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A review by amybraunauthor
A Hero Born: The Definitive Edition by Jin Yong
5.0
I've been getting more and more excited about this book ever since I came across it and it felt like a dream in my hands. Exquisitely crafted, it is a joy to hold in your hands. It feels like the kind of book you would find in an ancient, Chinese library.
That feeling also seeps into the way it reads. It's a glorious epic with thrilling action scenes, battles, heroes journeys, multiple characters reacting in every way imaginable, and an ending that begs for more. The writing reminds me of a myth, and Yong has an incredible voice. The fight scenes were among my favourite, not just because they were exciting, but because there were so many different titles to so many different moves. I could almost see the characters moving in my head with each strike.
The story itself is grand and opens so many different avenues that I would love explored. The very origins of the chief character are explored, but there are dozens of surprising twists along the way, especially given the intense cliffhanger ending.
With so many characters and so many names, it was a little hard for me to connect with some of them, and some characters took the honour route a liiiiiiitle too far for me. I understand that this could be a cultural thing, but it took me out of the story from time to time. Again, that is likely a personality thing. This in no way detracted from my enjoyment of this epic adventure, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Asian lore, kung fu, and legends in the making.
That feeling also seeps into the way it reads. It's a glorious epic with thrilling action scenes, battles, heroes journeys, multiple characters reacting in every way imaginable, and an ending that begs for more. The writing reminds me of a myth, and Yong has an incredible voice. The fight scenes were among my favourite, not just because they were exciting, but because there were so many different titles to so many different moves. I could almost see the characters moving in my head with each strike.
The story itself is grand and opens so many different avenues that I would love explored. The very origins of the chief character are explored, but there are dozens of surprising twists along the way, especially given the intense cliffhanger ending.
With so many characters and so many names, it was a little hard for me to connect with some of them, and some characters took the honour route a liiiiiiitle too far for me. I understand that this could be a cultural thing, but it took me out of the story from time to time. Again, that is likely a personality thing. This in no way detracted from my enjoyment of this epic adventure, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Asian lore, kung fu, and legends in the making.