Review: Here's hoping for a Volume 2.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 29, 2011
Well this was a pleasure to read - four interconnected short stories/novellas about Dao Shi, a conman, fraudulent exorcist, and reluctant hero. The setting is an unamed imperial city, with the war in the mountains a constant background. These four stories do a great job in building up the detail of the world, and how Dao Shi's personal story might connect to its wider politics and machinations. There are moments of humour here, excitement (the descriptions of the various demons are particularly good), and moments of genuine sadness too. Throughout it all the author does a great job in writing from Dao Shi's point of view, and his character is what drives these stories - somewhat vain, lover of food, but always insightful and humorous.The author says in his afterword that if enough readers enjoy these stories there may be more - here's hoping for a Volume 2.