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3.0 out of 5 stars
A useful introduction to mystick Asia, 14 Nov 2000
I was admittedly expecting a lot from this book, and in that regard I was disappointed. In truth I wanted a new system of Do that would encapsulate what the Akashic Brotherhood was all about, but I think that was unrealistic in a sourcebook with a broad, general scope.This sourcebook covers Asia-proper, not counting the ex-Soviet parts, and strangely enough leaving out the Pacific Rim (only covering the mainland), and only skating over the smaller nations within the region. China is given the more extensive coverage, with all the various mystick societies, philosophies and religions that developed there, or flourished there and moved across the region. India is also given some thought, as one of the primary sources of religion and philosphy in Asia. Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan, Hong Kong are also covered. As far as the magickal societies go, the Akashic Brotherhood is of course explored, along with the Wu Lung and Wu Keng, and several new factions. Most intriguing was the development of the Technocracy in Asia, or the Five Metal Dragons as it is known, and it's relationship with the Western Technocracy. Whilst a lot of the material was fascinating, there was too little depth in any of the aras, and like a lot of Revised edition products, I got the feeling that they tried to cover too much at once, and it suffered from fairly brutal editing. A book this size would have been more appropriate to cover China alone, for example, rather than attempting to give a grounding for a region as vast and diverse as Asia. All in all, a useful addition to the collection of sourcebooks for any Chronicle, and a good starting point for an Asian Chronicle, though insufficient on it's own.
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