Uptown Oracle Reads… Shiang

Shiang
C F Iggulden

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In Shiang, the young king rules without dissent. Mazer swordsmen stand watch on every corner, looking for the first sign of rebellion. This city is a place of quiet and slow dignity, like a man eating rice with a razor pressed against his throat. Yet with one sharp movement, order is overturned. The balance of centuries is undone in the sudden spill of blood – and in the darkness, something terrible returns to Shiang. Far to the west, four Shiang masters approach the city walls of Darien. The sword saint and his companions have crossed a continent to bring an old man home for punishment. They will not be denied, even if the whole city stands in their way.

Shiang is set in the same land as Darien, but I really struggled at the start of the book to link it back. This may be in part from the time between reading the two books, it may also be the different POVs. However, soon recognisable characters do appear and pull the two stories together in a comprehensible way.

Although I do understand the need to introduce the new characters and places at the start. Iggulden’s past with historical fiction is a key part of this writing decision. Whilst it was confusing, I wouldn’t say it’s a breaking point, and I still enjoyed the book. Shiang was also a great additional location (and culture) which expanded the world.

Once we got into the thick of the book, the plotlines converged and the city of Darien became a focus yet again, the book improved for me. The pace quickened and the story itself became a lot more exciting to read.

As I briefly mentioned before, the world building is well written. I enjoyed the world just as much as I did in Darien. Plus the addition of Shiang and the strange ‘after life’ style world brought in increased magic that was welcome.

However Shiang’s strength really lie with the world itself, rather than its characters. I’m writing this review late, and I can’t remember their names which to me shows that I didn’t really care much. If you’re a reader who enjoys in-depth characters then this may not be for you. Even though I personally don’t mind this aspect.

The magical artefacts throughout both stories truly intrigue me, as there’s little explanation of them. They are just ‘there’ and have seemed to crowd in Darien. But is this a coincidence or not? I’m excited to see if there’s any more that will be introduced in the final book.

I’m truly excited to read the third and final book by Iggulden, as I hope it goes straight back into the world and storyline created.

Positives

• World Building
• Connected storylines pulling together

Negatives

• Slow and disconnected start

I received Shiang by C F Iggulden from the publisher via Netgalley. This is an unbiased and honest review