Shen and the Treasure Fleet

by Ray Conlogue

To save his family, one boy will defy the power of two armies in 15th-century China. Shen and his sister Chang are on the run. It's 1403, and the city of Nanjing is under siege. Their mother has been imprisoned, and their father, an Imperial Bodyguard, is presumed dead. Hoping to avoid detection for their connection to the former regime, Shen and Chang take refuge in a traveling acrobat troupe. Meanwhile, the new emperor has commanded the construction of an armada to explore the world the -- treasure fleet. But a violent struggle breaks out between Zheng He, the powerful leader of the fleet, and the government officials who fear him. Fleeing the growing conflict, the acrobats gain passage with the fleet. Shen soon discovers they'll be sharing their vessel with the notorious Yang Rong, a government official with the power to free their mother. Shen and Chang enter a dangerous game of double-dealing. After months at sea they manage to defy the power of both armies, and they eventually save their parents. But they also discover that their own lives have been changed forever. The China they knew no longer exists. For Shen especially, it is too late to go home. Set in a period of unparalleled Chinese exploration and rich with historical detail, Shen and the Treasure Fleet is an adventure of majestic proportions.

Genres: Historical Fiction

322 pages, Hardcover

First published August 17, 2007

Reviews

[James T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and unique book set in the Ming Dynasty, and specifically in the first decade of the 1400s.

As rebel forces attack and begin to capture Nanking, Shen (13 y.o.) and his younger sister Chang escape the city, together with their mother and a couple of shady-seeming characters engaged by the family to help them on their journey. Meanwhile the fate of Shen's father, an Imperial Guardsman, remains unknown.

The family finds refuge with a troupe of acrobats and other entertainers, and from there the plot escalates. To limit spoilers, let's just say that members of the party end up aboard a ship that is part a massive new fleet commanded by Admiral Zheng He. As the fleet sails toward what is now Malaysia, the reader sees the unfolding of political intrigue: Zheng Hi, despite his power, battles opposing forces that also have at least some of the Emperor's favor.

Shen, now all of 15 or 16, finds himself in the middle of a game that is over his head. Meanwhile, is his father dead or alive, and if alive where is he?

The books offers a fascinating snapshot of early 15th century China and some surrounding areas. However, arguably it assumes some foreknowledge of the nation's history, especially with regard to the various factions in China at the time. In places I became somewhat confused as to who was who, and what power base(s) a given person or group might have.

My sense is that this book is aimed roughly at "middle school" readers, but I think that sells it short. If it simplifies the world a little, or limits the blood and gore of battle, it still creates a fairly complex milieu (to the point that, as noted earlier, it can be confusing).

Well worth a read. A nicely structured tale with plenty of action and human drama, and one that has whet my appetite to look into the true history of the time, and especially of the Treasure Fleet. As a follow-on book, I'm about to start reading When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433.

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

Most of us have heard of the exploits of Marco Polo, but few are aware of a magnificent Chinese Treasure Fleet that sailed in 1405 — a full century before Columbus — carrying 28,000 people with a mission to open China to the world. In his first book for young people, award winning journalist Ray Conlogue brings this feat and this period to vivid life. It is a period which, Conlogue asserts, demands not only historians, but storytellers. Before launching into his story, the author provides a helpful introduction and a map. And when he uses creative license, such as depicting the young sister as able to read and to ride, he is careful to indicate his imaginative reworking. With its cinematic sweep and physical detail, this book would make a great epic movie with its hordes of Brocade armies, troops of acrobats, massive ships with blood red sails, and pirates on the high seas. As a new emperor seizes power — and with the fate of their parents unknown — 13-year-old Shen and his younger sister Chang are cast into a world of adventure and political intrigue both on land and at sea. Fuelled by heroic folktales, Shen plays a dangerous game of espionage, playing the dark, fascinating Admiral against his arch-rival, a scheming Confucian bureaucrat. Shen himself is a complex, impulsive, often stubborn character, but one with admirable loyalty to honour and to his father’s memory. In the words of a publisher’s representative, this is a book that will “be enjoyed by those who appreciate ambiguity.” The complex machinations of power and Chinese names make for a dense read. Though based on fact, it would have great appeal to middle school readers who look for fantasy. With its rich physical detail, insight into Asian history and its moral dilemmas, it will definitely reward the skilled reader.

Reviewed by Brenda Halliday in Canadian Children's Book News
Spring 2008 VOL.31 NO.2