Wednesday, November 7, 2007

The Crocodile And The Crane-Arthur Rosenfeld

The Crocodile And The Crane
Arthur Rosenfeld
YMAA, Sep 2007, $21.95
ISBN: 9781594390876

Over three and a half millennium ago in China, Gao the blacksmith learned the secret of immortality through a special form of meditation. He passed his secret on to his two children Sanfeng and Zetian as they never stayed in one place for any length of time so that the locals would not become suspicious. However, in a remote village, a terrible plague began wiping out the villagers. The villagers proved that Gao was mortal when they killed him out of a superstitious belief he caused the disease; his two offspring escaped.

In 2009, Sanfeng and Zetian realize the same deadly plague has returned; they vehemently disagree on what they should do. Sanfeng wants to save the world while his avaricious sister wants to dominate it, which the plague will allow her to do. Meanwhile in Hong Kong American self help author Dalton Day, who has uncovered some of Gao's secrets, knows the plague must be stopped. He is joined on his quest by his publicist Monica Farmore, Leili Musi the mother of one of the victims, and others. However the world hinges on the three thousand five hundred years old siblings.

This is a terrific end of the world thriller due to the strong cast including the rapid cellular death plague, which takes on a life of its own as a pandemic seemingly invincible killer. Although the siblings are the key to apocalypse now vs. a miracle cure and the most fascinating of the characters, the Dalton gang is the stars of this entertaining tale. Arthur Rosenfeld will have his fans sitting on the edge of their seat once the plague takes over THE CROCODILE AND THE CRANE.

Harriet Klausner

No comments: