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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Violence including murder, maritime combat, and imperial-era brutality
Language
A lot
Strong adult language throughout
Sexual Content
A lot
Explicit adult romantic and sexual content; period relationships across cultures
Substance Use
Barely any
Opium is part of the trade and cultural context; some use depicted
Emotional Intensity
Some
The moral complexity of colonial exploitation; the costs of empire-building
What this book is about
Dirk Struan, the Tai-Pan (supreme lord) of the Noble House trading company, arrives in newly ceded Hong Kong in 1841 determined to build the greatest trading empire in Asia. His rival Tyler Brock, his mistress May-May, and the intricate politics of the China trade form the epic backdrop. Clavell's second Asian Saga novel is a sweeping historical adventure rich in period detail about the opium trade, colonial expansion, and the meeting of British and Chinese cultures.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Explicit sexual content
Colonial-era violence and exploitation
Opium trade as a morally complex backdrop
Reader Verification
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