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The Secrets of Jin-Shei (Hardcover)

by Alma Alexander (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 496 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (1 Mar 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007163738
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007163731
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,069,250 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review

'The Secrets of Jin-Shei is a completely original - and a completely magical piece of literature' Joanne Harris

Woven into the fabric of a medieval-like China, this is the story of ten girls, each destined to give up everything for Jin-Shei, the sisterhood. Set against a backdrop of the Imperial Court the girls are brought together by the hand of fate. The secret language of the Jin-Shei is passed on from mother to daughter, a tie more binding than death itself! Born out of necessity and transcending all social barriers this saga of a novel takes us on a journey from the cloistered women of the court, stifled by protocol, to the court of The Beggar King. An exciting journey of honour, betrayal, intrigue, love, alchemy, evil, corruption, sacrifice and the quest for immortality, this is a tapestry of human frailty and the gift of life. The journey is a long one but well worth the telling. Enjoyable and sad. (Kirkus UK)


Product Description

A sweeping epic set in medieval China; it is the story of a group of women, the Jin-Shei sisterhood, who form a uniquely powerful circle that transcends class and social custom. They are bound together by a declaration of loyalty that transcends all other vows, even those with the gods, by their own secret language, passed from mother to daughter, by the knowledge that some of them will have to pay the ultimate sacrifice to enable others to fulfil their destiny. The sisterhood we meet run from the Emperor's sister to the street-beggar, from the trainee warrior in the Emperor's Guard to the apprentice healer, from the artist to the traveller-girl, herself an illegitimate daughter of an emperor and seen as a threat to the throne. And as one of them becomes Dragon Empress, her determination to hold power against the sages of the temple, against the marauding forces from other kingdoms, drags the sisterhood into a dangerous world of court intrigue, plot and counterplot, and brings them into conflict with each other from which only the one who remains true to all the vows she made at the very beginning to the dying Princess Empress can rescue them.
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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Exotic and magical - complete escapism, 14 April 2005
By Brida "izumi" (Worcs) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: The Secrets of Jin-Shei (Paperback)
This was such a fantastic read for me. From the very first page, I was hooked; Alexander's prose is poetical and evocative of a magical place and time.
The story follows a group of young girls, all different in age, as they grow up into adulthood. These girls are all from different social classes and positions in their society; medieval China. However, they are also linked - through jin-shei. Jin-shei is a secret society of women, bound to each other not by blood but by loyalty that makes them sisters of the heart. This special bond may mean that they merely share their secrets in life, their passions, and their upsets, just as any close friends do. However, their loyalty may be tested in harder ways and a favour asked in the name of jin-shei cannot be ignored.
As the girls pass into adulthood and they begin to find their place in the world, this bond begins to be tested as one of their number becomes the Dragon Empress. In her new place of power she lusts after complete control of her state. But the loyalties of her jin-shei sisters is really put to the test when she beigns to lust after the impossible; immortality. Suddenly, their seemingly idyllic world is a place of intrigue, treason, gossip and many dangers. Will the jin-shei group survive?

This book is fantastic for those people who enjoy complete new worlds where they can escape into for a while. There are essences of religion and philosophy, magic (dark and good), love and hate, and tragedy. It is a complex book as it follows quite a few characters. However, all the characters seemed very real to me, each one had personalities which had good and weaker sides. I really enjoyed this book, it is magical. . .

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Awww! I wish I could read it all over again!, 19 Jan 2006
This review is from: The Secrets of Jin-Shei (Paperback)
I absolutley loved The Secrets Of Jin-Shei! It was so sweet, and I found myself really attatched to the characters. It's all about a special 'society' that only women in this certain part of medeival China have, called Jin-Shei. They have their own secret language that is passed down from mother to daughter, and must never be shown to men. Also, they have unique bonds to each other, that are more powerful than the Gods.
This AMAZING book is about a circle of girls as they grow into women, tied together by the sacred bond of Jin-Shei. But there are secrets that should never be told, secrets that if brought to light could mean the end of the Jin-Shei circle.
I would recommend this book who loves to read about oriental stuff. Some parts were so sad they had me in tears! Whenever I felt that the story was getting the teeeeensiest bit dull, (and I mean teeeeensiest!) I was reeled back in, just by a single paragraph! I have no critcisms whatsoever about this book, it's deffinatley one of my favourites. Read it now!!
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Trully Magnificent , 21 Nov 2006
By M. Mukhtar "Moazma" (UK, Manchester) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Secrets of Jin-Shei (Paperback)
This story is exactly what it says 'Trully Magical'.

This story takes you on a Journey from a child into old age of a young girl named Tai and her Jin-shei circle. Each sister features her own special talent. Each sister in the Jin-shei circle is living for the other sister. Apart from one sister who expects to be obeyed by her Jin-sei sisters to fulfil every dream she has and orders that must be met at any cost-after all she is the dragon Empress.

This is a special bond and takes these girls on a journey in medieval China as they become sisters of the heart. They are not born as family, but chose to be sisters through this special jin Shei circle.

Tai is the poet or embroiders' daughter she is soft and the most genuine sister, Nhia has a fasination with the temple and the gods and is the washer womens daughter again similar to Tai and has a heart of gold, Yuet is the healer, Quian is Guardsman's daughter with a gentle touch and wants to live for the needy and the poor, Xaforn is the Guard-the best trained guard that the guard chamber holds, Amri is the Gypsy girl that is a fantastic dancer, Khalin is the daughter of a father who has links to the courts-she has the a fasination in immortality and death, the gods and the temple sages and then there is Luidan who is the Empress the 'Dragan Empress'. She became the dragon Empress after she declares she will run the empire without an Emperor. She takes her Jin shei sister through the most difficult and agonising task to achieve her goals. This is where the sisterhood comes to breaking point and Tai is left alone with her poems and her thoughts on her sisters.

This book is fantastic and i recommend to everyone. This would make a fantastic movie some day. Its so descriptive and detailed. Every aspect of the story is well thought off and explained. It makes you feel like you are yourself a member of their Jin-Shei Circle.

It is dificult to understand the circles of the temple to start with. However, as you read on it all starts to make sense and fall into place.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A book that doesn't quite fulfill its promise
This book is beautifully written, with a fascinating setting in an imperial China city and an interesting concept of a female friendship society dedicated to helping each other... Read more
Published 6 months ago by D. lema

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
To be fulfilled a woman must marry and have children. A varied cast of characters but a disappointing moral to the story. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Adriana Paun

4.0 out of 5 stars An epic tale of sisterhood
This is a gripping and magical read! from the start it is apparent that this text isnt going to conform to sociological boundries with varying statuses and personalities which... Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2007 by Red Azalea Aka Toni

5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding
The Secrets Of The Jin-Shei is a truly enchanting read. Alma Alexander's wonderful vivid descriptions bring the story to life. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2007 by Ms. L. J. Marritt

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical piece of writing set in medieval China
I have fallen in love with this book...I have just in minute finished it and felt compelled to write a review on it. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2007 by S. Doogan

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful!
I adored Jin-Shei, and have recommended it to several friends who have also enjoyed it.

It is refreshing to read a book where all the main characters are women- and... Read more
Published on 18 Dec 2006 by claire

5.0 out of 5 stars The Secrets of Jin-Shei
This book is quite simply amazing. I'm so glad I decided to buy it. The story focuses on a group of young women who are all tied to one another throught the Jin Shei bond. Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2006 by C. Cloke

5.0 out of 5 stars A touching piece of writing which ill always keep in my heart!
Having only recently finished the book I am currently mourning all the jin-shei-bao and regretting having to leave them all behind and venture into the world of alternative books... Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2006 by Vanessa S

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
This book is fantastic, I agree with the comments of all the previous reviews and I know I will re-read this book again and again for its strong characterisation, wonderfully... Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL & MAGICAL..
This is a bit of a complicated read to start with as the plot is based on a number of main Characters. They all come in & fold together perfectly.. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2005 by reeneroo

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