Li Feng dances to entertain a crowd in a Chinese town, her
sword a dulled prop. But when thief catchers, bounty
hunters of the day, try to arrest her on suspicion of theft
she runs, leading a merry chase over rooftops and down
lanes. Why would she run if not guilty? Han the thief
catcher turns her in, but he doesn't know if the lovely
girl has done anything, and he's convinced she's had
martial arts training at Wudang Mountain.
THE SWORD DANCER Li has indeed been up to no good - a
tyrant warlord called General Wang is in charge of Fujian
province and she has been among dissidents stealing his
grain and returning it to taxed villagers. A shipment of
jade and gold however was a different matter. From this
the girl took three jade pendants, kin to one her mother
had given her years ago. Now she's trying to find out more
about the jade, but the craftsmen have reported her and put
her in peril. Han decides to take her on the back of his
horse to the city of Taining to collect his payment. The
magistrates will give her a beating, maybe worse... even
execution. The resourceful Li Feng however pretends that he
is a slaver and inn patrons come to her aid - but for how
long can she keep running? Han is determined to find her
again - and see if there is any truth to the tale of
corruption she has exposed.
I was enchanted by the descriptions of China in the 800s,
with public bath houses in the government-controlled cities
and outlaws in the 'rivers and lakes' or rugged terrain.
Food is largely based on rice and vegetables, meat being
for the wealthy; the meat may be snake. Bamboo forms
anything from hats to scaffolding. The characters have to
speak carefully to those of higher status, flattery being
all-important. Salt is taxed and smuggled, and I was
fascinated to read of its production from brine wells. A
girl sold by a poor family is trained as a silken
courtesan - not itself a bad life, as she is well cared for
and treated with respect.
Jeannie Lin acknowledges her debt to Jennifer
Roberson's 'Sword Dancer' fantasy series about Tiger and
Del, and there is also a similarity to the film 'Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon' with its remarkable visuals. THE
SWORD DANCER is a wonderful romantic adventure tale of
another place and time, with a heroine we can all admire.
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.…
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