Reviewed by ibeforem on
“My surname is Li and my personal name is Kao, and there is a slight flaw in my character.”
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 6 September, 2005: Finished reading
- 6 September, 2005: Reviewed
Bridge of Birds (The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, #1)
by Barry Hughart
“Li Kao may have a slight flaw in his character but the book has none. I recommend it unconditionally and I predict Barry Hughart has quite a future as a fantasy writer.”—Anne McCaffrey
When the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure.
The quest led them to a host of truly memorable characters, multiple wonders, incredible adventures—and strange coincidences which were really not coincidences at all. And it involved them in an ancient crime that still perturbed the serenity of Heaven. Simply and charmingly told, this is a wry tale, a sly tale, and a story of wisdom delightfully askew. Once read, its marvels and beauty will not easily fade from the mind.
The author claims that this is a novel of an ancient China that never was. But, oh . . . it should have been!
“My surname is Li and my personal name is Kao, and there is a slight flaw in my character.”