Guardian: Zhen Hun by Priest
What first grabbed my interest in this book was the cover, the men in suits did not seem to match the fantasy title. However, this actually perfectly captures what a brilliant blend of genres this story is. It incorporates aspects and tropes from fantasy, Chinese mythology, crime detective/mystery and romance. Whilst one might say that a jack of all trades is a master of none, this book proves the older adage that it is better than a master of one. The development of the book is fascinating and adds a level of depth to the characters that would otherwise be missing. As the novel develops its mystery and fantasy plots, the characters’ different attitudes toward supernatural forces and the more realistic, if depressing, acts of murder are explored.
I loved the main character of the book. Initially, I was worried reading the prologue that this story would be from the perspective of the naïve, poorly prepared, and clumsy character who fainted at the sight of his first ghost. I was soon relieved at the start of the first chapter when the perspective changed to his suave, intelligent and chaotically in-control boss. The main plot follows an agent of the supernatural defence force, a special division of China’s police force investigating supernatural murders and a mysterious teacher from the university where a murder has just happened, who knows a bit too much about what is going on and is unphased by the murderous ghosts. This book starts off with them investigating a ghost that has escaped hell, which leads them to a greater mystery of how the “four hallowed artifacts” have entered into the mortal realm.
This book’s strengths are definitely its characters and its prose. Some scenes feel like a movie, they are so vividly clear in my mind and that really works when the characters feel so real. I highly recommend this book to all and I hope you enjoy it.
Blake
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