BOOK REVIEW | THE GIRL FROM DRAGON ROAD | E. I. THOMPSON

 BOOK REVIEW | THE GIRL FROM DRAGON ROAD | E. I. THOMPSON

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

The ancient walled city of Dajing is a place of opulence and ceremony, ruled from its centre by the Emperor – and from behind the throne by his formidable mother, the Empress Dowager. Into this world comes Huli, a fox demon who longs to follow her own rules, until she clashes with the corrupt and powerful Qiang family.

 Despite the odds, Huli earns the grudging respect of a reclusive martial arts master and rises to become a guard of the Emperor himself. However, life in the Imperial Palace is far more treacherous than she ever imagined. As old enemies stir and a hidden plot threatens both the Imperial Family and herself, Huli must decide whether she can hold fast to who she truly is – or be broken by the forces gathering against her.

REVIEW

Set in a Chinese-inspired world, E. I. Thompson’s first book in her Traitors and Warriors series tells the story of Huli. 

Abandoned as an infant, Huli, a fox demon, is found by Professor Zhang, who raises her in his household while charting her development. As you can probably guess, things aren’t going to go particularly swimmingly for our little fox demon, and she soon finds herself in trouble. One thing leads to another, and Huli finds herself sent to the countryside, where she learns to become a master warrior under the tutelage of the mysterious and irascible cousin of the emperor. 

The Girl From Dragon Road draws the reader in from the very beginning. Yes, you could read all sorts of subtext into the story about accepting who you are and being yourself, but if a story isn’t entertaining, then what’s the point? Fear not, because this book certainly doesn’t forget to have fun.

For a debut novel, Thompson writes with a confidence and assuredness that keeps the story moving. Told from Huli’s perspective, the novel follows her adventures as she finds herself very much out of her depth, trying to navigate the strange and often confusing world she has been thrust into.

Huli is an immediately likeable character, and there is a real pleasure in watching her grow as she encounters one scrape after another. Filled with innocence and curiosity, it’s impossible not to root for her as she attempts to make sense of the conflicting world of humans.

However, the real star of the show is the world-building. Steeped in Chinese-influenced mythology, the setting is rich and vibrant. Thompson cleverly presents the world through Huli’s eyes, creating a living, breathing environment where the mundane sits comfortably alongside the fantastical.

Importantly, she allows the world to permeate the reader’s imagination rather than falling into the trap of bombarding the reader with information dumps and reams of exposition. The mythology isn’t simply window dressing either. It underpins the world and gives everything a sense of history and solidity.

The Girl From Dragon Road is an assured and thoroughly enjoyable debut fantasy, and hopefully one that will find plenty more readers as the Traitors and Warriors series continues.