Paper Mage

I've read a lot of fantasy and science fiction. It's a true delight to read a work where the main character, a fully realized person I feel I could talk to, works through her conflicts with something _other_ than violence. Even when forced to hurt someone, she regrets the pain involved. I won't give away the story, but there are many places in the book where the movement, the dance of energy, is simply wonderful. Too many stories revolve around violence - this absolutely lovely book revolves around the character, in a way that recalls the inner peace of the dance of tai-chi, the flow of water, and the sound of the wind...

Set in a fantasy equivalent of T'ang China, it's dependent upon a more subtle grasp of the culture of the time. It may be alien to many Western readers for this reason, but the psychology behind the characters' motivations will be appreciated by fans of Chinese literature. The author has obviously done boatloads of research into the real-world analogue of her world, and her attention to detail is manifest in her rich landscapes and exotic mythologies. She does a good job of describing a scene with the right number of words -- verbose where detail is warranted, but able to capture an emotion in a brief phrase if needed. I will certainly be looking for her other books; I enjoyed every word of this one, and will reread it to catch nuances I missed the first time through.

This is a wonderful story that is wonderfully written. The book is set in 9th century China and the writing has a definite Asian flair to it. This makes the "reading escape" experience more comfortable and complete. You easily get lost in the story of Xiao Yen and her magical world. The author is very knowledgable about China and the culture of the time. I also like the style of the chapters switching back and forth from the current story to the time of Xiao Yen growing up. This allows the excitement and magic of the tale to be more fully explained by her earlier experiences with her family and her learning of the art of paper folding. Because you are so easily transported to Xiao Yen's world, the fantasy that makes the story so exciting seems believable and appropriate to the exotic setting. I don't want to give away any of the story so that the reader is surprised as Xiao Yen takes them on an exciting and magical journey through ancient China, complete with tigers and dragons.

Cutter's fresh take on magic and skill at immersing the reader in Chinese customs and values, combined with a deeply appealing heroine, make this a must-read for fantasy fans tired of Tolkien knock-offs. Buy this book, sit down with a cup of green tea, and let your imagination be folded into new shapes by this delicate and surprising tale.

Paper Mage is a meticulously researched historical fantasy that breathes life into an alien culture, an alien time, and retains a sense of heart. It's also well written and fast moving, despite the unusual structure. I liked the structure a lot (it is like Le Guin's The Dispossed): chapters alternate between the adult Xiao Yen who is an adept mage but who has lost her luck, and the child Xiao Yen who is lucky and studying in a school for would-be paper mages. The character conflicts and character growth reflect Chinese rather than western values, centering on things like luck and family, which is a refreshing change from most fantasy. It's kind of like Amy Tan meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- a breath of fresh air to US fantasy fiction. I loved it!