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City of... #2
City of Jade
1131, The Silk Road.
Gallienus of Constantinople, a scarred soldier who used to work the city gates, enters a new phase of his life when he meets and falls in love with Misahuen of Gyeongju. But prejudice of same-sex relationships dominates Byzantine society, and both the Emperor and the Church denounce such love. Should Misahuen and Gallienus be discovered, the punishment is castration or death. Fearing he’ll lose Misahuen, Gallienus decides to go with Misahuen when he leaves the city forever.
A former farmer, Misahuen fled war-torn Korea and journeyed to Constantinople with a merchant caravan. He didn’t expect to take such an interest in a wounded soldier at journey’s end. But he understands the danger, so he and Gallienus join another caravan as guardsmen and begin a two-thousand-mile trip along the Silk Road. Now all they have to do is persevere to their final destination without the truth of their relationship being discovered and being killed because of it… or by the other dangers along the Road.
Gallienus of Constantinople, a scarred soldier who used to work the city gates, enters a new phase of his life when he meets and falls in love with Misahuen of Gyeongju. But prejudice of same-sex relationships dominates Byzantine society, and both the Emperor and the Church denounce such love. Should Misahuen and Gallienus be discovered, the punishment is castration or death. Fearing he’ll lose Misahuen, Gallienus decides to go with Misahuen when he leaves the city forever.
A former farmer, Misahuen fled war-torn Korea and journeyed to Constantinople with a merchant caravan. He didn’t expect to take such an interest in a wounded soldier at journey’s end. But he understands the danger, so he and Gallienus join another caravan as guardsmen and begin a two-thousand-mile trip along the Silk Road. Now all they have to do is persevere to their final destination without the truth of their relationship being discovered and being killed because of it… or by the other dangers along the Road.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2013
4 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
L.J. LaBarthe
38 books32 followersL.J. LaBarthe is an Australian woman living with disabilities and her cat. She has always loved books, music, and daydreaming. She has written stories since childhood, often drawing pictures to accompany her tales. She won a competition for drawing a picture of Australian Humpty Dumpty, complete with Aussie hat when she was a young child. The drawing was accompanied by an adventure story with Humpty Dumpty she wrote set in Australia. From that moment on, she has not looked back.
She spends her free time watching television and is an unashamed fan of 'Supernatural,' 'Spartacus' and 'Game of Thrones.' She reads newspapers online for fun and loves a good novel. She loves to cook and enjoys a snifter of absinthe from time to time.
L.J. would like to take a moment to let her university professor in creative writing know that knowledge of iambic pentameter isn't necessary in order to be able to enjoy the craft of writing, no matter how much he may have screamed to the contrary.
She spends her free time watching television and is an unashamed fan of 'Supernatural,' 'Spartacus' and 'Game of Thrones.' She reads newspapers online for fun and loves a good novel. She loves to cook and enjoys a snifter of absinthe from time to time.
L.J. would like to take a moment to let her university professor in creative writing know that knowledge of iambic pentameter isn't necessary in order to be able to enjoy the craft of writing, no matter how much he may have screamed to the contrary.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 23, 2014
This was an odd one. Definitely not plot driven, it's a very placid (?) story. I enjoyed it quite a lot, but it's a huge change from Inferno, which I read immediately before it. I enjoy historical novels, M/M novels, and am fascinated with both the Byzantine empire and China, so it was a good choice for me. City of Jade is the story of a former soldier and dissatisfied imperial soldier and the caravan guard from Korea he meets. Together, they decide to go to China to make a new life for themselves. As caravan guards, they journey along the Silk Road, make great friends, but have surprisingly few adventures. It took me longer to read than I expected, but I believe that's because I was enjoying it so much. If you're looking for an interesting travelogue of 12th century Asia, and don't mind M/M romance, you may well enjoy this book. I believe I would like to read more by Ms. LaBarthe, and I know I'd enjoy a sequel to City of Jade.
June 28, 2013
I really enjoyed this historical journey, from Constantinople to Hunan in China.
Set in the 12th century, the story reads like a travelogue, and the characters and sights the MCs meet is rather the point of the book, I think. To make it come to life, I followed their route in Google Earth, and I'd recommend that to readers, otherwise the list of cities can get a bit mind-boggling.
The couple are very warm, in love and of course, given the time, very careful. The whole point of their epic journey is to reach China, a land where they can live openly, something of a novelty then, even more so than now.
L.J. LaBarthe has done copious amounts of research, and it shows. If you like historicals, this is one you can read without wincing.
Set in the 12th century, the story reads like a travelogue, and the characters and sights the MCs meet is rather the point of the book, I think. To make it come to life, I followed their route in Google Earth, and I'd recommend that to readers, otherwise the list of cities can get a bit mind-boggling.
The couple are very warm, in love and of course, given the time, very careful. The whole point of their epic journey is to reach China, a land where they can live openly, something of a novelty then, even more so than now.
L.J. LaBarthe has done copious amounts of research, and it shows. If you like historicals, this is one you can read without wincing.
dnf
July 31, 2015Hm, I read the prequel, City of Gold (which was included in this book). It was good, but I realized I didn't really feel compelled to continue. My review for City of Gold can be read here.
June 1, 2022
This is book 2 of the Jade Wars series. How could this be fake? This book was so in-depth very detailed and captivating. I love how the book is able to use asian characters, culture and make it so it's easily understood in American culture. War I would say is not my thing but don't think of it as a war it's magic, it's excitement, it's action and takes on so many interesting side stories. Yes you need to read book 1 and you would not be sorry and fact you would be thankful for a fast paced book. I always say a good book is a good book no matter what the topic. But it always helps to have some belief in it. Oh also this is probably the first time I loved the 2nd book as much as the 1st book ; how odd that is to me. If you need a page turner and wonderful colorful characters this book will be excellent entertainment for you.
June 19, 2013
Full review available here at All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...
Have you ever read that book that was completely different from what you expected? This was that book for me. It stayed pretty true to the book description, but it was still not what I thought it would be.
Gallienus, former soldier and current gate guard for the grand city of Constantinople, feels stuck in his life. He hates his job and feels like he was thrown away after he was injured in battle. But one day, the mesmerizing Misahuen arrives with a caravan. He is immediately attracted to the foreigner, but the laws of the Byzantine empire do more than frown upon relations between men - they prohibit them by death.
So what are the new lovers to do in a country that does not approve of them? The journey they follow covers the lands from Constantinople into China, guarding a merchant caravan along the way. But will they get there safely? And will they find a home that accepts them for who they are?
Have you ever read that book that was completely different from what you expected? This was that book for me. It stayed pretty true to the book description, but it was still not what I thought it would be.
Gallienus, former soldier and current gate guard for the grand city of Constantinople, feels stuck in his life. He hates his job and feels like he was thrown away after he was injured in battle. But one day, the mesmerizing Misahuen arrives with a caravan. He is immediately attracted to the foreigner, but the laws of the Byzantine empire do more than frown upon relations between men - they prohibit them by death.
So what are the new lovers to do in a country that does not approve of them? The journey they follow covers the lands from Constantinople into China, guarding a merchant caravan along the way. But will they get there safely? And will they find a home that accepts them for who they are?
March 18, 2015
This was an odd one. Definitely not plot driven, it's a very placid (?) story. I enjoyed it quite a lot, but it's a huge change from Inferno, which I read immediately before it. I enjoy historical novels, M/M novels, and am fascinated with both the Byzantine empire and China, so it was a good choice for me. City of Jade is the story of a former soldier and dissatisfied imperial soldier and the caravan guard from Korea he meets. Together, they decide to go to China to make a new life for themselves. As caravan guards, they journey along the Silk Road, make great friends, but have surprisingly few adventures. It took me longer to read than I expected, but I believe that's because I was enjoying it so much. If you're looking for an interesting travelogue of 12th century Asia, and don't mind M/M romance, you may well enjoy this book. I believe I would like to read more by Ms. LaBarthe, and I know I'd enjoy a sequel to City of Jade.
February 10, 2020
This fairly longish re-write version works as a romance travelogue with a dash of adventure thrown in. The most interesting features for me was reading the description of the various cities and town visited by the merchant caravan from Constantinople to Lin-Nan (China). The author provides ample descriptions of the buildings, the people, the food and traded goods.
For those who appreciate sex in their M-M romances, there's lots to satisfy but thank God each sweaty encounter does not run to several pages long. These did not distract from the main plot but I personally could have done with a little less of the sex and a little more of the 'action adventure' - the dangers of being attached by raiders and bandits are made real, and not that I'm a blood-lust reader ... I just felt that there was insufficient actual violence/death despite the threats thereof.
So I'd say this is a 'nice' three and a half star read rather than a blood-racing, heart-stopping read.
For those who appreciate sex in their M-M romances, there's lots to satisfy but thank God each sweaty encounter does not run to several pages long. These did not distract from the main plot but I personally could have done with a little less of the sex and a little more of the 'action adventure' - the dangers of being attached by raiders and bandits are made real, and not that I'm a blood-lust reader ... I just felt that there was insufficient actual violence/death despite the threats thereof.
So I'd say this is a 'nice' three and a half star read rather than a blood-racing, heart-stopping read.
Want to read
August 30, 2014Gave up on page 1 because of the author's opinion on history. "Porcelain shattered easily, and the contents of the vase were revealed as several handfuls of dried red poppies ... This is illegal in the empire ... Now the emperor himself will decide what is to become of you" Poppy-seed cake is delicious, opium could have been highly priced by the city's healers, porcelain could have been even more valued, and the emperor himself wasting his time with a smuggler?
August 19, 2013
I enjoyed this because of the wonderful Silk Road and the culture and wonderful places along the road. The period was well established, the characters were believable, and the amount of time and the different aspects of the journey were evocative and enjoyable.
July 18, 2013
This was a very pleasant read, although the pace and plot are both very languid.
July 21, 2013
It very lovely and easy going story.
November 23, 2013
2.5 rounded up
December 3, 2014
NOT AT ALL what I was expecting. At all. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not a fraught romance, this was a quiet, romantic, historical travelogue. Recommend.
November 1, 2015
2013 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews