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A review by queer_bookwyrm
The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
adventurous
dark
slow-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? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, blood, gore, sexual assault, death, torture, cannibalism
The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang is a Chinese historical fantasy based on classic martial arts wuxia literature. This was sort of like a very queer and female centric Robin Hood meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This was an excellent book! We get found family, no romance, and plenty of queer characters.
We follow Lin Chong, a female master arms instructor to the emperor's soldiers and guardsmen. When she becomes victim to the Marshall's sexual advances and rebuffs him, she is branded a criminal and sent away. On her way to a work camp, Lin Chong discovers that the Marshall has contracted her guards to kill her, but she is rescued by Lu Da, the Flower Monk, a member of the outlaw bandits Liangshan.
Since Lin Chong's rescue, she has been connected to the power of Lu Da's god's tooth, an object that gives the wearer great power over energies. She finds she has a new awareness and enhanced abilities to the fighting skills she already possesses. Once at the stronghold of Liangshan, Lin Chong must face her struggle between wanting true justice and not wanting to be involved with criminals, but she is very much disenfranchised from the government. We also see a story about the grand Chancellor's quest for power beyond all imagination by researching the manufacture of god's teeth.
This was a great story of found family, and of how the state is not always to be trusted blindly, that those in power often abuse it. It's also a story of redemption. Liangshan may be made of criminals, but their over all goal is justice for the oppressed and abused. Liangshan is a place where women get to hold power, and trans and nonbinary people can be themselves. We see several side characters who are known as "wind riders," those who go between genders. There are mentions of lesbian characters as well. Lu Da is definitely my favorite. She's a big lug of a woman with a fiercely loyal heart. She is kind of like a big muscular golden retriever.
It was a bit slow in the middle, but I quite enjoyed this wuxia story. It's my first time with this genre, but I appreciate learning about different cultures and martial arts practices. I would definitely read another book by this author.
The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang is a Chinese historical fantasy based on classic martial arts wuxia literature. This was sort of like a very queer and female centric Robin Hood meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This was an excellent book! We get found family, no romance, and plenty of queer characters.
We follow Lin Chong, a female master arms instructor to the emperor's soldiers and guardsmen. When she becomes victim to the Marshall's sexual advances and rebuffs him, she is branded a criminal and sent away. On her way to a work camp, Lin Chong discovers that the Marshall has contracted her guards to kill her, but she is rescued by Lu Da, the Flower Monk, a member of the outlaw bandits Liangshan.
Since Lin Chong's rescue, she has been connected to the power of Lu Da's god's tooth, an object that gives the wearer great power over energies. She finds she has a new awareness and enhanced abilities to the fighting skills she already possesses. Once at the stronghold of Liangshan, Lin Chong must face her struggle between wanting true justice and not wanting to be involved with criminals, but she is very much disenfranchised from the government. We also see a story about the grand Chancellor's quest for power beyond all imagination by researching the manufacture of god's teeth.
This was a great story of found family, and of how the state is not always to be trusted blindly, that those in power often abuse it. It's also a story of redemption. Liangshan may be made of criminals, but their over all goal is justice for the oppressed and abused. Liangshan is a place where women get to hold power, and trans and nonbinary people can be themselves. We see several side characters who are known as "wind riders," those who go between genders. There are mentions of lesbian characters as well. Lu Da is definitely my favorite. She's a big lug of a woman with a fiercely loyal heart. She is kind of like a big muscular golden retriever.
It was a bit slow in the middle, but I quite enjoyed this wuxia story. It's my first time with this genre, but I appreciate learning about different cultures and martial arts practices. I would definitely read another book by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Cannibalism, Death, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault