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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Thank you to Rebellion and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I came across this book for the first time when doing my fortnightly NetGalley wander, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard about it in the bookish circles that I frequent – it’s exactly the sort of fantasy fiction I adore.
Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang's The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.
A retelling of Chinese classic Water Margin, this is a novel that doesn’t hold back, even from its very first page. Lin Chong is an arms instructor, expertly training the Emperor’s soldiers in every class. Her impressive skill and devotion to the job is what she holds higher than anything else, unlike her friends that are beginning to question and challenge inequalities in hierarchy, morals and values. After being targeted and disgraced by an Imperial Marshall, Lin Chong is recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan – mountain outlaws that believe in justice for women, progressive thinkers and other marginalised people.
I haven’t yet read the original text on which this was based, but I am thoroughly besotted by The Water Outlaws. The martial arts elements are fantastic: Huang brings the movements and fight scenes to life in a masterful fashion and it really feels like non-stop action. I’d LOVE to see this as a film adaptation someday. The lore, backstory and settings are also wonderful, there’s no questioning of the rich backdrop of the story.
What I adored the most here, however, is the feminist heart of the story. The sisterhood that are the Bandits of Liangshan was impressive and inspiring, and Lin Chong was the perfect heroine to catalyse the courage and progressive values of the clan. Huang comments on power and hierarchy against a backdrop of tradition here, and Lin Chong’s development is just… *chef’s kiss* My only note here is that while there are hungry ghosts and talismans and flashes of fantastical elements, there’s not nearly enough other magic and fantasy elements for a ‘fantasy historical fiction’, but I can let that slide.
I came across this book for the first time when doing my fortnightly NetGalley wander, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard about it in the bookish circles that I frequent – it’s exactly the sort of fantasy fiction I adore.
Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang's The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.
A retelling of Chinese classic Water Margin, this is a novel that doesn’t hold back, even from its very first page. Lin Chong is an arms instructor, expertly training the Emperor’s soldiers in every class. Her impressive skill and devotion to the job is what she holds higher than anything else, unlike her friends that are beginning to question and challenge inequalities in hierarchy, morals and values. After being targeted and disgraced by an Imperial Marshall, Lin Chong is recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan – mountain outlaws that believe in justice for women, progressive thinkers and other marginalised people.
I haven’t yet read the original text on which this was based, but I am thoroughly besotted by The Water Outlaws. The martial arts elements are fantastic: Huang brings the movements and fight scenes to life in a masterful fashion and it really feels like non-stop action. I’d LOVE to see this as a film adaptation someday. The lore, backstory and settings are also wonderful, there’s no questioning of the rich backdrop of the story.
What I adored the most here, however, is the feminist heart of the story. The sisterhood that are the Bandits of Liangshan was impressive and inspiring, and Lin Chong was the perfect heroine to catalyse the courage and progressive values of the clan. Huang comments on power and hierarchy against a backdrop of tradition here, and Lin Chong’s development is just… *chef’s kiss* My only note here is that while there are hungry ghosts and talismans and flashes of fantastical elements, there’s not nearly enough other magic and fantasy elements for a ‘fantasy historical fiction’, but I can let that slide.
interesting re-imagining of the classic Water Margins.
I’ve been looking forward to this book since I saw the cover, which I loved, and it didn’t disappoint.
I loved the queerness, the gender politics, the action and how utterly women of all types were involved.
My only real complaint is that the pacing was a little off in the middle. It still held my attention but it felt like a little bit more of a slog to get through.
Also the writing felt rather detached from the characters and as such I didn’t connect with them as I would have liked to.
But apart from these two quibbles, I really loved this book.
I loved the queerness, the gender politics, the action and how utterly women of all types were involved.
My only real complaint is that the pacing was a little off in the middle. It still held my attention but it felt like a little bit more of a slog to get through.
Also the writing felt rather detached from the characters and as such I didn’t connect with them as I would have liked to.
But apart from these two quibbles, I really loved this book.
This was great historical fantasy! The author does a terrific job laying out all the many characters. It wasn't hard to follow the storyline despite the large cast. It ends with a nice conclusion but is open for sequel.
a gender-bent retelling of a chinese classic.
fantastically epic; brimming with female rage in both chaotic and strategic action as the story moves through social and political arcs that have profound impacts on the women carrying the narrative. really great characters, i loved ALL of the ‘outlaw’ women (especially lu da). there are so many people in this ensemble cast, but each is unique and there is a lot of humor, thoughtfulness and big ideas threading throughout.
really engaging, hard to put down, and has made me want to read a translation of the original.
a few downsides that keep this from being a 5 star read: much of the story context, instead of being woven in more seamlessly (through dialog, etc.) is instead pages of text that acts more like asides and, for me, takes me out of the flow of the story. and then there’s the cannibalism scene. i definitely see it as a cathartic reaction to SA and extreme oppression that the women of this story had experienced, and i assume it’s part of the classic story, but the target of this scene didn’t make sense to me and so (again, for me) felt jarring and like it was applied in the wrong place and/or in a oddly casual way for such a extreme action.
fantastically epic; brimming with female rage in both chaotic and strategic action as the story moves through social and political arcs that have profound impacts on the women carrying the narrative. really great characters, i loved ALL of the ‘outlaw’ women (especially lu da). there are so many people in this ensemble cast, but each is unique and there is a lot of humor, thoughtfulness and big ideas threading throughout.
really engaging, hard to put down, and has made me want to read a translation of the original.
a few downsides that keep this from being a 5 star read: much of the story context, instead of being woven in more seamlessly (through dialog, etc.) is instead pages of text that acts more like asides and, for me, takes me out of the flow of the story. and then there’s the cannibalism scene. i definitely see it as a cathartic reaction to SA and extreme oppression that the women of this story had experienced, and i assume it’s part of the classic story, but the target of this scene didn’t make sense to me and so (again, for me) felt jarring and like it was applied in the wrong place and/or in a oddly casual way for such a extreme action.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism
Finally finished it because I had a lot of uninterrupted reading time. It's a violent book, yes, and it's a lot of big concepts. But I will say that the main draw for me was how cathartic it was to read this as a survivor of sexual assault. Plus, it's only one book, which is a plus these days. I thought it wrapped up pretty nicely.
It may not be for everyone, but I know I personally enjoyed it and was glad I did.
It may not be for everyone, but I know I personally enjoyed it and was glad I did.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A lot darker than it seemed from the description. Some pacing issues, as well as issues handling a large cast with characters disappearing. The queerness seems a lot more told than shown. Overall I did enjoy it tho.