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Journey to Wudang #1
Earth to Hell
A fabulous story of gods and demons, shapeshifters and martial arts ...
It is eight years since Xuan Wu, God of the Northern Heavens, living in Hong Kong as wealthy businessman John Chen, was exiled from the mortal realm. Emma and Simone, John's daughter, are facing a new series of threats, while their best fighter, Leo, sits in Hell. they must persuade him to come home ... but, in Hell, nothing is as it appears. On Earth, Simon Wong, the Demon King's son, is no longer around to trouble them, but his associates have taken over Simon's underworld activities. the otherworldly stones are being targeted and are in danger of their kind being completely destroyed. It seems that the Demon King is the only one Emma can turn to for help ... Praise for the Dark Heavens trilogy: 'addictive ... you won't want to put it down' femail.com.au 'hitch up ya britches, put on some good running shoes and get into the pace' AurealisXpress 'packed with Chinese mythology, kick-ass action and sexual tension' AsIf.dreamhosters.com
It is eight years since Xuan Wu, God of the Northern Heavens, living in Hong Kong as wealthy businessman John Chen, was exiled from the mortal realm. Emma and Simone, John's daughter, are facing a new series of threats, while their best fighter, Leo, sits in Hell. they must persuade him to come home ... but, in Hell, nothing is as it appears. On Earth, Simon Wong, the Demon King's son, is no longer around to trouble them, but his associates have taken over Simon's underworld activities. the otherworldly stones are being targeted and are in danger of their kind being completely destroyed. It seems that the Demon King is the only one Emma can turn to for help ... Praise for the Dark Heavens trilogy: 'addictive ... you won't want to put it down' femail.com.au 'hitch up ya britches, put on some good running shoes and get into the pace' AurealisXpress 'packed with Chinese mythology, kick-ass action and sexual tension' AsIf.dreamhosters.com
615 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
112 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
About the author
Kylie Chan
26 books593 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 99 reviews
January 31, 2010
This was fairly dreadful. The previous books in this series were a bit of a guilty pleasure - Emma, an Australian nanny, falls in love with her boss John, who is actually a Shen (a Chinese god, to dumb things down a little). He teaches her martial arts, she's amazingly brilliant at it, everyone adores her - it's silly and fun.
In this book, John has died (but not really, because he's immortal - he will be back, at some point), and Emma has been left in charge. She's amazingly powerful and respected, and John's daughter is about the most powerful creature of all time. They spend the whole book fighting demons, and it's incredibly boring because they inevitably win, and marvel at their respective powerfulness. Whenever their comrades die, it doesn't really matter because they're only down in Hell, and they'll make their way back up to Earth and life again. There are no real consequences to anything, nothing lasting anyway, and the book is agonisingly long. I confess to skim reading a lot of it once I past the halfway point.
In this book, John has died (but not really, because he's immortal - he will be back, at some point), and Emma has been left in charge. She's amazingly powerful and respected, and John's daughter is about the most powerful creature of all time. They spend the whole book fighting demons, and it's incredibly boring because they inevitably win, and marvel at their respective powerfulness. Whenever their comrades die, it doesn't really matter because they're only down in Hell, and they'll make their way back up to Earth and life again. There are no real consequences to anything, nothing lasting anyway, and the book is agonisingly long. I confess to skim reading a lot of it once I past the halfway point.
June 22, 2020
Notes:
Writing is getting better. There are still mistakes that should be caught by an editor/readers. Some story inconsistencies.
Adore the myths/details used for this series.
Overall, writing still comes across as a fan-based translation vs something written in the original language.
Writing is getting better. There are still mistakes that should be caught by an editor/readers. Some story inconsistencies.
Adore the myths/details used for this series.
Overall, writing still comes across as a fan-based translation vs something written in the original language.
January 18, 2013
It doesn't create suspense for a reader to want one answer for multiple books... It creates annoyance. I would like to know what Emma is, just because... You know what? I don't even know why. I'll wind up reading the next two, because they are in my library ebook collection.
The writing suffers from the characters never planning *anything* in advance. There are jarring breaks between scenes and situations, some of which left me scratching my head. There are characters who are just thrown in there, and I have absolutely no idea who they are until a hundred pages in, when we find out that the random guy hanging around? He's a Horseman, and the wife of the domestic help. And the new character Lok is in the shape of a dog, for some reason. But you need to remember that, because it will never be mentioned again.
What's frustrating is that I'm really enjoying learning a bit more about Chinese mythology, which is something I know absolutely nothing about.
The writing suffers from the characters never planning *anything* in advance. There are jarring breaks between scenes and situations, some of which left me scratching my head. There are characters who are just thrown in there, and I have absolutely no idea who they are until a hundred pages in, when we find out that the random guy hanging around? He's a Horseman, and the wife of the domestic help. And the new character Lok is in the shape of a dog, for some reason. But you need to remember that, because it will never be mentioned again.
What's frustrating is that I'm really enjoying learning a bit more about Chinese mythology, which is something I know absolutely nothing about.
February 4, 2013
This is the first book in the Journey to Wudang trilogy, by the "Bestselling Author of White Tiger." Unfortunately, nowhere on or in the book does it mention that this is actually a followup trilogy, to the trilogy of which White Tiger is the first book. Bad marketing, bad! No biscotti.
So it drops you right in amongst a largish cast of characters that it assumed I already knew, eight years after a series of monumental events I wasn't familiar with. This made getting into it somewhat difficult.
On the other hand, it was a pretty good light read. Set in Hong Kong, the cast are all gods, demons, dragons and the like, trying to do stuff that only makes sense at first if you've read the first trilogy (they spend most of the book trying to convince someone in Hell to agree to become immortal and return to Earth, which is complicated by a series of distractions and kidnappings). The author does two things noticeably well-- first, she manages to give the book a convincingly Eastern flavor (at least to my rudimentary understanding of Eastern philosophy and priorities); and second, she deals fairly well with the fact that 2/3 of the cast possess semi-phenomenal cosmic powers. The book flirts dangerously with Mary-Sueism, but manages to just barely avoid it by dint of judicious use of politics and psychology. "We could just destroy him, but think of all th paperwork!" [not a direct quote]. Unfortunately, the first trilogy seems to not be present in the local library system, so I had to get it shipped in from a Boston area library. Hopefully it'll all make more sense after I've read them.
So it drops you right in amongst a largish cast of characters that it assumed I already knew, eight years after a series of monumental events I wasn't familiar with. This made getting into it somewhat difficult.
On the other hand, it was a pretty good light read. Set in Hong Kong, the cast are all gods, demons, dragons and the like, trying to do stuff that only makes sense at first if you've read the first trilogy (they spend most of the book trying to convince someone in Hell to agree to become immortal and return to Earth, which is complicated by a series of distractions and kidnappings). The author does two things noticeably well-- first, she manages to give the book a convincingly Eastern flavor (at least to my rudimentary understanding of Eastern philosophy and priorities); and second, she deals fairly well with the fact that 2/3 of the cast possess semi-phenomenal cosmic powers. The book flirts dangerously with Mary-Sueism, but manages to just barely avoid it by dint of judicious use of politics and psychology. "We could just destroy him, but think of all th paperwork!" [not a direct quote]. Unfortunately, the first trilogy seems to not be present in the local library system, so I had to get it shipped in from a Boston area library. Hopefully it'll all make more sense after I've read them.
September 29, 2016
Reread 1- 29/9/16
April 13, 2012
Kylie Chan doesn't give you time to dip your toe in the pool before she throws you in the deep end in her follow-up to the Dark Heavens series. Things move quickly, introductions are only for the completely new characters, and references to the previous work are so oblique as to leave a new reader clueless and experienced ones uncertain.
Ultimately though, Chan's strong characterization and changed dynamic, this book takes place eight years after the end of the previous series, make it a highly enjoyable work. The characters actually have grown since the previous volume and the absence of certain characters from the earlier series allows exploration of new roles. Strongest is probably the Demon King, who appears to be filling the Palpatine role in the Star Wars Prequels except all of this book's protagonists have motivation for their actions.
I do have some other issues though. The final confrontation feels tacked on in a movie-style format to provide extra-closure in a book that is hellbent on continuing to another volume. Regardless, while I would not recommend this book to people new to Kylie Chan, I feel those who have read her original series will be pleased by this entry.
Ultimately though, Chan's strong characterization and changed dynamic, this book takes place eight years after the end of the previous series, make it a highly enjoyable work. The characters actually have grown since the previous volume and the absence of certain characters from the earlier series allows exploration of new roles. Strongest is probably the Demon King, who appears to be filling the Palpatine role in the Star Wars Prequels except all of this book's protagonists have motivation for their actions.
I do have some other issues though. The final confrontation feels tacked on in a movie-style format to provide extra-closure in a book that is hellbent on continuing to another volume. Regardless, while I would not recommend this book to people new to Kylie Chan, I feel those who have read her original series will be pleased by this entry.
January 27, 2013
This book I found a little hard to get into at the start, I think because it came from a different angel, however it got better as I got further into it. I missed John but enjoyed watch Emma come to terms with what John had given her and seeing Simone grow up into the lethal protective member of the celestial heavens
May 26, 2017
I really would like to give this whole series 4.5 but not quite to 5. Great inventive and amazingly creative plot with amazing view into the Hong Kong and Chinese spiritual beliefs - as all these mythical creatures are real in this world. Emma - just an ordinary Australian girl in the beginning - is now the regent and betrothed of one of the most powerful gods in this pantheon - the Dark God Xuan Whu (or commonly known as John Chen). He has a human (half) daughter whose mother has been murdered, and Simone needs Emma in her life, as John has had to leave. Wow. Can't even begin to tell you what's next.
May 15, 2021
The book that started my journey with Kylie Chans series. I tried to start with Earth to Hell since it was the one I physically had & I hadn't know it was the second trilogy within a larger trilogy, but I was too confused with the characters & events, basically everything. So I went back to the very beginning with White Tiger & found I really enjoyed the series despite the faults I found with it. The writing lacks in many places, the transitions between scenes don't always make sense (if there is one), & with so many characters its a constant struggle to remember who is who beyond Emma, John, Leo & Simone. There's a lot that happens back to back that it's get a little tiresome & I wonder how it will last 9 books but I want to know what happens & how it ends so I'll continue. Earth to Hell may be my least favorite so far.
March 23, 2018
Earth to Hell definitely feels like the slowest instalment to date from Chan’s three part series.
A lot of interesting and exciting things happened, but generally, and overall, there were an awful lot of things that seemed like filler or just “there”. Of course, if my memory serves me correctly, Chan doesn’t just throw anything in (really) nilly-willy. There are purposes behind every mundane choice.
That said, I’m now on to Hell to Heaven, which means I’m two steps closer to reading the last volume and finding out once and for all how this beautiful series ends and - WHAT. EMMA. IS!
A lot of interesting and exciting things happened, but generally, and overall, there were an awful lot of things that seemed like filler or just “there”. Of course, if my memory serves me correctly, Chan doesn’t just throw anything in (really) nilly-willy. There are purposes behind every mundane choice.
That said, I’m now on to Hell to Heaven, which means I’m two steps closer to reading the last volume and finding out once and for all how this beautiful series ends and - WHAT. EMMA. IS!
August 9, 2020
Frustrating that these things are sold as "trilogies" when the final books end on worse cliffhangers than earlier installments. This book is better than the first three, for a few reasons: there is a clear antagonist from the start; more time is given over to Celestial politics, making those characters and that world more real less of a bad pastiche; and because John's absence both gives us a break from poorly-written romance and makes it easier for Emma to have real struggles and real peril. Oh, and they finally stop with the remarkable gold coin nonsense.
June 13, 2018
I actively disliked the book upon having started on it, but somewhere after the first quarter I changed my mind. yea, there really is not much in terms of characters, and some ideas are shoehorned so blatantly it would have been annoying, if it didn't all feel so innocent.
the book's main strength is action. it knows that and just runs with it, somehow keeping up the variety of events and imaginative settings. If that's what you're looking for, go ahead.
the book's main strength is action. it knows that and just runs with it, somehow keeping up the variety of events and imaginative settings. If that's what you're looking for, go ahead.
December 28, 2019
I absolutely LOVED this series. As soon as I finished reading the first and second trilogies, I re-read it, and I've re-read it several times since, as well as reading the last trilogy.
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.
September 12, 2020
This was my second or third time reading this book and I better understand it than the first time. While the first time was a bit of a learning curve, this time felt smooth and easier to read. The writing has gotten better, but I wanted a little bit more of the family dynamic that was found in the first trilogy; I mean it is still there, just not front and centre. Enjoy this book nonetheless and look forward to the next one
March 11, 2018
Woohoo, I love this series! Although I have to say that honestly, Emma is not the most likeable of heroines is she?
They're long books but they move fast I find, very action packed and compelling. The is-he-or-isn't-he-Leo mystery was a great one here! And Simone is much more interesting now she's a bit older too.
They're long books but they move fast I find, very action packed and compelling. The is-he-or-isn't-he-Leo mystery was a great one here! And Simone is much more interesting now she's a bit older too.
June 9, 2017
Speeding ahead 8 years, we pick up the stories of Simone, Emma, Leo, et al. Much has changed, but everything I love about these books hasn't :)
August 30, 2018
The writing has improved dramatically. Story takes off strong
October 3, 2018
4.5 stars. This series just keeps getting better and better with each book. I loved the Dark heavens Trilogy and this was an excellent start to Journey to Wudang. I am very excited to read more!
Read
December 24, 2019Cool and scary
Read
August 12, 2020Enjoyable read
December 2, 2023
RTC with re-read.
August 22, 2018
I liked this but it simply isn't the same series with Xuan Wu. I can't wait for his return.
June 5, 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.
October 15, 2016
I love this the whole book series. This book though I disliked some parts, but I'm glad it had a good ending at the end.
December 26, 2016
This book picks up eight years after the Dark Heavens series ended. Emma and Simone are older and are skilled fighters, Simone being one of the most deadly fighters. Emma and Simone are trying to get Leo back...still...after eight years. They are granted passage to Hell to retrieve him but find that nothing is as it seems and Demon King's son Number Six has been meddling with Leo, demons, stones, you name it. Will they be able to save Leo from Six's clutches?
What I really liked about the last series was the way Chinese mythology seemed to come alive in the books. In this book they were still very much alive, though a little overdone I think, with everyone mind-talking and changing into their True Forms all over the place. The story kept twisting and turning and just when you thought it might get somewhere it changed direction. It can be good, to help keep interest in the story but here it just made it frustrating and hard to keep up with.
The change in characters over eight years... Was Emma really that annoying in the previous trilogy? She's too proud and ignorant and has no forethought for what actions may come out of her actions. Like during the fight with Er Lang and allowing the tree Shen to stab her to get the fight over and make him feel better, not stopping to think that in allowing that to happen would put him on trial for attempted murder, thus changing nothing. And then turning up at his trial and demanding he be released, full well knowing that it wouldn't change anything, and at the same time revealing her true form to be a snake. Wwwhhhhyyyyyyy?
The story itself also shit me to tears just about. It had been years since I read the Dark Heavens trilogy and being thrown back into a huge cast of characters and unfamiliar words made it really hard to work out who was who and who could do what. There were also stupid irrelevant scenes in the book as well that made no difference to the story. Such as the lunch Emma had with Louise to talk about Rhonda and see if Emma could make her back down. Absolutely no point.
What annoys me is the lack of consequence in the books. It's ok to chop off someone's head because they'll just be down in Hell and will come back eventually. No one really dies, no one really gets hurt. So there's not really any danger or suspense in any of the fights, there's not really any sadness if someone "dies" because it's not really, well, real.
One thing that did surprise me though was the wedding at the end where Rhonda died upon drinking the Elixir. Throughout the book there'd been comments about what Michael (her son) could do and whether Rhonda was something special. Everyone kept saying no, but then at the wedding, poof! So I'd be interested in finding out what she is, maybe it's the same kind of thing as Emma.
As much as the frivolity of the story annoyed me, I'll keep reading the series because I do find the Chinese mythology interesting. And if only to find out what happened to Rhonda. No one else seems to have cared that much, even though she actually died, unlike all the other characters. So we'll see how the next books are.
Read more on my blog
What I really liked about the last series was the way Chinese mythology seemed to come alive in the books. In this book they were still very much alive, though a little overdone I think, with everyone mind-talking and changing into their True Forms all over the place. The story kept twisting and turning and just when you thought it might get somewhere it changed direction. It can be good, to help keep interest in the story but here it just made it frustrating and hard to keep up with.
The change in characters over eight years... Was Emma really that annoying in the previous trilogy? She's too proud and ignorant and has no forethought for what actions may come out of her actions. Like during the fight with Er Lang and allowing the tree Shen to stab her to get the fight over and make him feel better, not stopping to think that in allowing that to happen would put him on trial for attempted murder, thus changing nothing. And then turning up at his trial and demanding he be released, full well knowing that it wouldn't change anything, and at the same time revealing her true form to be a snake. Wwwhhhhyyyyyyy?
The story itself also shit me to tears just about. It had been years since I read the Dark Heavens trilogy and being thrown back into a huge cast of characters and unfamiliar words made it really hard to work out who was who and who could do what. There were also stupid irrelevant scenes in the book as well that made no difference to the story. Such as the lunch Emma had with Louise to talk about Rhonda and see if Emma could make her back down. Absolutely no point.
What annoys me is the lack of consequence in the books. It's ok to chop off someone's head because they'll just be down in Hell and will come back eventually. No one really dies, no one really gets hurt. So there's not really any danger or suspense in any of the fights, there's not really any sadness if someone "dies" because it's not really, well, real.
One thing that did surprise me though was the wedding at the end where Rhonda died upon drinking the Elixir. Throughout the book there'd been comments about what Michael (her son) could do and whether Rhonda was something special. Everyone kept saying no, but then at the wedding, poof! So I'd be interested in finding out what she is, maybe it's the same kind of thing as Emma.
As much as the frivolity of the story annoyed me, I'll keep reading the series because I do find the Chinese mythology interesting. And if only to find out what happened to Rhonda. No one else seems to have cared that much, even though she actually died, unlike all the other characters. So we'll see how the next books are.
Read more on my blog
July 20, 2014
I got this book from Netgalley as it sounded quite intriguing, but to be honest I didn't have a clue what was going on with characters for most of this book. Now having read the reviews, it is clearly obvious that I should have read the first series starring these characters as there was so much background info that I didn't have about them. Events that had previously happened in the other series were frequently referred to, but without having read them I didn't know what had gone on. As a first book in a new series, an author should presume that not everyone will have read their previous series. Some background info should have been given in a bit more detail than the little snippets we got in this book.
My knowledge of Chinese mythology is very limited and again it would have helped to explain who these characters were, why they had 2 or 3 different names and to be a little more consistent with them. In one paragraph Emma, the only one who was consistently called by her one name, would be talking to another character to then swap to talking to a different named character, but in reality it was the same person, just their other name was used. Took a lot of getting used to and a lot of back pedalling to work out who was there in the room and who wasn't at times.
The plot of the story was ok - a demon named Six had kidnapped some bloke called Leo from one of the nicer realms of Hell and was using him to create demon copies so they could infiltrate and confuse Emma and generally cause a bit of chaos. Emma and her band of friends had to find the real Leo, save some stones (Yep you heard me! Stones. Stones who can talk and change form - again not really explained what they really are though so I have an image in my head of a pebble type thing in a ring that Emma wears talking to her in her head! Sounds a bit crazy to me!), make deals with the Demon King, turn into a snake, lion, tiger or whatever their other form is, fight the demons and save the day. And all the while, try to run some sort of training school - still not 100% sure what this school does though.
I think had more details and explanations been given, I would have enjoyed this book more. As it was, I was just pretty darn confused the whole way through and really wasn't sure if there was 5 main characters or 200 with all the names and different appearances being thrown around.
I won't be reading any more in this series - I haven't got another 3 weeks to waste like I did on this book. Books never take me this long to read, but I just couldn't get into this one at all.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the authors for the uncorrected proof, but please think about your audience, new and old, before publishing something like this again.
My knowledge of Chinese mythology is very limited and again it would have helped to explain who these characters were, why they had 2 or 3 different names and to be a little more consistent with them. In one paragraph Emma, the only one who was consistently called by her one name, would be talking to another character to then swap to talking to a different named character, but in reality it was the same person, just their other name was used. Took a lot of getting used to and a lot of back pedalling to work out who was there in the room and who wasn't at times.
The plot of the story was ok - a demon named Six had kidnapped some bloke called Leo from one of the nicer realms of Hell and was using him to create demon copies so they could infiltrate and confuse Emma and generally cause a bit of chaos. Emma and her band of friends had to find the real Leo, save some stones (Yep you heard me! Stones. Stones who can talk and change form - again not really explained what they really are though so I have an image in my head of a pebble type thing in a ring that Emma wears talking to her in her head! Sounds a bit crazy to me!), make deals with the Demon King, turn into a snake, lion, tiger or whatever their other form is, fight the demons and save the day. And all the while, try to run some sort of training school - still not 100% sure what this school does though.
I think had more details and explanations been given, I would have enjoyed this book more. As it was, I was just pretty darn confused the whole way through and really wasn't sure if there was 5 main characters or 200 with all the names and different appearances being thrown around.
I won't be reading any more in this series - I haven't got another 3 weeks to waste like I did on this book. Books never take me this long to read, but I just couldn't get into this one at all.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the authors for the uncorrected proof, but please think about your audience, new and old, before publishing something like this again.
September 8, 2012
A good book but not in my league....thus I couldn't follow it one bit.....but presenting my views of
Journey to Wudang #1 Earth to Hell by Kylie Chan.
Here is the summary of the book:
It is eight years since Xuan Wu, God of the Northern Heavens, living in Hong Kong as wealthy businessman John Chen, was exiled from the mortal realm. Emma and John's daughter, Simone, are facing a new series of threats. Leo, their best fighter, is sitting in Hell, but when they journey below to persuade him home, nothing is as it appears. On Earth, Simon Wong, the Demon King's son, is no longer around to trouble them, but his associates have taken over Simon's underworld activities. The otherworldly stones are being targeted and are in danger of their kind being completely destroyed. It seems that the Demon King is the only one Emma can turn to for help...
(Fair Warning: What you will read below will not be my usual review style....it contains me ranting about this book....not for those of you who are fans of the series)
A good book. A marvelous cover on it too. But I'm clueless as a toddler about anything related to the Chinese myths or folklore. While yes the fight scenes and the technique is amazing but I'm still clueless about the whole stuff. So without much further ado I plunged headlong into the book not knowing what to expect from it and not knowing that it was a continuation of her first series, Dark Heavens.... So naturally I was disappointed.
As the synopsis says this is the second series starring the protagonist Emma and among other things a horde of new characters chugged at us.....literally. I kinda had to double back a lot to see how a character was introduced every time thinking I missed something.....but alas disappointed. The writing is rather very straight forward. A lot of times I couldn't make a head or tail of what was going on because largely speaking books on Chinese jargon are a little difficult to understand in books and need to be eased in, to the reader gradually but again sadly not the case. But i'm still persisting, i'll give the next book a shot but i'm not saying that I will like it.....
Here is the summary of the book:
It is eight years since Xuan Wu, God of the Northern Heavens, living in Hong Kong as wealthy businessman John Chen, was exiled from the mortal realm. Emma and John's daughter, Simone, are facing a new series of threats. Leo, their best fighter, is sitting in Hell, but when they journey below to persuade him home, nothing is as it appears. On Earth, Simon Wong, the Demon King's son, is no longer around to trouble them, but his associates have taken over Simon's underworld activities. The otherworldly stones are being targeted and are in danger of their kind being completely destroyed. It seems that the Demon King is the only one Emma can turn to for help...
(Fair Warning: What you will read below will not be my usual review style....it contains me ranting about this book....not for those of you who are fans of the series)
A good book. A marvelous cover on it too. But I'm clueless as a toddler about anything related to the Chinese myths or folklore. While yes the fight scenes and the technique is amazing but I'm still clueless about the whole stuff. So without much further ado I plunged headlong into the book not knowing what to expect from it and not knowing that it was a continuation of her first series, Dark Heavens.... So naturally I was disappointed.
As the synopsis says this is the second series starring the protagonist Emma and among other things a horde of new characters chugged at us.....literally. I kinda had to double back a lot to see how a character was introduced every time thinking I missed something.....but alas disappointed. The writing is rather very straight forward. A lot of times I couldn't make a head or tail of what was going on because largely speaking books on Chinese jargon are a little difficult to understand in books and need to be eased in, to the reader gradually but again sadly not the case. But i'm still persisting, i'll give the next book a shot but i'm not saying that I will like it.....
"Beautiful cover and a good synopsis....but crappy writing"
October 27, 2010
I can not wait to get my hands on the next book!
This book was great and it flowed nicely allowing you to see bitas of the main story and fringe stories as well.
Leo is finally rescued from Hell.... demons had kidnapped him and made copies and the real Leo was what they thought was a copy (number 4) and he had a stone implanted in his neck which was making him do evil things... but Emma worked in out.
Martin is back and Simone finds out that MArtin made a deal witht he demon king to keep simone safe after her father was killed and to release him from this Simone has to kill him.. which she does and he returns leads them to where Leo is.
Stone shen if they are ever chipped by 'higher' demons then the chip becomes a 'child' Gold has a child and it is stolen by Six and Martin helps them find it. Michael is injured and tiger takes them safety.
Rhonda and Tiger wed but when she drinks the Elixer to make her immotal she explodes (dies)and Michael in a fit of temper kills Tiger and runs but Simone finds him and while comforting him, he kisses her - she is confused (being 14 and all) simone insists on going to normal school but the CH would be better because she does not know how to use all her powers properly.
Leo take the Elixer and he is immotal but in a wheelchair.. he is insisting on driving Emma and Simone everywhere.. so the limo is getting fitted out for disabled driver.
Emma gets glimpses of her beloved John and she spends a lot of time as a snake in this book which does lower her demon essence. She heals a few people and when she thought everyone would be afraid of her snake the reverse is true. Students want to see her form.
She can visit her parents only as a snake ... and they are very excepting and they have made a date a couple of weeks ahead so that Emma can see their garden
She is not lost yet... John will find her so she has to be lost first
Emma meets Grandmother of all rocks ULURU... and they have tea.. SHe invites emma down for a visit - she is going to investigate what Emma may be.
Emma and Leo kill Six
This book was great and it flowed nicely allowing you to see bitas of the main story and fringe stories as well.
Leo is finally rescued from Hell.... demons had kidnapped him and made copies and the real Leo was what they thought was a copy (number 4) and he had a stone implanted in his neck which was making him do evil things... but Emma worked in out.
Martin is back and Simone finds out that MArtin made a deal witht he demon king to keep simone safe after her father was killed and to release him from this Simone has to kill him.. which she does and he returns leads them to where Leo is.
Stone shen if they are ever chipped by 'higher' demons then the chip becomes a 'child' Gold has a child and it is stolen by Six and Martin helps them find it. Michael is injured and tiger takes them safety.
Rhonda and Tiger wed but when she drinks the Elixer to make her immotal she explodes (dies)and Michael in a fit of temper kills Tiger and runs but Simone finds him and while comforting him, he kisses her - she is confused (being 14 and all) simone insists on going to normal school but the CH would be better because she does not know how to use all her powers properly.
Leo take the Elixer and he is immotal but in a wheelchair.. he is insisting on driving Emma and Simone everywhere.. so the limo is getting fitted out for disabled driver.
Emma gets glimpses of her beloved John and she spends a lot of time as a snake in this book which does lower her demon essence. She heals a few people and when she thought everyone would be afraid of her snake the reverse is true. Students want to see her form.
She can visit her parents only as a snake ... and they are very excepting and they have made a date a couple of weeks ahead so that Emma can see their garden
She is not lost yet... John will find her so she has to be lost first
Emma meets Grandmother of all rocks ULURU... and they have tea.. SHe invites emma down for a visit - she is going to investigate what Emma may be.
Emma and Leo kill Six
December 4, 2013
Earth to Hell: Journey to Wudang: Book One by Kylie Chan
If you liked the first trilogy, this one is in much the same vein. If you're an urban fantasy fan but haven't read the first trilogy I recommend you go back and do that before reading this one.
I really must tell you that it is going to bed impossible to read this book if you have not read the first three books. In fact, I would strongly suggest a re-read to brush up on stuff. I haven’t read the series in about a year and even I was at sea for much of the book.
We rejoin the series after 8 years have passed, Emma is nearly 40 and still pretty much as useless in a fight as she was at first unless she is bringing out her Snake side. You see, she needs to meet challenges for Simone’s hand and she isn’t doing a very good job of it. John is still gone, although there are times when he will come back briefly – either in dreams, or a sort of mirage – and help Emma try to get the Demon out of her so she won’t become a Snake Mother. Leo is still in Hell after all these years, but there is something eveil going on and there are duplicate Leo’s all around.
There are huge nests of Snake Mothers and Demons and hatchlings to be found and Emma needs help. A lot of it. So whom does she go to for help? The Demon King. Oh yes!
Again there is action but not enough to over 500 pages. There is so much redundancy that I’m surprised that the authors editor would have allowed this book to pass. Simone has become a typical teenager and can be whiny and very annoying. Sometimes you just want to see Emma step up to the plate and do something about Simone’s attitude but she doesn’t. The rich and detailed Chinese mythology, history and details makes for a fascinating read on its own
The books do hold my interest at least in finding out what will happen once John gets back so that I keep reading and some of the action is worth the time it takes to read these. The next in the series is “Hell to Heaven: Journey to Wudang: Book Two” and will be released on October 30th.
June 5, 2014
What a disappointment. I was really looking forward to this book, having enjoyed the other 3 so much, but honestly I think they cut corners on editing or something.
First of all, I honestly can't figure out what the main plot line was. There was just so much going on, all at once sometimes. There was no one thread to hang on to that the others wove through, it was a hot mess of subplots fighting for domination. I guess the Leo subplot won, but it didn't dominate most of the book.
Second, since this book focused on Emma's job as with the celestials, you see them a lot. since they all have more than one name that got very confusing and she did nothing to help you out- no visual assistance or anything, and sometimes she would switch from one name to another. Often she introduced new characters with very little explanation and to the English speaker the names are similar enough you'd wonder whether it was someone you were supposed to know. I spent a lot if time lost even having Chinese family and having read the first trilogy.
Third, it was boring. Seriously, I didn't care about a lot of it.
And lastly, cultural differences - Emma came off as a terrible guardian and as a total doormat. People would say cruel, nasty things or try to kill her or whatever and she would say "I don't blame them." What? That isn't the sassy warrior bride we got to know in the first trilogy! And Simone is 15 and Emma is saying "she needs to make that decision, I can't push her" and is too busy to help her with school- not sure if this is another cultural difference, but I have a 15 year old daughter and she still needs a parent. It made me dislike her and want to slap her silly.
So overall not good. Undecided whether to give the next book a try. I am not sure why a book without John was even done. He made the books.
First of all, I honestly can't figure out what the main plot line was. There was just so much going on, all at once sometimes. There was no one thread to hang on to that the others wove through, it was a hot mess of subplots fighting for domination. I guess the Leo subplot won, but it didn't dominate most of the book.
Second, since this book focused on Emma's job as with the celestials, you see them a lot. since they all have more than one name that got very confusing and she did nothing to help you out- no visual assistance or anything, and sometimes she would switch from one name to another. Often she introduced new characters with very little explanation and to the English speaker the names are similar enough you'd wonder whether it was someone you were supposed to know. I spent a lot if time lost even having Chinese family and having read the first trilogy.
Third, it was boring. Seriously, I didn't care about a lot of it.
And lastly, cultural differences - Emma came off as a terrible guardian and as a total doormat. People would say cruel, nasty things or try to kill her or whatever and she would say "I don't blame them." What? That isn't the sassy warrior bride we got to know in the first trilogy! And Simone is 15 and Emma is saying "she needs to make that decision, I can't push her" and is too busy to help her with school- not sure if this is another cultural difference, but I have a 15 year old daughter and she still needs a parent. It made me dislike her and want to slap her silly.
So overall not good. Undecided whether to give the next book a try. I am not sure why a book without John was even done. He made the books.
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