A young antiques restorer who has just arrived in the historic city of Szu-Fang encounters the animated soul of an ancient sword. A myth-imbued romance in the vein of the Twilight novels.

After graduating from college, Ying Ju-Chu comes to the historic city of Szu-Fang to follow in her father’s footsteps as an antiques restorer. Yet her very first days at work make clear that she is surrounded by more than just dead relics. Her restoration firm is among the most advanced in the world, yet its senior members are not only very young, but also exceedingly attractive.

Of particular interest is a street musician named Hsiao Lien, whom she meets quite randomly on a walk. He is handsome and affable, and the two instantly click. To her excitement, she discovers that he works as an appraiser at her firm. While his attitude towards her is inexplicably cold when next they meet in the office, their third encounter – accidentally, in an elevator – is reassuringly friendly. As the two fall into deep conversation, however, the frayed elevator snaps. As the car hurtles downward, Hsiao Lien produces a black sword from nowhere, which then propels them both to safety. As she is rushed to the hospital, Ju-Chu marvels at the appearance of the sword. Furthermore, who is Hsiao Lien, and how did he escape injury? 

Fantasy author Huai Guan’s second novel is a myth-imbued romance in the vein of the Twilight novels, in which the enigmatic power of ancient history amplifies the immediate force of love. Huai Guan’s flawless prose style draws us smoothly but irrevocably into a world in which our reverence for the deep past finds a new, though tumultuous rebirth.