Series: Legends of the Condor Heroes #1
Published by St. Martin's Press on September 17, 2019
Genres: Epic Fantasy, Wuxia
Pages: 416
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Chinese martial arts fantasy epic from one of the most widely read Chinese writers, A Hero Born opens Jin Yong’s Legends of the Condor Heroes series, which is a classic of its time.
Following the death of his father, Guo Jing grows up on the Mongolia steppes alongside of Genghis Khan’s army. A brave and loyal, if not the brightest, boy, Guo Jing receives training from various instructors, including a group of martial arts masters who are honor bound for personal reasons to train him in their ways. What he doesn’t know is that the martial arts world is watching his growth. Due to circumstances surrounding his father’s death, he is fated to one day battle an opponent with whom he’s shared a connection since he was in his mother’s womb.
Set against a turning point in Chinese history, A Hero Born takes readers from the Song Empire to its Jurchen neighbors in the north to the Mongolian steppes and back again. As Guo Jing comes into his own as a young man and martial artist, various political factions plot to gain power in opulent courts both in the north and in the south, empires sit on the verge of rising or falling, and martial artists fight—whether or not to bring honor and glory to their name and their sect, at least to prove their might.
A Hero Born draws on a rich history of Chinese culture. Told through multiple perspectives (primarily those of martial artists, but including a few others), it explores the many reasons why an individual chooses to fight, the importance of acting with honor, and the complex family ties that bind us. It does feel as though some nuances are missed in translation—for example, the significance of Chinese names, as the characters are chosen to form a specific meaning. Some characters’ family names are listed first (as in Guo Jing), which is the traditional form of presenting names in China; some are provided second (as in Skyfury Guo, the protagonist’s father). However, the English translation is engaging and worth reading, especially for individuals who are unable to access the original works.
Fans of fantasy, historical fiction, and stories featuring contests (in particular one-on-one or one-on-multiple-opponents challenges) may enjoy this book.
Writer’s Craft
Two things in particular stand out to me with this book.
First is the grand scale of the worldbuilding. Physically, the author takes readers across the Song Empire, Jurchen Empire, and Mongolian Steppes; another location is also briefly mentioned. The world is rich in culture from the common people’s everyday life to the opulence of the courts to the nuances of the martial arts world. The martial arts techniques are outrageous, dangerous, and wholly entertaining. Think Dragon Ball Z, without aliens, except DBZ seems to have been inspired by wuxia (Chinese martial arts genre), which came first.
Second is the interplay of honor and family. For the most part, the rules of honor are clear. Good characters fight honorably; they are also quick to defend their honor and the honor of those who can’t fight for themselves. Evil characters throw away their honor and deceive good people in order to achieve their goals. Characters are also expected to uphold their family’s honor and their martial arts sect’s honor, even if it means fighting on behalf of something that was decided before their birth, lending to the multi-generational nature of this epic. What’s interesting is that, while it’s clear that the Song patriots are the good guys, individual identities aren’t always clear. The novel raises the question of where an individual’s loyalty lies: the place of his birth, the place that raised him, or the future of his own choosing.
Rating PG-13
- Some violence with details, but not super graphic or gory
- Some alcohol, but more as a cultural / social activity
Bias Notes
As an asian writer who wants to support other asian writers, I’m predisposed to liking books that feature asian characters and are written by asian authors. Also, my dad is a longtime fan of Jin Yong’s works.
Lindsi says
This book has popped up a few times over the last few weeks, but this is the first review I’ve read for it. I really like how you reviewed this book, and you’ve made me even more curious to try it for myself. Thanks for sharing!
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? ☃💬
Lindsi says
Also, like Nicole said… it’s sometimes hard to separate our feelings and inclinations when reading a book. It’s really hard to start a book with a clear head and no biases.
Crystal says
I agree. For this reason, sometimes I have to let a book sit for a while and let my thoughts simmer before I write a review.
Crystal says
I’m glad to hear that you like the reviewing format, Lindsi! This is my first post in the new format that I’m trying out, as I shift my blog more to a writerly focus. I hope that you enjoy A Hero Born.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction says
Sounds like a fantastic book! I kind of love that you included “bias notes” at the end—it’s true that we all have books that we’re predisposed to like more than others, right? It’s sometimes so hard to parse our objective opinions from our subjective ones.
Crystal says
I agree that we have books that we’re predisposed to like. One of the challenges when sharing about a book with others is trying to eliminate the more subjective elements while not losing the essence of what I enjoyed about a book.
Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer says
Lovely review, I think I would find this interesting for the cultural tidbits alone.
Crystal says
Thanks, Kimberly. I agree it’s worth reading for the cultural elements.
Dani @Perspective of a Writer says
I really, really wanted to read this. I was all set to too but my gut said to read the reviews. I understand the translation was amateurish and made the characters read like YA protagonists. It scared me off from reading the ARC which I would have pushed myself to finish. I’m going to try to read it when my library gets it.
Crystal says
I can’t comment on how true the translations stay to the original since I’ve never read the Chinese edition. Hopefully I will in a few years or so, once I know enough Chinese to make my way through the book (with the help of a dictionary). I do think some of the comments may be due to cultural differences and expectations in how protagonists act. Good and evil is a lot more straightforward in this novel than most Western fantasies.