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purpleowl6's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ginadapooh's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
skconaghan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This starts on a note of tragedy. It’s a bit of a shock since I only finished the second novel in the series a few days ago and four years have passed between then and the start of this one—and a lot has happened in the interim.
This is the racing finale to a highly informative, educational, historically-lush, and thrilling trilogy of Chinese-American relations and mystery and murder, set in the late 90s-early2000s. Science, archaeology, the birth of so much technology we now already take for granted, culture, mythology, and the discoveries of ancient language fill the pages, and the intricate plot twists itself around all these things, deeply imbedding a variety of unique characters in the unpredictable landscape as each one reveals their dedication to either interested study or self-seeking exploitation of the wonders at their fingertips.
I was sad to see where David Stark and Liu Hulan began in this third instalment, but there’s always hope…and it’s a rocky ride, but there is hope as the story proceeds.
I’m sorry this series is over. It was an exciting journey, and I’m glad Lisa See has a LOT more in her repertoire for me to read because I plan on it…
sallyluvs2read's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting book and took some time to get into. It's a chinese mystery filled with chinese culture and mythology. Once I got into it, though, I wanted tof ind out what happened. So I think it was pretty good.
anzunagi's review against another edition
3.0
Hulan and David, after facing a personal tragedy, are sent to the site of a dam project where an American archaeologist was killed and cultural relics are being stolen from the site.
The final Red Princess mystery is much like the first two in that it spends a lot of time on the mystery/plot and not so much on the character development. I like David and Hulan. I like their relationship so I'm always disappointed when the books don't feature that in exchange for a fairly predictable mystery.
Also, can David and Hulan ever be happy in one of these books? It seems every one needs to start with some personal upset or tragedy to have them mad at each other for most of the book. And then they always get separated for the sake of the rather weak mystery yet some how magically reconcile by the end.
There were a few too many conveniences for me in this particular book - the All-Patriotic Society generally, the archaeologist who keeps the world's most detailed journal, Hulan's detective abilities rivaling that of Sherlock Holmes. But as always, I was sucked into the story by See's writing and my hope to see some more romance between David and Hulan. If you can turn your brain off it's a pretty light, enjoyable read especially if you like See's other books or the other two in this series.
The final Red Princess mystery is much like the first two in that it spends a lot of time on the mystery/plot and not so much on the character development. I like David and Hulan. I like their relationship so I'm always disappointed when the books don't feature that in exchange for a fairly predictable mystery.
Also, can David and Hulan ever be happy in one of these books? It seems every one needs to start with some personal upset or tragedy to have them mad at each other for most of the book. And then they always get separated for the sake of the rather weak mystery yet some how magically reconcile by the end.
There were a few too many conveniences for me in this particular book - the All-Patriotic Society generally, the archaeologist who keeps the world's most detailed journal, Hulan's detective abilities rivaling that of Sherlock Holmes. But as always, I was sucked into the story by See's writing and my hope to see some more romance between David and Hulan. If you can turn your brain off it's a pretty light, enjoyable read especially if you like See's other books or the other two in this series.
carrolk3's review against another edition
5.0
I have come to really enjoy Lisa See's books. This is the second one I have read. (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan being the other one.) Both book are set in China - Snow Flower in the 19th century and Dragon Bones in the early part of the 21st century. Dragon Bones is a "Red Princess" mystery. This mystery is set along the Yangzi River and also explores a number of the issues relating to the controversial Three Gorges Dam construction as well as some of the current political and social issues of 21st century China. If you have any interest in China and also enjoy a mystery, I would recommend reading this book. There are apparently 2 earlier "Red Princess" mysteries and their plots are alluded to several times throughout the novel. I found most of the characters interesting and didn't figure out the solution to the mystery until very near the end of the book. I found this book of personal interest as we had traveled in China and the Three Gorges/Yangzi area approximately the same time as the book setting. Warning: you do need to be aware that the final murder is described rather graphically.
karynhansen's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookluver1's review against another edition
4.0
Lisa See combines a complicated plot with a lot of Chinese art history and culture in this intriguing book. The book is a murder mystery, a hunt for missing treasure, and even muses on the intricacies of cross cultures/different cultures of China vs. the U.S. This is the first book by Lisa See I have read, and I chose it at random and by availability. I listened to the audio book, and had some trouble tracking the names and art pieces, which can happen if you start and stop a lot. Much of the story and plot is laid out through dialogue, more than action, which is a comment on style, not quality. I had to plod through somewhat, but overall it's a good book.
souel's review
4.0
4/5 stars !
It's a very very rich crime/mistery thriller set in china, the author created an extraordinary novel mixing history,myths,culture,art and politics ... it was not only a good thriller but succeeded in presenting the culture and history of the country, the national political/economical issues, the conflict with the west and soo mch more !
She made me fascinated by china and wanting to know more about this great ancient civilisation !
Definitely one of my favourites !
It's a very very rich crime/mistery thriller set in china, the author created an extraordinary novel mixing history,myths,culture,art and politics ... it was not only a good thriller but succeeded in presenting the culture and history of the country, the national political/economical issues, the conflict with the west and soo mch more !
She made me fascinated by china and wanting to know more about this great ancient civilisation !
Definitely one of my favourites !