The Yellow Silk    by Don Bassingthwaite Order:  USA  Can Wizards of the Coast, 2004 (2004) Paperback     Reviewed by Sally Selvadurai The Yellow Silk is an engaging fantasy, with overtones of reality in terms of the perceived ethnographic backgrounds of the protagonists. It combines some elements of magic, but these are not too far fetched, so the whole remains plausible. Kuang Li Chien has traveled to Spandeliyon from his homeland of Shou Lung on a quest to find another Shou. He teams up with Tycho (bard, teacher, smuggler and erstwhile traveler) and together they attempt to do the impossible – find the Shou and the gems that Tyco should have delivered to the ruthless Brin. Brin is a mean-spirited, one-eyed former pirate with a huge boar, Black Scratch, who is a pet - or a weapon when Brin lets the animal attack his rivals. Kuang Li would have managed to fulfil his quest, if it hadn't been for the fact that Brin learnt of the ancient treasure he was carrying with him – 'The Yellow Silk'. For the brigand Brin, this artifact is worth a fortune and he successfully lures Kuang Li and Tycho into a trap in order to obtain the Silk. But our canny heroes have trump cards up their sleeves! This is a great read for adolescents – fast-paced with many twists and turns to the plot. The final magic is unexpected but, of course, our heroes manage to escape, even though, in the end, Tycho does not get the girl. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews