The Thirteen Orphans and their allies have opened the ninth gate into the Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice . . . and discover that the Lands have been altered almost beyond recognition, transformed by magic into an apparently uninhabited world where land shifts beneath one’s feet and fire burns blue. Investigating, the Orphans learn that the Center of the world is sealed behind nearly-impassable barriers composed of each of the five elements of Chinese myth. Combining ancient and modern magics, a scouting party penetrates the barriers, only to be captured and given over to tortures designed to separate the Orphans from their magical abilities.
On Earth, Pearl Bright, the Tiger, is attacked—is this treachery by our world’s magical traditions or has one of the Orphans betrayed her? Brenda Morris learns of the Orphans’ dangers when it is nearly too late—but along with the sidhe, who are drawn to her Irish heritage, Brenda risks her life to help rescue those trapped in the Lands.
A story of betrayal and redemption, of bravery in the face of terror, and of loyalty and hatred that reach beyond the grave, Five Odd Honors continues Jane Lindskold’s stunning Breaking the Wall series.
Five Odd Honors (Tor Fantasy)
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In 2008's Thirteen Orphans and 2009's Nine Gates, Brenda Morris discovered she had magical abilities through her connection to the Chinese power of the Rat. At her father's insistence, she tries to return to college and her normal life, but the Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice won't let go of her so easily. The Exiles have the chance to return to the Lands and bring five of their dead back to our world, but once they open a gate, they find the Lands have been corrupted by a powerful entity that now threatens other realms. While stepping up the offstage violence, Lindskold maintains a focus on Chinese folklore and interpersonal connection, and her characters work through their problems in dialogue as often as action. Urban fantasy fans looking for something a little more mellow will enjoy this foray. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“A convincing tale of a young woman entering adulthood, assuming responsibility for herself and others, and making sometimes-wrenching decisions. Recommend this one to [readers] who enjoy urban fantasies by authors such as Charles de Lint, Jim Butcher, or Lilith Saintcrow.”--School Library Journal on Thirteen Orphans
“Fans of Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher will enjoy this intricate, beautifully written urban fantasy and will wait impatiently for the next installment.”--VOYA on Thirteen Orphans
“I highly recommend Thirteen Orphans to readers who like urban fantasy, stories where brains are as important as powers, and just a touch of romance.”--SFRevu.com on Thirteen Orphans
“[Recalls] stories by Chinese writers such as Amy Tan. An interesting blend of the modern world and Chinese mythology. I look forward to the sequel.”--SciFi.com on Thirteen Orphans
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Orphan/Exile Goodness,
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This review is from: Five Odd Honors (Tor Fantasy) (Kindle Edition)
If you enjoyed the first two books in this series, you will undoubtably enjoy this one as well. The book rotates points of view between Brenda, Pearl Bright and Loyal Wind (the original horse exile). In the beginning, this constant switching felt jarring and interrupted the flow of the story. Once I had read more and remembered exactly who Loyal Wind was things seemed to move more smoothly.
While, Lindskold's writing style is very detailed and the ideas are interesting, I would prefer more action and less talking. The characters talk about what they're going to do extensively. Then talk about when the right time is to do it. Then they talk about what preparations need to be made and who will do it. At one point in the book, I was completely bored with one of the storylines which amounted to a lot of waiting around, talking, and using mah jong tiles to try and figure out who is causing problems for Pearl Bright. Reaching The Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice seemed somewhat anticlimactic. Nothing much happens there until well into the book, but it's worth the wait. My favorite parts of the book are the ones centered on Brenda and her learning more about her maternal heritage and what comes along with it. I hope the next installment progresses her relationship with Flying Claw one way or the other. Note for Kindle buyers: There are many occurrences of words/names being broken in two, or multiple words being combined into one. This tends to disrupt the reading experience, and will hopefully be fixed soon.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Returning To the Lands,
By
This review is from: Five Odd Honors (Hardcover)
Five Odd Honors (2010) is the third Fantasy novel in the Breaking the Wall series, following Nine Gates. The initial work in this series is Thirteen Orphans.
In the previous volume, Brenda had visions of a sidhe woman with green eyes and red-gold hair. The Orphans built a gate and sent a scouting party into the Guardian Domains. Brenda and Flying Claw were trapped by a returning sun. Later, Brenda turned into a rat for an underwater swim with a dragon. In this novel, Albert Yu is the Cat among the Thirteen Orphans. He is the descendant of the Imperial heir who fled the Lands of Smoke and Sacrifice into the home universe. Pearl Bright is the Tiger among the Thirteen Orphans. She had been a child actor in her younger days. Now she is a rich woman. Desperate Lee is the current Rooster. Des lived in Santa Fe before the current troubles began. Gaheris Morris is the current Rat. He owns an advertising novelties business. He lives in South Carolina with his wife and two sons. Shen Kung is the current Dragon. He lives in New York. Deborah Van Bergenstein is the current Pig. She lives in Michigan. Charles Adolphus is the current Dog. Riprap looks Afro-American rather than Chinese. He has some experience in the Army in special ops. Now he is a trainee in magic. Nissa Nita is the current Rabbit. She is a healer and also a magic trainee. She has a toddler named Noelani, but no one else knows who is the father of Lani. Brenda is Gaheris's daughter and heir to the Rat title. She attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia for a year before moving to California. There she began her training in the magical traditions of the Lands. Since she is only the heir of the Rat, Brenda differs from the other trainees. Righteous Drum is a Dragon from the Lands Born of Smoke and Sacrifice. He is the father of Honey Dream, but has other children back in the Lands. Waking Lizard was a Monkey from the Lands. He had only recently arrived in the home universe, but died in a fight with later arrivals. Flying Claw is a Tiger from the Lands. He had been Foster before recovering his memories, but now is a different man. Honey Dream is a Snake from the Lands. She is the daughter of Righteous Drum. Twentyseven-Ten, Thorn and Shackles are the survivors of the last attack on the Orphans. Twentyseven-Ten is the de facto leader since he is the more powerful magician. Loyal Wind, Nine Ducks, Gentle Smoke, Copper Gong and Bent Bamboo are ghosts of former Orphans. They were the original Horse, Ox, Snake, Ram, and Monkey advisors and are being asked to help open the final gate into the Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice. In this story, Brenda is missing her family and friends at home, but she is learning much and is contributing to the Orphan's mission. Shen and Deborah are also homesick. But Brenda stays when the other two leave for their homes. Loyal Wind and Nine Ducks report that the ghost of Thundering Heaven -- Pearl's father -- has betrayed the Orphans. He had been the Tiger before his death and he wants to hold the title again. He has subverted and sequestered Bent Bamboo to put pressure on Pearl. Pearl asks the two ghosts to clarify Thundering Heaven's intentions. So Loyal Wind and Nine Ducks return to the cave where the former Tiger is holding Bent Monkey. Thundering Heaven attacks Loyal Wind and kills his mount. Only the intervention of Nine Ducks saves Loyal Wind from the tiger. After Loyal Wind reports back to Shen, the living Orphans and their allies discuss ways of retrieving Bent Bamboo. They decide that the best way is for Pearl to challenge her father. So Albert issues the formal challenge through Nine Ducks. Pearl sends her tiger spirit into the underworld to fight for the title. Thundering Heaven's tiger is larger than Pearl's spirit form, but Pearl is faster and more nimble. Thundering Heaven is more vicious than Pearl remembers. The other Orphans observe the fight from Santa Jose. Brenda notices the form of a female ghost behind Thundering Heaven. After Pearl returns, Brenda asks about the woman. After the fight, Loyal Wind and Nine Ducks talk to Gentle Smoke, Copper Gong and Bent Bamboo about the Nine Gates project. All agree to join in the effort. Now they have to get permission from the Judges of the underworld to return to life. This tale takes a scouting party through the gates to the Lands. They find the Lands blocked by Water and Fire. The party returns to report these difficulties and the Orphans start looking for ways to pass these barriers. Gaheris refuses to let Brenda join in the attempt and sends her home to return to USC. There she meets a young man from Ireland. Parnell is more than he seems. This seems to be the concluding volume in the series. But many threads are left dangling. Hopefully a sequel will be forthcoming. Highly recommended for Lindskold fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic cultures, magical quests, and young romance. -Arthur W. Jordin
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
superb Chinese zodiac urban fantasy,
This review is from: Five Odd Honors (Hardcover)
Only recently did college student Brenda Morris learn that The Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice existed based on what she thought were Chinese myths and that her ancestors crossed over from this alternate earth place (see Thirteen Orphans and Nine Gates). Although she has also learned she possesses the powers of the Zodiac Rat, her dad pleads with her to ignore her magical prowess and the encouragement of her Aunt Pearl the Dragon in order to return to school. He wants her to live a normal life anchored on this earth.
However, the Orphans-Exiles seize an opportunity to open a gate into the Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice in order to return with five of their dead so they can honor their late compatriots. However, once they open the ninth gate, the Thirteen Orphans are stunned as the Center is impenetrable and soon several are captured. On earth an assault of Pearl Bright the Tiger concerns Brenda who cannot get back into textbooks and lectures. When she learns what occurred in The Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice, her first thought is that of betrayal; her second rumination is that of mounting a rescue though her third consideration is what superior being could have achieved what has occurred in the Lands. The third Chinese zodiac urban fantasy is a superb thriller in which much of the violence is off page as the heroine and others discuss what happened and how to react. Thus the story line is character driven with much of the action passively discussed not actively performed. This approach provides reflective insight into Brenda, her family, and the Orphans while also enabling the reader to better comprehend the Chinese zodiac although the minute detail can turn overwhelming. Harriet Klausner
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