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Detective Inspector Chen #5
The Iron Khan
Being considered a friend to the Emperor of Heaven has its drawbacks — especially when one is Detective Inspector Chen and the Emperor needs assistance in finding the Book, a escaped, self-aware magical artifact with the power to alter the world. Tasked with retrieving the Book before it can alter reality, Chen crosses paths with his former partner, Zhu Irzh who is in hot pursuit of the Iron Khan, an evil, homicidal immortal intent on conquering Asia by any means. While Chen and Zhu are otherwise occupied, Inari — Chen’s demon wife — is whisked away by forces intent on revenge against Chen and ultimately, the Emperor of Heaven. The fantastical deserts of Western China and a mythical city of wonders serve as a backdrop for Chen, Zhu Irzh and Zhu’s lover, Jhai Tserai as they wage an intense, personal war to prevent their worlds from a cataclysmic destruction.
Liz Williams delivers an exotic tapestry of unique urban fantasy — rich with Asian mythology and interesting, fully-formed characters. From the quirky inclusion of a taciturn badger teapot to the luxurious descriptions of Singapore Three, Williams crafts a solid and fantastical world like no other writer in the fantasy genre. Strong storytelling and unexpected plot twists is guaranteed to keep the reader intrigued…and longing for more.
Liz Williams delivers an exotic tapestry of unique urban fantasy — rich with Asian mythology and interesting, fully-formed characters. From the quirky inclusion of a taciturn badger teapot to the luxurious descriptions of Singapore Three, Williams crafts a solid and fantastical world like no other writer in the fantasy genre. Strong storytelling and unexpected plot twists is guaranteed to keep the reader intrigued…and longing for more.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2009
26 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
About the author
Liz Williams
149 books268 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Liz Williams is a British science fiction writer. Her first novel, The Ghost Sister was published in 2001. Both this novel and her next, Empire of Bones (2002) were nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.[1] She is also the author of the Inspector Chen series.
She is the daughter of a stage magician and a Gothic novelist. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Science from Cambridge. She has had short stories published in Asimov's, Interzone, The Third Alternative and Visionary Tongue. From the mid-nineties until 2000, she lived and worked in Kazakhstan.[2] Her experiences there are reflected in her 2003 novel Nine Layers of Sky. Her novels have been published in the US and the UK, while her third novel The Poison Master (2003) has been translated into Dutch.
Series:
* Detective Inspector Chen
* Darkland
Liz Williams is a British science fiction writer. Her first novel, The Ghost Sister was published in 2001. Both this novel and her next, Empire of Bones (2002) were nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.[1] She is also the author of the Inspector Chen series.
She is the daughter of a stage magician and a Gothic novelist. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Science from Cambridge. She has had short stories published in Asimov's, Interzone, The Third Alternative and Visionary Tongue. From the mid-nineties until 2000, she lived and worked in Kazakhstan.[2] Her experiences there are reflected in her 2003 novel Nine Layers of Sky. Her novels have been published in the US and the UK, while her third novel The Poison Master (2003) has been translated into Dutch.
Series:
* Detective Inspector Chen
* Darkland
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 12, 2022
Currently the last in the Detective Inspector Chen series. It deserves more than this partial review, but I am, after all, on vacation, so we'll all take what sunshine we can get.
And this, after four books, seems like a solid return to form. It's not the ideal place to start, as certain relationships have all progressed, and a certain demon has undergone character progression. Oh, and a certain somebody ascending to Heaven. So, yes: not the ideal place to start. Otherwise, a plot-establishing line like:
“In that case,” Mhara said, “could you come to Heaven for a day or so? To look at the scene of the crime?”
just won't make any sense. Or what about a description of the setting?
But no one wanted to leave the comforts of the east for this difficult and still dangerous land, a place where sandstorms scoured the desert and the land stretched red and black for miles. Not unlike Hell, really, but without the crowds.
In this, Williams weaves myths of the desert with the otherworldly mythology of China as all of China faces an existential threat. As crazy as it eventually gets--and at one point, it's definitely quite unique--it is nonetheless possible to follow the plot and enjoy it, particularly with a little helpful summing up:
“That was—a friend. At least, I think he’s a friend. Says he’s in a floating moveable city in the middle of Tibet and my fiancé’s gone back in time to try and sort things out. We’re in trouble.”
Williams is one of those writers that consistently hits my sweet spot between description and plotting, never losing sight of either. Though the missions are deadly serious, there's also opportunities for a smile or two, particularly as the demon: "Zhu Irzh once more felt that faint, strange tremor of unease that he’d learned to identify as his conscience."
If you've come this far, be bold! Finish the series (although, to be honest, it does seem like Williams left the door open a crack for further adventures). If you haven't tried the series yet, what are you waiting for?
A simple matter, he thought, and then reflected on the nature of famous last words.
And this, after four books, seems like a solid return to form. It's not the ideal place to start, as certain relationships have all progressed, and a certain demon has undergone character progression. Oh, and a certain somebody ascending to Heaven. So, yes: not the ideal place to start. Otherwise, a plot-establishing line like:
“In that case,” Mhara said, “could you come to Heaven for a day or so? To look at the scene of the crime?”
just won't make any sense. Or what about a description of the setting?
But no one wanted to leave the comforts of the east for this difficult and still dangerous land, a place where sandstorms scoured the desert and the land stretched red and black for miles. Not unlike Hell, really, but without the crowds.
In this, Williams weaves myths of the desert with the otherworldly mythology of China as all of China faces an existential threat. As crazy as it eventually gets--and at one point, it's definitely quite unique--it is nonetheless possible to follow the plot and enjoy it, particularly with a little helpful summing up:
“That was—a friend. At least, I think he’s a friend. Says he’s in a floating moveable city in the middle of Tibet and my fiancé’s gone back in time to try and sort things out. We’re in trouble.”
Williams is one of those writers that consistently hits my sweet spot between description and plotting, never losing sight of either. Though the missions are deadly serious, there's also opportunities for a smile or two, particularly as the demon: "Zhu Irzh once more felt that faint, strange tremor of unease that he’d learned to identify as his conscience."
If you've come this far, be bold! Finish the series (although, to be honest, it does seem like Williams left the door open a crack for further adventures). If you haven't tried the series yet, what are you waiting for?
A simple matter, he thought, and then reflected on the nature of famous last words.
May 2, 2016
I will start by saying I had all but given up on finding this book - I have been following the series of Inspector Chen since I stumbled across Snake Agent some years ago.
However even after changes in publisher (if the story is to be believed they dropped Liz Williams without even warning her let alone an explanation) and the cancellation of the last book in the series (there is reports another one is out there called Morningstar) it appears the Iron Khan has found a publisher in Open Road - so thank you.
The books seem to ever increase the size and scale of the story which upon completing one you wonder where they could take it next - well I can tell you they do keep on upping the ante. But what of this one - well I cannot (no will not) tell you what happens but lets say all those characters you have invested in so far through the series are here and each have moved on in their lives which I think for me helped with the continuity even after all the years since I read the previous titles.
I will claim next to nothing of asian mystical culture so I apologise for my ignorance but I Will say that the books given an authentic feel to some utterly fanatical settings and events, I almost wish they were real.
My only complaint is that there were several references to events still to come - now normally I do not mind hints at events to come but considering how tortuous the route to this book was to publication and the fact I do not remember similar hints in previous instalments I do wish they had not put them in. However that was a minor annoyance and to be honest one I quickly overlooked once things starting to unfold.
So another great instalment in the sage/life/adventure and I just its not the last.
However even after changes in publisher (if the story is to be believed they dropped Liz Williams without even warning her let alone an explanation) and the cancellation of the last book in the series (there is reports another one is out there called Morningstar) it appears the Iron Khan has found a publisher in Open Road - so thank you.
The books seem to ever increase the size and scale of the story which upon completing one you wonder where they could take it next - well I can tell you they do keep on upping the ante. But what of this one - well I cannot (no will not) tell you what happens but lets say all those characters you have invested in so far through the series are here and each have moved on in their lives which I think for me helped with the continuity even after all the years since I read the previous titles.
I will claim next to nothing of asian mystical culture so I apologise for my ignorance but I Will say that the books given an authentic feel to some utterly fanatical settings and events, I almost wish they were real.
My only complaint is that there were several references to events still to come - now normally I do not mind hints at events to come but considering how tortuous the route to this book was to publication and the fact I do not remember similar hints in previous instalments I do wish they had not put them in. However that was a minor annoyance and to be honest one I quickly overlooked once things starting to unfold.
So another great instalment in the sage/life/adventure and I just its not the last.
May 27, 2014
Fifth book about Detective Inspector Chen and (at this point) his coterie of demons, Celestial warriors, familiars, ghosts, and Emperors of Heaven. Okay, only one of that last.
This one never clicked for me. The problem is possibly on my end -- I read it while tired. But, for whatever reason, the story felt overstuffed. There are *four* narrative threads running through most of the book (following Chen, Zhu Irzh, Inari, and a newly-introduced shaman). There are two Big Bads who seem to be independent of each other. There's the occult city of Agarta, the White Pyramid, a talking book, a time-travel spell, a terra-cotta army, a quick glimpse of Rlyeh, and -- well -- a bunch of other stuff.
It was too much stuff. Normally I'm all about the "jam more in" approach, but the climaxes stepped on each other's feet rather than building bang-bang-bang into a torrent of awesomeness. Maybe this wanted to be two novels; if so, neither of them got developed the way I wanted.
I don't mean to complain too much. It's a fun book and plenty of cool stuff happened. I don't expect to give up on the series (assuming there are more forthcoming), but this entry was a little weak.
This one never clicked for me. The problem is possibly on my end -- I read it while tired. But, for whatever reason, the story felt overstuffed. There are *four* narrative threads running through most of the book (following Chen, Zhu Irzh, Inari, and a newly-introduced shaman). There are two Big Bads who seem to be independent of each other. There's the occult city of Agarta, the White Pyramid, a talking book, a time-travel spell, a terra-cotta army, a quick glimpse of Rlyeh, and -- well -- a bunch of other stuff.
It was too much stuff. Normally I'm all about the "jam more in" approach, but the climaxes stepped on each other's feet rather than building bang-bang-bang into a torrent of awesomeness. Maybe this wanted to be two novels; if so, neither of them got developed the way I wanted.
I don't mean to complain too much. It's a fun book and plenty of cool stuff happened. I don't expect to give up on the series (assuming there are more forthcoming), but this entry was a little weak.
February 28, 2022
Rating: 2.4/5
Review: There is a lot to unpack here so I will try to keep it simple. The continuity errors drove the story line, that was once cogent, into the shitter. Briefly we are in Tibet, then in Singapore 3, then traveling through time, Puangeng is on the phone and restored then shooting out of the ground in the Gobi desert and…..Fhuuhuhuk. I mean you can salvage any story line if you suspend your dis-belief and nod your head knowingly but this was unacceptable. Coupled with the grammatical errors, this seemed like the Editor and Publisher both did not give two fuks about a finished product.
Now add on a more interesting Empress that gets very little screen time that is counter weighted by insufferable Inari (which is more duality of balance in play) only Inari drags the balance below karmic standard. Raksha is very distantly alluring yet never surfaces as more than a supporting crutch for Zhu.
Maybe it is my fault for having experienced a suspect discernment for authors that create more than 3 novels to end a series. A burnished ego that drives the continuance well past its end date. This seemed contrived and pushed with no regard for the reader that buys these purloined efforts. I don’t know how many times you can save the world and have it remain palatable. The characters in this instance just chased after each others tails and ended up in the same place. It just made no sense.
So here’s to Gilligan’s Island reunions for the typecast character waning away in aged misery.
Review: There is a lot to unpack here so I will try to keep it simple. The continuity errors drove the story line, that was once cogent, into the shitter. Briefly we are in Tibet, then in Singapore 3, then traveling through time, Puangeng is on the phone and restored then shooting out of the ground in the Gobi desert and…..Fhuuhuhuk. I mean you can salvage any story line if you suspend your dis-belief and nod your head knowingly but this was unacceptable. Coupled with the grammatical errors, this seemed like the Editor and Publisher both did not give two fuks about a finished product.
Now add on a more interesting Empress that gets very little screen time that is counter weighted by insufferable Inari (which is more duality of balance in play) only Inari drags the balance below karmic standard. Raksha is very distantly alluring yet never surfaces as more than a supporting crutch for Zhu.
Maybe it is my fault for having experienced a suspect discernment for authors that create more than 3 novels to end a series. A burnished ego that drives the continuance well past its end date. This seemed contrived and pushed with no regard for the reader that buys these purloined efforts. I don’t know how many times you can save the world and have it remain palatable. The characters in this instance just chased after each others tails and ended up in the same place. It just made no sense.
So here’s to Gilligan’s Island reunions for the typecast character waning away in aged misery.
June 3, 2024
There was a time, when this series was in its prime, that I would drop everything to read a new addition to the epic. However, Ms. Williams became a victim of Night Shade Books' corporate "reorganization" (i.e. escaping collapse by the skin of its teeth), leaving this book in limbo. I did eventually hunt down a copy of this edition, but it sat on Mount TBR for a long while, a victim of my dwindling interest regarding urban fantasy.
Having said all that, if you ever liked this series you do owe it to yourself to read it, even though it feels over-stuffed with characters and events, to the point that it could be expanded into two novels; this really feels more like a Zhu Irzh story than an Inspector Chen novel. Still, If there was a sixth novel I probably would drop all that I was doing to read it, and at least this series is now readily available in electronic format. There is a poignant element in that the Uyghur lands are a setting here, and one is reminded of the ongoing genocide being inflicted on those people by Beijing.
Having said all that, if you ever liked this series you do owe it to yourself to read it, even though it feels over-stuffed with characters and events, to the point that it could be expanded into two novels; this really feels more like a Zhu Irzh story than an Inspector Chen novel. Still, If there was a sixth novel I probably would drop all that I was doing to read it, and at least this series is now readily available in electronic format. There is a poignant element in that the Uyghur lands are a setting here, and one is reminded of the ongoing genocide being inflicted on those people by Beijing.
October 16, 2018
From book 1 I always felt this series was misnamed as D.I. Chen is at best just a co-star in the books.
As book 5 in the series, you really should read the others first since the characters are not reintroduced, and there are multiple references of events from other books.
In this story, the Book of Creation is missing from heaven and Chen is tasked to find it. The Book has decided to 'fix' its creation (us), but there are other forces working to steal creations power (or something to that effect).
Chen's demon partner, Zhu Irzhs, in his part of the story, has run afoul of the villainous Iron Khan. The near immortal Khan seeks to build and army of undead, monsters and other nasty things so he can rule everything forever (or something to that effect).
The book is written as 3 separate stories that come together for the grand finale, which to me was a little less than grand. Good story, but the ending was a little too easy.
William's has a unique style that is a little different than most of the stuff I read. I had to occasionally reread a sentence because I tried to read it as I would have said it rather than how it was written. It is mostly something that I see as an American reading an English author, it just stood out more to me in these books.
As book 5 in the series, you really should read the others first since the characters are not reintroduced, and there are multiple references of events from other books.
In this story, the Book of Creation is missing from heaven and Chen is tasked to find it. The Book has decided to 'fix' its creation (us), but there are other forces working to steal creations power (or something to that effect).
Chen's demon partner, Zhu Irzhs, in his part of the story, has run afoul of the villainous Iron Khan. The near immortal Khan seeks to build and army of undead, monsters and other nasty things so he can rule everything forever (or something to that effect).
The book is written as 3 separate stories that come together for the grand finale, which to me was a little less than grand. Good story, but the ending was a little too easy.
William's has a unique style that is a little different than most of the stuff I read. I had to occasionally reread a sentence because I tried to read it as I would have said it rather than how it was written. It is mostly something that I see as an American reading an English author, it just stood out more to me in these books.
March 5, 2025
The last (published) Detective Chen novel was a huge disappointment - apart from the over complicated 'precious dragon' (book 3) I've loved this urban fantasy series with its excellent world building and fusion of Asian mythologies.
For some reason, however I really struggled to connect with this one - Usually I love the characters - Chen & his wife Inari with her tea kettle/badger familiar, The charismatic demon Zhu Irzh and his tiger demon wife Jhai. But here they were just sort of there.... There wasn't much character development or moments for the cast to shine - its very plot driven and fuses lots of different plot ideas which could have been books in their own right:
1) The magic book - Chen's mission. There's a magic 'creation' book locked up in Heaven. It escapes and unhappy with the current state of affairs wants to reset the world back to separate heaven, hell & earth.... Mhara, the Celestial Emperor sends Chen to find it.
2) The Iron Khan - (Zhu Irzh's mission) We have a mad, time travelling vampire Moghul warlord amassing a demon army - Including genetically modified Ifirts (Islamic demons) and The Terracotta army - Kind of neat but there's so much here: time travel, ghosts, mad science, Muslim mythology, Chinese mythology with resonances of the Wild Hunt, he has powers of the Ehrl King....
3) The mad Empress trying to escape exile (Inari's adventure) - There's pirates, tempests, kidnapping, rocs, magic.....
4) Agarta - the magical moving city of some celestial lords
There's ghosts, reanimated warriors and such a fusion of Asian mythologies (Tibet/China/Japan/India/Muslim/Russian Steppe) you get overwhelmed. I found the plot overly complicated and it just didn't engage me - because there was just so much going on and so many characters that it felt very bitty. Each of the characters had a different mission/adventure which didn't offer much main character interaction.
Then we get a completely random ending 'The lesson' with an entirely new cast, (in a different time period?) set in a schoolroom which possibly had some connection to the characters in the main narrative but by this point I was so bored I couldn't be bothered to thumb back and try and work out what the hell was going on. The ending of the various plot threads was disappointing enough and then to suddenly switch to something completely different - yuck yuck yuck.
Its not without merit, particularly if you like the other Chen books - the whole cast (we've come to love from previous books) is here and there are some fantastic set pieces - I love some of the scenes with the vampric Khan and the Mad Empress, the bored magic book and the floating city. The writing is blessedly pacy with super short chapters which is a real blessing considering what a convoluted mess the story is.
For some reason, however I really struggled to connect with this one - Usually I love the characters - Chen & his wife Inari with her tea kettle/badger familiar, The charismatic demon Zhu Irzh and his tiger demon wife Jhai. But here they were just sort of there.... There wasn't much character development or moments for the cast to shine - its very plot driven and fuses lots of different plot ideas which could have been books in their own right:
1) The magic book - Chen's mission. There's a magic 'creation' book locked up in Heaven. It escapes and unhappy with the current state of affairs wants to reset the world back to separate heaven, hell & earth.... Mhara, the Celestial Emperor sends Chen to find it.
2) The Iron Khan - (Zhu Irzh's mission) We have a mad, time travelling vampire Moghul warlord amassing a demon army - Including genetically modified Ifirts (Islamic demons) and The Terracotta army - Kind of neat but there's so much here: time travel, ghosts, mad science, Muslim mythology, Chinese mythology with resonances of the Wild Hunt, he has powers of the Ehrl King....
3) The mad Empress trying to escape exile (Inari's adventure) - There's pirates, tempests, kidnapping, rocs, magic.....
4) Agarta - the magical moving city of some celestial lords
There's ghosts, reanimated warriors and such a fusion of Asian mythologies (Tibet/China/Japan/India/Muslim/Russian Steppe) you get overwhelmed. I found the plot overly complicated and it just didn't engage me - because there was just so much going on and so many characters that it felt very bitty. Each of the characters had a different mission/adventure which didn't offer much main character interaction.
Then we get a completely random ending 'The lesson' with an entirely new cast, (in a different time period?) set in a schoolroom which possibly had some connection to the characters in the main narrative but by this point I was so bored I couldn't be bothered to thumb back and try and work out what the hell was going on. The ending of the various plot threads was disappointing enough and then to suddenly switch to something completely different - yuck yuck yuck.
Its not without merit, particularly if you like the other Chen books - the whole cast (we've come to love from previous books) is here and there are some fantastic set pieces - I love some of the scenes with the vampric Khan and the Mad Empress, the bored magic book and the floating city. The writing is blessedly pacy with super short chapters which is a real blessing considering what a convoluted mess the story is.
May 16, 2020
The ex-Empress of Heaven makes a comeback bid, with help from a crazed sorcerer. The main characters are split up all over the map, and there is so much backing and forthing over deserts, mountains, seas, historical eras, and alternative realms that I found it a little hard to keep track. Still, the author keeps things moving along smartly, her wry brand of humor serves the tale very well (Chen and Inari’s offspring takes on an active role despite being still in the womb), and everyone receives pretty much just deserts. Will probably go on to future episodes.
January 26, 2026
This one is probably one of the most confusing in the saga as it switches wildly from time and place, mixing historic figures from different times and cultures, ropes in the myth of Agartha, gives the Emperor of Heaven a strangely passive role, and follows the titular Iron Khan and the fugitive Empress of Heaven. While impressive in scale, it is all a bit too jumbled for its own good and is then resolved and dispatched quite summarily.
February 19, 2017
La serie se le está yendo de las manos, con la cantidad de roles intercambiados que hay. Los de los Divinos Cielos son malos, mientras que los de los diferentes Infiernos son nobles y buenos. Pero aparte de eso, el libro tarda bastante en arrancar, y tiene momentos incomprensibles. A pesar de todo, retoma el buen camino y acaba bastante bien, dejándote con ganas de leer más. B
June 28, 2021
Exciting from page one.
February 28, 2022
Another mindbending mystery set in Singapore in the near future, spanning Heaven, Hell and Earth. I think what makes these so much fun is the author's sense of humor. Also the strong characters.
March 22, 2023
I don't know if it's because I waited too long between the last book in this series and this one, but this book just did not do it for me. Don't know if I'll finish out the series.
March 12, 2011
Inspector Chen has come far.
Once he was the freak of his department in the near-future Chinese model city of Singapore Three, the department’s Snake Agent. Chen is a former emissary of the goddess Kuan Yin, and married to a demoness, Inari, and generally considered to be that guy that handles spirits, Heaven and Hell. Over the course of four prior books, his reputation, power and contacts have changed and improved. His partner, Zhu Irzh, once just a seneschal in Hell but now finds himself the stepson of Hell’s current Emperor and is engaged to a powerful demoness from a different Hell altogether. Chen has established a lasting friendship with the newest Emperor of Heaven. He even has a rapprochement with the goddess.
In addition to the changes to Chen, however, Singapore Three it has become more acclimated to contacts with spiritual realms. Are they embraced with full-throat enthusiasm? Of course not! But the ostracism of Chen for his dealings with the subject is at an end. With all that has happened, they would have to be. Things have changed in the world, and Inspector Chen still needs to be on the case.
And it is a good thing, too.
In the Iron Khan, Liz Williams raises the stakes again, showing us more and more of the esoteric world behind the world that she began in Snake Agent. From that book forward, Williams has delighted in showing us more and more of the metaphysics that underlie the worlds beyond our first. We’ve not only seen the Chinese Hell and Heaven, but have been given glimpses of the afterlives of other regions and cultures as well. In the Iron Khan, Williams’ narrative takes our characters into exotic, strange hells, the Taklamakan desert, and even a journey through time and space itself.
As is usual for the Chen books, the narrative not only focuses on Chen, Zhu Irzh and their friends and allies, but new characters, whose goals, desires and needs bloom like a flower quickly coming into full season. Both the titular antagonist, the Iron Khan, other antagonists, and those who oppose their efforts, such as the Japanese warrior Omi, have their narrative threads intersect with our main characters. They have pasts, presents and futures of their own, and never serve to act for the benefit of the main characters. If anything, these characters draw our main characters and their talents into their stories, for ill or will. Sometimes this is even literal.
Recently, I’ve been turned onto the idea that every book rests on four foundations. Plot, Setting, Character and Language, and different readers emphasize these elements to different amounts. Thus, let me say that Ms. Williams’ language and style is not for everyone. She uses a third person omniscient that takes getting used to. This allows her writing to feel like that of a storyteller who is telling you this story over a cup of coffee in an English pub while listening to the rain. For example:
“Kuan Yin’s vessel sailed on, towing the little houseboat slowly behind it like a tug, reversed. The boat of the former Empress of Heaven receded into the distances of the Sea of Night and that was the last they’d see of her, Inari thought to herself.
She was, of course, wrong.
Do I get the feeling that Williams is about done with this series? Sure. She seems to be building toward something, and in some cases, the characters do not feel as fresh and de novo as in earlier books. I think the book could have been a little longer, to allow the readers, especially newer ones, to get a handle and feel for the characters and allow them to show themselves off. However, given all that, I certainly look forward to the next (and from all indications, last) of the Inspector Chen novels. She even provides a possible hook at the end of this book for a possible plotline for it. Once again, though, starting here with this series is missing the point. If I have intrigued you, hunt down a copy of Snake Agent, and give the world of Inspector Chen a taste. You just might find its rich and distinctively unusual flavors to be to your liking.
May 22, 2011
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The setting here is rich with potential - roughly speaking, it's a contemporary Far East where magic works and the mundane world is in regular contact with both Heaven and Hell. Williams makes great use of Chinese history, Chinese mythology, and her own imagination to create a world that is just full of cool stuff.
For all that, though, it didn't really grip me. Part of that is probably my fault for starting the series at book 5 - it's not difficult to figure out the basics of who the characters are or what's going on, but I'd probably care about them all a lot more if I'd been following along from book one. Part of it was also the plot structure - the book starts with the characters in different places, dealing with seemingly different problems. It eventually becomes apparent that they are all the same problem, and then it all comes together rather hectically with a large bang at the end.
File this one under the interesting but flawed category. However, I most likely will track down some of the earlier Inspector Chen novels, because this book certainly demonstrates that the setting and characters have potential.
For all that, though, it didn't really grip me. Part of that is probably my fault for starting the series at book 5 - it's not difficult to figure out the basics of who the characters are or what's going on, but I'd probably care about them all a lot more if I'd been following along from book one. Part of it was also the plot structure - the book starts with the characters in different places, dealing with seemingly different problems. It eventually becomes apparent that they are all the same problem, and then it all comes together rather hectically with a large bang at the end.
File this one under the interesting but flawed category. However, I most likely will track down some of the earlier Inspector Chen novels, because this book certainly demonstrates that the setting and characters have potential.
March 2, 2016
Wow. It rarely if ever takes me this long to finish a book, but The Iron Khan has really given me fits, and not in a good way. When it takes nearly a month to finish a book you have to stop and analyze: is it the book or just me? In this case a little of both. For today let's discuss the book: The Iron Khan had a plot I found incredibly convoluted. All ego aside it is a rare day when you can make me lose the thread of a novel. Too much going on, too many narrative/perspective switches between characters...my interest was not maintained. When I'd rather watch TV than read you know something is not right. So I cannot give this novel a good recommendation, sorry.
April 13, 2010
This book has a very wild plot & deals with the events in the background of the last two books. All of our favourite characters are here, however the plot wildly escalates and the characters go through some wild situations.
This books somehow didn't strike a chord with me, as much as I love the earlier books, this is was the 1st time when the law of averages seems to have caught up with this series. A good read but definitely could have been better[a more detailed review is to follow:].
April 18, 2015
I was pretty bitter when Night Shade dropped this series. I'm glad to see that this has been picked up by distributors at last. It's not quite as well edited as the previous installments - it drags a little in spots, could be tighter, and the short story at the end has a few outright typos - but fellow fans of the series will not be disappointed. I maintain that Williams is one of the sharpest writers working in sci fi, and though the Snake Agent books are breezier than her stand alone novels, they remain rewarding entertainment.
November 7, 2011
This was slightly disappointing. Having been waiting for the next in the Inspector Chen series for several years, I was waiting with anticipation to see where the story would go next. This has quite a good story but, in a battle between "good" and "evil", I didn't think the "evil" side of the battle were particularly well served. It was all a little casual with the prose style slightly chatty which I felt was somewhat inappropriate.
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July 21, 2015
For the whole series
Wonderful...I enjoyed reading this adventure with Detective Chen and all the twist and turns of gods and demons and us poor humans caught in the middle. But to paraphrase one old woman to another, talking in the market, "Last week it was a mad goddess, this week it's supernatural tiger, you can't let these things worry you, life is what matters and the cost of these onions is outrageous, don't you think?" Fun fun read. I'm ready for the next book and the star people (aliens?) war. Liz Williams, write on.
Wonderful...I enjoyed reading this adventure with Detective Chen and all the twist and turns of gods and demons and us poor humans caught in the middle. But to paraphrase one old woman to another, talking in the market, "Last week it was a mad goddess, this week it's supernatural tiger, you can't let these things worry you, life is what matters and the cost of these onions is outrageous, don't you think?" Fun fun read. I'm ready for the next book and the star people (aliens?) war. Liz Williams, write on.
December 13, 2015
Pretty decent Zhu Irzh story, but Chen, the theoretical lead, had very little to do in this story. I liked the time we spent with Inari, but sadly once she was reunited with Chen she was completely sidelined. The exploration of other Hells and their denizens could be interesting, but if that's what the author wants to do I hope in the next book, if there is a next book, she's a bit more focused in that attempt, as i felt they were used mostly as window dressing in this book.
August 31, 2011
I would have liked to see more Detective-Inspector Chen in this, and less of villains I didn't care about and godly doings. Also, one character is misplaced partway through, which is annoying.
I'll read the final book in the series and the prequel when they come out, but I'm not looking forward to them the way I did earlier installments.
I'll read the final book in the series and the prequel when they come out, but I'm not looking forward to them the way I did earlier installments.
May 8, 2011
Well - she's got a new editor I assume with this new publisher. That might explain a bit of the incoherence going on here. Not that she ever made all that much sense! No one spent much time in hell this time around which lessened my fun. That said - I have plans to go to the NYC Roerich museum this summer!
January 19, 2012
Vaguely disappointing, which is unfortunate. As other reviews agree, there was quite a but of plot incoherency and the story lost something by sidelining Chen. While it was lovely to see people like Inari and Qi get their own plotline, it suffered for the other characters focused on- becoming more of an action novel than a detective story.
April 18, 2013
A bit perfunctory. Fast-moving somewhat overly complex plot and a few new characters I might have liked if we'd been properly introduced. I assume some character development for Zhu Irz and Jhai given their actions, but it wasn't really shown or explained. Needed something, maybe just for the action to slow down long enough for the characters to catch up.
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October 13, 2011Another great Inspector Chen story. Love the Eastern mythology--so deliciously different from the Western belief systems that fill the books I'm used to reading.
August 1, 2015
Very well done.
December 31, 2015
An excellent read..
December 18, 2014
Another great Inspector Wei Chen novel - this one with bonus Other Hells! :)
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