Category: Fantasy Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN-10: 1440447977
Type: Fiction
Pages: 598
Copyright: Oct 27, 2008
ISBN-13: 2940000690307
Price: $4.99 (eBook)
BOOK I of THE JADE OWL LEGACY SERIES: An out of work Chinese History Professor crosses paths with a young scamp in San Francisco and becomes part of a quest for a lost and dangerous Chinese relic.
In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.
Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.BOOK I of THE JADE OWL LEGACY SERIESWhat Readers say about the Jade Owl: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=45883
Professional Reviews In one word: DELIGHTFUL
by Meg on Amazon
If PG Wodehouse decided to write a French farce that took place in contemporary San Francisco and contemporary China, it would remind me of this book. The Jade Owl is a lively romp with words and characters that barely miss being caricatures There is absolutely nothing compelling about this book; pick it up for ten minutes and giggle quietly to ones' self, pick it up for an hour and you still won't be overly involved, but you will enjoy it.
The plot is easily summarized. An "old China hand" -- Professor Rowden -- takes a group of characters to contemporary China, attempting to return a rather annoying piece of Jade (the Jade Owl of the title) to it's proper place. That the Jade Owl doesn't really belong to the "hero" -- Nick Battle -- adds some excitement and lots of spice to the story.
This book is not for those who are easily shocked, or anyone who holds academia as sacred. In this book, "surprises flew like pigeon crap from a gargoyle." and a "high fashioned chanteuse" is almost normal, even though the chanteuse is very gay. When I reached the end of The Jade Owl I was very surprised to realize how much I cared about the characters. I was also surprised to discover I had been following the plot from the very first page! (Actually, I was surprised to realize it had a plot...) The Jade Owl challenged my prejudices and enhanced my vocabulary while providing me with many hours of small giggles. I will be inflicting The Jade Owl on several of my stodgy friends this Christmas!
Richly Textured Adventure
Review by L.C. Evans
Edward C. Patterson's beautiful style of writing brought life to both his characters and his setting. His knowledge of Chinese culture, history, and present day China, showed through in every scene. The characters (go, Simone!) were wonderful and well-drawn and the descriptions put me right in the picture. I feel that after having read The Jade Owl I could travel to China and not be overly surprised by cultural differences because I've already experienced them in this book. The story itself is a thrilling adventure, with touches of the supernatural. Professor Rowden Gray, along with his group of China Hands, has to overcome pursuit by greedy treasure hunters out to stop them from fulfilling their mission. After a series of misadventures, including big trouble from a customs inspector and an overzealous tour guide, the group faces the greatest danger of all when an ancient mission is fulfilled.
a fabulous adventure
Review by Victor J. Banis - aithor of over 150 novels
This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find.
Rowden Gray comes to San Francisco to accept, he thinks, a curatorship at the Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture, only to find when he gets there that the position has evaporated. Instead, he runs into (literally) a fey young man who leads him on a series of adventures involving an ancient relic, the jade owl, taking them at a rapidly accelerating pace from the city's gay bars to Yosemite, to Hong Kong and finally to mainland China. An odyssey that proves to be, in fact, a quest not unlike the Lord of the Rings. If that kind of adventure is your cup of tea, you are certain to savor this one.
I couldn't begin here to detail all the turns and twists of the plot, and why should I? The beginning is a trifle slow, but once you get going, you'll have all you can do to keep up with them yourself. Suffice to say the bird in question is possessed of magic (and not altogether happy) powers and is cursed, and must be returned to the tomb of the Empress Wu Tze-t'ien if major catastrophe is to be averted. "It brings the comets back to earth," to put it succinctly.
The cast of characters is extensive, too: Rowden, of course, and that handsome and gay youngster, Nick Battle, and his drag queen other half, Simone aka Simon, and a one-eyed Cherokee and Chinatown gangsters and...well, plenty of others, and surprisingly the author manages to keep them all well sorted out, without reducing any of them to caricatures or, worse, mere shadows. Indeed, even the most minor of these many people is well drawn and believable.
Locations are vivid, too--if you've ever been to San Francisco, this will take you there again in a twinkling, and whether you've been or not you'll feel like you, too, have made that arduous journey with The China Hands across The People's Republic.
This is a remarkable accomplishment. I finished The Jade Owl with a happy smile and closed it with a sigh of great satisfaction. I recommend the book heartily. You may never read another adventure tale this good. Honest, possums.
Hi Author!
I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your work, your story is amazing, and the characters and plot are so engaging! I'm a commission-based artist specializing in manga ,comic, and webtoons, and I love helping authors bring their stories to life through visuals. I think your work has great potential as a comic or webtoon. If that's something you'd ever be interested in exploring, I'd be happy to chat and discuss your project. Feel free to reach out anytime. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Reach me at: peachypixelgallery.gmail. com
Instagram: peachy_pixel_art
See Book Readers Heaven for review+, including excerpts, pics...
From ancient times, in folklore, the owl has been noted in various ways. For most of us we have learned that the owl is wise, although the facts may not support that assumption...
But only Edward C. Paterson tells us the tale of a unique, powerful and deadly symbol--The Jade Owl!
In fact, the first book begins an epic series that is bound to be of interest to lovers of historical fiction, those who study the Chinese culture... as well as those who enjoy fantasy/scifi centered on cultural issues... My own interest started when I was working on campus and attended a student Chinese cultural dance program... I loved the traditional dress for women in particular, as well as, since then, the architectural beauty of their buildings. So much so, that I went on to use oriental decor for my bedroom for many years...and now have it spread throughout my cabin and into my garden landscape.
While never digging into much actual history, I found Patterson's first novel, epic, at just under 600 pages, a wonderful learning experience, quite intriguing and delightful... A fantasy based upon folklore regarding owls, with a strong scifi horror emphasis... I loved it! It's added to my personal favorites for 2018!
I took about a week to read this book--there was so much to follow and absorb, that I didn't want to miss anything. While Professor Rowden Gray would be considered the main character, he was not intended to be the hero, per se. Professor Gray had gone for an important curator interview which seemed to be fairly secure. He had resigned his teaching job and packed up... Only to be told that the position had not been funded and there was no job!
Professor Gray had once sat at the feet of John Battle, known to be a great expert in Chinese history. Not so coincidentally, it seemed, the Professor had stumbled into meeting a young man, Nick, when he was still highly agitated on what had been done to him--he didn't really want to go back to teaching, but he did need to have some type of position.
Rowden later learned that Nick was one of the sons of John Battle... In fact, most of the intrigue evolves out of the seeming coincidences that came one after the other...The "treasure hunt" effect of, say, The Da Vinci Code, et.al., where clues are found...is replaced with what seems to be previously ordained. People have been waiting for the Owl to be found, both villains who want it for their own purposes, and those knowing the power must be restrained in only one way. Readers travel along with the small group who have been selected to fulfill the destiny of, specifically, Nick, John Battle's son...and take the owl to be once again joined with the Empress... I'll not go into that thread of the story. because it is so entwined. not to reveal the primary focus.
A minor topic includes the lives of those gay men who both travel with the group and meet along the way. It is a heartwarming tale that allows readers to intimately see and empathize with the bias still faced by many with a different sexual orientation. Simon/Simone is an adorable character that I found fascinating in her/his reactions to traveling with his partner, Nick.
Rowden has two different types of encounters with women, as a result of being who he was and where he was in particular. All of the characters, in fact, add a special flair to what is definitely not an adventure story. The cultural implications of the desires, long-dead empress, have long been felt as her power continues to live after her death...or is she dead?
The scenes when the Owl is "more than" a statue are thrilling in their creativity as well as placed within the various cultural buildings that are explored as they travel on their journey. I checked a few of the site locations named and found they were fictional, so I have not spent too much time on specific locations--let's just say that I thoroughly enjoyed how each step was guided from one point to another...
The book is long...take your time and sink into the past when a famed Empress wanted only one thing...to never die... Highly recommended!
Make That Five Snaps Up and a Circle Round the World, Honey!!!
That’s for you, Simone DeFleurry!! Who’s Simone DeFleurry? Well, she’s actually Simon Geldfarb, the S-I-G-N-I-F-I-C-A-N-T ‘significant other’ of John Battle’s son. Who’s John Battle? John Battle was Rowden Gray’s professor at Columbia University and someone that claimed to have held The Jade Owl in very own his hands. Who’s Rowden Gray and what’s The Jade Owl? Rowden Gray is the protagonist that’s just had the position of working at the San Francisco Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture yanked out from underneath him and if you’re asking these questions, it’s clear you haven’t read The Jade Owl. Now I have a question for you? Why not?!!
The Jade Owl is wonderful read! It’s full of myth and legend –fact and fantasy. It crosses between historical reference to fun-filled fiction and back again as easily as Simone picks out an ensemble! It’s as big and expansive as the country the infamous owl originated – and just as enigmatic! Mr. Edward Patterson does a fabulous job of weaving and holding his story together with that most special of glues – imagination! The result is a pleasurable read. It’s as easy as gliding down the Yangtze in a Dragon boat under the brilliance of a full moonl! You just don’t want it to end and wish it could go on forever!!!
There’s a whole host of interesting characters acting as some magical crazy glue catalysts. They drive each other – and the story –forward. Then there’s The Jade Owl itself. Will it ever be found? Will it ever be reunited with its rightful owner? Who is its rightful owner? And is there a grander scheme behind it all? Most importantly, will the blasted creature ever stop hooting at the least opportune moments? All these questions are answered in their own time and we are there to witness history! … well, invented history! And isn’t that the best kind? Especially when the outcome is safely in the expert hands of Edward C. Patterson!!!
A toast to Mr. Patterson, China, a drag queen that knows how to run in heels and hooty owls everywhere!!!
China, present day and past, is still so mysterious and inviting. Sinologist Edward C. Patterson has written a masterful epic in The Jade Owl that will not only have you glued to this 595 page book, but have you before you are half way through the book, ordering book 2 of this series, The Third Peregrination!
Patterson's masterful story deals with an amazing 'work of art' The Jade Owl, commissioned by Empress Wu, and with its charmer/creator, became the stuff legends are made of from the Middle Kingdom on in China's impressive legends. It is not only a magnificent piece of art, but a metaphysical power that can enchant and destroy.
A group of Sinologists from San Francisco become part of The Jade Owl's destiny, including Dr. Rowden Gray, and Nick Battle, son of Grey's former mentor. Nick takes Dr. Gray to Chinatown - the ancient relic The Jade Owl still exists! Battle takes Gray to a club and Gray meets Nick's love, Simone DeLefleurry, or Simon as some may call him. So starts the beginnings of great friendships that encompass continents. The China Hands that were born to find the stuff of legends and must right the laws of ch'i before the Jade Owl and its destructive power literally change life as we know it.
Patterson is a well known sinologist who has taken the legends of China and breathed life into them in a non-stop Indiana Jones meets the Great Wall of China type of adventure. It is an amazing trek into the world of China and its people and history, and a series of love stories.
As a fledgling writer, I am always amazed the brilliance of someone's writing where a complex story is not only told with beauty, but each sentence seems touched by a poetic gleam.
The Jade Owl, like Gary Val Tenuta's The Ezekiel Code, is riveting and unforgettable.
Mr. Patterson is a prolific writer, and those works I have been honored to read so far have been told with grace and power.
May The Jade Owl hoot in your ear and have you ordering your copy.
The book, the Chinese mythology, the friendships are all truly magical. You will be recommending Edward C. Patterson's books to anyone asking if you happen to know any good books to read -
Patterson is a literary force to be reckoned with - much like his metaphysical forces - ethereal as the wind, yet as powerful.
Lord Belmundus – The Omnibus One is a compilation of Books 6 through 10 of The Adventures of Lord Belmundus, a remarkable tale of other worlds, strange customs, beauty and warfare; and, in its grips, lands a young celebrity, who has the chaps to play
I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your work, your story is amazing, and the characters and plot are so engaging! I'm a commission-based artist specializing in manga ,comic, and webtoons, and I love helping authors bring their stories to life through visuals. I think your work has great potential as a comic or webtoon. If that's something you'd ever be interested in exploring, I'd be happy to chat and discuss your project. Feel free to reach out anytime. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Reach me at: peachypixelgallery.gmail. com
Instagram: peachy_pixel_art
From ancient times, in folklore, the owl has been noted in various ways. For most of us we have learned that the owl is wise, although the facts may not support that assumption...
But only Edward C. Paterson tells us the tale of a unique, powerful and deadly symbol--The Jade Owl!
In fact, the first book begins an epic series that is bound to be of interest to lovers of historical fiction, those who study the Chinese culture... as well as those who enjoy fantasy/scifi centered on cultural issues... My own interest started when I was working on campus and attended a student Chinese cultural dance program... I loved the traditional dress for women in particular, as well as, since then, the architectural beauty of their buildings. So much so, that I went on to use oriental decor for my bedroom for many years...and now have it spread throughout my cabin and into my garden landscape.
While never digging into much actual history, I found Patterson's first novel, epic, at just under 600 pages, a wonderful learning experience, quite intriguing and delightful... A fantasy based upon folklore regarding owls, with a strong scifi horror emphasis... I loved it! It's added to my personal favorites for 2018!
I took about a week to read this book--there was so much to follow and absorb, that I didn't want to miss anything. While Professor Rowden Gray would be considered the main character, he was not intended to be the hero, per se. Professor Gray had gone for an important curator interview which seemed to be fairly secure. He had resigned his teaching job and packed up... Only to be told that the position had not been funded and there was no job!
Professor Gray had once sat at the feet of John Battle, known to be a great expert in Chinese history. Not so coincidentally, it seemed, the Professor had stumbled into meeting a young man, Nick, when he was still highly agitated on what had been done to him--he didn't really want to go back to teaching, but he did need to have some type of position.
Rowden later learned that Nick was one of the sons of John Battle... In fact, most of the intrigue evolves out of the seeming coincidences that came one after the other...The "treasure hunt" effect of, say, The Da Vinci Code, et.al., where clues are found...is replaced with what seems to be previously ordained. People have been waiting for the Owl to be found, both villains who want it for their own purposes, and those knowing the power must be restrained in only one way. Readers travel along with the small group who have been selected to fulfill the destiny of, specifically, Nick, John Battle's son...and take the owl to be once again joined with the Empress... I'll not go into that thread of the story. because it is so entwined. not to reveal the primary focus.
A minor topic includes the lives of those gay men who both travel with the group and meet along the way. It is a heartwarming tale that allows readers to intimately see and empathize with the bias still faced by many with a different sexual orientation. Simon/Simone is an adorable character that I found fascinating in her/his reactions to traveling with his partner, Nick.
Rowden has two different types of encounters with women, as a result of being who he was and where he was in particular. All of the characters, in fact, add a special flair to what is definitely not an adventure story. The cultural implications of the desires, long-dead empress, have long been felt as her power continues to live after her death...or is she dead?
The scenes when the Owl is "more than" a statue are thrilling in their creativity as well as placed within the various cultural buildings that are explored as they travel on their journey. I checked a few of the site locations named and found they were fictional, so I have not spent too much time on specific locations--let's just say that I thoroughly enjoyed how each step was guided from one point to another...
The book is long...take your time and sink into the past when a famed Empress wanted only one thing...to never die... Highly recommended!
GABixlerReviews
That’s for you, Simone DeFleurry!! Who’s Simone DeFleurry? Well, she’s actually Simon Geldfarb, the S-I-G-N-I-F-I-C-A-N-T ‘significant other’ of John Battle’s son. Who’s John Battle? John Battle was Rowden Gray’s professor at Columbia University and someone that claimed to have held The Jade Owl in very own his hands. Who’s Rowden Gray and what’s The Jade Owl? Rowden Gray is the protagonist that’s just had the position of working at the San Francisco Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture yanked out from underneath him and if you’re asking these questions, it’s clear you haven’t read The Jade Owl. Now I have a question for you? Why not?!!
The Jade Owl is wonderful read! It’s full of myth and legend –fact and fantasy. It crosses between historical reference to fun-filled fiction and back again as easily as Simone picks out an ensemble! It’s as big and expansive as the country the infamous owl originated – and just as enigmatic! Mr. Edward Patterson does a fabulous job of weaving and holding his story together with that most special of glues – imagination! The result is a pleasurable read. It’s as easy as gliding down the Yangtze in a Dragon boat under the brilliance of a full moonl! You just don’t want it to end and wish it could go on forever!!!
There’s a whole host of interesting characters acting as some magical crazy glue catalysts. They drive each other – and the story –forward. Then there’s The Jade Owl itself. Will it ever be found? Will it ever be reunited with its rightful owner? Who is its rightful owner? And is there a grander scheme behind it all? Most importantly, will the blasted creature ever stop hooting at the least opportune moments? All these questions are answered in their own time and we are there to witness history! … well, invented history! And isn’t that the best kind? Especially when the outcome is safely in the expert hands of Edward C. Patterson!!!
A toast to Mr. Patterson, China, a drag queen that knows how to run in heels and hooty owls everywhere!!!
Patterson's masterful story deals with an amazing 'work of art' The Jade Owl, commissioned by Empress Wu, and with its charmer/creator, became the stuff legends are made of from the Middle Kingdom on in China's impressive legends. It is not only a magnificent piece of art, but a metaphysical power that can enchant and destroy.
A group of Sinologists from San Francisco become part of The Jade Owl's destiny, including Dr. Rowden Gray, and Nick Battle, son of Grey's former mentor. Nick takes Dr. Gray to Chinatown - the ancient relic The Jade Owl still exists! Battle takes Gray to a club and Gray meets Nick's love, Simone DeLefleurry, or Simon as some may call him. So starts the beginnings of great friendships that encompass continents. The China Hands that were born to find the stuff of legends and must right the laws of ch'i before the Jade Owl and its destructive power literally change life as we know it.
Patterson is a well known sinologist who has taken the legends of China and breathed life into them in a non-stop Indiana Jones meets the Great Wall of China type of adventure. It is an amazing trek into the world of China and its people and history, and a series of love stories.
As a fledgling writer, I am always amazed the brilliance of someone's writing where a complex story is not only told with beauty, but each sentence seems touched by a poetic gleam.
The Jade Owl, like Gary Val Tenuta's The Ezekiel Code, is riveting and unforgettable.
Mr. Patterson is a prolific writer, and those works I have been honored to read so far have been told with grace and power.
May The Jade Owl hoot in your ear and have you ordering your copy.
The book, the Chinese mythology, the friendships are all truly magical. You will be recommending Edward C. Patterson's books to anyone asking if you happen to know any good books to read -
Patterson is a literary force to be reckoned with - much like his metaphysical forces - ethereal as the wind, yet as powerful.
ellen george