appropriate_glassware 's review for:

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
4.0

Epic(ie: long). You know how sometimes historical fiction can be frustrating in that written-exclusively-with-the-way-they-probably-talked kind of way, that can come off as pompous at best, and hacky at worst? This book is not like that, which is particularly positive given it takes place in 8th century China. Don't let that setting turn you away - Mr. Kay makes it awesome (not in a "dude" way, but in the Merriam-Webster's way). Clever, creative, and satisfying.