My knowledge of Chinese history is pretty scant, so I learned a lot from this fascinating book. Since I read it I have looked up the historical figures in it and read more about them. The book also has humor, great characters, true love, and a dash of fantasy. It ties in with Mr. Patterson's Jade Owl books, showing how the relics that are important to the 21st century China Hands were kept safe over the centuries, as empires rose and fell.

While i really liked this story, it is a little confusing as the characters are not constant, and the situations are very far removed from Western reality. On the other hand, it is a very good read as it will give the reader a look into a lifestyle that is anything but ordinary.

It is well known I am a fan of Edward C. Patterson.

He is one of the most versatile writers I've encountered - he can write gay themed stories that touch every reader, straight and gay - and he is an expert in all things China - a Sinologist extraordinaire.

His Jade Owl series - The Jade Owl, The Third Peregrination, and The Dragon's Pool is a masterful series - and follows 'China Hands', sinologists who help unravel the marvelous myths and history of China.

In The Jade Owl and The Third Peregrination, we meet the learned figure in Chinese history, Li K'ai-men, an academician's academician.

It is this man, Li K'ai-men's story told in The Academician. Li's man-servant, K'u Ko-ling, tells the story through his eyes, although Mr. Patterson, deftly transfers to third person to overview the goings on we need to know. We come to know each character, the good and the bad, and understand their part in history and part they play beyond this book.

To me, having read the Jade Owl series before this book, I found great insight into the characters we have learned about in literally past adventures featuring the China Hands.

The Academician hints at actions we see in the Jade Owl series, which were brilliant. For example, Li K'ai-men, smells lavender, which is the signature scent of Nick Battle, whose life and spirit are literally tied to both the Jade Owl series, and the Southern Swallow series - which The Academician is Book 1.

Li-K'ai-men's banners are painted with mystical and mythical proportians and we know these paintings are shared in the Jade Owl series.

So one book flows into the other - almost a highlight film, a backstory to the Jade Series, but The Academician can also be a stand alone read.

It shows the heart and soul of the time of Li-K'ai-men's China.

An excellent read from an amazing author.

This writer knows his history &crafts his story within it. It's a good story that one hopes will turn into one of those great epic tales. Mr Patterson obviously has talent.

I had to suspend my belief that a wife would want to share her body with a homosexual lover, but that was no more difficult than suspending my belief that a wife would choose her husbands 2nd wife or concubine in any other of the multitudes of stories by other authors

If anything it seems like a missed opportunity to develop a real character who feels pain, anger, or fury at her servitude. However, women in books like these are often portrayed as lack luster dolls whose beauty & kindness are all that is needed to explain them. It would have been more believable if she at least had a goal; practiced some scheming. If not for herself, then at least for her child.

In fact, the only strong woman in this story is the mean, ol evil, Dowager Empress. There is a small storyline that could explain her bitterness toward her previous husband but not a lot to explain her motives for hiding behind a screen in the Emperor's throne room or caring for an unrelated woman whose son becomes the heir to the dynasty.

I also felt he ending was not reality an ending. More like an arbitrary cut down the middle of the book, just to end somewhere & publish another book.

Novels need editing & these are small things that we must give over to our story teller who takes the stage to tell us a grand story set back in a time & culture that most western writers could not venture into. Well done.

Beautiful writing job on a great story, but I was disappointed at the end to discover I would have to buy the next book to continue the story. I like books with closure.

Edward Patterson takes the reader deep into ancient China, during the Sung dynasty, when the Emperor was considered the "Son of Heaven" and vast armies trembled at his every whim. Out of this rich history comes the riveting journey of one man, Li K'ai-men, that begins at his graduation from an academy where he studied under a venerable master, to his rein over a province ruined by the previous corrupt administrators, to his appointment as Grand Tutor to the ninth son of the Emperor in the capital city of K'ai-feng. When warring hoards from the north threaten the safety of the realm, Li K'ai-men must use his sharp intelligence and a bit of magic to take extraordinary measures to save his life, his family, and liege lord. Li K'ai-men's journey, which includes a rather touching relationship with his male lover, Fu Lin-t'o, is told through the eyes of K'u Ko-ling, Li K'ai-men's rather clownish manservant who was the son of a cowcumber farmer.

Edward Patterson stretches his considerable talents in this daring novel that mixes history with fantasy. This story is a vivid, imaginative, and often humorous romp through a pivotal point in Chinese history. It has surprising power, with images that grab hold of you and don't let go. In the midst of this fanciful tale, Patterson creates a heartwarming gay love story. The love interest is not the main plot, however, but rather a tantalizing spice spread over the plot.

The author uses a technique that I have seen only once before. The narrator starts and finishes each chapter with his 1st person point of view, but the bulk of the story is told in 3rd person. I found these POV switches to be seamless, and greatly added to developing the depths of the main characters. This is a character driven story, and Patterson skillfully allows us see these characters to their core.

I had only two problems with this story. The first problem was that because there were a host of minor characters, and the Chinese names were somewhat confusing, I had some trouble telling them apart. The second issue was that this is the first novel in a series, which means that it sets the stage for much more story to come. I was left with a feeling of incompleteness, and somewhat miffed that I must wait for another installment or two to finish the story.

The plot is complex, which combines with his consummate skill at crafting prose and his well-researched details to keep the reader fully engaged until the last page. I would recommend this read to anyone who enjoys multifaceted characters, humor, and a well-crafted story.

The Academician (Southern Swallow, Book 1)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Academician successfully transports the modern reader back in both mindset and experience to a exquisitely, but not overwhelmingly, rendered 12th-century China.

Summary:

Theory and study are not the same as practice. In the 12th-century Song Dynasty, Scholar-bureaucrat Li K'ai-men and his servant K'u Ko-ling are forced to confront this truth as Li K'ai-men's career takes him from the harsh realities of rural administration to the political viper's nest of the capital at a time when enemies threaten the borders of the country.

Review:

A good work of historical fiction is a time machine. A bad work of historical fiction is a dry encyclopedia merely pretending to be a story or a just a modern story where people are wearing funny costumes. The Academician is a very good time machine, indeed. Whether you're already well-versed in Chinese history or know nothing about it, this novel will likely teach you something new.

The story is infused with details, both major and subtle, throughout that completely draw the reader into the nature of life in the 12th-century Song Dynasty. All the while, these details only serve to enhance the story and don't come off as unnecessary embellishments. Given the nature and scope of the plot, the author skillfully explores not just general trappings of setting but also the very fundamental beliefs that motivated people in the story's place and time.

For thousands of years, all cultures have debated the fundamental questions of ethics and morality. What does it mean to live a righteous life? What responsibility does the government play in people's lives? What sort of sacrifices are permissible for the greater good?

The Academician, first and foremost is the story of a man and his younger servant experiencing the gulf between the ideal and the reality, but in doing so it explores some of the above questions in a Confucian (and to a lesser extent Taoist and Buddhist) context in a way that's interesting without being drearily didactic. Li K'ai-men, though sometimes distanced from the reader because of a framing device that often has his story being told through his servant's POV, is a well-developed character. The reader is also treated to the development of the aforementioned servant, K'u Ko-ling, who starts out as a wide-eyed awestruck boy and matures into a sharp-witted, if somewhat cynical, adult.

The plot is actually divided into two relatively discrete halves: the first covers Li K'ai-men's first real experience with administration and the second his time as an Imperial tutor. They are intriguing in that they explore the character growth of the protagonists while also providing thorough thematic explorations of the benefits and disadvantages of the complex, centrally-controlled bureaucratic government that defined the era. What's particularly fascinating is that the author manages to present us with a realistic and idealistic protagonist, the embodiment of the Confucian scholar-bureaucrat ideal, who lives and works in a land and time where corruption had seeped thoroughly into the system. This is not a story about one man turning back the tide of history, but rather a story about the ways one idealistic man can successfully live a half-way decent life despite the wretched stench of that same tide.

With bandits inside and hostile powers threatening the country from without, this was not a time and place free from violence. Justice itself was often brutal as well. Accordingly, there are a small number of scenes featuring some rather severe violence. These are not gratuitous and are actually vital for understanding the character development of the protagonist.

Those who've had some training in any of the Chinese dialects will recognize that the author actually uses multiple romanization systems throughout. The intent, apparently, was to make the names more easily comprehensible to readers with absolutely no background in Chinese. Overall, despite being rather personally partisan on the issue of Chinese romanization, I found this mixing of systems didn't distract from my reading at all.

Though there's a bit more of a military focus in the second half, overall, this is not a story that places a tremendous amount of emphasis on such elements. The general lack of action, combined with a general sedate plot progression, may not appeal to all readers, but patient readers with an interest in either Imperial Chinese history or just complex urbanized societies will likely enjoy this.

4.5 Stars

Note: A Free Review copy was provided by the author.

Southern Swallow # 1

A young civil servant takes up his first assignment, governing a prosperous district in 12th century China.

Although the author paid great attention to history and atmosphere, what this book lacked was a plot. It is narrated by a servant of the young official, and contains too much coarse language for my taste. I could have overlooked that if the storyline had been compelling, but I couldn't find a storyline at all, more of a travelogue as he heads for his new post. Maybe there is a story buried in the excess verbiage; Patterson should have hired an editor. Like many novice writers, he is clearly in love with his own words, and never uses a simple word or phrase if he can use a fancier one to show off his vocabulary. I could cope with that if he would just use the words correctly! "He would need to abandon [the wine cup], because to imbibe before before Mao Fei would preclude offering the man a cup." Patterson should have looked up the definitions of abandon and preclude; the selfish man probably meant simply to hide the cup rather than completely getting rid of it, as good manners actually *require* rather than preclude sharing the wine. "This Chief Clerk ... will escort you to your sinecure." If there were not so many other misused words, I could accept the use of "sinecure" as a clever bit of characterization, showing what the governor thought of his assignment. However, it actually appears to be simply another misused word. Grammar and spelling were erratic. "Who filled his soup bowl and empty his piss pot ..." Kindle formatting was also erratic, with occasional new lines in the middle of paragraphs. I have NO idea how any reader could give this book a high rating. Between the lack of a plot and the awful abuse of the English language, I couldn't even get halfway into it, much less finish it. The title was accurate if unimaginative.

Fascinating story of a time when China was mighty, complex and ruled by men hide bound by vastly complex rules of behaviour and honour. Like so many modern books this was spoiled, for me, by containing so many examples of poor editing and proof reading. When a spelling mistake creates a word which is spelled correctly a computer will not pick up the error. A few examples : swaged in place of swayed. Cuffed -curled. Passed - past. Strops - straps. Melded - melted. Roof - room. Yolk - yoke.

Chinese historical fantasy brimming with political intrigue, powerful, strong-voiced prose, and heaps of farcical humor.

Follow the epic bureaucratic adventure of Li-Kai-Men - a young scholar official - and his slightly younger servant Ku-Ko-Ling - a self-proclaimed pissant - as they navigate their way through 12th century China.

Patterson uses a frame narrative : first person memoir entries cleverly interweave with the main storyline, told in 3rd person limited & omniscient.

There is no action on display here. It remains a background affair while the author showcases its consequences and puts the spotlights firmly on the personal relations, politics & intrigue.

Set in a time with strict societal rules & regulations, you're allowed to get a closer look at the cogs and wheels of the governing machinery of a vast empire.

From the lowliest clerk to the Emperor's court, you're made witness of the human condition in times of peace, crisis, and war.

A fascinating character-driven & plot-driven story of family, honor, loyalty, love, friendship; likewise of corruption, brutality, abuse, loss, and failure.

Filled with hysterical situations, accidental wisdom, ominous arcane objects, and often delectable writing. These are the tools Patterson artfully applies to commandeer the reader's attention from start to finish.

Released in 2009, yet can easily stand its ground next to most of today's books. I do think it would benefit from another edit. - My rating : 8.5/10