“Fox captures the foggy mysteries of feudal China in exquisite style with this rich fantasy series opener…. Where many Western authors try and fail to capture the nuances of Chinese culture and mythology, this melodious tale quietly succeeds.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A rising star … With talent like Fox’s, the future of fantasy is in good hands.”

—Tanith Lee

“Intense passions and wild imagination transform the familiar fates of emperors, peasants, and dragons with extraordinary results…. A mythic China intimately imagined.”

—A. A. Attanasio

“Daniel Fox tackles his material (loosely based on the myths and history of Old China) with a combination of insight, innovation, and sheer command of language that transforms it…. Now I’m waiting for the next book, with all the impatience of a dedicated fan!”

—Locus

“Daniel Fox’s poetic prose … makes even the mundane seem marvelous…. Definitely a novel—and a series—that should be on every fantasy reader’s radar.”

—Fantasy Book Critic