Southern Swallow Series by Edward C. Patterson

"A bigger fool the world has never known than I - a coarse fellow with no business to clutch a brush and scribble. I only know the scrawl, because my master took pleasure in teaching me between my chores. Not many men are so cursed . . ." Thus begins the tale of Li K'ai-men as told by his faithful, but mischievous servant, K'u Ko-ling - a tale of 12th Century China, where state service meant a life long journey across a landscape of turmoil and bliss... more"A bigger fool the world has never known than I - a coarse fellow with no business to clutch a brush and scribble. I only know the scrawl, because my master took pleasure in teaching me between my chores. Not many men are so cursed . . ." Thus begins the tale of Li K'ai-men as told by his faithful, but mischievous servant, K'u Ko-ling - a tale of 12th Century China, where state service meant a life long journey across a landscape of turmoil and bliss. A tale of sacrifice, love, war and duty - a fragile balance between rituals and passions. Here begins the legacy of the Jade Owl and its custodian as he holds true to his warrants. The Academician is the first of four books in the Southern Swallow series, capturing the turbulence of the Sung Dynasty in transition. Spanning the silvery days under the Emperor Hui to the disasters that followed, The Academician is a slice of world events that should never have been forgotten. less

"We all lived in the shadow of K'ai-feng's ashes now. No denying it. However safe we felt, the world hung by a silken thread." So begins the second book of the Southen Swallow series - The Nan Tu (The Southern Migration) and, like the first book, The Academician, it is told by K'u Ko-ling, servant to the Grand Tutor, Li K'ai-men.

"We were like Swan Clouds, or so my master Li K’ai-men said, because for ten years we drifted from place to place - city to city - one temporary capital after another." Ten years has passed since The Nan Tu, Book II of the Southern Swallow series. The Sung court and government has settled at the great city of Lin-an and peace is sought with the invading Jurchen... more"We were like Swan Clouds, or so my master Li K’ai-men said, because for ten years we drifted from place to place - city to city - one temporary capital after another." Ten years has passed since The Nan Tu, Book II of the Southern Swallow series. The Sung court and government has settled at the great city of Lin-an and peace is sought with the invading Jurchen. The stage is set for one of the most infamous incidents in Chinese history, known as The Yueh Fei Affair - an intrigue, which casts our adventurers into the perils of the times. Book III of the Southern Swallow series - Swan Cloud, like its predecessors (The Academician and The Nan Tu) is told by K'u Ko-ling, servant to the Grand Tutor, Li K'ai-men, who must forgo his obligated mourning period and set out on a diplomatic mission for the Emperor Kao - a mission fraught with political intrigue and treachery. Set on the broad canvas of Sung Dynasty China (12th Century), Swan Cloud is a tale of separation and sacrifice - injustice and intrigue. It represents a turning point in this saga for our hero and his band of spiritual warriors. The Southern Swallow Series: The Academician The Nan Yu Swan Cloud The House of Green Waters Vagrants Hallow Related series - The Jade Owl: The Jade Owl The Third Peregrination The Dragon's Pool The People's Treasure In the Shadow of Her Hem less

"Exile is a state best experienced to understand. To spend thirteen years in a fly-infested wetland, slogging through jungle streams and unfurled on deserted beaches - to be blown hither and thither by storms and falling palms, is a lesson no book can teach. Still, I, K'u Ko-ling, had lived so long to tell of the fire, which heats the back until noodles could be tossed on it and stew made from the sweat... more"Exile is a state best experienced to understand. To spend thirteen years in a fly-infested wetland, slogging through jungle streams and unfurled on deserted beaches - to be blown hither and thither by storms and falling palms, is a lesson no book can teach. Still, I, K'u Ko-ling, had lived so long to tell of the fire, which heats the back until noodles could be tossed on it and stew made from the sweat." Thus begins the sweeping fourth installment of The Southern Swallow Series - a tapestry of historical adventure and intrigue set in 12th Century China. While Li K'ai-men and his companions are in exile on a tropical island in the south, the political world explodes as a mad prince invades the Sung Empire. It's a time for heroes and riveting warfare, including the first recorded battle in history to deploy poisonous gas as a weapon. Book IV of the Southern Swallow series - The House of Green Waters, like its predecessors (The Academician, The Nan Tu and Swan Cloud) is told by K'u Ko-ling, servant to the exiled-Grand Tutor, Li K'ai-men. It depicts the harsh life on Hai-nan Island and the progress of family - fathers and sons from Emperor, to officials, to commoners. The roots of modernity stir within the soul of the daily life of Sung China and nowhere greater is it witnessed than in the fabric of this tale. The Southern Swallow Series: The Academician The Nan Tu Swan Cloud The House of Green Waters Vagrants Hallow Related series - The Jade Owl Legacy The Jade Owl The Third Peregrination The Dragon's Pool The People's Treasure In the Shadow of Her Hem less