All right folks I've said this before, but I'll say it again because I think it bears repeating--Jeannie Lin rocks. I may be predisposed to thinking like this, given my (almost obsessive) love of Asian dramas, but more then that Lin writes historical romances that are different.

Harlequin has a formula for their books, but its not any different then other romance publishers. Man and Woman meet, they maybe get along/probably clash/have this moment of awareness, repeated situations have them growing closer, possible misunderstanding/obstacle or two and viola! They end up together. That's your basic romance plot boiled down without all the artifices of plot.

What has Lin's books standing out though (aside from the different location/time period) is that her characters often face situations that force a change of circumstance. Regardless of how much I love my wallpaper historicals very few of the couples end up in drastically changed circumstances (for both of them. I'm not counting the courtesan to lady or guttersnipe to lord tropes).

This is no less true for The Sword Dancer. Neither Li Feng nor Han are living the life of luxury at the beginning of the story, but they are living different lives from each other. Li Feng is nomadic, wandering troupe to troupe in search of a life she barely recalls and living more or less a moral grey life. Han, though also wandering, has a purpose that calls to him desperately and determinedly seeks lawful justice. This becomes an important component of their relationship as they argue over which is a fairer way of life. Li Feng's almost Robin Hood approach (stole a horse from the State, gave it to a poor farmer) or Han's strict every crime deserves a punishment (that varies based on the severity).

Han believes in the system of Law while Li Feng has seen nothing but how it can be abused.

Throughout we follow as they chase each other, coming together at various points as it suits their needs, but as each meeting seems less about capturing a criminal and more about learning the truth the ease of familiarity deepens. More than the moments of passion between the two, I found myself enjoying when Li Feng would tease Han or when Han would flirt and catch Li Feng unaware.

The underlying conspiracy and mystery surrounding the jade pendent that Li Feng had unraveled quite nicely, as did the truth surrounding the night her mother told her to run. We hear the events from two different sources--the official record as well as from a child's memory, though the truth is more in the middle.

The change of circumstance occurs about a third from the end. Han comes to it quicker than Li Feng, realizing that a black and white outlook can breed just as much corruption. From the beginning Li Feng had more at stake and as such it takes her longer to realize that bending doesn't mean breaking, and loving doesn't mean forgetting. ( )

I fell in love with this book. It felt like I was reading a Zhang Yimou film (House of Flying Daggers & Hero). There was tons of action and intrigue that kept me on the edge of my seat. With each chapter, I uncovered something new, and it was so exciting! Without giving too much away, I'll say that my favorite scene was the final, night confrontation at the end. It played out just like a movie, and I virtually saw the characters' pain as they encountered this final obstacle. In my humble opinion, it was gut-wrenching, but it just made the ending that much sweeter and the characters that much more relatable.

The romance was pretty understated in this one, though, they did spend a lot of time being aware of each other's presence. So, if you like your romances to have a lot of historical details and adventure plot, this is for you. If you're expecting something steamier or mushier, you'll be disappointed.

As always, Jeannie Lin does a fantastic incorporating historical details into her story without bombarding the reader. Personally, I like feeling that this story could only take place in the Tang Dynasty China and not in a regency ballroom, and she definitely nails that.

Again, I highly recommend if you like martial arts films and an HEA. ( )

Another good work by Jeannie Lin, though I felt this one suffered a bit too much from overly fast pacing and easy-outs rather than exploring the harder options. ( )

I liked this book, though I thought the pace was a little jumpy. The build up to the ending could have been written a little more smoothly, but it may have been that there were a lot of unfamiliar names and government structures. I really liked the relationship between Hao Han and Li Feng. This is the kind of book that makes me really want to study the type of martial arts/meditation curriculum that Li Feng learned with her shifu. ( )

a dangerous, deceptively fragile heroine!

A stolen shipment of gold and jade. A dancer, Wen Li Feng, who happens to carry a piece of jade depicting a phoenix, one of a set. A Thief-catcher, Zeng Hao Han who targets his criminals with unerring judgement. Acting on instinct Han feels that Fi Leng is the key to solving the theft.He is sure that she is involved with the stolen shipment in some way. After all there is that jade piece! So begins a dance extraordinaire between thief and catcher. The mystery deepens and emotions engage in what forThief-catcher Han should have been a straightforward case. For Li Feng it is the very point of survival and solving the mystery of who she is. Here is a story of families and of reconciliation. Questions flow beneath the surface, recalling the hierarchy of tradition, place and response within the world that Wen Li Feng and Zeng Hao Han inhabit. Questions such as how does a victim become such? who is the victim? what is duty? what is justice?
Essentially a lively and poignant historical romance, enjoyable in the reading.

A NetGalley ARC ( )