海角大神

Readers of this review will fall into two categories: (1) Those who are already two-thirds invested in the 鈥淚bis Trilogy,鈥� and (2) Newbies who might be wondering if continuing the perusal of this review is even worth a few minutes due to obvious unfamiliarity.

Here鈥檚 my response: (1) Waiting groupies: you will be doing the happy-dance at the arrival of this magnificent finale after almost four long years of (im)patient agony, and (2) Inevitable-groupies-to-be: unfamiliarity has its precious rewards, because you get the absolutely priceless gift of being able to read the entire trilogy without literatus interruptus.

Topping the "Best of"-lists in 2008, the 鈥淚bis Trilogy鈥� debuted with 鈥淪ea of Poppies,鈥� in which master storyteller Amitav Ghosh (鈥淭he Glass Palace,鈥� 鈥淭he Hungry Tide鈥�) introduced his cast聽as聽if choosing the most fascinating fibers for an intricate tapestry. Each seemingly disparate, narrative strand commingled and converged on the deck of the former slave ship, the Ibis, during its 1838 voyage from India to Mauritius. On the eve of the First Opium War when the Chinese attempted to reclaim their country 鈥� and their sobriety 鈥� from Western colonialists, the Ibis鈥檚 tumultuous journey proved to be a microcosmic clash of caste, race, status, and power.

Three years later, 鈥淩iver of Smoke鈥� garnered similar notable attention. An expanded cast converged in China鈥檚 foreign quarter, Fanqui-town, a lively cosmopolitan enclave, in which East and West collided over 鈥� what else? 鈥� drugs, sex, control. Today鈥檚 Mexican narcos and Colombian cartels utterly pale in comparison to these 19th-century British and American opium runners. You might have encountered the distant Opium Wars via textbook facts and figures, but Ghosh鈥檚 extraordinary prose ensures an enhanced, visceral experience.

War looms, then implodes, in Flood of Fire, Ghosh鈥檚 spectacular 鈥淚bis鈥� finale. The beginning of the end opens back in Bengal, India, populated by the British elite and their local not-quite-equal counterparts. Kesri Singh is at the height of his military career which, as a colonial subject, means his rank does not acknowledge nor employ his exceptional leadership skills; he鈥檚 about to learn that the sudden death of his sister鈥檚 husband will be the unforeseen catalyst that sends him to war in faraway China.

Zachary Reid, a mixed-race freeman from Baltimore who has been "passing" outside his homeland, has finally been cleared of all treasonous charges resulting from the mutinous Ibis escape; his incurred debts, however, keep him from returning to the high seas, but he is, for now, fortuitously employed by a wealthy British merchant to refurbish a small vessel docked on his estate.

In the genteel Parsi home of the late merchant Bahram Modi, his widow Shireen is shattered to learn that her husband had the son she could never give him with another woman; threatened with financial ruin, she books passage to China to find her husband鈥檚 male progeny 鈥� because in matters of money, gender matters greatly 鈥� in order to reclaim the family鈥檚 lost fortune. Meanwhile, Modi鈥檚 former munshi (writing secretary), now known as Ah Neel, journals the secrets between the power elite of East and West as he plays no small part in the inevitable conflagrations to come.

So meticulously seamless is Ghosh鈥檚 historical research that to distinguish between fact and fiction throughout the trilogy is virtually impossible. Ghosh presents the many "sides" of China鈥檚 Opium Wars with multi-dimensional attention, from the Western hierarchies blinded by frenzied, greed-induced control, their colonized subjects who enable the flow of the deadly drugs towards a nation鈥檚 utter ruin, and a desperate country trying to staunch their 鈥渟lowly corroding families, clans, monasteries, the army.鈥�

Innocent individuals caught in the literal crossfire suffer the utmost: 鈥淪o much death, so much destruction: what was it all for?鈥� a surviving eyewitness asks near title鈥檚 end as he overlooks the consequences of war. The final body count, indeed, will surely surprise many.

Beyond the looming Very Important Issues woven throughout 鈥� nothing like inhumanity to expose the pernicious vanities of the human race 鈥� Ghosh鈥檚 formidable literary prowess guarantees a fascinating, fast read; 616 pages never flew by like this.

For those rebels unwilling to start with Book 1, Ghosh makes sure Book 3 stands solidly alone. Of course, recognizing Raja Neel Rattan Halder鈥檚 painstakingly detailed 鈥淐hrestomathy鈥� from 鈥淪ea of Poppies,鈥� being privy to what led to Deeti鈥檚 Ibis ejection in 鈥淩iver of Smoke,鈥� and so, so much more, won鈥檛 happen unless you read the trio in order. That said, whatever your reading choices, don鈥檛 miss the boat 鈥� couldn鈥檛 resist! 鈥� with the astounding, exceptional, "Ibis Trilogy."

Terry Hong writes , a book blog for the .