Paper Mage [Paperback]

Leah R. Cutter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2003

In a small Chinese village during the Tang Dynasty, an unsure young woman has managed to elude the conventions of her society to become a gifted paper mage-one who creates magic with the ancient art of paper folding. Because her gifts are in demand for the protection they can offer, Xiao Yen must leave behind her beloved family and embark on a dangerous mission. Yet she has no idea that this looming adventure will shape the very woman she is to become.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Young Xiao Yen's life veers dramatically from the ordinary after her aunt, Wang Tie-Tie, head of the family, sends her to train with a local magician whose particular talent is creating magic with origami. As a mage's apprentice, Xiao Yen is an embarrassment to the rest of her family. Magery is "man's work," after all, and will likely make her undesirable as a mate. Although torn between her love for magic and her familial duty, Xiao Yen nevertheless accepts, out of respect for her aunt, a commission to escort two foreigners and their valuable cargo through the dangerous remote territory of the Middle Kingdom. Leaving her beloved family, she embarks upon a journey that will change her completely. For soon she is approached by the goddess Bei Xi, who is traveling in disguise as a member of Xiao Yen's party. She asks Xiao Yen's help in vanquishing a powerful oppressor of the Middle Kingdom--one who will soon bring war and destruction to the land. In an absolutely enchanting coming-of-age tale, Cutter's story and her elegant and precise writing beautifully and skillfully conjure what feels like the essence of ancient Chinese culture. Paula Luedtke
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 343 pages
• Publisher: Roc (March 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451459172
• ISBN-13: 978-0451459176
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,729,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

About the Author
Leah Cutter's first novel, "Paper Mage" (Roc 2003) is set in China, during the T'ang dynasty, around 837 A.D. Her second novel, "Caves of Buda" (Roc 2004) is set in Budapest, with many different time periods, including pre-Christian Hungarian mythology, Roman magic, World War II, and 1957, when the Russians came back to Hungary. Her third novel, "The Jaguar and the Wolf" (Roc 2005) is set in the Yucatan peninsula, around 1000 A.D, and explores what would happen if the Vikings met the Mayans. Her short fiction includes fantasy, science fiction, and horror, and has primarily been published in anthologies.

"Paper Mage" and "Caves of Buda" are now available as ebooks on Amazon, as well as most of Leah's previously published short fiction. All her new fiction is also being published directly to Amazon as well.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, March 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Paper Mage (Paperback)

Paper Mage is a meticulously researched historical fantasy that breathes life into an alien culture, an alien time, and retains a sense of heart. It's also well written and fast moving, despite the unusual structure. I liked the structure a lot (it is like Le Guin's The Dispossed): chapters alternate between the adult Xiao Yen who is an adept mage but who has lost her luck, and the child Xiao Yen who is lucky and studying in a school for would-be paper mages. The character conflicts and character growth reflect Chinese rather than western values, centering on things like luck and family, which is a refreshing change from most fantasy. It's kind of like Amy Tan meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- a breath of fresh air to US fantasy fiction. I loved it!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of good stuff here, April 26, 2003

By 

Marissa Gritter (Hayward, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paper Mage (Paperback)

There are lots of things fantasy writers with "foreign" cultures can do to annoy me, but the top two are projecting their own, modern/Western concerns on their setting and emphasizing trivial "foreignness" at the expense of genuine cultural differences. Cutter neatly avoided both of those problems. The characters' concerns were their own, and deep human commonalities as well as important value differences came through. (I think the reviewer who referred to Wang Tie-Tie as the wicked aunt missed at least half the characterization, but that's not Leah Cutter's fault!)

Hughart's _Bridge of Birds_ was a fun read, but Cutter was attempting something entirely different -- and she achieved it. If I wasn't a really picky person, I'd give it five stars, but five screams perfection to me, and this doesn't have to be a perfect book to be a good one.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A kinder, gentler "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", March 14, 2003

By 

Sheila Brotherton (Manchester, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paper Mage (Paperback)

This is a wonderful story that is wonderfully written. The book is set in 9th century China and the writing has a definite Asian flair to it. This makes the "reading escape" experience more comfortable and complete. You easily get lost in the story of Xiao Yen and her magical world. The author is very knowledgable about China and the culture of the time. I also like the style of the chapters switching back and forth from the current story to the time of Xiao Yen growing up. This allows the excitement and magic of the tale to be more fully explained by her earlier experiences with her family and her learning of the art of paper folding. Because you are so easily transported to Xiao Yen's world, the fantasy that makes the story so exciting seems believable and appropriate to the exotic setting. I don't want to give away any of the story so that the reader is surprised as Xiao Yen takes them on an exciting and magical journey through ancient China, complete with tigers and dragons.