If you've ever wondered what romance looked like during Imperial China, Emperor! is the book for you. Emperor! begins in 221 B.C. and tells the combined stories of Emporer Ying Jeng and a Roman that he befriends, Marcus Lucius Scipio.
Jeng's story begins as he's preparing to be crowned Emperor. Jeng is the creator of Imperial China and in order to be crowned (and have full dictatorial control), he must survive the numerous assassination attempts of his enemies. It's in the midst of one such attempt that Emperor Jeng meets (and has his life saved by) Marcus, a Roman traveler passing through the country with his two friends, Sariputra and Du Fu.
Marcus is rewarded for his service to the Emperor and decides to stay in China indefinitely. He meets and falls in love with a former nun and Chinese scholar, Ming Tien. Their story unfolds in chapters told from each of their points of view.
Another story line in the book centers around a Chinese crime lord, Old Juang, and his protege, Tao. They are members of the Red Gang and are working hard to control the city.
There are many story lines that run throughout Emperor! and they are told in short chapters from each character's point of view. It's a bit hard to follow and the Chimes gangsters seem a bit too much like gangsters, but overall it's well put together. The book is written by an author who is also a history professor, Lanny Fields. Fields does note that there is no known knowledge of gang activity during this time period.
Fields has has also written a non-fiction book as well as numerous articles on Chinese history. This first novel shows promise and I have a feeling that any upcoming works will be of even higher caliber.
Article comments