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A review by grogu_djarin
A Heart Divided by Jin Yong
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
Overall Thoughts:
This was a fantastic conclusion to the story started in the earlier volumes! It brought back some of the story elements that were missing in volumes 2 and 3 (notably the heavy presence of the Mongolians and connecting the story to actual historical events). This was everything the previous volumes were building up to, especially since the King Duan is introduced in the beginning so the protagonists have met all of the Five Greats that were still living. This book also represented a significant tonal shift by becoming noticeably more philosophical and reflective. In particular, there is a lot of reflection on the costs of war, the effects of imperialism on the common folk, and the responsibilities of a martial artist. While the earlier volumes also had their fair share of dark moments despite an overall lighthearted and adventurous tone, this was definitely the darkest of the bunch and there are some extremely sad and emotional moments.
This was a fantastic conclusion to the story started in the earlier volumes! It brought back some of the story elements that were missing in volumes 2 and 3 (notably the heavy presence of the Mongolians and connecting the story to actual historical events). This was everything the previous volumes were building up to, especially since the King Duan is introduced in the beginning so the protagonists have met all of the Five Greats that were still living. This book also represented a significant tonal shift by becoming noticeably more philosophical and reflective. In particular, there is a lot of reflection on the costs of war, the effects of imperialism on the common folk, and the responsibilities of a martial artist. While the earlier volumes also had their fair share of dark moments despite an overall lighthearted and adventurous tone, this was definitely the darkest of the bunch and there are some extremely sad and emotional moments.
Likes:
- The Mongolians have a big part in this book again after being side-lined for most of A Bond Undone and A Snake Lies Waiting.
- I liked how certain historical events were weaved into the story after things had gone in an original direction during the middle two volumes.
- Guo Jing starts maturing and learning to think for himself (though he really struggles with it).
- The way the fight with Viper Ouyang went at the end was very clever and unexpected (and a bit frightening).
- I thought the Contest of Mount Hua was a great conclusion to the four books. I liked that it was not just a contest of martial arts but also an exploration of the values of kung fu.
- Apothecary Huang started to grow on me especially when I realized he's probably a bit bipolar given how he acts and reacts.
- The philosophical angle was new and feels like the whole story was building up to these reflections because there were many events throughout the
- The conclusion to Yang Kang's character arc. I won't say more because it's very spoilery and I have a feeling that some will love it and others hate it.
- King Duan was the last of the Five Greats we needed to meet and I liked how different he was from the others. We also get a flashback with Wang Chongyang to round it all out (though I always felt like Zhou Botong took his place in that ranking).
Dislikes:
- The kung fu started to get a lot more anime style where characters were fighting with just their energy.
- Lotus is really inconsistent in this book and starts to act like her father which I did not like because she always seemed more mature than that. That said, she really started to shine from Iron Spear Temple on.
- Unfortunately you never really get closure on Laurel Lu and Emerald Cheng besides a brief line which is surprising given how they featured in A Snake Lies Waiting and how well Jin Yong tied up other loose threads.
- Zhou Botong's immaturity starts to overstay its welcome. I think it's a bad sign when Guo Jing and Lotus mature more than him, especially with how he acts towards Madam Ying.
Other Notes:
- I binged all 4 volumes in only 7 days to give you an idea of how much I enjoyed this!
- Like the earlier books, the appendix is full of notes that give added meaning to various cultural and historical references. Again, they aren't necessary but I found them worthwhile reading especially in this volume where the historical tie-ins are a lot more significant.
Would Recommend To:
- If you've already read the first three volumes and enjoyed them then I definitely recommend finishing the story. This is a great conclusion and a stronger entry than the previous one A Snake Lies Waiting.
Do Not Recommend To:
- Anyone who hasn't read the first three volumes, A Hero Born, A Bond Undone, and A Snake Lies Waiting, because this is the final volume of a four volume book.