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Dark Heavens #2
Red Phoenix
The second book in Australian author Kylie Chan’s ingenious urban fantasy saga—a tale of ancient gods and foul demons doing battle in the modern world—Red Phoenix combines Chinese mythology with martial arts, paranormal romance, and magic in a story that takes off like a rocket and never slows down. The action moves from Hong Kong to Europe as heroine Emma Donahoe finds a demonic circle of death closing around her and the people she loves: the breathtaking and powerful god she is bound to and his innocent young daughter whom Emma has sworn to protect. Red Phoenix is gripping globe-trotting adventure, urban fantasy, and Kung Fu all rolled into one spectacular package that fans of Lilith Saintcrow, Liz Williams, Karen Chance, Devon Monk, and Ilona Andrews are going to flip over.
563 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2007
88 people are currently reading
856 people want to read
About the author
Kylie Chan
26 books594 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 159 reviews
July 22, 2016
The only complaint I had about this book was remarkable Emma. Everything she did or said was deemed remarkable. It got irritating real fast. At times I found Emma annoying and domineering, heck bitchy even. Don't get me wrong, I like Emma and I like this series but the author really needs to cool it with the whole remarkable thing. Oh yeah and the sex scenes between Emma and John were ridiculous. They finally get an opportunity to touch and he just falls on her. Seriously? And she's okay with that. Really?
The relationship between Emma and John moves in odd directions in this story. John continues to weaken while Emma's powers are growing by leaps and bounds. I wasn't surprised that Emma could shift forms but it was fun to read about. I continue to enjoy the glimpses of Chinese culture and the mythology woven throughout the whole series. It's enlightening and yet entertaining.
I'll be reading Blue Dragon shortly to see how it all ends. I can't wait.
The relationship between Emma and John moves in odd directions in this story. John continues to weaken while Emma's powers are growing by leaps and bounds. I wasn't surprised that Emma could shift forms but it was fun to read about. I continue to enjoy the glimpses of Chinese culture and the mythology woven throughout the whole series. It's enlightening and yet entertaining.
I'll be reading Blue Dragon shortly to see how it all ends. I can't wait.
March 14, 2011
There's probably nothing I can say to describe this book more succinctly than the comment I made in one of my status updates: that it makes me think of the unholy lovechild of Mortal Kombat and a pulp paranormal romance (and actually, thinking about it, a young Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa makes a nice visual representation of John Chen too!)
I think the story would have been an immeasurably better read if the author stopped the constant Mary-Sueing with Emma, started giving her some genuine flaws and depth, and included characters who didn't like her for genuine reasons that lasted longer than a few pages before the character in question 'saw the light' and started loving Emma as much as the author.
Then again, I get the impression Ms Chan realised what she was doing because halfway through the book, she actually started lampshading it - characters started giving Emma gold coins whenever they had been going to say how remarkable she was. Which was cute, but wasn't as good from a characterisation viewpoint as an actual 3D character would have been.
That said, I *did* enjoy the book overall (in a guilty pleasure kind of way). Again, the mythology woven through it was great, the martial arts descriptions were fun, and there were even baby steps towards sex scenes.
As with Book 1, I finished it hoping the author's writing will grow and improve over time. But there's enough good stuff to keep me reading - at least until the next book anyway.
I think the story would have been an immeasurably better read if the author stopped the constant Mary-Sueing with Emma, started giving her some genuine flaws and depth, and included characters who didn't like her for genuine reasons that lasted longer than a few pages before the character in question 'saw the light' and started loving Emma as much as the author.
Then again, I get the impression Ms Chan realised what she was doing because halfway through the book, she actually started lampshading it - characters started giving Emma gold coins whenever they had been going to say how remarkable she was. Which was cute, but wasn't as good from a characterisation viewpoint as an actual 3D character would have been.
That said, I *did* enjoy the book overall (in a guilty pleasure kind of way). Again, the mythology woven through it was great, the martial arts descriptions were fun, and there were even baby steps towards sex scenes.
As with Book 1, I finished it hoping the author's writing will grow and improve over time. But there's enough good stuff to keep me reading - at least until the next book anyway.
December 1, 2013
I decided that after my rather harsh review of White Tiger I would give the second book in this series a chance just to see if the author decided that over-writing a novel to make it a very long novel, is not the way to keep readers happy. Some readers enjoy a sparer sort of prose. Well Ms Chan still uses pages and pages to describe something that could have/ should have taken just paragraphs. I almost get the feeling that the author thinks her readers are not the sharpest knives in the drawer and needs to keep repeating herself so we will ‘get it’.
I realize that this isn’t a ‘romance’, but if there is going to be a scene where that protagonists make love I think that there should either be a little more description or even less. Anything has to be better than (paraphrasing) “he held her down and then fell on her”.
I’m still not happy with this novel, but I have to admit that this book had way less flaws than White Tiger.
I realize that this isn’t a ‘romance’, but if there is going to be a scene where that protagonists make love I think that there should either be a little more description or even less. Anything has to be better than (paraphrasing) “he held her down and then fell on her”.
I’m still not happy with this novel, but I have to admit that this book had way less flaws than White Tiger.
June 20, 2020
Love it. Had a quiet on call shift and read this in less than 24 hours. Some of the stuff in this series is totally cheesy, but there are a few core characters who develop slowly over time and its rollicking fun.
February 23, 2016
This is a rambly, repetitive book featuring a Mary Sue protagonist, dull characters and recycled plot devices and character introduction and development. There is little to no progression in the plot other throwing new characters into Mr Chen's world which requires them to go through the same shock and disbelief process of accepting the fantastical. The prose is lifeless and too simplistic and reused... phrases and sentences are echoed over and over. Borrow this book, but definitely do not buy like I did. Overall, a weak, lazy follow-up to Book One''s potential. It reads like a run-on sentence; all filler, no substance. I don't understand how this book could get over 4 stars.
December 1, 2017
I thought I could live through the things I didn't like from the 1st book, but the stakes were raised with a sex scene which had more to do with rape and the cycle of spousal abuse than it did intimacy and partnership. That was it for me. Done, moving on to better things.
March 12, 2020
** 4.5 stars **
For a book that's over 500 pages, Red Phoenix was such a quick and addictive read. Every time I picked it up I didn't want to put it back down. I'm actually a little annoyed at myself for waiting so long after finishing the first book to read this one because I'd already started forgetting some of the details about the characters and minor plot points. But I think I actually ended up enjoying this one even more than book one. The plot was even more crazy this time around and so many more reveals took place, especially in the second half.
The characters continued to waver back and forth between being likable and downright annoying. They seemed to have some weird out of character moments, especially Leo at the end. The sex scenes were also very awkward and not written well at all.
I also thought that things were overly described. The descriptions of Hong Kong and Chinese culture that I liked so much in White Tiger were almost to the point of annoying this time. It felt like the author was just throwing in names and descriptions of places just to show off her local Hong Kong knowledge.
Despite my negative feelings about the writing, it was still such a fast paced and captivating read. The plot had me hooked the entire time, especially the last third of the book when so much stuff happened!
For a book that's over 500 pages, Red Phoenix was such a quick and addictive read. Every time I picked it up I didn't want to put it back down. I'm actually a little annoyed at myself for waiting so long after finishing the first book to read this one because I'd already started forgetting some of the details about the characters and minor plot points. But I think I actually ended up enjoying this one even more than book one. The plot was even more crazy this time around and so many more reveals took place, especially in the second half.
The characters continued to waver back and forth between being likable and downright annoying. They seemed to have some weird out of character moments, especially Leo at the end. The sex scenes were also very awkward and not written well at all.
I also thought that things were overly described. The descriptions of Hong Kong and Chinese culture that I liked so much in White Tiger were almost to the point of annoying this time. It felt like the author was just throwing in names and descriptions of places just to show off her local Hong Kong knowledge.
Despite my negative feelings about the writing, it was still such a fast paced and captivating read. The plot had me hooked the entire time, especially the last third of the book when so much stuff happened!
March 31, 2018
I still don't care for Emma as a character, but I am enjoying John and Bai Hu tho.
There are some things in the story that bothers me, but overall the story is fun and has some good comedy moments.
There are some things in the story that bothers me, but overall the story is fun and has some good comedy moments.
July 5, 2018
There's a lot of interesting content in this series around Chinese mythology, and the stories are action-packed. While there are definite annoyances in the author's style, I found myself interested enough about what happens next to keep reading.
To draw out the main irritant, here's a definite Mary Sue feel to the main character, Emma, which I found detracted from my enjoyment of the books - a nanny/English teacher who secretly does her MBA and turns out to be better at martial arts after 14 months of training than anyone else except the Shen of martial arts, who is in love with her.
The character faces challenges - she and the God who loves her are engaged but can never touch. His energy is fading and he will have to leave her and his daughter eventually and may not be back for a lifetime. Lots of demons try to kill them. Despite these challenges, there's never really any feeling that the characters are in danger - that challenges won't be overcome with the miraculous appearance of some hitherto unhinted skill that the heroine possesses - her irresistible attractiveness to Shen/Gods, her extraordinary magic and fighting skills, her ability to negotiate a deal with the devil, her wisdom and insight - which can make the whole read a bit less engaging. There's even a sort of running joke that people keep telling the main character she's extraordinary, but also just an ordinary human. A perfect protagonist with superhuman skills who keeps pulling deus ex machinas out of her handbag pretty much spoils the suspense.
To draw out the main irritant, here's a definite Mary Sue feel to the main character, Emma, which I found detracted from my enjoyment of the books - a nanny/English teacher who secretly does her MBA and turns out to be better at martial arts after 14 months of training than anyone else except the Shen of martial arts, who is in love with her.
The character faces challenges - she and the God who loves her are engaged but can never touch. His energy is fading and he will have to leave her and his daughter eventually and may not be back for a lifetime. Lots of demons try to kill them. Despite these challenges, there's never really any feeling that the characters are in danger - that challenges won't be overcome with the miraculous appearance of some hitherto unhinted skill that the heroine possesses - her irresistible attractiveness to Shen/Gods, her extraordinary magic and fighting skills, her ability to negotiate a deal with the devil, her wisdom and insight - which can make the whole read a bit less engaging. There's even a sort of running joke that people keep telling the main character she's extraordinary, but also just an ordinary human. A perfect protagonist with superhuman skills who keeps pulling deus ex machinas out of her handbag pretty much spoils the suspense.
February 12, 2016
UPD: it's still a great read on a re-read five years later! Actually structurally better than The White Tiger. Enjoyed it! 12/02/2016
Absolutely loved it! It took me 5 hours straight to read this book. 560 pages. That's how good it was.
Again, non-stop action, fantastic battles, lots of intense situations, and Emma! Oh. My. God. I would never have thought in a million years she can be that. I was blown away.
Emma and John have some really sweet moments, and there is a lot going on. Obviously now, that she is Regent, there are plenty of assassination attempts on her life, especially on behalf of One Two Two aka Simon Wong, a disgusting demon who absolutely doesn't follow the code of honour and uses every awful malicious trick in the book to bring John's head to his dad.
Emma hires a new addition to Simone's bodyguards, a young and talented boy. She is also quite busy with other duties helping John to rebuild the mountain and train new warriors. John gets more and more drained of energy and it looks like they won't even have promised two years together. Even Simone's talents progress much faster than John thought and the girl finally finds out the whole truth about her dad.
There are couple of annoying moments. I didn't like how everyone kept telling Emma that she is extraordinary and how confident she was and how self-sacrificing to the point of being ridiculous. But perhaps I'm looking at it from the western point of view, and from the eastern point of view it was quite natural and expected.
Again there are plenty of fascinating details in book #2 to keep you hooked, and now I can't wait to find out what's going to happen in grand finale! A MUST READ for an urban fantasy fan.
Absolutely loved it! It took me 5 hours straight to read this book. 560 pages. That's how good it was.
Again, non-stop action, fantastic battles, lots of intense situations, and Emma! Oh. My. God. I would never have thought in a million years she can be that. I was blown away.
Emma and John have some really sweet moments, and there is a lot going on. Obviously now, that she is Regent, there are plenty of assassination attempts on her life, especially on behalf of One Two Two aka Simon Wong, a disgusting demon who absolutely doesn't follow the code of honour and uses every awful malicious trick in the book to bring John's head to his dad.
Emma hires a new addition to Simone's bodyguards, a young and talented boy. She is also quite busy with other duties helping John to rebuild the mountain and train new warriors. John gets more and more drained of energy and it looks like they won't even have promised two years together. Even Simone's talents progress much faster than John thought and the girl finally finds out the whole truth about her dad.
There are couple of annoying moments. I didn't like how everyone kept telling Emma that she is extraordinary and how confident she was and how self-sacrificing to the point of being ridiculous. But perhaps I'm looking at it from the western point of view, and from the eastern point of view it was quite natural and expected.
Again there are plenty of fascinating details in book #2 to keep you hooked, and now I can't wait to find out what's going to happen in grand finale! A MUST READ for an urban fantasy fan.
April 7, 2014
I started reading this second book in the series with great expectations. A debut author, plenty of improvement, a great story with some magic and martial arts... It was worth it: this book is just as enjoyable as the first one.
There is a definite improvement to the author's style, as the characters become more solid, and the plot opens up in many directions.
Unfortunately, these characters sometimes tend to behave in ways that are not quite realistic and human-like, but at the same time I had moments where I was rubbing my hands with glee, almost shouting out "Finally!", when they reacted in the manner I imagined.
I very much like the fact that the main heroine, Emma, even though becomes almost as powerful as a Chinese God, does not become arrogant, nor abusive of her powers. I wish she would sometimes notice extremely obvious things, though.
The plot is sometimes very repetitive, girl trains, girl goes out, girl fights demon, girl comes back, repeat. But at the same time, the author does not let go of the reader's hand, patience and curiosity are rewarded in the end, even though I sometimes had the feeling that the author revealed perhaps a bit more than needed at some points.
I once said that this series is worth reading, I say it now again. Go, read, discover why this series is charming!
There is a definite improvement to the author's style, as the characters become more solid, and the plot opens up in many directions.
Unfortunately, these characters sometimes tend to behave in ways that are not quite realistic and human-like, but at the same time I had moments where I was rubbing my hands with glee, almost shouting out "Finally!", when they reacted in the manner I imagined.
I very much like the fact that the main heroine, Emma, even though becomes almost as powerful as a Chinese God, does not become arrogant, nor abusive of her powers. I wish she would sometimes notice extremely obvious things, though.
The plot is sometimes very repetitive, girl trains, girl goes out, girl fights demon, girl comes back, repeat. But at the same time, the author does not let go of the reader's hand, patience and curiosity are rewarded in the end, even though I sometimes had the feeling that the author revealed perhaps a bit more than needed at some points.
I once said that this series is worth reading, I say it now again. Go, read, discover why this series is charming!
Read
April 5, 2016I honestly could not even finish this book. The first book was definitely flawed, the conversations were painful to say the least but the second book? Oh goodness! The conversations between characters were just awful, and it became SO tiring seeing Emma through the authors eyes. She is much, much darker in the book, to the point of being cold, but everyone thinks she is just wonderful. I could not even finish reading, just did not hold my attention and was too annoying.
March 14, 2011
Found this book tedious to read, the writing almost got worse from the first book in the series. I think I will give up on the series at this point.
April 16, 2013
2.5 stars - same problems as the first book with writing style, plus a bit repetitive. Will finish the series, but not sure about the next trilogy.
September 24, 2016
1st reread- 24/9/16
September 29, 2015
Absolutely amazing! Riveting and intriguing all the way through. Can't wait to read the rest of the series and find out what happens next
June 20, 2023
Some conversation between characters are slightly choppy but overall I really enjoy this book.
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...).
May 9, 2017
What I Liked:
~The relationship development between John and Emma – subtle but good, and normally I complain about intimate scenes being glossed over or left out, but I had no problem with it in this novel, those details weren’t necessary
~Michael – I enjoyed his addition to the series, and I loved his scenes with Bai Hu, though I think he should have been introduced earlier, like at the end of the White Tiger novel. I would like to see the relationship between Rhonda and Bai Hu develop.
~Bai Hu and John Chen relationship dynamic – They are so different from each other, but it’s obvious who has John’s shell whenever he’s in trouble, their interactions always amuse me.
~Simone – Her reaction to finally finding out the truth was realistic, her character development through out this novel could have been at a faster pace but was still good. The situation with her was handled and resolved well. I also liked finding out the source of her clumsiness, her inner-eye needed testing
What I Didn’t Like:
~Show, Don’t Tell – The reader is still getting second-hand fight scenes, now while this could be argued as practical in the the first book, it’s starting to get irritating in the second. The reader was sort of shown the fight scene in the car-park, the reader could easily have been shown the fight scene in the subway and still have it so Emma didn’t remember afterwards
~Leo – Leo’s a character I have mixed feelings about, I enjoy Emma and Leo’s sibling interactions, however his attitude and behavior after the subway fight scene was jarring and confusing. If a seven year old girl can come to the conclusion of “Yes, of course I’m frightened, but that’s still Emma and Emma would never intentionally hurt us.” So can a fully grown adult man, who has been the service of a God for nearly a decade. After nearly a decade of serving a god, I think you lose the right to freak out at weird stuff, weird stuff is what Leo signed up for.
~Emma’s Pointless and Repetitive Freak-Out Moments – Emma had NO LESS THAN 3 Gods tell her “It’s fine, don’t worry about it, You’re not a danger to your family” and she’s still freaking out about it. It was very tiring. And good lord, if Emma thought it was irritating to be told over and over again that she was extraordinary when she really wasn’t, it sure as hell was for me. Being able to think fast in a high-danger/pressure situation is what Emma is supposed to be able to do, she swore to serve John as a retainer, it’s her job to protect Simone.
~John’s Lecture on Nature VS Morality – I don’t know why that scene, and sudden character derailment, was in the book. I understand that a vast majority of Fantasy Novels like to discuss “The Other” theme. The Other theme discusses the element of the unknown in other people, their cultures and most importantly, the element of the unknown or The Other within ourselves. The hidden, perhaps darker, aspects of our inner psyche that most functioning adults conceal and like to pretend does not exist.
But for a woman, whose Australian (you know, the land of Death and poisonous Snakes), whom had previously owned a pet snake and was supposedly genius level intelligence, it seemed like Emma was holding the idiot-ball on purpose just so John could give a lecture on “True Nature” and “There is no Good or Evil” (which I strongly disagree with, I get that good and evil are human constructs, but that doesn’t make them less real).
Perhaps that scene will become more significant later on, but the scene felt forced. Perhaps it’s because “The Other” theme is done so often (with varying success) in so many Fantasy novels, it almost seems cliche when not handled correctly, and that scene didn’t feel right to me.
~Strange Title Choice – The Red Phoenix is in two scenes in the whole book and although both those scenes did have a significant impact on the plot and character, The Red Phoenix doesn’t play a significant role in the novel, The White Tiger did, in fact The White was more significant in Red Phoenix then in the book named after him. Perhaps it’s a retrospective thing I’m just not getting
~The relationship development between John and Emma – subtle but good, and normally I complain about intimate scenes being glossed over or left out, but I had no problem with it in this novel, those details weren’t necessary
~Michael – I enjoyed his addition to the series, and I loved his scenes with Bai Hu, though I think he should have been introduced earlier, like at the end of the White Tiger novel. I would like to see the relationship between Rhonda and Bai Hu develop.
~Bai Hu and John Chen relationship dynamic – They are so different from each other, but it’s obvious who has John’s shell whenever he’s in trouble, their interactions always amuse me.
~Simone – Her reaction to finally finding out the truth was realistic, her character development through out this novel could have been at a faster pace but was still good. The situation with her was handled and resolved well. I also liked finding out the source of her clumsiness, her inner-eye needed testing
What I Didn’t Like:
~Show, Don’t Tell – The reader is still getting second-hand fight scenes, now while this could be argued as practical in the the first book, it’s starting to get irritating in the second. The reader was sort of shown the fight scene in the car-park, the reader could easily have been shown the fight scene in the subway and still have it so Emma didn’t remember afterwards
~Leo – Leo’s a character I have mixed feelings about, I enjoy Emma and Leo’s sibling interactions, however his attitude and behavior after the subway fight scene was jarring and confusing. If a seven year old girl can come to the conclusion of “Yes, of course I’m frightened, but that’s still Emma and Emma would never intentionally hurt us.” So can a fully grown adult man, who has been the service of a God for nearly a decade. After nearly a decade of serving a god, I think you lose the right to freak out at weird stuff, weird stuff is what Leo signed up for.
~Emma’s Pointless and Repetitive Freak-Out Moments – Emma had NO LESS THAN 3 Gods tell her “It’s fine, don’t worry about it, You’re not a danger to your family” and she’s still freaking out about it. It was very tiring. And good lord, if Emma thought it was irritating to be told over and over again that she was extraordinary when she really wasn’t, it sure as hell was for me. Being able to think fast in a high-danger/pressure situation is what Emma is supposed to be able to do, she swore to serve John as a retainer, it’s her job to protect Simone.
~John’s Lecture on Nature VS Morality – I don’t know why that scene, and sudden character derailment, was in the book. I understand that a vast majority of Fantasy Novels like to discuss “The Other” theme. The Other theme discusses the element of the unknown in other people, their cultures and most importantly, the element of the unknown or The Other within ourselves. The hidden, perhaps darker, aspects of our inner psyche that most functioning adults conceal and like to pretend does not exist.
But for a woman, whose Australian (you know, the land of Death and poisonous Snakes), whom had previously owned a pet snake and was supposedly genius level intelligence, it seemed like Emma was holding the idiot-ball on purpose just so John could give a lecture on “True Nature” and “There is no Good or Evil” (which I strongly disagree with, I get that good and evil are human constructs, but that doesn’t make them less real).
Perhaps that scene will become more significant later on, but the scene felt forced. Perhaps it’s because “The Other” theme is done so often (with varying success) in so many Fantasy novels, it almost seems cliche when not handled correctly, and that scene didn’t feel right to me.
~Strange Title Choice – The Red Phoenix is in two scenes in the whole book and although both those scenes did have a significant impact on the plot and character, The Red Phoenix doesn’t play a significant role in the novel, The White Tiger did, in fact The White was more significant in Red Phoenix then in the book named after him. Perhaps it’s a retrospective thing I’m just not getting
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2018
I didn't like the first book in the series and I suspected that I wasn't going to like this one either but I still read it, probably because there was so much room for improvement over the first one.
Didn't happen. I have to ask if this book was edited at all?
One thing I really hate is telepathy, reading other people's minds is a no go area for me. All other superpowers are fine just stay out of their brains. Too weird. Hearing voices that aren't there is seriously wrong, please stop it.
Simone is even creepier than in the first book, I didn't think it was possible but she is.
Emma continues to climb the social ladder at lightning speed, not sure why she would be made regent after Mr Chen's "demise" but apparently she's qualified because reasons? That makes no sense at all, but whatever.
Immortality means what? That they can still be killed? So it isn't immortality? They just don't age? Too many questions giving me a headache. Basically they live a long time and don't age or something like that... no need to stock up on the anti-wrinkle products - but they can still die, but also come back to life? Is it reincarnation or isn't it? Fine, let's call it immortality for the sake of convenience because labels are easier to understand.
Not only is Emma regent, lady or whatever she is a "master" as well? How is she a teacher when she is so new to martial arts? Too many super special snowflake moments, possibly because it distracts the reader from the fact that there isn't any actual story... Yawn.
Micheal's introduction was dreadful, telling him things without talking to his mother first was completely wrong. Emma's attitude is disgustingly arrogant, but no one puts a stop to it or thinks that she should behave more respectfully towards others.
There are a lot of problems with the book, I don't understand why Simone has to be in danger. One or more of the other gods could take care of her. I don't know what the deal is with Mr Chen losing his snake, this should be significant but it's treated as though it isn't. Emma is a black snake, or something herself but this revelation isn't important either. The romance between Emma and Mr Chen is non-existent.
Not much happens, Emma is rude, abrasive and arrogant. I think that sums up book 2.
Didn't happen. I have to ask if this book was edited at all?
One thing I really hate is telepathy, reading other people's minds is a no go area for me. All other superpowers are fine just stay out of their brains. Too weird. Hearing voices that aren't there is seriously wrong, please stop it.
Simone is even creepier than in the first book, I didn't think it was possible but she is.
Emma continues to climb the social ladder at lightning speed, not sure why she would be made regent after Mr Chen's "demise" but apparently she's qualified because reasons? That makes no sense at all, but whatever.
Immortality means what? That they can still be killed? So it isn't immortality? They just don't age? Too many questions giving me a headache. Basically they live a long time and don't age or something like that... no need to stock up on the anti-wrinkle products - but they can still die, but also come back to life? Is it reincarnation or isn't it? Fine, let's call it immortality for the sake of convenience because labels are easier to understand.
Not only is Emma regent, lady or whatever she is a "master" as well? How is she a teacher when she is so new to martial arts? Too many super special snowflake moments, possibly because it distracts the reader from the fact that there isn't any actual story... Yawn.
Micheal's introduction was dreadful, telling him things without talking to his mother first was completely wrong. Emma's attitude is disgustingly arrogant, but no one puts a stop to it or thinks that she should behave more respectfully towards others.
There are a lot of problems with the book, I don't understand why Simone has to be in danger. One or more of the other gods could take care of her. I don't know what the deal is with Mr Chen losing his snake, this should be significant but it's treated as though it isn't. Emma is a black snake, or something herself but this revelation isn't important either. The romance between Emma and Mr Chen is non-existent.
Not much happens, Emma is rude, abrasive and arrogant. I think that sums up book 2.
December 14, 2019
It’s been a long time since I read this. And now I’m remembering why Dark Heavens is one of my all time favourite series. I think that come the new year (since my TBR starts again at the turn of the year) this will be the first series I sink my teeth into. There is just an amazing style, writing and storyline to this story. It is intense, fast-paced and filled with a great sense of humour. Which, since Chan is an Australian author, it’s the kind of humour that I love and recognise.
I picked this up in the week that I was not only feeling a little sad, but I was also feeling really, really sick. Normally I read a booka day, plus get all of my work and housework sorted. Yet, I’ve barely been able to pick up a book. So sinking myself into the world of Emma, John, Simone and their incredibly off-centre family was the perfect anecdote for my horrible week. There’s nothing like a well-loved story to help pick you up.
I knew it from White Tiger, but Red Phoenix highlights how truly insane Emma is. I’m all for doing anything in the name of love… but what she does and gives up in the name of her love… I actually can’t fathom that. Which of course, makes this a brilliant book because it takes me to places that I would never willingly go myself (even though it’s actually not possible… but you get my drift). I also love that she is so loyal. Everything she does is in honour of the people she treasures. That part I can actually completely understand.
This is the book in which Michael first joins the family. He’s such a great addition to the storyline, and, if memory serves me (it’s been a long time since I’ve read the books), he becomes a really powerful character within the storyline. The web of family, relations and loyalties is getting more and more complex, and this is exactly why I love this series so much. The connections between the modern world and the mythical. And the relationships between father and son, father and daughter, so on and so forth.
I picked this up in the week that I was not only feeling a little sad, but I was also feeling really, really sick. Normally I read a booka day, plus get all of my work and housework sorted. Yet, I’ve barely been able to pick up a book. So sinking myself into the world of Emma, John, Simone and their incredibly off-centre family was the perfect anecdote for my horrible week. There’s nothing like a well-loved story to help pick you up.
I knew it from White Tiger, but Red Phoenix highlights how truly insane Emma is. I’m all for doing anything in the name of love… but what she does and gives up in the name of her love… I actually can’t fathom that. Which of course, makes this a brilliant book because it takes me to places that I would never willingly go myself (even though it’s actually not possible… but you get my drift). I also love that she is so loyal. Everything she does is in honour of the people she treasures. That part I can actually completely understand.
This is the book in which Michael first joins the family. He’s such a great addition to the storyline, and, if memory serves me (it’s been a long time since I’ve read the books), he becomes a really powerful character within the storyline. The web of family, relations and loyalties is getting more and more complex, and this is exactly why I love this series so much. The connections between the modern world and the mythical. And the relationships between father and son, father and daughter, so on and so forth.
December 7, 2025
Matters grow much more complicated for Emma in the second novel in the series. She is engaged to be married to a Chinese god and his world is a dangerous one. Demons seek to kill her and one of them has broken from the paths of honor and is targeting family members who would normally be considered safe from these conflicts. In addition, her fiance continues to grow weaker as he needs to leave earth and return to his celestial home to regenerate his strength, but he is trying to remain in our world long enough to see his daughter grow to a point where she can defend herself from his enemies. All of this is stressful enough, but Emma has begun to suspect that there is an evil power inside of her and she is terrified of releasing it lest it hurts the ones she loves. This one is filled with all the action of the first plus a deepening mystery surrounding Emma herself.
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!
February 26, 2018
Well damn son. I read that quicker than expected.
That’s the thing about amazing books - you can just become so lost and absorbed by them.
I remember when I first read “Red Phoenix” that I thought it was just a filler. That it was laying the ground work for some serious shit to go down in “Blue Dragon”. While I still believe that, I believe that it is a crucial filler, and every single detail matters. Chan doesn’t do anything for no reason at all. It’s important to soak in every minuscule detail.
All the hinting and mentions of Emma being a snake reignited my unrelenting torment of, what the fuck is she?!?!!?
That’s the thing about amazing books - you can just become so lost and absorbed by them.
I remember when I first read “Red Phoenix” that I thought it was just a filler. That it was laying the ground work for some serious shit to go down in “Blue Dragon”. While I still believe that, I believe that it is a crucial filler, and every single detail matters. Chan doesn’t do anything for no reason at all. It’s important to soak in every minuscule detail.
All the hinting and mentions of Emma being a snake reignited my unrelenting torment of, what the fuck is she?!?!!?
March 24, 2018
I'm not quite sure how to give a balanced review of this book. I literally had a running notepad on my phone of everything I despised about it. I found Emma to be overbearing, rude, and hypocritical. I found the author to use descriptors in places that didn't belong for the situation. I found the book to overall lack finesse. HOWEVER, I really love the idea of the book. I love the creativity and imagination of it. If I could "squint" while reading the book so all the things I dislike would be blurred out, I'd love the book. As it is, I vehemently despise Emma that much and find the authors lack of writing skills to take away from the overall pleasure of reading the novel.
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.
May 30, 2020
Kylie Chan has created quite a interesting scenario. She has borrowed from the pantheon of chinese gods and gently inserted them into a narrow segment of life in Hong Kong, just one little family. This focus enables her to give glimpses of a complex fantasy world without having to develop it in depth. The writing is simple, there is plenty of action and the tone familiar. A series that enables a transition from YA to adult fantasy easily.
March 8, 2023
As per book 1's review.
Although I will add that when I first read this (as they were published), a part of the appeal was having a fantasy that was so different to what was being published at the time. The eastern religious figures represented opened up a whole world of reading around these books to learn about a different mythology system, and it added to the overall magical experience.
Although I will add that when I first read this (as they were published), a part of the appeal was having a fantasy that was so different to what was being published at the time. The eastern religious figures represented opened up a whole world of reading around these books to learn about a different mythology system, and it added to the overall magical experience.
May 11, 2018
Good Read.
If you like fictional martial arts, this races from one crisis to another. Certainly keeps you on your toes and the plot, while straight forward, does involve you. Certainly recommended as a light escapism action book.
If you like fictional martial arts, this races from one crisis to another. Certainly keeps you on your toes and the plot, while straight forward, does involve you. Certainly recommended as a light escapism action book.
August 30, 2018
There’s a lot more action than the first but a lot of the same dialogue. “We don’t need words” “we’re fools” and unnecessarily swearing put a slight damper on the book. However, there storyline and plot twists kept me going through the mediocre love story and characters storming out.
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