Book Review: The Warrior and the Flower

Title: The Warrior and the Flower
Author: Camille Picott
Publisher: Pixiu Press
Release Date: April 2013
Length: 307 pages
Series?: 3 Kingdoms #1
Genre: Adult High Fantasy (Asian Inspired)
Format: e-book
Source: Candace’s Book Blog via the author
Challenge: n/a

Find the book: Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Welcome to my stop on the tour for The Warrior & the Flower by Camille Picott. This is an adult high fantasy, and to celebrate Chinese New Year the tour is running Jan. 27th-31st with mostly reviews and only a few interviews and spotlight posts. Be sure to check out the tour page with additional info and list of tour stops.

Synopsis

Yi, a retired soldier, has lost everything he loves — his wife, his daughter, and his home. He seeks refuge from his heartache by plunging into a secret mission for the World Emperor. The assignment takes him to the doorstep of a brothel, where he witnesses the madam beating a young girl. Drawn by the child’s striking resemblance to his lost daughter, Yi rushes to her defense and negotiates for her purchase — after all, how hard can it be to care for one little girl? But between the child’s inquisitive nature and the dangerous secret she carries, he gets more than he bargained for.

Review

Yi is a warrior, well-respected and trusted by his emperor. As such, he has been blessed and rewarded – and this makes him a target. Yi’s world, World Kingdom, is experiencing upheaval and unrest due to the neighboring Sky Kingdom’s brewing civil war.

Despite Yi’s love and devotion for his emperor, he is not above ending the life of the man who murdered his wife and child, who left his house and crop in ruins. He curses the God of Good Fortune, who was to protect his family and seemingly turned a blind eye.

Yi’s story fades in and out throughout the chapters, telling Tulip’s tale. She is a young child, the product of the brothel The House of Flowers. She wants to learn how to make the special tofu that all of the flowers make for the male customers, but is thankfully too young. She is a nuisance and a burden to the madame, who beats and starves her regularly. Tulip wants to learn how to make the special tofu so bad that she tries spying on her mother, and winds up in a very bad spot.

As Yi’s and Tulip’s stories continue, eventually they come together as fate leads Yi right to the House of Flowers at Tulip’s most unfortunate moment. She is a striking resemblance of his lost daughter, so he buys her and adopts her as his own child. But Tulip has some very dark secrets she must keep because she has a very special and rare gift.

Yi and Tulip grow closer in their relationship, and Yi has sworn to protect little Tulip above and beyond his orders and mission set out by his emperor. Being held in such high regard, he is tasked with several missions to ensure the safety of the World Kingdom. Tulip gets in some sticky situations and always comes out on top, obviously in favor with the God of Good Fortune.

This book is filled with adventure, excitement, humor and heart. It is a phenomenal read, and I will definitely pick up Picott’s next installment in the 3 Kingdoms series to see where the rest of the adventure take Yi an Tulip.

About the Author

Camille Picott is a fifth-generation Chinese American. She writes science fiction and fantasy books with Asian characters and/or Asian settings. Camille grew up reading speculative fiction stories largely devoid of Asian characters and culture. This, coupled with a passion for her heritage, is the reason she strives to bring some aspect of Eastern myth, legend, culture, and ethnicity to all of her writings. To visit Camille, go to .

Find the author: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads