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/ From The Bookshelf

Book Review: The Geomancer’s Apprentice

Rating:
☆☆☆☆☆ 4/5
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Title: The Geomancer’s Apprentice

Author: Yin Leong

Publication Date: February 3, 2021

Genre: Asian-American Fiction, Metaphysical Fantasy, Action, Suspense

Cover:

The cover is busy with multiple layered images. I would love to see a version that either focuses on the main character or eliminates the woman to focus on the luopan, or compass, and the dragon in the background.

Premise

Everyone in Junie Soong’s family seems to have found their calling in life, from her parents’ successful careers to her brother attending a prestigious school. It’s only when a distant relative, Joe Tham, employs her at his small business that her luck seems to change. As Junie learns from the geomancer and feng shui expert, she discovers natural talents she never knew she possessed. But her skills will be tested when Joe takes on a new client with a mysterious sinkhole in her basement. Will Junie’s novice skills fend off the evil that swirls around her, or will it crush her before she even has a chance to fight back?

Why I chose this book:

Author Yin Leong requested this review. I was excited to accept it as Leong submitted the first book to explore Chinese culture.

First Impression:

While I was familiar with feng shui, I didn’t know what a geomancer was. Learning more about this aspect was interesting, and I love how Leong included Chinese culture and lore throughout the book.

What I loved:

I love the relationship between Junie and Joe and how they balance one another. While both seem to be going through the motions of life without any real direction, they are each talented in their own way and bring strength to the table that the other does not possess. Joe has a wealth of information gleaned from his father, the Golden Dragon, and his experience as the Red Dragon. He understands how the tools work and what should theoretically happen, but he does not have Junie’s natural raw talent. While Junie lacks formal training, she has an instant connection with the paranormal in her ability to see, hear, and feel the entities around her. With Joe as her guide, she can only grow stronger, and this gives Joe a new sense of purpose in life.

The Geomancer’s Apprentice is well-written, which one might expect given Leong’s professional background as an editor. This allows the reader to focus on the character development and storyline without structural distractions. As the book neared the end, I wanted to know what adventure might be waiting for Junie and Joe. Creating a desire to continue the journey by reading the next book in the series is an accomplishment for any author.

Additional Thoughts:

While I enjoy fantasy with metaphysical and paranormal aspects, I was worried that the book might fall more into the horror category due to the inclusion of spirits, monsters, and supernatural violence. I almost set the book aside at the first mention of a Chupacabra. What can I say? I’m easily scared! I was pleasantly surprised to find that Leong is skilled at breaking up the scary bits to make them more manageable for people like me. By interspersing the lighter parts of the story, such as a blossoming romance for Junie, it offers respite from the darker side. While Leong neatly wraps up multiple storylines by the end of the book, the relationship between Junie and Noah feels unfinished, as if it simply faded into the background.

Quotable Quotes:

• “My father was the Golden Dragon. It was part of his responsibility as a Dragon warrior to help restore the balance of the universe, the yin and the yang, so to speak.”
• Personally, he found it easier to believe in eternal damnation than in reincarnation. He was certain that once dead, a person stayed dead. You only had one shot at life. Why else would ghosts cling so hard to what they had lost?
• She trained her flashlight on the fleeing figure and gave chase. As her heart, arms and legs pumped, she had an epiphany. She knew exactly what she had to do. She knew exactly why she had to do it. She knew what was at stake. For the first time in her young life, she experienced absolute clarity. There were no doubts; there was no insecurity.
• He felt an unexpected burst of joy when something occurred to him. His father hadn’t died, not really. The Golden Dragon, the Iron Dragon and all the Dragons who preceded them would never die, not as long as there were others who could carry on the fight. The Dragons lived on in Junie. And it was Joe, the Red Dragon, who would ensure she understood her responsibilities and reached her full potential. Through Junie, he could be close to his father again.
• “Joe, admit it, you’re a bottle half-empty kind of guy. Before you start anything, you’ve already convinced yourself that you’re going to fail. And yet” – she shook her head in wonder – “you do it anyway, to the best of your ability, without hope of wealth or glory, and even if it might cost you your life. You do it because you believe in something beyond your own self-interest. That’s truly admirable. In my book, that’s the definition of a ’her’.”

Who might enjoy this book:

The Geomancer’s Apprentice is ideal for readers who enjoy paranormal action infused with Chinese culture and lore.

Overall Impression:

Four stars. If you are looking for a new paranormal series to start, then The Geomancer’s Apprentice and the three novels that follow it may be just the thing! Leong keeps the reader engaged with her characters and their plight from beginning to end while offering insight into the world of ghosts and creatures from the underworld. Her characters are likable, and the story is just chilling enough to make me think twice about reading it at night!

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