This was a short/simple story. It’s not long at all, and the story resolves itself just as fast is it starts. It was a nice pallet cleanser between much heavier reads, though, its about as deep as a children’s sand box.

For those who don’t know, this is a classic work from Chinese literature (1400s) and is equivalent to how Shakespeare is lauded in western literary history. I’m certain that a large amount of cultural references went right over my head since I am not Chinese, nor from the 1400s. That being said, this book is CRAZY. Here is a list detailing some of the more wild moments that stood out to me as I worked my way through it:
– The emperor wrote a secret message in own blood
– A warrior got shot in the eye by and an arrow, pulled the arrow (and eye), shouted, “spirit of my father, flesh of my mother, how can I part with you?” Then ATE THE EYE
– A peasant killed and cooked his own wife to feed a local lord when he couldn’t find any game to hunt but told his lord it was wolf.
– SO MANY PEOPLE have their heads cut off–probably over 150 named characters die this way.
– 3 different characters have had fatal strokes from being to angry.
– A guys mother hung her self after she yelled at him for being a stupid idiot (he was tricked into returning to her after getting a forged letter from someone else).
– Two warriors were introduced. One used a “flying fork” and the other could “pull a bow string so far, he could shoot an arrow through two tigers.”
– Quote “you are a woman, yet you know right from wrong as well as I do.”
– A hermit is introduced by the name, “the super human of the dark void.”
– The king of a southern tribe wore rhinoceros hid armor, had a sword and shield, and rode a red ox.
– A dudes battle axe was named “mountain splitter.”
– After a general died from natural causes, some of his soldiers, “wailed themselves to death.”
– A general taunted an enemy general so well, that the enemy general died right there on the battle field. Later, this same general wrote a letter that straight up killed the reader after he read it, so expertly was it crafted.
This is just a small glimpse into the wild world of 1st century China written by someone from 14th century China, translated into English and read by a guy in 21st century America. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then I’d give it a 5/5… but if its not and you don’t want to read something where 120 chapters long that comes with all the funny narration/structural quirks of a 14th century novel, then I’d say its a 1/5.
For me, at times it was a 2/5, however, now that I am on the other side, I’d say it was a 5/5 experience and I’m happy I stuck with it. There are moments when you will think this is the best book ever, and others when it will physically hurt you to continue–kinda like life–but continue, if you can, you might like it.

If I were 12, this would have gotten a 5/5. It’s the perfect adventure story for a young boy. However, it’s complexity isn’t anything to write home about and if you think too hard about the character motivations, you begun to realize that maybe the hero isn’t great. but if you want some classic 18th century British savior complex and class wrapped up in a action/adventure story set in a fictional German kingdom in central Europe, then this is for you!

This is a great, fast passed story that keeps you on your toes and never gives the characters a moment to relax between problems. It also ends on a question mark which is very random but I kinda love.