A review by spellvexit7
The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

On its surface, this book looked right up my alley -- Chinese-inspired banditry, adventure, roguish characters, with a touch of mysticism to boot.  I loved the larger-than-life characters with their nicknames like "the crocodile" and "the three fleas," their superhuman ability (and identity) with their given weapons, and the mystery surrounding the god's teeth.  What did not set well with me, however, was the clash between the fanciful and idealistic society of bandits and the depiction of some awful violence.  There were some strong scenes of torture and a lot of savoring of the suffering of both the torture victims and the protagonist throughout.  To its credit, there is a clear warning at the beginning of the book, but at the end of the day, I was put off by the jarring tonal contrast of lighthearted adventure with some genuinely graphic scenes of torture and suffering.  
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