Small Shen release date

Wow.  Just found the release information for Kylie Chan's graphic novel Small Shen. 

Small Shen
Kylie Chan

Release Date: 01 December, 2012 (AUS)
Harper Voyager
ISBN: 9780732289836

SMALL SHEN is the amazing story of Gold -- a stone spirit and a chronic troublemaker in the court of the great Gods of Chinese mythology. A mix of Kylie Chan′s brilliant storytelling and Queenie Chan′s beautiful illustrations, SMALL SHEN is a fantastic treat for fans of WHITE TIGER. Readers will be thrilled to discover the events leading up to John Chen and Emma Donahoe′s story in this wonderful prequel. Shown through Queenie Chan′s stunning illustrations and comics, the story follows the stone spirit Gold′s entertaining adventures throughout history. His escapades include seducing a dragon princess, attempting to steal one of the Tiger′s wives, making bets with demons, and working for the Blue Dragon of the East. Eventually, as a result of his crimes against Heaven and his constant philandering, Gold is ordered to join the household of Xuan Wu, the Dark Lord of the Northern Heavens. Xuan Wu is also known as John Chen, a Hong Kong businessman. The story then follows Gold and Jade -- the dragon princess - in contemporary Hong Kong. The two small shen must help guard John Chen′s beloved human wife and baby daughter from demon attack. John Chen is vulnerable to attack while living on Earth, but his family are in the most danger of all... SMALL SHEN is a unique piece of work for fans of Kylie Chan to treasure, but also a fantastic introduction to this gripping series.

Book Depository has the item listed as 'currently unavailable' so I don't like your chances of getting through them.

Instead, try Australian booksellers.



$24.99

$24.47

Review: The Lost Night (...late, but not forgotten)

The Lost Night

Ghost Hunter
Jayne Castle

Released: 01 September, 2012

Berkley (JOVE), Mass Market Paperback, 332 p.
ISBN: 978-0-515-15284-5

Even the mysterious world of Harmony has people who don't quite fit in.  They're drawn to places like Rainshadow Island, a beautiful sanctuary where anyone can feel safe - and where secrets are closely guarded...

Schooled in an exotic form of martial arts, and with the ability to detect the auras of dangerous psychic criminals, Rachel Blake and her dust bunny companion have found peace and quiet on Rainshadow Island, operating a bookstore and cafe.

But her tranquil new life in thrown into chaos when Harry Sebastian, the descendant of a notorious pirate, arrives to investigate strange developments in the privately owned woods known as the Preserve.

Immediately drawn to the amber-eyed woman, Harry tread carefully.  While Rachel's special talents can help him track down dangerous rogues who have voilated the Preserve, they can also sense the heart of darkness within him.  But desire can weaken the toughest of defences - and leave even the strongest man wanting more...

Okay, The Lost Night is another Arcane Society/Ghost Hunter books set on the world of Harmony.  Since the introduction of the Rainshadow angle in Canyon of Night, it seems that we'll be staying on Rainshadow Island for the next few books.

This is the first book of yet another trilogy - what is it with Krentz and all these cross-series trilogies? - and this time we are in search of the three missing stone from the dark and dangerous Preserve that covers part of Rainshadow Island.   I hope this means that the next 2 books will take place on Harmony because I'm getting sick of having a trilogy spread out amongst the Krentz's other series. I wasn't impressed that I had to get not only the Arcane Society book (which I don't mind because I collect them anyway), but book 2 was set in the Victorian era in the Amanda Quick series. I don't collect the Amanda Quick books!  However, I digress.  In all I did like the storyline, and who can resist those darn cute dustbunnies?  This incarnation, Darwina, is such a little scenestealer... but then they all are, aren't they!

I did find Harry Sebastian - our dark and dangerous hero - a slightly blank character to me. His responses are similar to every scenario, and I just didn't find him as engaging as Slade Attridge.  Rachel was fiesty and independent like all the other ladies we've encountered on Harmony.  My only real problem came with the characters of Marcus Lattimer and Nathan Grant.  They seem to spring out of nowhere with agendas, and have no real interaction with Rachel or Harry.  While reading the book their non-existant storylines bothered me.

Harmony is a great way to escape for a few hours, and I can't wait for the next installment of the series (and trilogy).  I'd rate it as 4 out of 5 dustbunnies.