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Jade Owl Legacy #1
The Jade Owl
In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch’i are set aside in favor of destruction’s dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time’s thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world’s fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it’s awake and in China, they whisper again. Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again. A Finalist in the 2009 RAINBOW AWARDSReview from Rainbow ReviewsSinologist Professor Rowden Gray receives the opportunity of his professional lifetime, a curator position at the fabled San Francisco East Asian Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture, which houses the collection of his late mentor, "Old China Hand" John Battle. Battle's great work had been discredited due to his insistence on the Jade Owl, a mysterious missing artifact commissioned by China's only Empress. When RG arrives, he immediately discovers the position has been rescinded, he encounters a strange young man who proves to be Battle's prodigal son, and learns the Jade Owl really exists. Plunging into a drama worthy of an Errol Flynn swashbuckler, the soon-boon companions and several others are off on a life-and-death chase through San Francisco and then on to Hong Kong as the portal into China. The Jade Owl is a nonstop, don't miss page turner and only the first in a quintology, The Jade Owl Legacy series. Readers, run, do not walk to your nearest book outlet and grab this intriguing gay mystery with its fully realized characters, gay and straight and bi, roller-coaster plotting, and paranormal fantasy elements. The Jade Owl is a true winner.Review from Aricia Gavrial's Book this novel, the artifact is an ancient Chinese object, a six inch piece of Jade carved in the likeness of an owl -- and it's actually a key that opens a box known as the Joy of Finches. What's in the box? That would be telling! But everybody wants the key. The first thing that impressed me about Jade Owl was how knowledgeable about Chinese antiquities the writer is, and about China itself. Shanghai and Beijing are described with the same amount of detail and enthusiasm as San Francisco -- and never having been to either China or the USA myself, I really appreciated the "local color." Many writers, when setting their plots in London, New York, what have you, seem to think that everyone's been there and knows intimately every secret of the city. Not true. So, the first level where Jade Owl succeeds is in "selling me" San Francisco, which is the setting for the first long segment of the book.
600 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
21 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Edward C. Patterson
60 books35 followersEdward C. Patterson has been writing novels, short fiction, poetry and drama his entire life, always seeking the emotional core of any story he tells. With his eighth novel, The Jade Owl, he combines an imaginative touch with his life long devotion to China and its history. He has earned an MA in Chinese History from Brooklyn College with further post graduate work at Columbia University. A native of Brooklyn, NY, he has spent four decades as a soldier in the corporate world gaining insight into the human condition. He won the 1999 New Jersey Minority Achievement Award for his work in corporate diversity. Blending world travel experiences with a passion for story telling, his adventures continue as he works to permeate his reader's souls from an indelible wellspring.
Published Novels by Edward C. Patterson include No Irish Need Apply, Bobby's Trace, Cutting the Cheese, Surviving an American Gulag and Turning Idolater. Poetry includes The Closet Clandestine: a queer steps out and Come, Wewoka - and - Diary of Medicine Flower.
From my mind to your imagination . . .
Published Novels by Edward C. Patterson include No Irish Need Apply, Bobby's Trace, Cutting the Cheese, Surviving an American Gulag and Turning Idolater. Poetry includes The Closet Clandestine: a queer steps out and Come, Wewoka - and - Diary of Medicine Flower.
From my mind to your imagination . . .
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 16, 2014
Immensely enjoyable and well written, this book combines the elements of relationships, passion, regret, legacies, myths, Chinese tradition, and more than a touch of danger together to become a book I found difficult to put down.
The cast of characters worked well with the balance between Simone's flamboyant nature and Nick's inherent charm working with Rowden's practical and habitual nature, Audrey's tenacity and traditional manners and Griffen's steadfast friendship all running alongside several other characters, coming together in a cast that is a pleasure to observe.
The inclusion of occasional phrases written in pin yin (the pronounced version of Chinese) gave added life to the characters which I, having studied Chinese while at school, though was a clever tactic by the author - giving an added dimension to the characters and drawing the reader deeper into the book. To a reader with no knowledge of Chinese language these occasional phrases would not detract from the book, I feel they would add to the layer of mystery that surrounds China, her secrets and her history.
I hope the rest of the Jade Owl series lives up to the high standards set here.
The cast of characters worked well with the balance between Simone's flamboyant nature and Nick's inherent charm working with Rowden's practical and habitual nature, Audrey's tenacity and traditional manners and Griffen's steadfast friendship all running alongside several other characters, coming together in a cast that is a pleasure to observe.
The inclusion of occasional phrases written in pin yin (the pronounced version of Chinese) gave added life to the characters which I, having studied Chinese while at school, though was a clever tactic by the author - giving an added dimension to the characters and drawing the reader deeper into the book. To a reader with no knowledge of Chinese language these occasional phrases would not detract from the book, I feel they would add to the layer of mystery that surrounds China, her secrets and her history.
I hope the rest of the Jade Owl series lives up to the high standards set here.
October 24, 2009
I became acquainted with Edward C. Patterson via Operation eBook Drop: he founded the project and I'm a participating author. It seemed a natural progression to likewise acquaint myself with his work.
"The Jade Owl" is a science fiction/fantasy novel that starts out with Sinologist Rowden Gray being denied a job originally offered to him at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum. A passerby in the museum picks up the telegram Gray discards, and then leads Gray on a search for the artifact that obsessed Gray's late mentor (the eponymous owl).
Patterson's research into Chinese culture and traditions is first-rate (his MA in the field bears that out). Throw in a tremendous gift for phrasing that makes his prose read like poetry, the ability to draw fascinating characters (I am no expert on LGBT literature, but I felt like I had met every one of his characters -- gay or straight -- out in the real world), and a fascinating mystery to be solved. Patterson's work is sure to find fans across many genres.
"The Jade Owl" is a science fiction/fantasy novel that starts out with Sinologist Rowden Gray being denied a job originally offered to him at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum. A passerby in the museum picks up the telegram Gray discards, and then leads Gray on a search for the artifact that obsessed Gray's late mentor (the eponymous owl).
Patterson's research into Chinese culture and traditions is first-rate (his MA in the field bears that out). Throw in a tremendous gift for phrasing that makes his prose read like poetry, the ability to draw fascinating characters (I am no expert on LGBT literature, but I felt like I had met every one of his characters -- gay or straight -- out in the real world), and a fascinating mystery to be solved. Patterson's work is sure to find fans across many genres.
December 22, 2008
After relocating from New York City to take on the position of a lifetime, sinologist Professor Rowden Gray learns upon his arrival that his position at the San Francisco Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture has been eliminated. Furious with the last minute turn of events, Gray stumbles upon Nick Battle who is none other than the son of Gray’s long time mentor – John Battle. Gray finds that Nick possesses The Jade Owl an ancient Chinese relic previously believed to be the stuff of legend. They discover that The Jade Owl may open a sister relic The Joy of Finches held captive in the Museum’s Asian display. Together they find The Jade Owl to be more than a relic, but the key to finding the lost tomb of the only empress to rule over the middle kingdom – Wu Tze-t’ien.
An eclectic expedition team including Gray, Nick, Nick’s life partner and drag queen – Simone, a one-eyed Cherokee – Griffen, and Chinese American martial arts expert – Audrey, set out to return The Jade Owl to the empress. However, the Owl reveals itself to be much more than a relic, but a vessel for controlling, channeling, and altering Chi creating unspeakable power. These China Hands must return the Owl in time or unleash it’s dangers to the world.
In The Jade Owl, Edward C. Patterson does a masterful job at taking the reader deep into a journey of China’s cultural treasures. The history, foods, people, architecture, politics, even aromas of Hong Kong, Canton, Shanghai, Beijing, Guilin, are carefully and beautifully conveyed and Patterson’s expertise in this area shines. He has also created characters so real that one feels they are reading a diary of life experiences as opposed to fictional fantasy. As a result, The Jade Owl has all of the intrigue and interest of an Indiana Jones mystery but is grounded in the reality of true to life characters making it more satisfying in the end.
My only hesitation to giving this novel 5 stars was the lack of conflict and action driving the first half of the book. While the mystery of The Jade Owl is the backbone of the story, it seemed to fade to the background in the first half in favor of the rich cultural excursions the expedition team took as they traveled China. None-the-less, this is a very satisfying read and Patterson is a very accomplished writer.
For those looking for the cultural intrigue of the middle kingdom and a fantastical mystery involving ancient relics of a long forgotten empress, The Jade Owl delivers. It is the first of the five book Jade Owl legacy.
An eclectic expedition team including Gray, Nick, Nick’s life partner and drag queen – Simone, a one-eyed Cherokee – Griffen, and Chinese American martial arts expert – Audrey, set out to return The Jade Owl to the empress. However, the Owl reveals itself to be much more than a relic, but a vessel for controlling, channeling, and altering Chi creating unspeakable power. These China Hands must return the Owl in time or unleash it’s dangers to the world.
In The Jade Owl, Edward C. Patterson does a masterful job at taking the reader deep into a journey of China’s cultural treasures. The history, foods, people, architecture, politics, even aromas of Hong Kong, Canton, Shanghai, Beijing, Guilin, are carefully and beautifully conveyed and Patterson’s expertise in this area shines. He has also created characters so real that one feels they are reading a diary of life experiences as opposed to fictional fantasy. As a result, The Jade Owl has all of the intrigue and interest of an Indiana Jones mystery but is grounded in the reality of true to life characters making it more satisfying in the end.
My only hesitation to giving this novel 5 stars was the lack of conflict and action driving the first half of the book. While the mystery of The Jade Owl is the backbone of the story, it seemed to fade to the background in the first half in favor of the rich cultural excursions the expedition team took as they traveled China. None-the-less, this is a very satisfying read and Patterson is a very accomplished writer.
For those looking for the cultural intrigue of the middle kingdom and a fantastical mystery involving ancient relics of a long forgotten empress, The Jade Owl delivers. It is the first of the five book Jade Owl legacy.
October 17, 2016
Somewhat annoying, overblown writing style along the way, but interesting enough plot to make me want to finish it!
Some interesting cultural references, don´t know how accurate they are, as some of the languages used that I do understand were not wholly correct! Interesting characters too, but won´t be seeking out the sequels, as it was a bit of a slow journey.
Some interesting cultural references, don´t know how accurate they are, as some of the languages used that I do understand were not wholly correct! Interesting characters too, but won´t be seeking out the sequels, as it was a bit of a slow journey.
July 12, 2018
The best parts of the book had to do with Chinese mythology, culture and history.
October 25, 2020
Too many birds in the sky
I really wanted to like this book and was looking forward to the series. I kept pushing myself, further and further, until I finally called it quits at 44%.
I didn’t dislike the story, it just couldn’t keep my interest. It was very long and drawn out and prolly could be trimmed down by quite a bit. The author’s writing style is unique and I would have to reread passages in order to digest the information. There was an extensive use of comparative references, of which I only understood about half. It almost felt like reading a textbook at times.
Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty I did like which is why I kinda feel bad not finishing. With five hefty installments in the series, it was just too big of a commitment if I’m not really into it. Don’t let me stop you though, others seemed to really enjoy it.
I really wanted to like this book and was looking forward to the series. I kept pushing myself, further and further, until I finally called it quits at 44%.
I didn’t dislike the story, it just couldn’t keep my interest. It was very long and drawn out and prolly could be trimmed down by quite a bit. The author’s writing style is unique and I would have to reread passages in order to digest the information. There was an extensive use of comparative references, of which I only understood about half. It almost felt like reading a textbook at times.
Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty I did like which is why I kinda feel bad not finishing. With five hefty installments in the series, it was just too big of a commitment if I’m not really into it. Don’t let me stop you though, others seemed to really enjoy it.
November 16, 2017
This was a spur of the moment download not even sure if it was 99p purchase too. Never read anything by this author but will be on the look out for more of his books and the next in the series.
An expert in Chinese history and culture Professor Rowden Gray attends an interview for a position with a renowned museum only to find the offer withdrawn. This leads him bumping into unexpectedly, into a former associates son, or unexpected on his part.
This is the start to a really adventurous tale through China with a most unlikely group of people trying to return the jade owl back to its original resting place. Friendships form, magic abounds, and some Chinese folklore is learnt.
A good tongue in cheek, rip roaring read if you like India Jones then this is for you
An expert in Chinese history and culture Professor Rowden Gray attends an interview for a position with a renowned museum only to find the offer withdrawn. This leads him bumping into unexpectedly, into a former associates son, or unexpected on his part.
This is the start to a really adventurous tale through China with a most unlikely group of people trying to return the jade owl back to its original resting place. Friendships form, magic abounds, and some Chinese folklore is learnt.
A good tongue in cheek, rip roaring read if you like India Jones then this is for you
May 26, 2025
An adventure awaits
An Old China Hand Rowden meets his mentor's son Nick Battle and the adventure begins. A mystical Jade Owl who occasionally comes to life, a Cherokee who has a connection with the Owl, Nick's SO Simon (aka Simone) are all off to China. Mayhem, magical legends and a mystery to be solved.
I can't wait to start the next book!
An Old China Hand Rowden meets his mentor's son Nick Battle and the adventure begins. A mystical Jade Owl who occasionally comes to life, a Cherokee who has a connection with the Owl, Nick's SO Simon (aka Simone) are all off to China. Mayhem, magical legends and a mystery to be solved.
I can't wait to start the next book!
December 11, 2018
Great debut for series!
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June 6, 2009
Make That Five Snaps Up and a Circle Round the World, Honey!!!
That’s for you, Simone DeFleurry!! Who’s Simone DeFleurry? Well, she’s actually Simon Geldfarb, the S-I-G-N-I-F-I-C-A-N-T ‘significant other’ of John Battle’s son. Who’s John Battle? John Battle was Rowden Gray’s professor at Columbia University and someone that claimed to have held The Jade Owl in very own his hands. Who’s Rowden Gray and what’s The Jade Owl? Rowden Gray is the protagonist that’s just had the position of working at the San Francisco Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture yanked out from underneath him and if you’re asking these questions, it’s clear you haven’t read The Jade Owl. Now I have a question for you? Why not?!!
The Jade Owl is a wonderful read! It’s full of myth and legend –fact and fantasy. It crosses between historical reference to fun-filled fiction and back again as easily as Simone picks out an ensemble! It’s as big and expansive as the country the infamous owl originated – and just as enigmatic! Mr. Edward Patterson does a fabulous job of weaving and holding his story together with that most special of glues – imagination! The result is a pleasurable read. It’s as easy as gliding down the Yangtze in a Dragon boat under the brilliance of a full moonl! You just don’t want it to end and wish it could go on forever!!!
There’s a whole host of interesting characters acting as some magical crazy glue catalysts. They drive each other – and the story –forward. Then there’s The Jade Owl itself. Will it ever be found? Will it ever be reunited with its rightful owner? Who is its rightful owner? And is there a grander scheme behind it all? Most importantly, will the blasted bird ever stop hooting at the least opportune moments? All these questions are answered in their own time and we are there to witness history! … well, invented history! And isn’t that the best kind? Especially when the outcome is safely in the expert hands of Edward C. Patterson!!!
A toast to Mr. Patterson, China, a drag queen that knows how to run in heels and hooty owls everywhere!!!
December 29, 2010
I don't like to give star ratings, since often I want somewhere between three and four or four and five and so on. I wavered between three and four on this one. I did enjoy the read, but it took me quite some time to finish because 1) it's very long [and I don't tend to mind long books - I like them, actually], and 2) the plot tends to drag.
The story does have a charm to it, and the Chinese art history mixed with political history was interesting. I enjoy learning new things when I read and I give it high marks for that. Those marks are tempered, however, because some of the "new things" felt a bit too much like they were thrown in only to show how knowledgeable the author is, how much research/study he's done. At times it was too much info and the clutter makes it harder to be immersed in the story. There's a fine line between adding reality to the setting and saying "look how much I know!" and readers will notice when that line is crossed.
I also had trouble seeing Rowden as attracted to his main love interest as he now and then said he was. In truth, he seemed much more attracted to and interested in Nick than in Nick's cousin (I can't even remember her name at the moment). The constant mentions of how all women and men alike were pulled in by Nick's looks and charms became annoying, particularly since this isn't a romance.
There is plenty of adventure and some sci fi paranormal intrigue. The characters vary between larger than life and cliche. The convenient helps for the potentially intense situations make them not so intense, and I was rather surprised at how many gay characters popped up conveniently, since it seems a bit against the odds.
That said, it is a nice ride through another culture and packs in some mystery on top of the adventure that did keep me reading (at times skimming) until I reached the end.
The story does have a charm to it, and the Chinese art history mixed with political history was interesting. I enjoy learning new things when I read and I give it high marks for that. Those marks are tempered, however, because some of the "new things" felt a bit too much like they were thrown in only to show how knowledgeable the author is, how much research/study he's done. At times it was too much info and the clutter makes it harder to be immersed in the story. There's a fine line between adding reality to the setting and saying "look how much I know!" and readers will notice when that line is crossed.
I also had trouble seeing Rowden as attracted to his main love interest as he now and then said he was. In truth, he seemed much more attracted to and interested in Nick than in Nick's cousin (I can't even remember her name at the moment). The constant mentions of how all women and men alike were pulled in by Nick's looks and charms became annoying, particularly since this isn't a romance.
There is plenty of adventure and some sci fi paranormal intrigue. The characters vary between larger than life and cliche. The convenient helps for the potentially intense situations make them not so intense, and I was rather surprised at how many gay characters popped up conveniently, since it seems a bit against the odds.
That said, it is a nice ride through another culture and packs in some mystery on top of the adventure that did keep me reading (at times skimming) until I reached the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2011
Professor Rowden Gray, a Sung Dynasty expert, is furious. The curator’s position he was supposed to start at the San Francisco Museum of East Asian Art and Culture has been snapped away. Rowden’s devastated at the thought of returning to teaching, but when he’s approached by a rather brazen museum employee, Rowden’s life takes an unexpected turn. The employee, Nick, is on a quest to find a mysterious, ancient figurine known as The Jade Owl, believed to have belonged to Empress Wu thirteen centuries earlier, and he needs Rowden’s expertise to accomplish this quest. It doesn’t take Rowden long to realize that this mission is not only dangerous, but could change—if not end—their lives.
The Jade Owl is filled with thrills, mysticism, and adventure that captivated me from the beginning. The author’s knowledge of Chinese culture and geography adds authenticity to the story; but beyond this, he’s created memorable and likeable characters with distinctive voices.
The book’s omniscient viewpoint allows the reader into different characters’ heads, and the author even speaks directly to the reader at times, which for me, was a bit intrusive, (although this style was common earlier in the twentieth century). The ending was satisfying, although the epilog a little long. Still, there’s enough juicy foreshadowing to make me want to pick up the next book. Enjoy!
January 10, 2009
Rainbow Reviews
by Frost's Fancy - Rainbow reviews
Sinologist Professor Rowden Gray receives the opportunity of his professional lifetime, a curator position at the fabled San Francisco East Asian Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture, which houses the collection of his late mentor, "Old China Hand" John Battle. Battle's great work had been discredited due to his insistence on the Jade Owl, a mysterious missing artifact commissioned by China's only Empress. When RG arrives, he immediately discovers the position has been rescinded, he encounters a strange young man who proves to be Battle's prodigal son, and learns the Jade Owl really exists. Plunging into a drama worthy of an Errol Flynn swashbuckler, the soon-boon companions and several others are off on a life-and-death chase through San Francisco and then on to Hong Kong as the portal into China.
The Jade Owl is a nonstop, don't miss page turner and only the first in a quintology, The Jade Owl Legacy series. Readers, run, do not walk to your nearest book outlet and grab this intriguing gay mystery with its fully realized characters, gay and straight and bi, roller-coaster plotting, and paranormal fantasy elements. The Jade Owl is a true winner.
by Frost's Fancy - Rainbow reviews
Sinologist Professor Rowden Gray receives the opportunity of his professional lifetime, a curator position at the fabled San Francisco East Asian Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture, which houses the collection of his late mentor, "Old China Hand" John Battle. Battle's great work had been discredited due to his insistence on the Jade Owl, a mysterious missing artifact commissioned by China's only Empress. When RG arrives, he immediately discovers the position has been rescinded, he encounters a strange young man who proves to be Battle's prodigal son, and learns the Jade Owl really exists. Plunging into a drama worthy of an Errol Flynn swashbuckler, the soon-boon companions and several others are off on a life-and-death chase through San Francisco and then on to Hong Kong as the portal into China.
The Jade Owl is a nonstop, don't miss page turner and only the first in a quintology, The Jade Owl Legacy series. Readers, run, do not walk to your nearest book outlet and grab this intriguing gay mystery with its fully realized characters, gay and straight and bi, roller-coaster plotting, and paranormal fantasy elements. The Jade Owl is a true winner.
April 27, 2012
I liked the book and hope to read the others in the series but want to take a break from it. I found the oriental names to be very similar and was confused as to who was who in the book so finally had to write the names and what charactor they played on a sheet of paper to keep them fresh in my mind.
September 1, 2015
I loved the story. Kind of an "Indiana Jones" adventure, only more contemporary. My only complaint is that it would have benefited from a good proofreading. Some errors and odd word choices made the writing kind of obvious at times. Still, I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
January 14, 2013
Loved it. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews