Oracle Bone

by Lydia Kwa

In seventh-century China, there is a fervent belief that the extraordinary resides within the lives of both commoners and royalty. While the empress Wu Zhao gains ascendancy in the Tang court, her lover Xie becomes obsessed with finding the oracle bone, a magical object that will bestow immortal powers on him. Standing in his way is Qilan, a Daoist nun who rescues an orphaned girl named Ling from slavery; Qilan takes her under her wing, promising to train her so she may avenge her parents' murders. As the mysteries and powers of the missing oracle bone are revealed, it remains to be seen whether Qilan will be able to stop Xie from gaining possession of the magical bone, and at what cost.

Lydia Kwa's extraordinary novel employs and subverts traditional tropes of Chinese mythology to tell a tale of greed, faith, and female empowerment with a wickedly modern sensibility.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Queer, Historical, Historical Fiction, Adult, Canada

254 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The publisher really did a disservice to the author by having such a short non-descriptive blurb. By marketing, I think it could become a big hit in fantasy circles like Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty series or Guy Gavriel Kay's Under Heaven. I found it under the 'Literature' section of my library but to be more specific, its tags would include 'Chinese historical fiction', 'fantasy' and 'wuxia/xianxia.'

I really liked that the author had put a lot of thought into the character, season and place names and uses chinese characters/pictograms beside the english names. Qilan, which in mandarin chinese means 'unique orchid,' is known as Sister Orchid in the temple. Xie, which can mean 'thankfulness' or 'evil' depending on the tonal pronunciation, is possessed by a demon God of Literature. Gui, which means ghost, is the demon.

A large part of the story is based in Chang'an, which was an important ancient Chinese capital in the Han, Sui and Tang dynasties. 7th century China is the time period and there are many actual important historical places mentioned such as Taijigong (Imperial Palace) and Da Ci'en Monastery.
Important persons of the Tang Dynasty are also featured such as Emperor Li Zhi and renowned Abbot Xuanzhang, credited with bringing Buddhist scriptures from India to China and translating them to spread among the masses.

All these richly textured background historical details provides a fascinating culturally authentic back-drop to the main story-line. Ling (meaning 'spirit' or) is a special young girl who is rescued by Qilan from a slave auction and trains under her mentorship at the temple to develop her powers. Meanwhile, Abbot Xuanzhang struggles to translate the Tripitaka Scriptures in ill health while recounting his ordeals with demons and deciphering the mystery of a magical turtle scroll. The empress, who is really ruling the empire in the emperor's stead, schemes to get a hold of the all-powerful oracle bone with the help of the demon Gui who has possessed the body of Xie, Qilan's father. Qilan plots to free her father from the demon's clutches by enticing it with the oracle bone.

There are elements of wuxia with sword fights, flying with qing gong, poisons and 'dian xue' (pressure point) immobilization. Daoism/taoism and powers such as changing of forms with high-ranking practitioners such as Qilan may also put it into the xianxia category but I'm not certain about this. I was also delighted by mention of the qilin, which is a East Asian mythological chimera creature often depicted in dragon dances. There are also quotes from Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), a rich literary text of Chinese mythology. The forest of Illusion was also interesting.

The prose is a mix of straight-forward with some poetic passages. Stylistically there is a east/west blend similar to Ken Liu. My initial review had some speculation on the writer's background but all is revealed in the back pages of the book including all the research the book derived from. The author has also published a book of poetry and passages from the poet Tao Yuan Ming are quoted and used as a revolving ruminative point.

The resolving of the climax and ending seemed a bit abrupt. All in all, a beautifully written book which has been woefully under-hyped. I also feel enriched after reading the book on learning some Chinese culture, I had to look up a lot of reference points for this review and it is obvious the author herself also put a lot of work into making it a culturally authentic yet original fictional historical fantasy work.

[Timár_Krisztina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Színvonalas, tartalmas szórakozás. Lydia Kwa úgy ír kalandregényt, ahogyan én szeretem.

Ami a szingapúri szerzőket illeti, nincsenek elkényeztetve a világolvasók. Ő is csak félig az, mármint hogy ott született, ott nőtt fel (bár ma már Kanadában él), és nyilvánvalóan távol-keleti felmenői vannak – de ennyi éppen elég volt nekem. Még akkor is, ha sajnos pont Szingapúrról semmi nem derül ki a regényből. Cserébe bővelkedik kínai mítoszokban, művészetben, filozófiában és mágiában, háttérben a kora középkorral, a regény végén csinos forráslistával.

Itt olvasható tovább:
https://gyujtogeto-alkoto.blog.hu/202...

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was both a beautiful and contemplative look at politics and philosophy, while also being a thrilling page turner that centered women and gave them power. I couldn't put the book down. I was fascinated by Ling and the lessons from her mentor, Sister Orchid or Qilan. I would call this book a speculative historical novel in that it reimagines the history and characters of 7th Century China. I am looking forward to reading the prequel The Walking Boy, which is being rereleased by Arsenal Pulp Press this year. I haven't read Lydia Kwa's work before, but rest assured, I will be reading more. I loved the lyrical descriptions and the strength of the characters. Sister Orchid is my hero, as is Ling. The minor characters, such as the monks, the emperor and empress, Old Chen and the demon are also fascinating. This is a spellbinding book.

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fantasy, heavy on the fantasy, but that very strong on cultural specificity.
Our heroes are 'eccentrics' and those on the periphery, often women, with queer rep. Power is a bad and, for example, Wu Zetian/Wu Zhao is not valourised as a ruthless woman of power in an effort to be feminist (much as I am a fan of Shan Sa's Wu Zhao novel Empress).
I'd have liked to get closer to the characters, and more ornate writing wouldn't have gone amiss with me. Other than that, pretty much the historical fantasy I wish for, and I eagerly look forward to the next, The Walking Boy.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid blend of magical realism and historical fiction with an ample dose of feminism and a dash of queerness. Full review on my blog!

[John Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the standards of contemporary Western fiction this is not a great book. The story wanders around with no clear direction and the characters are rather two dimensional. The pace is rather slow and there are frequent diversions into oriental philosophy. Knowing nothing about Chinese philosophy I cannot judge the merit of the various philosophical musings in the book.

Despite this I enjoyed the book enough to read the sequel "A Dream Wants Waking", which I also enjoyed. Kwa is from Singapore and I would guess (I haven't asked her) that she is deliberately writing in the same style as the books she remembers reading as a child. As a British reader I found this gives the book an exotic feel that I enjoyed. I can't judge how authentic the Chinese mythology is - after all I have read many terrible Arthurian legend books that might seem equally exotic and fascinating to a Singaporean reader - but it fascinated me enough to keep me reading even through the slower chapters.

If your staple fodder is conventional Western fantasies you should think twice before opening this book, but if you're at all interested in Chinese philosophy and mythology this could well be a book for you. Just accept that you need to drift along with the book admiring the scenery rather than expecting an action driven plot.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was un-put-down-able for me, and I'm glad to have read it. There's something about historical magical realism that just does it for me. I loved the relationship between Ling and Qilan the best; they are the closest to "Xena and Gabrielle" vibes that I think I've ever felt from a book. It's not flawless but even so, it felt special.

[Rhoddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book. First off, it was a beautiful blend of Chinese history, fantasy, religion and philosophy with world building that truly immerses you. The characters were engaging and I was sometimes deeply moved by their plights. Lastly, the writing was well done and easy to read, there only being a couple instants of hiccups in the flow.

All in all, I think is a great read that is much deeper than your typical fantasy book.

[Amber Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oracle Bone is exactly the type book I yearn for. Clever, complex and transportative speculative fiction. A page-turner that doesn't sacrifice emotional intelligence in all the action.

I know and love Lydia Kwa as a poet. I'm so inspired by this novel that I'm going to go back and read The Walking Boy (her 2005 novel).

[Sole · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a delicious reading, a wonderful journey.

[Anna]

Really appealing cover copy, and a fascinating premise about a time and place I rarely (to my detriment!) read about, but the book felt like it was actually at least two books in one. I fear this was too short to make too much of an emotional impact on me. For example, the character of Harelip: he was the most fascinating to me, so tender and questioning, and yet his subplot, and that of the Buddhist monks doing their transcription work, could have been removed from this book without any impact, which is a pity. He deserves his own novel, as do Qilan and Ling. I needed more - more about the characters, more about the setting. I loved the way food and some of the clothing were described, so rich and vivid, and I would have loved to see that applied elsewhere, to emotions, to place, to feelings, to senses, to the ins and outs of daily life.

There were also, I think, some holes in the narrative, characters or names who were suddenly introduced (Peerless, Ao, Gaozu) without much or any explanation, some historical figures (such as poets or philosophers) or dynasties who were mentioned without any backstory. And then the scene when the Abbess meets Ling, looks in her eyes, and says: "The Langgan!" - and then we never hear of this term again or follow up on this plot point.

On a final note, I will also say that the idea of physical deformity, as seen in Harelip (the good) and the demon (the bad) is a complicated thing to split into two sides, the light and the dark. It brings to mind the Madonna/whore dichotomy, which is a difficult one. I think more time and space dedicated to exploring the theme of physical "disfigurement" would have been a good thing.

[Kes · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Tagged as Singapore as author is born in Singapore)

Ling is captured and about to be sold as a slave when she’s rescued by Sister Qilan, a nun. She trains under Sister Qilan for revenge, although at the end of the training, Ling finds there is more than revenge. Sister Qilan herself is seeking to end a demon that has possessed her father; the book ends with Qilan doing that and foregoing physical attachment.

There are two other plot lines - Empress Wu Zhao wants to rule in her own name. She gets the help of a demon. The third plotline about Harelip becoming Xuanzang’s successor goes nowhere. But the sequel seems to be about Harelip - in my view, Harelip’s plot could have been totally cut and introduced in the sequel and it would have been a better / more streamlined book. The only worthwhile plotline is Ling’s. You can tag Empress’s on Ling’s, but that’s about it.

This book wasn’t marked as part of a series so was disappointed there was a second book.

-

Other writing notes: cultural setting (in China), leans into magical realism/xianxia style with philosophy and ideas about the dao. Uses Chinese references in writing.

Ok book - 2/5. Rounded up due to worldbuilding but honestly it feels like a “first draft” novel.

[2TReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Political intrigue, magic, murder, betrayal, and mystery all within the first 20 pages definitely heightened my anticipation going into this book.

Set in dynastic China, we meet the ailing emperor and ambitious empress, her supernatural lover, and a very mysterious nun with a rescued, unknown protege of natural talent.

At times certain transitions seem abrupt and end quite sharply, and I could have used maybe 50 or so more pages, to flesh out characters and their back stories, lay the groundwork to deepen the confrontation, which would have made for an even more satisfying conclusion. The plot was fast paced and certain developments suffered from that, however the politics of power, lust, revenge, and a quest to save the soul of a loved one kept me reading.

What I liked most about this book was the infusion of culture that was interlaced throughout the plot: the religious teachings, poetry, adherence to the order of the universe(gender roles), connection to and acknowledgement of the power held by nature and the mythical creatures that were divine inspirations, all of these elements enriched the story for me.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

[Kim Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How strange we are, mortal beings, full of inconsistencies and contradictions."

Oracle Bone is a deliciously delicate blend of history and myth, philosophy and magic, outcasts, transformation and intrigue. Set in 7th-century China, we follow several characters of different social classes--orphan girl, empress, Daoist nun and demon--as their lives are deftly interwoven by the author.

I loved and appreciated Kwa's compelling story, extensive research and attention to detail--a map, a pronunciation guide, the beautiful Chinese symbols. About those symbols...I read mostly on Kindle because of diminished motor skills and I discovered that if I double tap on those symbols, they pop up (magnified). All the better to admire their intricacies.

PS The battle scenes are amazing! Read this book!

[Sierra Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m an excruciatingly slow reader, but the story has a momentum that pulls you through. 1 page becomes 50 suddenly. I really enjoyed this book, narrated in such a way that it sounds like an oral history, but woven with fantastical elements. I am a new fan of Lydia Kwa and I can’t wait to read her next book!

[Ally · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love stories about ancient China, Japan and their cultures and legends. Oracle Bone had an appealing blurb, and promising story-line, but unfortunately failed to captivate me. Some of the main characters were interesting, others and their place within the narrative could have been more developed. Overall the story did not flow easily or engage my emotions. Disappointed.

[l · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to make of this book tbh.

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rep: Chinese cast & setting, gay mc, Indian achillean side character

CWs: rape, suicide

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Not really my thing. It didn't go in the direction I thought it would.