The Nine Fold Heaven by Yingmei Yip - Fiction book review

The Nine Fold Heaven

By: Mingmei Yip

Published: June 25, 2013
Format: Paperback, 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0758273541
ISBN-13: 978-0758273543
Publisher: Kensington Publishing












In the exotic and dangerous world of 1930s Shanghai, China singer and former spy Camilla unites with an old adversary to rediscover old lovers, find her child who she thought dead, and to solve the mystery of her parents' murder. Camilla finds herself in the darkest and least known areas of Shanghai on her personal quest to find both herself and her family story in the panoramic and spellbinding novel The Nine Fold Heaven by acclaimed writer Mingmei Yip.

Mingmei Yip weaves a tale that is as much about time and place as it is about the people within the story itself. The setting of the novel, in the deadly underside of Shanghai, during the turbulent era of war and revolution, creates an atmosphere as sinister and frightening as the gangs who people the novel. That sense of foreboding penetrates every area of the story, and the sense of place is both sweeping and confining for Camilla as she seeks her destiny.

In the sweeping epic novel genre, of which this is a wonderful example, the role of time and place is as critical to the success of the work as the plot and the characters. In that regard, Mingmei Yip does a superb job of capturing that sense of zeitgeist, in the era and setting of the story. The plot captures the reader at first, but the intense involvement of the characters in their joy and sorrow, carries the reader through to the very end.

Mingmei yip (photo left) propels the plot forward with a breathless pace, causing the reader to become personally involved in the plot. More importantly, the characters are compelling and draw on the emotions of the reader. Camilla is a dynamic and charismatic woman who attracts bot the attention of the other characters in the story.

Camilla also captivates the reader with her classic and timeless heroic quest. She is not only seeking her long lost child and the murderers of her parents, but she is also pursuing her own destiny. As a romantic heroine, she faces the tests that heroes have endured and overcome since time immemorial.

The story is one of faith in the personal journey to self discovery, as well as the more outwardly goals. Camilla brings her own past with her on her quest, and as she seeks the ultimate knowledge of herself and her family, she finds redemption and her personal salvation. The story is a timeless romantic adventure that encapsulates an outward time and place, but aso captures the internal voyage as Camilla finds her true self.

I highly recommend the superb and fast paced adventure novel The Nine Fold Heaven by Mingmei Yip, to anyone seeking a page turning and compelling novel that will grip the reader from the very first page. The novel features memorable and well drawn characters, an exotic setting and time that permeates the entire story, and timeless themes that resonate across time and space.

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About Nine Fold Heaven

An ex spy and nightclub singer who undertakes an emotional and dangerous journey to reunite with her lost lover and the baby she was told was stillborn, and to discover the secret of her parents’ murder.

Come along with an ex spy as she returns to Shanghai where she’s a wanted woman – but she has to search for her baby and her lost lover. Is her baby really alive? Will she be able to find her lover? Can she elude the police long enough to find them?

Learn much more about The Nine Fold Heaven and Mingmei Yip. Get your copy of this exciting and exotic novel.
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The Nine Fold Heaven is part of a series about Camilla the songbird and female spy – you can also read Skeleton Women, the first book about Camilla.