the hand of the sun king by jt greathouse

It’s a hero’s journey, through and through, but Wen Alder’s mistakes are humanizing, and his tragic flaws are what make him a protagonist worth following down a twisted path. JT Greathouse choosing a basis in imperial China rather than the typical European backdrop to construct his epic fantasy is something I both admire and enjoyed, coming from an Asian Studies academic background myself. The narrative performance is spectacular, and the variety of voices is deeply entertaining and enriching. Even though the premise was compelling and I adore Jeremy Ang Jones’ other work, I was worried I would have the same problem here. I have to preface this by saying I’m not much of an audiobook listener, as I often have trouble focusing on the content. Now, on the verge of taking the steps that will forge the path of his life, Alder discovers that the conflict between the Empire and the resistance is only the beginning of a war that will engulf both heaven and Earth, gods and man - and he may be the key to final victory for whichever side can claim him as their own. It began when his spirited, rebellious grandmother took Alder into the woods and introduced him to her ways - ways he has never been able to forget. And it is expected that Alder, too, will follow this tradition by passing the imperial exams, learning the accepted ways of magic and, if he serves with honor, enhancing his family's prominence by rising to take a most powerful position in Sien - the Hand of the Emperor.īut from his mother he has inherited defiance from the Empire, a history of wild gods and magic unlike anything the Imperial sorcerers could yet control. On his father’s side, a legacy of proud loyalty and service to the god-like Sienese Emperor spanning generations.

The hand of the sun king by jt greathouse