THE SECRETS OF JIN-SHEI

In a mythical Chinese kingdom, members of an ancient sisterhood fight, die, and practice sorcery for one another as they struggle to survive.

In the semifeminist kingdom of Syai, young girls, whether heirs to the throne or daughters of seamstresses, vow eternal loyalty to those of their peers whom they find compatible. The oath of jin-shei that they take imposes numerous obligations and transcends all other loyalties. Like a gang of blood brothers, these superheroines try to save not only their sisters but the empire itself in a richly imagined but rather wooden narrative that begins and ends with Tai, the daughter of an accomplished seamstress. While visiting the palace with her mother, Tai becomes the sister of the teenager Little Empress Antian, heir to the throne. Tai’s loyalty is soon tested, however, when the Summer Palace is destroyed by earthquake and all the Imperial family are killed except Liudan, third in line of succession. When the dying Antian asks Tai to look after her sister Liudan, Tai agrees and is soon sister to the new Empress. This relationship will make her life and those of her six other sisters increasingly difficult and dangerous. In separate chapters, those other six are introduced: Xaforn, an orphan raised by the Imperial Guard to be a soldier; crippled Nhia, known for her wisdom; Qiaan, who has a strong social conscience and a secret in her past; Khailin, an alchemist; Tamary, who is descended from royalty and gypsies; and Yuet , a healer. As Liudan consolidates her imperial power, her siblings become increasingly involved in preserving her kingdom, which is soon threatened by powerful enemies led by the evil sorcerer Lihui, who raped Nhia and forced Khailin to marry him. All the sisters are soon caught up in struggle that will take many of their lives.

Full indeed, and yet, even so, more episodic than epic.