Barry Hughart Pořadí knih (chronologicky)

Once again World Fantasy Award-winner Barry Hughart blends folklore and fantasy to create a work of enchantment set in an ancient China that never was…but should have been. Master Li and Number Ten Ox—heroes of Bridge of Birds and The Story of the Stone—return to solve the mystery of how and why respected mandarins are being mysteriously murdered. Unbelievably, the only suspects appear to be mythical demons…

In the heart of the Forbidden City, Master Li and Number Ten Ox, accompanied by a scarred puppeteer and his shamanka daughter, investigate the murder of respected mandarins. By the author of Bridge of Birds. Reprint. PW. AB.

In einem Kloster geschieht ein Mord, unheimliche tanzende Mönche suchen die Bauern heim, und eine mysteriöse alte Schrift taucht auf. Da beauftragt der Abt Meister Li und seinen Adlatus »Nummer Zehn der Ochse« mit der Klärung der Fälle. Die beiden stoßen auf eine Spur, die weit in die Vergangenheit reicht: Einst trieb hier der »Lachende Prinz« sein Unwesen, ein Wahnsinniger, der mit Magie und Menschen experimentierte. Als Li das Grab des Prinzen leer vorfindet, nimmt er die Verfolgung auf – eine wilde Jagd, die geradewegs in die Gefilde der Hölle führt.

Bridge of Birds is a lyrical fantasy novel. Set in "an Ancient China that never was", it stands with The Princess Bride and The Last Unicorn as a fairy tale for all ages, by turns incredibly funny and deeply touching. It won the World Fantasy Award in 1985, and Hughart produced two sequels: The Story of the Stone, and Eight Skilled Gentlemen. All present the adventures of Master Kao Li, a scholar with "a slight flaw in [his] character", and Lu Yu, usually called Number Ten Ox, his sidekick and the story's narrator. Number Ten Ox is strong, trusting, and pure of heart; Master Li once sold an emperor shares in a mustard mine, because "I was trying to win a bet concerning the intelligence of emperors." Number Ten Ox comes from a village in which the children have been struck by a mysterious illness. He recruits Master Li to find the cure and comes along to provide muscle. They seek a mysterious Great Root of Power, which may be a form of ginseng. Of course, nothing turns out to be as simple as it seems; great wrongs must be avenged and lovers separated must be reunited, from the most humble to the highest. And even in the midst of cosmic glory, Pawnbroker Fang and Ma the Grub are picking the pockets of their own lynch mob, who are frozen in awe and wonder. --Nona Vero

“Li Kao may have a slight flaw in his character but the book has none. I recommend it unconditionally and I predict Barry Hughart has quite a future as a fantasy writer.”—Anne McCaffrey When the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure. The quest led them to a host of truly memorable characters, multiple wonders, incredible adventures—and strange coincidences which were really not coincidences at all. And it involved them in an ancient crime that still perturbed the serenity of Heaven. Simply and charmingly told, this is a wry tale, a sly tale, and a story of wisdom delightfully askew. Once read, its marvels and beauty will not easily fade from the mind. The author claims that this is a novel of an ancient China that never was. But, oh . . . it should have been!