Now more than a nanny for Chinese businessman John Chen, Australian Emma Donahue is engaged to the Shen who rules the Northern Heavens and is second only to the Jade Emperor. The King of the Demon's son One Two Two has not relented in his determination to take John's head to his father and thereby succeed as his number one, and he is going to new extremes - he's bred demon hybrids able to bypass the family's senses, leaving them vulnerable to attack.
As Emma's own powers grow, she begins to suspect she may be more than just human, and worries that she poses a potential danger to her new family.
This is an excellent series that combines one of the most powerful romances I've come across with a unique and gripping plot, brilliantly interweaving modern Hong Kong, East/West intersections and Chinese mythology. The characters, particularly of Emma's new family, are well wrought, and in this installment we also meet her blood family, beginning with her somewhat snobbish and competitive sister.
I think my favourite individual section is John’s angry defense of serpents as not evil, which not only contrasts with Emma’s western perspective but lays groundwork for her acceptance of this mysterious part of herself.
I went straight from Red Phoenix to the third in the series, and so have a little trouble telling where one book ends and the other begins - although I knew this would be the case, I just couldn't wait to find out what happens next. - Alex
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