talk (and are relatives of some of Australia’s oldest geological formations), fox spirits aspire to become human beings as much as men and women want to be immortal, and kindergarten operators and notorious gangsters use genetic engineering to create human-demon hybrids. A sense of honour prevails, however, as even the worse monsters refrain from harming innocent women and children. Vows of everlasting True Love and Trust are able to make Heaven and Hell tremble in fear. Finally, a six-year-old girl – like Charlene “Charlie” McGee in Firestarter (1980), Elizabeth in V: The Final Battle (1984) and Renesmee in Breaking Dawn (2008) – is able to right at least some of the wrongs in this fascinating world.
I look forward to reading Chan’s other two series – the “Journey to Wudang” and the “Celestial Battle” trilogies – to fully explore the story of Emma, John and Simone. Indeed, although holding a 927-page “brick” of a collection of three books is a demanding task, I had a great deal of fun reading White Tiger, Red Phoenix and Blue Dragon over a period of six weeks. Even better, while writing this review, I discovered that Chan’s agent Alex Adsett (@alexadsett) recently optioned the film rights to Chan’s nine-book “Dark Heavens” fantasy series to one of the best production companies in Hollywood. Hopefully, Asian and especially Chinese readers will get to appreciate Chan’s unique representation of Chinese martial arts, gods and demons even before the movies come out.
This review was originally published on "Voices under the Sun" blog (https://christinesunflower.com/2016/1...).
January 3, 2020
I really like this book and the whole series tremendously. Seeing as this is the last book of the series, it was hard to get through simply because of all the tension from what had been building up (rightly so) and I didn't have the next series yet to continue the story! The was still a good balance of comedy and action, (and of course a little romance) to lighten some of the tension as well.
I find that her series is particularly mysterious and intriguing. Emma doesn't know what she is, no one really does. Ah Wu is leaving, when will he return? What will happen next? So much mystery in this even to the next series as it continues. I find it hard to put the book down at all.
I like the way the author describes some of the cultures in her series, always hinting that their’s more to this than meets the eye without going overboard in the explanation.
Emma now starts with her and she is a definite central character for this series at least. She is something different and unexplained, but that's what makes her exciting! She is very humble but at the same time very brutally honest and bold. Perhaps this could be annoying to some, that she is good at most things, but she’s not perfect and she makes mistakes. She's powerful and respected, but kind and fair at the same time.
The author uses the Tao as a way of life and being. I find it positively refreshing that she uses it in tricky situations, while still trying to keep true to the Tao. My faith in humanity is restored.
In any case I really love this series and the last one is a very nice way to end a series and at the same time set the stage for the books to come. I highly suggest such a book to lovers of mythology, martial arts, fantasy, philosophy, and action!
I find that her series is particularly mysterious and intriguing. Emma doesn't know what she is, no one really does. Ah Wu is leaving, when will he return? What will happen next? So much mystery in this even to the next series as it continues. I find it hard to put the book down at all.
I like the way the author describes some of the cultures in her series, always hinting that their’s more to this than meets the eye without going overboard in the explanation.
Emma now starts with her and she is a definite central character for this series at least. She is something different and unexplained, but that's what makes her exciting! She is very humble but at the same time very brutally honest and bold. Perhaps this could be annoying to some, that she is good at most things, but she’s not perfect and she makes mistakes. She's powerful and respected, but kind and fair at the same time.
The author uses the Tao as a way of life and being. I find it positively refreshing that she uses it in tricky situations, while still trying to keep true to the Tao. My faith in humanity is restored.
In any case I really love this series and the last one is a very nice way to end a series and at the same time set the stage for the books to come. I highly suggest such a book to lovers of mythology, martial arts, fantasy, philosophy, and action!
October 18, 2020
Really disappointing. The first book in the trilogy was ok, and set up an intriguing storyline. What was Emma? Why so good at martial arts? Will they ever get together? The second dragged a lot, just more and more descriptions of martial arts and energy work. Getting boring really. But the story was still a bit intriguing and I wanted to find out what happened. So I steeled myself for the awful writing for the sake of the plot. This book was much much too long and the story did not flow well at all. Then the supreme disappointment of 1. We still don't know what Emma is. 2. They still aren't together, he's swimming around under an ice cap. I struggled through all that really appalling writing for nothing. It is written like some high school student's first attempt at a novel - far too much exposition, far too much conversation, clumsy romantic stuff, annoyingly sappy inner dialogue. Could have done with a serious edit. If 50% was cut out it would have been much better. Avoid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2021
The development of skills of the characters and the "biggest battle yet" sequences are just the same old, same old, from the first two books. Whilst each of these parts would be interesting in their own right, being inundated with them just ruins any amazement or suspense that would normally be associated with these passages.
When it came time for the actual final battle, the details were slim, and left you confused as to why the victory methodology couldn't have been used earlier.
Moreover, the one interesting mystery throughout the book series is left unanswered. So unsatisfying!!
Having said all that, the fantasy based on actual mysticism is relatively well handled. The language and dialogue was initially good, but over such a lengthy series, unless you change it up, it too will get repetitive. If I had to read the word "Extraordinary" to describe Emma again, I was going to rip some pages!
When it came time for the actual final battle, the details were slim, and left you confused as to why the victory methodology couldn't have been used earlier.
Moreover, the one interesting mystery throughout the book series is left unanswered. So unsatisfying!!
Having said all that, the fantasy based on actual mysticism is relatively well handled. The language and dialogue was initially good, but over such a lengthy series, unless you change it up, it too will get repetitive. If I had to read the word "Extraordinary" to describe Emma again, I was going to rip some pages!
October 11, 2017
The superb Dark Heavens trilogy, by author Kylie Chan, seamlessly weaves bright threads of Chinese traditions, languages, philosophy and mythology into a thrilling romantic adventure story.
Dark Heavens
Emma, a 28 year old Australian working in Hong Kong, is devoted to her young charge Simone however she begins to suspect that the girl's father, the mysterious John Chen and his bodyguard Leo are not all they seem. She discovers a dangerous new world of gods and demons and wakes a sleeping power within herself that will change the status quo forever.
If you have the opportunity to read White Tiger, Red Phoenix and Blue Dragon back-to-back I highly recommend it. Just wonderful!
Dark Heavens
Emma, a 28 year old Australian working in Hong Kong, is devoted to her young charge Simone however she begins to suspect that the girl's father, the mysterious John Chen and his bodyguard Leo are not all they seem. She discovers a dangerous new world of gods and demons and wakes a sleeping power within herself that will change the status quo forever.
If you have the opportunity to read White Tiger, Red Phoenix and Blue Dragon back-to-back I highly recommend it. Just wonderful!
May 7, 2017
I am not sure how to categorize this series, but it keeps me coming back. Emma was a normal Australian girl who is hired to care for a little girl whose mother has died, but all is not as it seems. By this book, Emma is contending with loving a man she can rarely touch, who happens to be a god in human form, she herself is revealing a snake in her inner self, and constant attacks and betrayals by a son of the demon god. Actually, this is very complicated but Emma's love for Johan/Xuan Wu is deep and returned in full by him. A love story but a mythological adventure of constant surprises.
July 1, 2020
It was a relief to finally have the conclusion to this part of the story arc out of the way. This one was the most repetitive of the three in this trilogy. The story itself and the setting are both good ideas and worth developing. There was good tension and the concluding events were dramatic and engaging. The writing style is really what lets this series down. Ms Chan is not a bad writer, she just uses too many familiar tropes and words and expressions which leave the dialogue a bit boring and make the story elements drag.
December 28, 2019
I absolutely LOVED this series. As soon as I finished reading the first trilogy, I re-read it, and I've re-read it several times since, as well as reading the other two trilogies.
For me, this is the most accurate way to know how much do I like a book: do I feel like reading it again? How soon?
All nine of these books were definitely the most I re-read - and thoroughly enjoyed each time anew - during the past year.
And that places them at the top, for me.
For me, this is the most accurate way to know how much do I like a book: do I feel like reading it again? How soon?
All nine of these books were definitely the most I re-read - and thoroughly enjoyed each time anew - during the past year.
And that places them at the top, for me.
March 3, 2018
Kick-ass battles? In-depth lore and mythology? Amazing characters? Witty dialogue? A high stakes plot? Moments of disbelief? Unexpected twists?
Blue Dragon has them all.
It’s a thought contest between the first and third book as to which is my favourite of this volume in Kylie Chan’s epic world. They rank pretty much on par with one another.
Can’t wait to start on volume 2.
Blue Dragon has them all.
It’s a thought contest between the first and third book as to which is my favourite of this volume in Kylie Chan’s epic world. They rank pretty much on par with one another.
Can’t wait to start on volume 2.
October 3, 2018
3.5 stars. A good ending to the series. I found my self almost crying at the end. In some ways, I thought some parts dragged on a little too much and did not find the book in general as enjoyable as the first two. But I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and I am looking forward to reading the next series.
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