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163rd out of 521 books
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203 voters
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Dragon in Chains (Moshui, the Books of Stone and Water #1)
by
Daniel Fox
From award-winning author Daniel Fox comes a ravishingly written epic of revolution and romance set in a world where magic is found in stone and in water, in dragons and in men–and in the chains that bind them.
Deposed by a vicious usurper, a young emperor flees with his court to the small island of Taishu. There, with a dwindling army, a manipulative mother, and a resentfu...more
Deposed by a vicious usurper, a young emperor flees with his court to the small island of Taishu. There, with a dwindling army, a manipulative mother, and a resentfu...more
Paperback, 399 pages
Published
January 27th 2009
by Del Rey
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"Dragon in Chains" is the first novel in a new series by Fox, set in a fantasy world with trappings of the Orient. We follow a half-dozen protagonists through great changes in their lives at a time of turmoil in the world: the young boy Emperor and his mother the Dowager Empress have been chased from the capital by an army of rebels and have fled to the small island of Taishu where Jade is mined.
The strait between the mainland and the island is said to hold a chained dragon, ...more
The strait between the mainland and the island is said to hold a chained dragon, ...more
"A fascinating look into a world that is largely ignored in western fantasy fiction, Daniel Fox's "Dragon in Chains" is a welcome detour into the realm of Chinese culture and mythology. Fox masterfully weaves several complicated storylines, each centered on a different young man -- the boy Emperor fleeing a deadly rebel General, a jade miner with supernatural strength and endurance, and a maimed river rat who uses his mind and magical chains to keep a great dragon imprisoned benea...more
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I read this book just after Liz Williams' Snake Agent- and it might have been a bit wrenching to go from modern China/cyberpunk to mystic medieval China.
I did enjoy the book though, and more as it went on and the different character threads began to pull together. At first, the fragmentation of character viewpoint kept changing the story's pace; when I wanted more about a certain character they would disappear and I'd have to do a mental reset. The dragon was almost too menacing; once sh...more
I did enjoy the book though, and more as it went on and the different character threads began to pull together. At first, the fragmentation of character viewpoint kept changing the story's pace; when I wanted more about a certain character they would disappear and I'd have to do a mental reset. The dragon was almost too menacing; once sh...more
I was disappointed in the novel Dragon in Chains. In this story, the mother and generals of the young emperor have forced him to flee his palace and he crosses the waters to the island of Taishu. While crossing, he purchases a fisherman’s granddaughter, Mei Feng, to be his concubine. Concurrently, a boy named Han, who has been sold after just “escaping” one form of drudgery to the pirate ship Shalla, is used in a raid on an important forge where a large slave is set free from huge chains. The sl...more
http://www.rantingdragon.com/dragon-in-c...
Inspired by the culture and myths of feudal China, Dragon in Chains is the first book in Daniel Fox’s Moshui, the Books of Stone and Water trilogy. Four main characters’ stories are bolstered by a large supporting cast, and the action ranges from a slave boy’s efforts to subdue the chained dragon beneath the sea, to a jade miner caught up in banditry and addiction, to a young fishergirl’s sudden plunge into imperial politics when the you...more
Inspired by the culture and myths of feudal China, Dragon in Chains is the first book in Daniel Fox’s Moshui, the Books of Stone and Water trilogy. Four main characters’ stories are bolstered by a large supporting cast, and the action ranges from a slave boy’s efforts to subdue the chained dragon beneath the sea, to a jade miner caught up in banditry and addiction, to a young fishergirl’s sudden plunge into imperial politics when the you...more
“Dragon in Chains” (Del Rey, $15, 399 pages) is another first-of-a-series, but happily, it actually has a conclusion – however telegraphed. Still, Daniel Fox manages to meld magic and medieval China in an unusually well-written way, and the story of, not surprisingly, a dragon in chains, a young emperor facing a revolt, and several peasants who find themselves in the middle of great happenings is a solid read.
Fox, however, makes his heroes almost superhuman at book’s end, and without e...more
Fox, however, makes his heroes almost superhuman at book’s end, and without e...more
A very good start to a series with great potential. The story is about a dragon who is imprissoned in China. It has pirates, emperors, fisher-girls, and a whole slew of accompaning characters. The story is very simple, there are no real 'wow!' moments in it, but it has a lot of heart, which I think make up for it. It is the first in a series by Daniel Fox, and while it could go either way, either a wonderful tale or mindless, boring drivvle, I think if Fox continues to develop the characters and...more
A fantasy about an alternate China- with a young emperor deposed from the mainland to an island (Taishu) (sound like Taiwan?). Several converging streams: an old fisherman whose granddaughter meets the emperor and becomes his companion, a jade miner taking a large jade to the city, a pirate captain who captures a boy who encounters a dragon chained in the sea, a vicious usurper hounding the emperor. I would have subtitled this book "Death around every corner" because of all the viole...more
This is a pretty good book. I'd call it a Chinese fairy tale, but there are no fairies. There's jade, an emperor, a dragon, and people who get caught up in events bigger than they are. It's incredibly well-told and an interesting story.
I can't tell if it's the start of a series or not. The book doesn't say specifically, but events are left open at the end for more story to be told. The cover claims that this is an "epic", but at less than 400 pages, I don't think it ca...more
I can't tell if it's the start of a series or not. The book doesn't say specifically, but events are left open at the end for more story to be told. The cover claims that this is an "epic", but at less than 400 pages, I don't think it ca...more
I have belonged to the SF Book Club for close to thirty years now and through them have read some of my favorite books - Downbelow Station; the first 5 Chronicles of Amber, aka "the good ones" (IMO); Butterfly and Hellflower; the original Conan stories; The Swordswoman and Consider Phlebas, among others. Most of them were "risks" - I didn't know the authors at the time and was relying on the blurb and just possibly the cover art. Dragon in Chains is another one of those risks...more
Dragon in Chains takes place in an Asian-inspired fantasy universe where a dragon has been chained beneath the ocean, and an emperor flees to an island to escape rebels who wish to claim his life. The story is mainly told through three primary PoVs: a crippled slave boy who is bound to the dragon and must keep her chained, a fishergirl who becomes the emperor's concubine, and a jade-miner who falls into dire straits trying to bring a gift to the emperor.
Overall, I felt the book was p...more
Overall, I felt the book was p...more
Well-written book, but set in a grim world. I admire that but am not sure I enjoyed it exactly.
Also- my copy arrived with over 30 pages missing from the middle, and while Amazon said they would replace it (I'd bought it from them), they also said that in general they would NOT do that even for defective books if the defect took more than 30 days to discover.
Also- my copy arrived with over 30 pages missing from the middle, and while Amazon said they would replace it (I'd bought it from them), they also said that in general they would NOT do that even for defective books if the defect took more than 30 days to discover.
Jade is more than you think it is.
This book is more than I thought it was, too. I was bored by the first few chapters, and thought about taking it back to the library unfinished. I gave it a little more time, though, and it wormed its way into me until I needed to finish it. I liked the fantasy-China setting, and some of the characters.
This book is more than I thought it was, too. I was bored by the first few chapters, and thought about taking it back to the library unfinished. I gave it a little more time, though, and it wormed its way into me until I needed to finish it. I liked the fantasy-China setting, and some of the characters.
This book, and its sequels, can be rather difficult to get into. The style of writing is a bit slow, and very much influenced by an Eastern mind set, which can make it feel a bit alien at first.
Once I got used to it, that very oddity of voice became one of my favorite parts of the series.
Once I got used to it, that very oddity of voice became one of my favorite parts of the series.
A retelling of a Chinese myth, very interesting. Written in such a was you feel like you are listening to a story told to you by your elders. I read the book in pieces, not one sit down session like I normally do, which helped with the flow of the narrative. I highly recommend this book.
A dragon kept imprisoned under water loses its chains. An emperor on the run. All taking place in a mysterious and picturesque setting where jade holds magical properties and nothing is quite as it seems. A lyrical and intricately woven story, but an unsatisfying ending (possibly due to the fact that it is book #1 in a series).
Dragon in Chains is a well-written novel, with an intriguing setting right in my wheelhouse. A fantasy in an ancient faux-China? Sign me up!
Unfortunately, it never took off for me. Reluctantly I put the book down after 150 pages. I wanted to like it, but it worked best as a sleep-inducer. Too bad.
Unfortunately, it never took off for me. Reluctantly I put the book down after 150 pages. I wanted to like it, but it worked best as a sleep-inducer. Too bad.
the best book i've read in 10 years! Each page is crafted with care and the characters seem to come alive. Good and evil, love and hate, an imaginary time and place becomes historical fantasy fiction. LOVED it!!!
Wanted to like this more than I did, but it's a matter of taste vs good book / bad book. I have reading friends I know would like it much better. But in the end just couldn't keep my interest to finish.
This lyrical Asian fantasy is set in world both brutal and beautiful, and is a rewarding read. Fox not only writes well, he tells a ripping good story. Looking forward to the sequel.
It's more like 4 1/2 stars. For fans of Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet and Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori...
I just can't get into this one. We're somewhere in China, apparently, and we're literary, and . . . yawn . . . .
Beautifully written and engaging, with an interesting setting I thought handled respectfully and well.
Hard for me to hate a fantasy book involving dragon boats. Not entirely a stand-alone volume.
A modern Chinese mythology, first novel in series?, enjoyable read.
But I am a sucker for pseudo-Chinese fantasy.
April
added it
I had to stop after four chapters, which is why I didn't star this review, I felt it would be unfair to do so without having read the whole thing. It seemed well-written with good characters but the tone and the story itself just weren't what I was looking for. It leaned much more to somber and philosophical and deep meaning while I just wanted to escape to some fun so I had to put it down.
I think I was expecting more of this book than it actualy was. It wasn't bad...but I've read better fantasy books than this one. It was an interesting attempt at an Asian setting fantasy, but felt too Western in its execution of the story.
Another major disappointment and a book I had high hoper considering that I loved the author's Outremer series and I liked his Selling Water too (both written under his real name Chaz Brenchley btw); this one just did not work in any way, shape or form for me, as setting, plot or characters; the writing is good as style but the book holds no interest for me
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