Andrew Shaw - Author
Renn, the first in a new grimdark fantasy trilogy based on ancient Chinese history and mythology, will be published on November 17th by Earnshaw Books of Hong Kong
It differs from the growing number of fantasy books set in the Middle Kingdom, which mainly focus on either the Tang, Qing, or Republican eras. Renn goes much further back to the Bronze Age, where there is a darker mythology and history to work with. It even predates Ken Liu’s Dandelion series which takes place in the Han Dynasty.
Renn takes place during the Warring States period. It is a story told by the two main characters against the backdrop of the rise and fall of the first Chinese empire. One is a princess, kidnapped and sold to a brothel, who must seduce a king to gain her freedom. The other is her warrior husband, who is willing to tear apart the empire to rescue her.
Dive into the legends and myths surrounding jade, the Stone of Heaven. Jade is the most romantic and blood drenched stone on earth. To ancient cultures all over the world it was sacred. In China, Confucius raved about it; wars were fought over it and cities were offered in exchange for a piece of it. The ancient Olmecs of Central America treasured it far more than gold. Maori were so fond of it they killed and ate ten British sailors who tried to steal some of it. In more recent times, spoiled heiresses with more money than sense and hard nosed businessmen who should have known better squandered fortunes collecting it. If you want to know about the pirates who poisoned a man to get hold of it or how many slaves the Inuit would swap for a piece of it, then this is the book for you.
Spoil, examines the way the West looted millions of priceless relics from China during the colonial era. His book tells the story of when they were stolen, who stole them and where they are now. Many looted items are still on display in museums throughout the world. In Spoil, Andrew suggests that it is time to give back what was taken and offers a way to do so which which could work for everyone.
A short film introducing Andrew’s book, SPOIL, with examples of the treasures looted from China that are now on display in museums in the West.
Andrew’s book, Jade Life, was featured in both the Guardian and the South China Morning Post. It received excellent reviews. The East Asia Book Review wrote: Jade Life is a great read – a big-hearted, highly accessible, informative, and likeable account. It will appeal to any reader interested in China regardless of one’s interest in jade. The author has a friendly, down-to-earth manner, and there’s no self-aggrandizement.
He hopes his book will help people understand why this precious stone is so important in Chinese culture and how it has captured the heart and soul of a people who in a very short time have managed to transform their country from a backwater state into the superpower it is today.