LITERAL REMAINS

Legend of the Jade Dragonis the second book in Yasmine Galenorn’s Chintz ‘n China series, and, believe it or not, it’s actually better than the first.

Emerald O’Brien is having an ordinary, run-of-the-mill day at her business, the Chintz ‘n China Tea Room.  Ordinary, that is, until a man named Daniel enters the shop.  Daniel looks a little more than beaten down by life, and he looks nothing like the usual tourist to the small town of Chiqetaw.  He has come to Emerald to spend his last few bucks for tarot reading.  Emerald gets her cards, but sees nothing good.  It’s all death, chaos, and bad, bad, BAD!

Emerald is reluctant to tell Daniel what she sees, but he insists.  Daniel is used to bad news, and bad luck.  When she finishes, he pays and leaves the shop, but he forgets a small token:  a statuette, a jade dragon.  Emerald rushes from the store to catch up to Daniel, to return his statuette.  Calling after him, Daniel stops and is promptly run down by a van, killing him.

Emerald is now the owner of the jade dragon.  She takes it home and strange things begin to occur.  The statue seems to move of its own accord, and its eyes have a tendency to glow red.  Red glowing eyes seem to never be a good sign.  The dragon brings bad luck:  Emerald’s house is burglarized, her shop is vandalized, and its power even affects her kids, Miranda and Kip.  Emerald researches the jade dragon and learns it has a turbulent history.  A very bloody and turbulent history, full of death and destruction.  And now it’s all Emerald’s.

With Emerald O’Brien there is never a dull moment; if she’s not knee deep in something, her kids are finding mischief (sometimes by complete accident).  Galenorn writes in a style that makes me feel like I’ve stopped in to visit an old friend.  She even made me care about Daniel, and he is barely in the book.

That’s just good writing.

4.5 out of 5
Chatty Kathy