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3.5 

The Sword Dancer

By Jeannie Lin
The Sword Dancer by Jeannie Lin digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

Set during the Tang Empire, this Chinese historical romance “is politically and culturally rich . . . atypical, sensual and filled with honor and wit” (Publishers Weekly).

The thief who stole his heart

Sword dancer Li Feng is used to living life on the edge of the law—a woman alone in the dangerous world of the Tang Dynasty has only her whirlwind reflexes to trust. She will discover the truth about her past, even if that means outwitting the most feared thief-catcher of them all. . . .

Relentless, handsome and determined, Han sees life—and love—as black and white. Until he finally captures the spirited, courageous Li Feng, who makes him question everything he thought he knew about right and wrong. Soon he’s faced with an impossible choice: betray the elusive sword dancer he is learning to love, or trust his long-disregarded heart and follow her to dangerous, tempting rebellion. . . .

“The graceful, almost poetic quality of Lin’s writing perfectly complements the Tang Dynasty setting of her latest expertly crafted historical romance, and the book’s potent combination of compelling characters and exotic historical setting make The Sword Dancer an auto-buy for libraries in search of something different for their romance collections.” —Booklist

31 Reviews

3.5
“Asia, especially China and Japan, have always been an interesting topic for me. Trips to these countries are too expensive, so the only way I can visit them is through books. The Sword Dancer immediately got my attention with a picture of a girl in a kimono wielding a sword on a cover. I haven't heard about sword dancing before, but I was intrigued and ready to let Jeannie Lin tell me more about it. The Sword Dancer's plot revolves around two characters: sword dancer Wen Li Feng and thief-catcher (kinda like western bounty hunter) Zheng Hao Han and they switch as narrators of the story. Han is searching for thieves who stole a large shipment of jade and he follows a lead to a traveling show. Han immediately notices that girl dancing with swords (Li Feng) has too much skill and that's how the chase begins. Over the rooftops and through various villages in China, our heroes try to outwit each other while also in the same time trying not to fall in love. When I started reading The Sword Dancer I expected historical fiction similar to Pearl S. Buck's, instead I got a story that is much more focused on action and romance than on a historical details. It was like going to the cinema expecting to see The Last Emperor and viewing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon instead. The chasing was fun and forbidden romance was intense, but the whole story did not leave any deeper impression on me and I didn't learn as much as I hoped about China in that time period. Still I cannot say I did not enjoy The Sword Dancer. It was a pleasant surprise reading about a hero and heroine who are not typical and defy the usual cliches in romance novels. They are both average looking and always make the best of the cards that are dealt to them and strive to overcome their past problems and tragic family history. As an action-packed historical romance set in China, The Sword Dancer is a recommended read for both lovers of historical romance or romantic suspense who would like a change of scenery. You will get kick-ass heroine, honorable hero, forbidden romance and a lot of chase and action scenes to entertain you. And with no strong ties to other books in Tang Dynasty series, The Sword Dancer can be read as a stand-alone novel. My rating: 3 stars Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on http://bookwormdream.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-sword-dancer-by-jeannie-lin.html in a little bit more styled edition.”
“I fell in love with this book. It felt like I was reading a Zhang Yimou film (House of Flying Daggers & Hero). There was tons of action and intrigue that kept me on the edge of my seat. With each chapter, I uncovered something new, and it was so exciting! Without giving too much away, I'll say that my favorite scene was the final, night confrontation at the end. It played out just like a movie, and I virtually saw the characters' pain as they encountered this final obstacle. In my humble opinion, it was gut-wrenching, but it just made the ending that much sweeter and the characters that much more relatable. The romance was pretty understated in this one, though, they did spend a lot of time being aware of each other's presence. So, if you like your romances to have a lot of historical details and adventure plot, this is for you. If you're expecting something steamier or mushier, you'll be disappointed. As always, Jeannie Lin does a fantastic incorporating historical details into her story without bombarding the reader. Personally, I like feeling that this story could only take place in the Tang Dynasty China and not in a regency ballroom, and she definitely nails that. Again, I highly recommend if you like martial arts films and an HEA.”

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