#7 Thirteen Orphans by Jane Lindskold

This is the first in a series that deals with the 13 descendants of a deposed emperor of an alternate China and his 12 protectors. Someone is hunting the heirs of the protectors to take their powers and erase all memories associated with the powers. The magic system in the book is well developed and uses the mahjong as a basis for casting the spells. The first half of the book deals with gathering several of the heirs and teaching them how to use their powers to protect themselves. The book ends not so much on a cliffhanger but as more of a pause in the road. I'll pick up the next book to see where the story is going and I hope it will be going to this alternate China.