White Sheep of the Family

Children of the Black Lotus, Book 2

By: JC Kang

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

A lord has been assassinated, and only an awkward boy can uncover the mastermind.

Banished from the capital, 10-year-old Zheng Tian joins the Black Lotus Clan. As son of a great lord, he is utterly unprepared for this new life - a fact complicated by his awkwardness. As of yet untrained in the arts of stealth, he is thrust into an investigation into a lord's murder.

©2019 Dragonstone Press, LLC (P)2019 Dragonstonepress, LLC

Great Story

The author built on the events of the previous novella, "Thorn of the Night Blossoms" using this second book to deepen the central mystery presented in the first book while developing the main character and introducing new characters that help to propel the action forward. A very enjoyable story.
Natalie Naudus does an excellent job as the narrator and I'm looking forward to hearing more from her.
I received a free audiobook copy and have volunteered to leave a review.

JC Kang does it again!

I never thought I would enjoy a courtesan story so much, but this is fun. There's a new addition to the ensemble, Zheng Tian, who I remember liking a lot in Songs of Insurrection. Tian is brought in to the Black Lotus Clan because of his powers of observation. And while much about the world of Jie and Little Wen baffles him, he is able to figure out the rest of the story that began in the previous book. What was Lilian up to? Who was she working with? And what was the purpose of Lord Ting's assassination in the previous story?

Tian was cute. Always dreaming about Princess Kaiya, his betrothed (really?), he couldn't help being fascinated by the incredible skills of the women of the Black Lotus. But then, he was only ten in this story. And ten-year-olds see all the magic that is in the world. I also felt even worse for Jie. She was never my favorite but watching her go from trusting others to expecting betrayal around every corner was heartbreaking. There are good, trustworthy people even in your world, Jie!

While many things were wrapped up neatly by the end, I have the suspicion that the adventure is only beginning and look forward to reading whatever comes next.

I received a free audiobook from the author and reviewed it willingly. The narrator, once again, did a fantastic job with all the character voices.

The plot thickens

The plot thickens and we get to follow a new character through the floating world, Zheng Tian. He’s the disgraced 10 year old son of a Lord, and affectionately calls Jie the “Evil Elf” after the clan takes him in and begins his training. I love the interplay between Tian and the other clan members. The betrayal mystery unfolded just a little bit more and I’m totally hooked. On to book 3.

White Sheep of the Family

Building on the first book, there is mystery surrounding the assassination of a Lord. Can the Black Lotus Clan get to the bottom of things before they become victims themselves?

JC Kang continues the story with intriguing characters in a unique setting.

Once again, Natalie Naudus delivered an entertaining performance.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Great sequel

White Sheep of the Family is the second book of the Children of the Black Lotus series. I’ve seen people comment that it can be read as a standalone, but I would really recommend anyone interested in this series to read the books in order.

White Sheep of the Family is even better than it’s predecessor. I loved following the point of view of Tian as he and Jie investigated the events that happened in the end of the first book. I truly like how JC Kang writes action scenes; he makes them feel alive and real, like everything is happening in my mind like a movie as I listen thanks to his way of describing. The narrator is fantastic for this story too.

I requested this audiobook from Audiobooks Unleashed and have voluntarily left this review.