Thirteen Orphans

Lindskold is an accomplished hand at the fantasy genre and she does not disappoint with this latest well-rendered addition to urban contemporary fantasies. The first book of a series, Lindskold introduces the characters through subtle shifts of viewpoint, staying most often with young Brenda, who is brought into the mysteries as the reader is. The tale relies on generational differences and cultural assimilation as some of the most subtle touchpoints in the story. Will the older protagonists respect the younger ones? Will the old ways still have value? Does the modern world and adopted culture overpower the meaning of where your magic has come from? While all this unfolds like origami in reverse, Brenda admits she moves from child to adult: a self-aware protagonist is very refreshing, especially in the areas of minor romance and parental observation. I found the story absorbing from beginning to end and the characters extremely interesting. The next book should prove even faster paced than the second half of this one. Complications ensue!!!

What a wonderful story! I know nothing of mah-jong, but it doesn't matter. The characters are so well drawn and believable, and the twists and turns of the story always catch me by surprise, but make perfect sense as I see them unfold. The book ends in a way that neatly ties up loose ends, while still keeping me eager to see what happens next. If you've never read anything by Jane Lindskold, do yourself a tremendous favor and pick up one of her books: Child of a Rainless Year is a wonder, The Buried Pyramid is totally intriguing, Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls is a heart-grabbing delight, and all of them, The Pipes of Orpheus, Changer, the wolf series, starting with Through Wolf's Eyes, are mystical, delightful, enchanting, riveting... every single one of her books grabs the heart and mind and takes you on wonderful journey. Just read her books. All of them. You won't be sorry.

Ms Lindskold, the author of the wonderful "Wolf" series, plus many good stand alones, has started a new series which promises to be a winner. "Thirteen Orphans" had me staying up late trying to finish it. The premise of magic combined with Chinese "legend"? is spell binding! The characters are well developed and completely realistic, which doesn't always hold true in the Fantasy genre. Events follow a completely logical path without being obvious. Ms Lindskold has hit it again. A real page turner. Don't miss it!

"Is my Tiger book in your bag?" I asked Marco on our honeymoon. "No, I packed the Dragon book," he said. I had to wait until later to read my Tiger book on the plane trip back to Germany. The Thirteen Orphans by Jane Lindskold was a ton of fun, and I am looking forward to reading the sequel - Nine Gates. The book is about the exile of the emperor of a fairy tale world and his advisors to Earth. The exiles are followed, and the followers try to steal the powers of those exiled. Each advisor has a power related to one of the Chinese animal symbols, and their powers are stored and accessed using combinations of mahjong tiles. The story is told predominantly from the perspective of a college-aged girl who has just semi-inherited her abilities from her father. She, in conjunction with a retired actress, a bouncer, a pharmaceutical saleswoman, and a make-up artist, struggle to keep their memories from theft and to retrieve the memories of the other advisors. The author does a really good job of visualizing how the powers of the characters manifest. I was mostly interested in this book, first because it had a gorgeous cover, and second, because I wanted to see how the author juggled so many characters. In reading, I discovered that she sort of cheated, since most of the thirteen were never introduced or were in something of a vegetative state. Still, it was a great romp from west to east coast and back again. "Did you like your tiger book?" Marco asked when I closed the cover and shoved it back into my bag as the plane was about to land. "Yes, very much," I told him.

Besides the plot being interrupted by ungainly rules of the books magic and the game mah-jong, this book is an interesting urban fantasy read that should attract readers of Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher. Thirteen Orphans revolves around young college freshman, Brenda Morris, and her battles to help protect the Thirteen Orphans. Each orphan represents one of the Zodiac signs, with the cat thrown in for good measure. The orphans hid their power away in the game of mah-jong and promised to keep the world safe from the strife their powers had created. When their war from ages past comes to earth, the scattered Orphans must act fast if they are to safe the ones they love and their own throats. Jane Lindskold created many likable characters to represent the Orphans, like the Rooster, who is skilled at his magic but has never had the chance to prove his prowess in combat, and the Dog, a former soldier that never knew he would be expected to learn, harness and use the magic his ancestors had bestowed on him. Brenda's father was the Rat, and she discovers that she has some of his powers. With the help of the remaining Orphans, Brenda must help to fight otherworldly powers to protect the Orphans. Although unremarkable, this book is sure to please any urban fantasy lover.