Outlaws of Moonshadow Marsh, The: The Sign of Qin - Book #1 [Hardcover]

L.G. Bass (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Outlaws of Moonshadow Marsh

A volcanic eruption releases a vanguard of demons, sealed away for centuries beneath the earth. Soon after, the Emperor's first son is born, marked with the sign of the Qin-the brand of the outlaw! Could the child be the new Starlord, destined to restore justice to the land? The emperor plots to kill his only heir before the boy can usurp his throne. But the assassin is foiled by a mysterious monk whose magical tattoos foretell the future, and a trickster monkey who longs for immortality. A host of warring guardians must ultimately unite to help the Starlord unlock the kung fu secrets of the Twelve Scrolls and save the earth from destruction. But first, the Prince must fulfill his destiny, and join the twin leaders of the legendary outlaws of Moonshadow Marsh in a war against the Lord of the Dead. The first in a trilogy, Sign of the Qin draws upon Chinese myth and legend in a tour de force of classic storytelling. L.G. Bass is a student of martial arts, a former teacher and journalist, and a fan of kung fu films. The author lives with her husband and two sons in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up-This book, a multistranded opener to a trilogy, is teeming with monsters, dragons, deities, tricksters, and demons-drawn largely but not exclusively from Chinese myth-plus an array of larger-than-life heroes and villains of both sexes. Readers are propelled from the lush opulence of the Emperor's palace to the filthy slums outside it, from misty swamps to the Gobi's desolation, from Heaven to the Netherworld dominion of Yamu, god of death. In the tradition of both classical Chinese epics and modern kung fu films, the relentlessly episodic plot takes frequent wrenching turns into set-piece comic or battle scenes, punctuated by eye-popping feats of derring-do. Young Prince Zong, born bearing a birthmark that presages a glittering destiny, grows with magical speed in the care of whiny, capricious Monkey, as his mother, Silver Lotus, flees into exile under a sentence of death. She travels with General Calabash, a monk covered in mobile, prophetic tattoos, and Yamu dispatches a lurid corps of demonic minions to prepare the way for a cataclysmic invasion. Along with bands of colorful outlaws, all eventually converge for a climactic skirmish that leaves Yamu poised to make his move. The action scenes are compellingly wild and woolly, and if, as usual, Monkey steals the show (along with everything else that's not nailed down), all of the main players are equally strong, vivid characters-which bodes well for future installments.-John Peters, New York Public Library
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From Booklist

In a post-Potter world where Oscars accrue to films set in Middle Earth, publishers' "big" books (the ones that receive the lion's share of publicity) are often fantasies. Though Sign of the Qin, doesn't boast the celebrity of Harry Potter or G.P. Taylor's Shadowmancer, its lavish galley copy suggests that it has been launched with similarly high expectations. The real question is whether the book will continue to circulate after the initial buzz fades.

Readers whose spirituality inclines toward Eastern traditions may find Bass' treatment of the good-versus-evil theme enticing. Bass draws upon the myths, legends, philosophies, and classic literature of China to craft her complex epic, set during an unspecified period in Chinese history. The first volume in a planned trilogy, the novel introduces the main players, earthly and otherwise, in an epic battle between the King of Heaven and the King of Hell. What works here is Bass' evocative language, her colorful cast of demonic enemies, and scenes of whirling, knife-throwing kung fu warriors that call forth Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But the story's mythic tone and the sheer number of characters have a distancing effect; the third-person narrator never settles on its primary young protagonists (the child-hero Prince Zong, the outlaw White Streak) long enough for readers to feel involved in their grand struggles. This is a better and more original novel than G. P. Taylor's Shadowmancer , but in the end, it suffers from a similar problem: characters too overshadowed by pyrotechnical plots and thematic enthusiasms to fully fire the imagination. -Jennifer Mattson Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 398 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (April 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786819189
• ISBN-13: 978-0786819188
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,238,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richie's Picks: SIGN OF THE QIN, April 3, 2004

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Richie Partington "Richie's Picks" (Sebastopol, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Outlaws of Moonshadow Marsh, The: The Sign of Qin - Book #1 (Hardcover)

THE SIGN OF THE QIN is both the best and one of the most complex Young Adult fantasies being published during the first half of 2004. If book awards were given to characters the way Oscars are given to actors, then the smartass Monkey would be a shoe-in for Supporting Character of the Year. This exciting, humorous, and meticulously crafted book, an absolute piece d'resistance, is written by a highly respected children's book editor under her married name and contains not a single out-of-place word. Our most experienced middle school fantasy reader, who thoroughly enjoyed the tale, noted that it borrows heavily from Chinese legends. I have no experience with those legends, but found THE SIGN OF THE QIN to be an absolute delight to read and savor. I look forward to rereading it next year before the second book in the trilogy appears.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Richly engaging "Outlaws", November 27, 2004

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E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Outlaws of Moonshadow Marsh, The: The Sign of Qin - Book #1 (Hardcover)

L.G. Bass makes a stunning debut in "Sign of the Qin," the first book of a series drawing on Chinese myth and legend. Taut, lushly written and wonderfully characterized, "Sign" is an enthralling fantasy with plenty of action, mythic monsters, and a dash of romance and destiny.

The emperor is horrified when he sees his newborn son, because the child has the mark of the Qin, a rebel sign, on his cheek. He throws out the child's mother, Silver Lotus, and secretly plots to kill the baby -- especially since the commoners adore him, since they believe he is the new Starlord, who will renounce his noble birth and be their savior. But the Starlord has a nursemaid and rebel allies who will do whatever it takes to keep him safe.

A recent volcanic eruption has let all sorts of demons loose on the land, and the evil Lord of the Dead Yamu is also plotting against the Starlord's life, calling out vile shapeshifters and evil harpies. To combat him, the lords of heaven send the incorrigible trickster Monkey to take care of the innocent little boy as he comes closer to his rebel allies.

Like a flower, "Sign" has to unfold slowly and carefully. But Bass makes it worth the while, infusing the story with lots of character development and background information. Chinese legends aren't used very often in fantasy, allowing Bass's story to seem entirely fresh and original, complete with sea dragons and conveniently-placed goddesses.

Bass's writing is suitably detailed and solemn, with lots of details on swords, filthy streets and jewelry. The descriptions of things like moving tattoos or statues coming to life are astounding. But there's humor as well; the immortality-hungry Monkey provides most of it, but there is also the putrid demon kappa being defeated with good manners, or the elaborate funeral held for a woman who had only fainted. And most stunning of all are the action scenes, usually quite bloody, gritty and very fast-paced.

At first glance, Prince Zong (or "little Starlord") seems like a pretty typical Child of Destiny -- he walks and talks within days of being born, and has immense wisdom. But Bass makes him a little naive and very sweet. The twin rebels (who are also sons of a sea-dragon) White Streak and Black Whirlwind are also well-drawn. Even the villains like Yamu and the snivelling Emperor are well-written.

Bass provides a slow-moving but rich fantasy in "Sign of the Qin," and the finale promises more adventures to come. Fantastical, funny and grim, this is a definite must-read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun!, May 17, 2004

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thetarotphile "minrice" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Outlaws of Moonshadow Marsh, The: The Sign of Qin - Book #1 (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my boyfriend's brother for his birthday. The kid is 13 and I wanted something well written but still fun, that was a change from Harry Potter, Eragon, or anything closely linked to the whole teen sorcery genre. And this book does have some Chinese mythology in it, which he likes, so I thought that was a plus too.

I did read this book myself, just to make sure it was a good story for a young guy without any *gasp! mushy stuff. I was pretty pleased. There is a lot of action from the very beginning, as well as a lot of humor. The characters are like sophisticated superheroes, and overall this is a really fun book (I think) for any teenish reader who likes action and adventure without mush ;)