David Rotenberg
The SHANGHAI TETRALOGY
On the Hua Shan (the Holy Mountain) 250 years before Christ, the most powerful man in the world, the First Emperor bequeaths a talisman - a narwhal tusk with carvings depicting the growth of Shanghai for the next 2500 years - to his three trusted followers: the Bodyguard, his favourite Courtesan, and his Head Confucian. The warning from the First Emperor before he commits suicide is to watch for the White Ships on Water and so the progeny of the three who are entrusted with the Tusk do. Then, in 1841 they arrive - British Men of War ships. And opium.
City Rising,
The Bend in the River
Book Two of The Shanghai Tetralogy.
At Bay Press. February 2025.
The 19th century is coming to a close and as the 20th century begins, Shanghai is now a thriving metropolis. The aging Dowager Empress, in her dying days, is still determined to wield her power. With the Manchu Dynasty on its last legs, the city's three great families, the Hordoons, the Soongs, and the Tus, are jostling for influence. The Boxers, determined to rid the country of "foreigners" are stepping up their reign of terror. Everyone is on the hunt for the legendary Narwhal Tusk.
Available at INDIGO:
https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/city-rising-the-bend-in-the-river/9781998779611.html
Book One of The Shanghai Tetralogy.
At Bay Press. Published November 9, 2023
City Rising, From the Holy Mountain tells the story of two destitute Baghdadi Jews who become opium lords, their battles against the powerful British opium companies, and the boys’ eventual love of the City at the Bend in the River – Shanghai.
Order CITY RISING today from Queen Books. And also available on AMAZON
