4 out of 4 stars
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Sherlock Holmes is a character known virtually to every reader, whose adventures have permeated our culture through books, television shows, and movies. Any author who chooses to continue his story must work within the personality framework initially established by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Holmes. Tim Symonds, the author of Sherlock Holmes and the Nine-Dragon Sigil, does so successfully, and delivers a riveting and memorable tale featuring the iconic duo - Homes and Watson.
The story begins some time after Holmes’ retirement, and like the narratives by Doyle, is narrated by Watson in a succinct case-note format. The author successfully captures Watson’s narrative tone, as well as his brevity, and uses terminology and phrasing appropriate to the time period. Watson is summoned by a Chinese general to take a perilous journey across China, to conduct research and provide guidance for the establishment of an Imperial Army medical company. Finally feeling like the star of the show, Watson proudly accepts the challenge and sets off on the lengthy trip. He is appropriately dismayed when, thousands of miles from all the familiarities of home, he is confronted by his old friend Holmes, who was apparently sent to China on a mission of his own. Together they team up to investigate rumors of an assassination plot among the Empress Dowager’s courts, and uncover a mystery much more sinister than they anticipated.
As one would expect from a book about Sherlock Holmes, this is a story full of suspense and mystery, and laden with plot twists. I do not want to diminish a reader’s experience by giving away details prematurely, so I will simply state that this was a well-planned and expertly-crafted detective story. There were clues spaced throughout the narrative that came together into a satisfying conclusion, tying up loose ends and answering the lingering questions a reader may have.
The story itself was a unique blend of fact and fiction, drawing on historical accounts of the real Empress Dowager Cixi of China. Though I had very little knowledge of historical China prior to reading this book, the author incorporated his research in a way that made it both understandable and intriguing. In fact, I was interested enough in the character of the Empress Dowager that I did some independent reading about her life, and I believe the author captured the essence of her individuality admirably.
Though I did notice a handful of minor grammatical errors (such as missing commas), they were very minor and did not detract from the experience. The only part of this novel that did not sit well with me was Watson’s tendency to constantly reference past cases that he and Holmes had worked on, by their full case title. It did not seem realistic that someone would fully write out the name of the case (such as “The Hound of Baskervilles”) each time he mentioned one (which was quite a bit) if he was otherwise being so brief with his details. I realize that the author was helping to add context by jogging the reader’s memory to details from other Sherlock Holmes stories, but I wish this had been done in a way that flowed more naturally and did not seem so abrupt and referential. Nonetheless, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, as it was an engaging and true-to-the-original reimagining of a classic character.
I personally own all of the Sherlock Holmes original stories, but for a long time avoided those written by authors other than Doyle himself, as I did not want to have to reconcile any inconsistencies in the characters. I can confidently recommend this book to others who hold the originals high in their esteem, as the author does a superb job in honoring Doyle’s creation. In addition, I believe this would be a fine introductory book for those who have never read any Sherlock Holmes previously, since it does not require any prior knowledge. In fact, the very factor that irritated me (Watson’s frequent recall of past cases, as mentioned above), is likely to improve the experience of someone new to the adventures of this particular detective.
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Sherlock Holmes And The Nine-Dragon Sigil'
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