I really did miss not having an audiobook for this one but I was also very glad for finally getting to the conclusion of the Legend of the Condor Heroes.

This was definitely a lot more action packed and enjoyable than I found the third book and I read it pretty quickly. However, I did find that I enjoyed the action sequences and the descriptions of the various martial arts moves on audio more than reading. Coming to the plot and characters, I guess there were points which weren’t as satisfactory as I hoped they would be, especially the character arcs of Yang Kang or Mercy Mu. I grew to like Guo Jing a lot more in this book - seeing him fight so much for his love even if he can’t articulate it in words, never lose his devotion for Lotus despite challenging circumstances , trying to find a path and purpose in his life which would be more than just killing people using his superior martial arts skills - it was all very heartening to read and I felt happy that I followed him on this journey throughout. I still have conflicting feelings about Lotus and I can only say that she’ll always keep Guo Jing on his toes. I enjoyed the addition of King Duan and his four generals, their backstories and our couple’s interactions with them were all very interesting. Count Seven Hong also grew in my regard and the one monologue he has towards the end was just spectacular.

I have truly come to appreciate how seamlessly the author integrates historical figures into this action and adventure story and all scenes with Genghis Khan in this book were quite impactful. I guess I was expecting more explosive scenes towards the end and because it didn’t feel that way despite some cool fight scenes, I’m not feeling that high which comes with the end of a beloved series. But I’m still very glad to have gotten to know these characters and this world, and it’s also made me more excited for The Return of the Condor Heroes, whose translation I hope we will get soon. Until then, it’s gonna be a wait and I’m yet unsure if I wanna watch the adaptations in the meantime.

What an ending! I've been fortunate enough to read all four of this classic series for the first time thanks to the English translations and I feel lucky to have done so.

The Legends of the Condor Heroes series has so much to give, particularly stunning fight scenes, sweeping epic story lines, and complex interwoven character relationships. Some cultural dynamics haven't translated as well to the modern era (which I wouldn't hold against it) and there are parts that drag (due to my lack of Chinese classical knowledge) but neither of those are worth considering this book as less than great.

It was fantastic to see the completed story lines for characters followed throughout the thousands of pages in this series. Guo Jing and Lotus, their shifus, their enemies, their friends and allies, more characters than I can recount here. The Mongolian story line in particular really takes a step forward in this fourth book but I more so appreciated seeing the conclusion of certain characters' stories. I won't mention who though because spoilers.

All in all, I'm very glad to have read it. I was surprised to learn at the end of the book that this is only a temporary ending. Apparently there's a fifth book that includes main characters like Guo Jing but jumps to the future generation. I'm very curious to see what my favorites have been up to in the decades in-between this book and that one. I highly recommend this whole series and can't wait for more!


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

A Heart Divided is the fourth and final part* of this new translation of Jin Yong's legendary Wuxia story, Legends of the Condor Heroes, which has been published over the past 2-3 years. I first tried the first part, A Hero Born, during my furlough in 2020, and really enjoyed this far more than I thought I would - I'm a big character-development guy over plot and action sequences, but the kung fu and fighting sequences are so over the top and often hilarious and fun that even I was won over. The series has some gender dynamics issues, as you might expect from fiction first published in the 1950s, but it is a lot of fun for how over the top and ridiculous it gets.

*There are two sequel series to Legends of the Condor Heroes, which continue the story further, but this is the end of the original story, and I do not know if there are plans for a new translation of those.*

And A Heart Divided is basically more of the same in that respect, which is what I was hoping for. The Kung-Fu scenes are a lot of fun, and our heroes - dumb but good harded Guo Jing and really bright and way too good for him Lotus Huang are very fun as their adventure continues until a point they can sort of settle down (for the moment), concluding this arc of the story. It probably closes things off a bit too quickly, and is a bit less effective than its predecessor parts as a result (and starts to get a bit repetitive), with all the same gender dynamics issues as before. Still, a fun conclusion to a fun series, and I wouldn't be opposed to reading the sequel.




----------------------------------------------------Plot Summary----------------------------------------------------
Guo Jing and Lotus Huang are on the run from Qiu Qianren and the Iron Palm Gang - with Lotus grievously wounded and on the verge of death. But when they find refuge with a vengeful woman with self-trained but odd kung fu skills, they find themselves pointed at the fifth of the Five Greats, Duan Zhixing, the Southern King, a man known for his healing powers. The Southern King could save Lotus Huang....but his disciples are desperate to prevent them from seeing him.

But even if Lotus Huang is healed, the kung fu and martial forces in the world are regrouping and preparing for conflicts that will change the world...and will test Guo Jing's honor and moral fiber. For the Mongolian army, led by Guo Jing's sorta father figure Genghis Khan, are almost finished routing the Jin Empire, and the Song Empire of Guo Jing's heart is next in his sights. And the Kung Fu Masters long-agreed-upon conflict at Mount Hua is imminent, where the greatest master of them all will be crowned, whether that be Lotus' father Apothecary Huang, their shifu beggar Count Shifu, or the sinister and vile Viper Ouyang, who will stop at nothing to get the secrets of the Nine Yin Manual from Guo Jing and Lotus Huang.....
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In the prior volumes of this series, things would proceed along a pretty standard path: Guo Jing and Lotus Huang would encounter a series of Kung Fu Masters on various sides, who would get into conflicts often sparked by misunderstandings, that would just go on and on to utter ridiculousness, with Guo Jing generally being overmatched at first. He'd then wind up with training with one of these masters as his new shifu, and this training would also combine with his memorization of the Nine Yin Manual, such that when he encounters those same masters later, he would surprise them by being able to match them to some extent. Lotus Huang would similarly get upgrades, and the two of them would occasionally meet people from their past, who would challenge Guo Jing's word and duty - his betrothed daughter of Genghis Khan (who he thinks of as a sister and would rather love Lotus Huang) and his sworn brother from birth, Yang Kang, who was raised by the evil Jin Prince and is treacherous and evil as a result.

There's a lot less of the new training and taking of new Shifus in this book, the only new master we meet is King Duan (who now goes by another name), and even that isn't really about training as much as recontexting. But there's still lots of wacky wuxia action, with some scenes of crazy kung fu due to misunderstandings (one big one in the early middle, then the climactic confrontations in the last chapter) as well, and the action often goes in ways that aren't just direct combat, but are instead wily displays of cunning and trickery (Lotus Huang excels at these). These scenes are as usual a ton of fun, and are what you'd expect from this series....in fact a sequence of events between Guo Jing and Viper Ouyang, with Lotus Huang subtly affecting things in the background, is an amazing piece of writing that just cracked me up.

Still, a lot of this stuff, especially the misunderstanding of believing that someone who wasn't Viper Ouyang was responsible for an evil act (spoiler, it is Viper Ouyang's work), starts to get a bit repetitive and annoying, and some of the new elements of this work doesn't really work. Guo Jing finds himself as a commander in Genghis Khan's army who finds himself worried for the common people and thus winds up in opposition to the Mongolians in favor of the Song Empire, and while these sequences are enjoyable, they don't really fit the character that's developed. They obviously are patriotic pro-China (and pro Han Chinese) aspects to this work, which don't quite work as well if you aren't invested in the propaganda, and are kind of jarring as a way to conclude the work. And again, the gender dynamics are annoying, with yet another woman introduced as a jilted Kung Fu master wanting revenge, and Lotus Huang still being way too good for Guo Jing in the end.

Still, overall this is a ton of fun, and I would absolutely, after a nice break from the story, read a translation of the sequel series that Jin Yong produced. If you enjoyed the first three novels, you will enjoy this one.

I enjoyed this book. If you are the type of reader that appreciates the poetic-ness and lyrical form of writing, try this out. The fantasy elements are great. It may not be for everyone because some parts can be confusing where you're stumped on a few pages but take your time to really absorb yourself in the storytelling.

I have decided to wait to review this title until I can listen to the audiobook version because that's how I consumed the first three books and I believe I will have the best experience that way.

I really enjoy this series. They are unique and different from much of the fantasy that’s available. Each book improves upon the storytelling.

★ 3.5 stars ★

In terms of plot and themes, this felt rather different from the previous books in some ways while being a logical conclusion in others. While I didn't love all the math and was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of riddles and poems, I do have to give props to the translators for making all the verses work in a different language (though I haven't read this in the original Chinese so I can't judge whether/how much nuance was lost in translation). Honestly I never really enjoy a love triangle, but at least there is genuine conflict — a question of honor and keeping one's word, vs. True Love (I Guess) — and none of the characters is vilified for their role in the whole situation. The narration gets quite heavy on the moralizing/philosophizing in the last section or so, but there's still plenty of martial arts action.

Ultimately, this installment delivers the culmination of this series, coming full circle while demonstrating how far the heroes have come ... and it sets up the sequel series.

Reading this is an easy choice for those that have read the other books in the series or like Chinese historical fiction or fantasy. I had a mixed reaction, and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I that is mostly due a lot being lost in translation (which is purely a guess since I haven't read the original version). That said, there were parts that were engaging and I commend the author for an impressive tale.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!