White Sheep of the Family

Children of the Black Lotus, Book 2

By: JC Kang

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

A lord has been assassinated, and only an awkward boy can uncover the mastermind.

Banished from the capital, 10-year-old Zheng Tian joins the Black Lotus Clan. As son of a great lord, he is utterly unprepared for this new life - a fact complicated by his awkwardness. As of yet untrained in the arts of stealth, he is thrust into an investigation into a lord's murder.

©2019 Dragonstone Press, LLC (P)2019 Dragonstonepress, LLC

Great Story

The author built on the events of the previous novella, "Thorn of the Night Blossoms" using this second book to deepen the central mystery presented in the first book while developing the main character and introducing new characters that help to propel the action forward. A very enjoyable story.
Natalie Naudus does an excellent job as the narrator and I'm looking forward to hearing more from her.
I received a free audiobook copy and have volunteered to leave a review.

White Sheep of the Family

Building on the first book, there is mystery surrounding the assassination of a Lord. Can the Black Lotus Clan get to the bottom of things before they become victims themselves?

JC Kang continues the story with intriguing characters in a unique setting.

Once again, Natalie Naudus delivered an entertaining performance.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

JC Kang does it again!

I never thought I would enjoy a courtesan story so much, but this is fun. There's a new addition to the ensemble, Zheng Tian, who I remember liking a lot in Songs of Insurrection. Tian is brought in to the Black Lotus Clan because of his powers of observation. And while much about the world of Jie and Little Wen baffles him, he is able to figure out the rest of the story that began in the previous book. What was Lilian up to? Who was she working with? And what was the purpose of Lord Ting's assassination in the previous story?

Tian was cute. Always dreaming about Princess Kaiya, his betrothed (really?), he couldn't help being fascinated by the incredible skills of the women of the Black Lotus. But then, he was only ten in this story. And ten-year-olds see all the magic that is in the world. I also felt even worse for Jie. She was never my favorite but watching her go from trusting others to expecting betrayal around every corner was heartbreaking. There are good, trustworthy people even in your world, Jie!

While many things were wrapped up neatly by the end, I have the suspicion that the adventure is only beginning and look forward to reading whatever comes next.

I received a free audiobook from the author and reviewed it willingly. The narrator, once again, did a fantastic job with all the character voices.

The plot thickens

The plot thickens and we get to follow a new character through the floating world, Zheng Tian. He’s the disgraced 10 year old son of a Lord, and affectionately calls Jie the “Evil Elf” after the clan takes him in and begins his training. I love the interplay between Tian and the other clan members. The betrayal mystery unfolded just a little bit more and I’m totally hooked. On to book 3.

Great sequel

White Sheep of the Family is the second book of the Children of the Black Lotus series. I’ve seen people comment that it can be read as a standalone, but I would really recommend anyone interested in this series to read the books in order.

White Sheep of the Family is even better than it’s predecessor. I loved following the point of view of Tian as he and Jie investigated the events that happened in the end of the first book. I truly like how JC Kang writes action scenes; he makes them feel alive and real, like everything is happening in my mind like a movie as I listen thanks to his way of describing. The narrator is fantastic for this story too.

I requested this audiobook from Audiobooks Unleashed and have voluntarily left this review.

Young Holmes?

A young boy joins the former courtesan to help her and her assassin friends uncover who assassinated a lord. The young boy is smart, but also very inexperienced, which the women try to teach him a few things, including how to keep on his guard from being pick pocketed. However, they become impressed with his skill, similar to Sherlock Holmes' ability to use deduction to find clues to find solutions.
I enjoyed the book, and the narration was done well.

Good follow up in the story!

White Sheep of the Family continues the story of Jie, half-elf spy of the Black Lotus Clan and introduces Tian a very bright 10 year old boy banished from the capital with an Imperial Death Sentence. The descriptions in these novellas so far are incredibly vivid bringing the Floating World to life. The plot is engaging and full of action and intrigue with unexpected twists that will keep you hooked.

Another excellent short tale!

Building on what was established in book one, this one digs a little deeper into the mystery and digs deeper into Jie's character while also introducing a few new faces.

As before, Natalie Naudus provides a fantastic audio performance complete with fantastic voices, near-perfect vocal inflections, and excellent shifts in tempo throughout.

Although Jie is still the primary focus, we're also introduced to Tien, who seems to be something of a mathematical genius, though his other skills are largely lacking, and Yuna, who is probably the most talented 8-year-old ever.

Both of these new characters are fascinating people with just enough flaws to still feel real.

Much like the previous book, the mystery is the primary driving force of the book and it plays out with incredible rapidity.

There are plenty of twists and reversals to keep a reader guessing while continuing to build on the character of a steadily growing cast.

As before, really my only complaint is I would have liked a longer story. Not for lack of depth, but simply that I didn't want it to end!

Again, the ending came together brilliantly in a masterful stroke that I never saw coming. This series is clearly building to something epic and I can't wait to see where it's going to go!

Interesting second book.

Jie's tale continues in this series with her talking Tain under her wings. Tian seems like a very naive boy, but he's very intellectually smart. As this tale continues you wonder who friend and who is really the foe. Learning new truth's about the Steel Orchids and the lies and betrayal within and how emotions can make someone so vulnerable. Jie and Tai will move on to another adventure in Wretches of the Trench.

Excellent

This is a an excellent followup to Thorn of the Night Blossoms. The author does a great job of keeping the intensity going. Can't wait for the next one