A historical novel set soundly and appropriately in 13th century China, I didn't catch the usual historical novelization errors of imposing our cultural mores on the setting, which pleased me. The tale itself was gripping, and kept me absorbed in the characters. Although graphic at times, this was a more brutal era, one full of filth and blood outside the hidden jewels of the Palace where Song Cí eventually finds himself.Through medical training in a world which was reluctantly giving up the idea of magic, Song Cí finds himself able to be a necromancer, and speak for the dead. Forced into a parody of what he really wants to do, he leaps at the chance to attend a prestigious school and study medicine and the law. But with fame comes a price, and one that could take not only his life, but those of people who have become dear to him...The protagonist, Song Cí, is a real person, the man who is considered the father of forensics (now you see why I was so excited to not only find this, but realize it was well-done). The secondary characters come to life as well, and I found myself rooting for the hero as he tried to take care of his family and himself in a world with utter disregard for human life. I highly recommend this book. This was the only book I took with me for Thanksgiving vacation, and that's the only reason I stuck with it to the end. The characters lacked development and the story plodded along excruciatingly slowly. A murder mystery eventually surfaced, after 100+ pages chronicling the unrelenting worsening of the main character's fortunes. Even though he was falsely accused and repeatedly wronged, I still was unable to muster much sympathy for the protagonist (or anyone else except his sickly, doomed younger sister). In the Author's Note/afterword, I was interested to learn that several characters were based on real historical figures. Knowing that, however, does not alter my opinion that the book fell far short of the "epic and fascinating story set in exotic ancient China" Antonio Garrido intended to deliver.
What do You think about El Lector De Cadáveres (2011)?
Interesting read, easy to forget that it is set centuries ago...CSI meets the emperor of China.
—tvaughan94
