Reviews with content warning for Sexism - The Water Outlaws

This book was something alright. Queer, feminist retelling of the classic Chinese story The Water Margin, but it was really violent and some of the heroes took some actions which were so unheroic I almost DNFed about 2/3-3/4 of the way through... and then it was never mentioned again and had no real impact on the story so it felt like it was just there for shock value? Make sure you read the TW/CW on this one, and realize that some of this stuff is done by the protagonists, not just the antagonists!

For those who prefer their books without romance, it didn't have any romantic subplot, so there's that.

Over all, the writing was pretty strong. Characters behaved consistently, pacing didn't bog down too much, and the martial arts fights were really well-described, allowing me to really picture them as scenes from a wuxia film! I suspect some readers who really enjoy morally grey/anti-hero characters will enjoy the heck out of this one. I definitely enjoyed parts of it, but overall it wasn't one of my favorite reads of the year and I'd hesitate to recommend it without a whole lot of caveats.

Note: I've never read The Water Margin so I don't know how closely this cleaves to the original and how many of my complaints are related to the original content. I don't feel like my enjoyment of the best parts of the book was hampered by my lack of familiarity with the book that inspired it, but probably people who are familiar will get more enjoyment!

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sarrie's review

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

TL;DR: A very dense story with far more telling than showing. It might stick with me for a time, but I doubt I'll continue what seems to be a series.

It's not often that I can quote a classic writing tip when writing reviews, I'm not critical in the actual craft of writing but this time I can. Show, not tell is a great golden rule, and one I don't think this book adhered to great. It's dense and wordy and we spend a lot of time in the minds of characters as they mull, and think over things. It left me feeling heavy and not... enthusiastic about reading. While I definitely enjoyed parts of this I was not jumping up and down or glued to the pages.

The Water Outlaws follows our main character Lin Chong who is a well respected Arms Instructor for the military. All of that comes crashing down around her after she is sexual assaulted (on page, so mind your triggers), and fights back. This earns her a brand, a fake confession that she attempted to assassinate a high level commander (the same that assaulted her) and a death sentence. With some help of a friend she is sent away to serve out her sentence in different and easier location. From there things unravel, Lin Chong becomes caught up with a band of bandits, all women or queer in some fashion. Meanwhile the men and friend left in the city are slowly becoming more corrupt, more power crazed, and lost in each other's madness.

There was a lot about this I enjoyed but I do wish we'd seen a faster pace plot, more action, and less telling us of feelings. I'll likely try more of S.L. Huang, but I'm not completely sold on her style for me as a reader. This one was heavy, and dense for me. If you enjoy your stories to be a bit slower and in this style this could be the pick for you though!

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leweylibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

I wanted to love this so badly, and it was sooo close to being amazing for me, especially the beginning and end. But the middle was what lost me really, I found myself getting a bit bored even though the plot was supposed to be exciting. It was also hard for me to keep track of the characters, but I think a lot of that was because I was doing it on audiobook. I did appreciate the LGBTQIA characters and the general premise, but I would've liked it more if I had more from the MC's POV because that's the storyline that got me hooked and made me want to read it. There were some really fun and exciting parts, and I'd still probably read a second book if there is one.

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lettuce_read's review against another edition

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Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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laurareads87's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

The Water Outlaws is a revolutionary feminist wuxia tale inspired by Water Margin, a novel written in Mandarin (the publication date of which is unknown, but which is certainly pre-1524). It follows Lin Chong, an instructor who works training soldiers for the Emperor, whose carefully constructed life of respectability is torn apart by a violently misogynist commanding officer. Fleeing, she finds herself amongst the Bandits of Liangshan, a crew of mostly women who consider themselves fighters for justice for the oppressed.

I loved this novel. Huang has so skillfully blended the conventions of wuxia, political intrigue, epic fight scenes, and complex & well developed magical systems that I wish I could go back a little bit in time so that I wasn’t finished reading yet. The plot drew me in and kept me interested, and the characters - in all their moral ambiguity - stole my heart. I so hope that Huang returns to Liangshan for a future novel.

Content warnings: sexual assault (on page), violence, murder, death, gore, injury detail, grief, misogyny, sexism, cannibalism (on page), torture (on page)

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing an ARC in exchange for this review.

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kmartbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

"The Water Outlaws" by S.L. Huang draws inspiration from magic martial arts (wuxia), bringing to life the fierce and ruthless band known as the Water Outlaws as they challenge the norms of Imperial society and the oppressive patriarchy that governs it.

A civilian expert arms instructor who teaches the military, Lin Chong's carefully constructed life is torn apart by a vengeful and petty man. When she is unwilling to allow him to assault her, he frames her for a crime she did not commit and ruins her life. Branded as a criminal, she joins the Bandits of Liangshan—a group of misfits and criminals committed to justice for the oppressed and marginalized. Huang crafts a tale of empowerment, as these women and queer characters seize control of their destiny and fight against a corrupt society. Lin Chong's journey from a rule-following arms instructor to a revolutionary is a testament to the power of women reclaiming their agency.

The novel is action-packed and immersed in a world of violence and corruption. Huang's storytelling captures the struggles and triumphs of those fighting for justice against insurmountable odds. It delivers a powerful exploration of defiance, camaraderie, and the fight against a deeply ingrained patriarchy. While the violence against women within the story may be difficult for some readers, the book's unflinching portrayal of its themes adds poignancy to its narrative.

Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for the eARC. This is an honest review.

TW: Cannibalism, violence, torture, murder, beating, mention of sexual assault without details

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