The plot is thoughtful and intricate, the characters skillfully drawn, and the prose as strong and sinuous as a dragon's tail. -- Leonie Jordan * Australian Bookseller+Publisher * Wilkinson's world convinces with lots of careful calligraphic brush strokes: the feel of a padded vest, the height of a peasant's roof, the tricks of perspective (both literal and psychological) in the emperor's garden. -- Michelle Griffin * The Age * This is a magnificently written and captivating story. -- Donna * YARA *