The Embers of Heaven (47 page)

BOOK: The Embers of Heaven

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HISTORICAL NOTE

I write of a land called Syai, and its people.

It is
not
China. But when I wrote my novel “The Secrets of Jin Shei”, the historical background in which it was rooted was recognizably that of a glittering Imperial China, from which the story drew its inspiration. The follow-up to that book, “Embers of Heaven”, is more that just historical fantasy—it is a contemporary historical fantasy, one in which my Imperial Syai evolves for four hundred years before I (and my protagonist) return to it, and which slips into a parallel history in which it will be easy for the reader to find parallels to that which has been happening in our China, the one in this world, the
real
one. There are some characters whose real-life inspirations will not be hard to spot—Shou’min Iloh, Shenxiao, Baba Sung are all based on real historical figures, although I have taken what liberties I needed to make them live in my own story, in my Syai. Even Tang, although he is a bit of a composite of at least three contemporary Chinese political figures, should be familiar. Events such as the Golden Rising and the Iron Bridge, and especially the student protest on the Emperor’s Square, should also find a ready parallel in the minds of contemporary readers—and so should the rampaging cadres of the Golden Wind.

But while the parallels are there, and there is a very real history behind all of this, “Embers of Heaven” remains a historical fantasy about a land called Syai and the events that shaped that land. Conversations between Shou’min Iloh and
any
other character in this book are pure fiction, for instance, and as far as I know the mystical connection between Iloh and a girl called Amais has never actually existed. Some readers might recognize a very famous photograph that was used as inspiration for the denouement of the students’ rebellion—but they should realize that I have used the photograph, and indeed the very events of which I write, as a palimpsest on which I have created my own dramas, my own history, my own country. China pervades this book, and is a fundamental building block of its storyline—but think of “Embers” as a painting rather than a photograph. You will see things that never were, and things that might have been, and you may well not see the things you expect to see. Just remember—there is a veil between the “real” China and the land called Syai, and by reading this book you have stepped through it and into a world that is mine alone and where actual China, as potent as its presence there is, must be seen as merely a guiding spirit, a Muse, an inspiration. You will find many things very similar, but do not expect to be reading a contemporary history of the facts exactly as they were.

History is complex and complicated, and the history of China more so than most. I know that I have found myself mystified and astounded and sometimes outright awed at some of the things I have found out while doing my research reading—I have tried to distil the whole potent brew into something that retains the richness and the bittersweet taste of the original concoction while proving to be more easily accessible and understandable for the average Western reader. It may not be a history textbook, but it may well be a starting point for a lasting fascination with China and all things Chinese. I know I have learned a whole lot while writing “Embers of Heaven”, both in terms of hard facts and in beginning to understand the way a culture very different from mine thinks, feels, functions. I hope that some of that wonder will find its way into the minds of the readers and stay there long after they put down this book.

Alma Alexander

About the Author

Alma Alexander is a novelist and short story writer who writes for both YA and not-so-YA audiences, with eleven books to her credit published in 14 languages worldwide to date. Some of her other works include
2012: Midnight at Spanish Gardens
, the international bestseller
Secrets of Jin Shei
, the fantasy duology
Hidden Queen/Changer of Days
, and the YA
Worldweavers
trilogy. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two presumptuous cats.

About the Artist

Laura Givens is a Denver-based author and artist.

Her art has graced the covers of numerous publishers' books and may be viewed at
http://www.lauragivens-artist.com
.

She was co-editor and contributor to
Six-Guns Straight From Hell
, a weird western anthology recently released.

She performed improv comedy on stage for a decade then produced, wrote and directed her no-budget masterpiece,
The Jerusalem Tango
, which you will never see, for good cause.

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Alma Alexander