The City of Sand by Tianxia Bachang | Review

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: November 21, 2017
Source of my copy: publisher
Series: The City of Sand #1
My rating:

Synopsis
THE QUEST: To find the lost city of Jingjue, a once-glorious kingdom, along with the burial chamber of its mysterious queen. Both lie buried under the golden dunes of the desert, where fierce sandstorms and blazing heat show no mercy.

THE TEAM: Teenagers Tianyi, who has the ability read the earth and sky through feng shui, and Kai, Tianyi's best friend and confidant; Julie, a wealthy American whose father vanished on the same trek a year ago; Professor Chen, who wants to fulfill a lifelong dream; and Asat Amat, a local guide gifted in desert survival.

THE OBSTACLES: Lethal creatures of the desert and an evil force that wants to entomb the explorers under the unforgiving sands of China's Taklimakan Desert forever.

Attracted by its promise for adventure and how it is translated from Chinese, The City of Sand by Tianxia Bachang intrigued me, and I had high hopes to enjoy it. Yet, upon reading it, I was only intrigued by the historical and cultural aspects, the plot and characters falling flat. My issues with the book may have been because of the simple language of the English translation.

For young, curious readers, The City of Sand may be a good recommendation as it touches on the history and culture of China through its focus on grave robbing. I have never heard of it prior to this book, so learning about it kept me interested in the story. As grave robbing is a crime, the story acknowledged the activity's effects on scholarly work and cultural values, but it also explored the community and rhetoric the activity has brought about, delineating its social depth. I was fascinated by the notion of grave robbing explained in The City of Sand.

The plot, however, was not as riveting. With such focus on a dangerous activity, I expected the plot to keep me at the edge of my seat, but it was actually inconsistent in delivering the adventure. Some parts moved fast with suspense and mystery, causing me to read quickly for what happens next. For instance, there were some imaginative subplots and back stories concerning how the main character and narrator Tianyi began robbing graves and about the grave and lost city Tianyi and the team were searching for. But, other parts were slow and uninteresting, such as those of the team trekking through the desert, boring me enough to want to put it down. When I reached the ending, I found it abrupt and unmoving. I was hoping for more insight or revelation from the characters, but none of such was given or revealed. The plot did not fully meet my expectations of an adventure novel.

The main characters also did not impress me. While reading The City of Sand, I tolerated the naivety of Tianyi and his best friend, Kai, because they were two teenage boys trying to earn a living, albeit selfishly, through grave robbing. I figured that their mission with the scholars and their paranormal, near-death experiences in the lost city of Jingjue will mature them. Yet, at the end of the book, they didn't seem all that changed. They reflected little on their time in the desert, their dialogue and thoughts only referring to their increased gratitude. Their newfound humility was important, but I was expecting more considering the seriousness and suddenness of the mission. They didn't seem to have fully absorbed their experiences, and their lack of development caused me to sympathize with them less at the end of the book. I didn't like the main characters of The City of Sand.

These two issues I had with The City of Sand may have been because it is a translation and not the original work of the author. The language was simple, a little more like MG than YA. I quickly read through it, only slowing down when the plot slowed down. Since the book is intended for a younger audience, I imagine the English translation prioritized clarity, possibly compromising some of the novel's elements and the intentions of the author. With that said, it's possible that the issues I had with The City of Sand are bettered or nonexistent in the original publication. Thus, inevitably, my opinion of the book is incomplete.

I felt let down by the plot and characters of The City of Sand, but the notion of grave robbing and the fact that the novel is a translation kept me reading to the end. Younger individuals who don't avidly read may find this book interesting since it does offer some adventure and suspense, enough to keep interest. It could also be read by tweens with a higher reading level since the language is quite simple. To note, it is violent in some parts and there are a few deaths; some children may find such too shocking to read. Overall, The City of Sand was an okay read, missing the mark in a couple of key areas for me.