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rozanne_visagie's review against another edition
3.0
A Heart Divided is the fourth book in The Legend of the Condor Heroes series and is filled with martial arts and adventures. I'm not familiar with the series but after I've been gifted a copy of this book I found I enjoyed it. Martial arts is not a typical topic I'd read about, but I was caught up in the characters and the different moves.
The book is 591 pages and I felt certain parts dragged, but since it's the end of the series I understand why so much detail is included. A character list and illustrations are included which enhances the reading experience. The character list is especially helpful since there are many characters to keep up with. A Heart Divided is translated from Chinese by Gigi Chang and Shelly Bryant. The world-building is detailed and the reader is taken on a journey to finish the final chapter of this series.
My opinion is based on this book alone since I'm not familiar with the series, but after what I've read, this book is rich in descriptions and characters and I'm curious to see how the series began. It's interesting to read something that isn't your typical read, that way you discover a whole new territory, a whole new adventure and characters that keep you entertained.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for this gifted copy.
The book is 591 pages and I felt certain parts dragged, but since it's the end of the series I understand why so much detail is included. A character list and illustrations are included which enhances the reading experience. The character list is especially helpful since there are many characters to keep up with. A Heart Divided is translated from Chinese by Gigi Chang and Shelly Bryant. The world-building is detailed and the reader is taken on a journey to finish the final chapter of this series.
My opinion is based on this book alone since I'm not familiar with the series, but after what I've read, this book is rich in descriptions and characters and I'm curious to see how the series began. It's interesting to read something that isn't your typical read, that way you discover a whole new territory, a whole new adventure and characters that keep you entertained.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for this gifted copy.
argentrabe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tmathes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love this series so much!
sahibooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
I really did miss not having an audiobook for this one but I was also very glad for finally getting to the conclusion of the Legend of the Condor Heroes.
This was definitely a lot more action packed and enjoyable than I found the third book and I read it pretty quickly. However, I did find that I enjoyed the action sequences and the descriptions of the various martial arts moves on audio more than reading. Coming to the plot and characters, I guess there were points which weren’t as satisfactory as I hoped they would be, especially the character arcs of Yang Kang or Mercy Mu. I grew to like Guo Jing a lot more in this book - seeing him fight so much for his love even if he can’t articulate it in words, never lose his devotion for Lotus despite challenging circumstances , trying to find a path and purpose in his life which would be more than just killing people using his superior martial arts skills - it was all very heartening to read and I felt happy that I followed him on this journey throughout. I still have conflicting feelings about Lotus and I can only say that she’ll always keep Guo Jing on his toes. I enjoyed the addition of King Duan and his four generals, their backstories and our couple’s interactions with them were all very interesting. Count Seven Hong also grew in my regard and the one monologue he has towards the end was just spectacular.
I have truly come to appreciate how seamlessly the author integrates historical figures into this action and adventure story and all scenes with Genghis Khan in this book were quite impactful. I guess I was expecting more explosive scenes towards the end and because it didn’t feel that way despite some cool fight scenes, I’m not feeling that high which comes with the end of a beloved series. But I’m still very glad to have gotten to know these characters and this world, and it’s also made me more excited for The Return of the Condor Heroes, whose translation I hope we will get soon. Until then, it’s gonna be a wait and I’m yet unsure if I wanna watch the adaptations in the meantime.
This was definitely a lot more action packed and enjoyable than I found the third book and I read it pretty quickly. However, I did find that I enjoyed the action sequences and the descriptions of the various martial arts moves on audio more than reading. Coming to the plot and characters, I guess there were points which weren’t as satisfactory as I hoped they would be, especially the character arcs of Yang Kang or Mercy Mu. I grew to like Guo Jing a lot more in this book - seeing him fight so much for his love even if he can’t articulate it in words, never lose his devotion for Lotus despite challenging circumstances , trying to find a path and purpose in his life which would be more than just killing people using his superior martial arts skills - it was all very heartening to read and I felt happy that I followed him on this journey throughout. I still have conflicting feelings about Lotus and I can only say that she’ll always keep Guo Jing on his toes. I enjoyed the addition of King Duan and his four generals, their backstories and our couple’s interactions with them were all very interesting. Count Seven Hong also grew in my regard and the one monologue he has towards the end was just spectacular.
I have truly come to appreciate how seamlessly the author integrates historical figures into this action and adventure story and all scenes with Genghis Khan in this book were quite impactful. I guess I was expecting more explosive scenes towards the end and because it didn’t feel that way despite some cool fight scenes, I’m not feeling that high which comes with the end of a beloved series. But I’m still very glad to have gotten to know these characters and this world, and it’s also made me more excited for The Return of the Condor Heroes, whose translation I hope we will get soon. Until then, it’s gonna be a wait and I’m yet unsure if I wanna watch the adaptations in the meantime.
merrrry's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
2.25
Took a whole 8 months to finish this book. Still really like the characters, but the novelty of the martial arts campiness and the Guo Jing x Lotus dynamic has worn off a bit after 3 books. Sadly, my main feeling about this book is that I'm glad I'm done.
As a whole, it was obvious that Jin Yong was just trying to tie things up, and I can't say I found much of it very satisfying.For example, Yang Kang death and Mercy's final appearance with a child was super underwhelming. Girl is just found in some bushes with a baby?? Ok??? I feel like Guo Jing and Lotus have been powering up this whole time, but the final resolution didn't reflect all the building that was done. I guess that's a common thing among serialized stories though.
This exhausted me so much that I don't feel much motivation to read more translated Jin Yong books. I'm sure I'll read another eventually.
As a whole, it was obvious that Jin Yong was just trying to tie things up, and I can't say I found much of it very satisfying.
This exhausted me so much that I don't feel much motivation to read more translated Jin Yong books. I'm sure I'll read another eventually.
ranok's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
lalicurates's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ninetalevixen's review against another edition
3.0
Despite the action-packed opening, for me it was a slow process to get into this one — probably in large part because it's been quite a while since I read the first two books. But I enjoyed Guo Jing and Lotus's journey, the brawn-and-brain duo (or heart-and-head, if you prefer) and it was fun to see ; the list of characters in the beginning was somewhat helpful for keeping it all straight, though limited since I didn't want to flip back and forth in the middle of a tense scene.
Spoiler
so many returning characters converge on one site, albeit coming and going at different pointsninetalevixen's review against another edition
3.0
I received an advance review copy from St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest.
★ 3.5 stars ★
In terms of plot and themes, this felt rather different from the previous books in some ways while being a logical conclusion in others. While I didn't love all the math and was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of riddles and poems, I do have to give props to the translators for making all the verses work in a different language (though I haven't read this in the original Chinese so I can't judge whether/how much nuance was lost in translation). Honestly I never really enjoy a love triangle, but at least there is genuine conflict — a question of honor and keeping one's word, vs. True Love (I Guess) — and none of the characters is vilified for their role in the whole situation. The narration gets quite heavy on the moralizing/philosophizing in the last section or so, but there's still plenty of martial arts action.
Ultimately, this installment delivers the culmination of this series, coming full circle while demonstrating how far the heroes have come ... and it sets up the sequel series.
★ 3.5 stars ★
In terms of plot and themes, this felt rather different from the previous books in some ways while being a logical conclusion in others. While I didn't love all the math and was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of riddles and poems, I do have to give props to the translators for making all the verses work in a different language (though I haven't read this in the original Chinese so I can't judge whether/how much nuance was lost in translation). Honestly I never really enjoy a love triangle, but at least there is genuine conflict — a question of honor and keeping one's word, vs. True Love (I Guess) — and none of the characters is vilified for their role in the whole situation. The narration gets quite heavy on the moralizing/philosophizing in the last section or so, but there's still plenty of martial arts action.
Ultimately, this installment delivers the culmination of this series, coming full circle while demonstrating how far the heroes have come ... and it sets up the sequel series.