What do you think?
Rate this book
Southern Swallow #2
The Nan Tu
"We all lived in the shadow of K'ai-feng's ashes now. No denying it. However safe we felt, the world hung by a silken thread." So begins the second book of the Southen Swallow series - The Nan Tu (The Southern Migration) and, like the first book, The Academician, it is told by K'u Ko-ling, servant to the Grand Tutor, Li K'ai-men. The Emperor Kao has proclaimed that his court and government will migrate to the south, a progress filled with adventure, intrigue, war and tragedy, thus setting a series of events in play that shaped the Middle Kingdom. Set on the broad canvas of Sung Dynasty China, The Nan Tu is a tale of love, separation and sacrifice. Yet heroes emerge from the ashes and restoration is within their grasp. From the mountain lairs of bandits to the sweep of the fleet at sea, The Nan Tu will transport you to a world that should have never been forgotten. Still, there are more important things than empires and history. There's love and destiny - the destiny of Li K'ai-men's relics and the enlistment of his helpmates to guard over the membrane of time.
- GenresFantasyHistorical
480 pages, Paperback
First published December 28, 2009
About the author
Edward C. Patterson
60 books36 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 . . .
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 14, 2010
The Nan Tu – Explore 12th Century China in this Historical Fantasy Fiction Novel!
Rating: 4 of 5
Author: Edward C. Patterson
Format: Paperback, Kindle
12th Century China – Once the forgotten and spoiled youngest son in the royal family, prince Kao suddenly finds himself an unlikely emperor after his father and siblings are captured by the Jurchen. Now Li K’ai-men having been the grand tutor to this young prince, is now the emperor’s most trusted advisor. Not only must he protect the warrants given him by his master Han Lin but he must also find a way to maintain a Chinese royal dynasty. Through the great Nan Tu – or Southern Migration – the dynasty’s seat of power moves across the country and eventually out to sea staying one step ahead of the advancing northern invaders.
In this Book 2 of the Southern Swallow Series, Edward C Patterson takes the reader once again to ancient China and the historical events which split a great country into two dynasties. By infusing the fictional elements first introduced in The Jade Owl, Patterson weaves together the fantasy plotline of the Chi’ Tang legend, the warrants of ancient relics, and one of China’s most interesting historical events. Li must advise his young and frequently self doubting son of heaven through a mine field of political unrest, familial betrayal and power plays, invasions, mutiny, and conspiracies. But Li occasionally finds that more than just advice is needed; sometimes the power of the Chi’ Tang is required to preserve the empire. Yielding such power without usurping the emperor and his people proves to be a delicate balancing act.
In and of themselves, the cascade of historical events or the fantasy story of the Jade Owl legacy are engaging reads. But Patterson’s trademark character study and development further shine in this offering. Certainly the struggles faced by an at times unwilling emperor as well as the challenges Li’ K’ai-men faces to advice his leader while maintaining his warrants and being apart from his family and true love are wonderful journeys into the human condition. My favorite character, however, once is K’u Ko-ling. Ko-ling is Li’s servant and “son of a cowcumber farmer from Gui-lin”. Similar to The Academician, Patterson uses this character to introduce and close each chapter. He is disrespectful, dour, self-deprecating, but cunning, clever, invaluable, hysterically funny, and loyal to his master and in what he believes. In many ways Ko-ling is an unlikely hero, somewhat like the character played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1992 movie of the same name.
Those who enjoyed The Academician will enjoy this chapter of the tale as well. The Southern Swallow Series provides the back story of the relics that are front in center in the Jade Owl series. The key difference between the two series is The Jade Owl relies much more on the fantasy elements to drive the story, while The Southern Swallow Series is steeped in 12th century Chinese history. Overall, The Nan Tu is an engaging and educational addition to Patterson’s vast collection of works.
Rating: 4 of 5
Author: Edward C. Patterson
Format: Paperback, Kindle
12th Century China – Once the forgotten and spoiled youngest son in the royal family, prince Kao suddenly finds himself an unlikely emperor after his father and siblings are captured by the Jurchen. Now Li K’ai-men having been the grand tutor to this young prince, is now the emperor’s most trusted advisor. Not only must he protect the warrants given him by his master Han Lin but he must also find a way to maintain a Chinese royal dynasty. Through the great Nan Tu – or Southern Migration – the dynasty’s seat of power moves across the country and eventually out to sea staying one step ahead of the advancing northern invaders.
In this Book 2 of the Southern Swallow Series, Edward C Patterson takes the reader once again to ancient China and the historical events which split a great country into two dynasties. By infusing the fictional elements first introduced in The Jade Owl, Patterson weaves together the fantasy plotline of the Chi’ Tang legend, the warrants of ancient relics, and one of China’s most interesting historical events. Li must advise his young and frequently self doubting son of heaven through a mine field of political unrest, familial betrayal and power plays, invasions, mutiny, and conspiracies. But Li occasionally finds that more than just advice is needed; sometimes the power of the Chi’ Tang is required to preserve the empire. Yielding such power without usurping the emperor and his people proves to be a delicate balancing act.
In and of themselves, the cascade of historical events or the fantasy story of the Jade Owl legacy are engaging reads. But Patterson’s trademark character study and development further shine in this offering. Certainly the struggles faced by an at times unwilling emperor as well as the challenges Li’ K’ai-men faces to advice his leader while maintaining his warrants and being apart from his family and true love are wonderful journeys into the human condition. My favorite character, however, once is K’u Ko-ling. Ko-ling is Li’s servant and “son of a cowcumber farmer from Gui-lin”. Similar to The Academician, Patterson uses this character to introduce and close each chapter. He is disrespectful, dour, self-deprecating, but cunning, clever, invaluable, hysterically funny, and loyal to his master and in what he believes. In many ways Ko-ling is an unlikely hero, somewhat like the character played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1992 movie of the same name.
Those who enjoyed The Academician will enjoy this chapter of the tale as well. The Southern Swallow Series provides the back story of the relics that are front in center in the Jade Owl series. The key difference between the two series is The Jade Owl relies much more on the fantasy elements to drive the story, while The Southern Swallow Series is steeped in 12th century Chinese history. Overall, The Nan Tu is an engaging and educational addition to Patterson’s vast collection of works.
November 27, 2014
2.5 stars
January 12, 2014
4.5, again. My favourite China series; funny, dramatic, touching, & individual.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews