From Booklist
*Starred Review* The first English translation of leading Taiwanese sf writer Chang's work is a trilogy densely woven out of history, politics, and philosophy and set in a recognizable but quite alien world. The prologue to
Five Jade Disks introduces the bronze statue that towers over Sunlon City even after imperialist Shan invaders destroy the place. In
Five Jade Disks, the Huhui people rebel against Shan occupation forces. In
Defenders of the Dragon City, the Shan use Huhui factions--feathered people, serpent people, and leopard people--in an attempt to regain the city. Several years later, in
Tale of a Feather, Sunlon City is finally brought to blazing ruin by the machinations of a petty power-hungry dictator, Mayor Ma. The historical depth with which Chang endows the world he creates reflects great comprehension of our world. In the manner of the very best sf, Chang's makes readers think about ideas of great importance to the world they inhabit by posing them in the context of a well-realized, intricately detailed alien society. His Sunlon City, with its masses as well as the almost allegorical leading figures in the action, is virtually a rounded character itself, which, while it facilitates Chang's historicizing, makes for gripping reading.
Regina SchroederCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"Filled with its own legendry, philosophy, poetry, and social mores, the world created by Chang, considered to be Taiwan's 'father of science fiction,' resounds with grace and style." -- Library Journal "[Chang] is nothing short of awe-inspiring... [His] tone is pitch-perfect from the start, sketching out the mythic outlines of HuHui's history with magisterial grace while later delivering an action-filled epic that toys with the truly philosophical and all the while infuses the text with a loopy humor... A true original, like an epic of Chinese history retold with Tolkien-esque grandeur and yet wholly unique: a masterpiece." -- Kirkus Reviews (*Starred Review) "In the manner of the very best sf, Chang makes readers think about ideas of great importance to the world they inhabit by posing them in the context of a well-realized, intricately detailed alien society... gripping reading." -- Booklist (*Starred Review) "A fantastic, richly brocaded collection... [the book] is a treat for science fiction readers ready to investigate a future seen through a different lens." -- Bookpage "I'm actually rather surprised that no one has looked into Chinese science fiction before this." -- Science Fiction Chronicle "Playing the role of The Hobbit to the whole book's Lord of the Rings, Chang's introductory story "City of the Bronze Statue" presents a beautiful, lyrical fable of an embattled city whose landscape evolves symbolically as its people insist on fighting each other throughout the ages." -- Stephen H. Segal, Pittsburgh " The City Trilogy is not simply science fiction per se, but an amalgam of sci-fi and Chinese mythology. For readers who can appreciate the integration of old and new images in one narrative, or simply have an interest in Chinese literature, this book is a worthwhile investment." -- Washington Times "As in the case with both Tolkien's novels and the Star Wars movies, the reader of Chang's City Trilogy easily sympathizes with a suspense-laden rebellion against a wicked empire or domineering power and feels drawn into the action with the aid of pungent dialogue and a fresh array of fantastic neologisms and weird aliens." -- Choice
