There is so much to love about this series:
The witty banter.
The strong female characters.
The delightful moral grayness that kept me focused and guessing.
The beautifully choreographed fight scenes that played out in my head as if I saw it on the big screen.
I love it all! But I do have to admit that I could do with fewer pages, as it did drag a bit in the middle, but it’s such a complex story that it kept my attention even in the slow parts.

I love that the characters are so incredibly developed. They just come to life on the page. I will forever be the biggest fan of Taishi. She embodies all that I love about this story. But I was glad to see another character come to the forefront and allow me to understand their moral grayness. Qisami was the surprise standout for me in this book of the story. She intrigued and fascinated me as I realized I had a lot to learn about her, and I am so glad I got the chance to do so. Our potential hero, Jian, didn’t change much in my eyes, but I still feel he’s on the right path toward getting there.

I also love the world-building. It’s detailed and complex, and I feel like I know the stories’ world and my own. It takes me away for hours and immerses me in a world of intrigue and potential.

A stunning follow up to the first book with more new characters and a fully new adventure for all our viewpoint characters I think that this book one ups the first in so many ways and that we should be excited for the next one.

I had no idea what to expect coming into this trilogy--the first book, The Art of Prophecy, was my first encounter with Wesley Chu's work, and I've had relatively little exposure to wuxia. I came in expecting: some version of China or a China-analogue, some amount of martial arts and larger-than-life heroes, and probably epic battles and derring-do. I expected that even if the story was not overtly "fantasy" in the western genre sense, the heroes would display the fantasy elements typically associated with wuxia and kung fu in fiction: master martial artists who can leap buildings or run lightly across the tops of trees, that kind of thing.

That all sounded neat, but I wondered if there would be enough there to really hook me. These are thick books, and I like fantastically improbable fight scenes as well as the next reader, but what I really wanted to know was whether Chu would stick to coloring within the lines of epic fantasy and wuxia or surprise me.

I was so surprised.
And thrilled. Let me tell you why I absolutely love this trilogy and want everyone I know to read it. I'm going to do my best to review this without spoilers for either book.

This both is and isn't exactly wuxia--the elements are definitely there, and they're great, but it's much more than that. There's a prophesied hero--standard fare, right?--but that is... well, it's absolutely not going as planned.

The world-building: one of the main cultures we encounter can certainly be counted as either a fantasy analogue of historical China or heavily China-influenced, but we are definitely not on Earth. Another society, one of nomadic raiders, that comes into conflict with the former could almost be the Mongols if you squint (they do have a Khan)... if the Mongols had traveled across a terrifying grass ocean wilderness in steampunk-esque mobile city pods. Right? I was surprised too. The religions and magic at work are deeply neat and well-realized.

There is plenty of action and derring-do, epic fights between war artists, and narrow escapes--and they're truly great!--but the characters are what make these books shine for me. I've even ended up deeply invested in what happens to characters whom I loathed upon meeting and who are still pretty terrible people. I don't know how that works either.

And the women. Be still my heart! The Prophesied Hero is a young man, but overwhelmingly the star characters of this trilogy are women. They're layered, interesting characters who get to be whole people. Ling Taishi, in the space of two books, has become one of my all-time favorite characters. Legendary war artist with a hard-drinking, hard-fighting, and cheerfully promiscuous past now gets mistaken for a harmless little old lady and basically is beginning to feel she's too old for this sh*t. I'm pretty sure she'd hate the term heroine but might grudgingly accept "badass."

There is political intrigue, which normally I tolerate at best, but Chu made me care about the outcomes, probably because of how invested I've become in the people.

Two standout qualities that I didn't expect and was beyond thrilled by:
The first is that I had no notion going into this of just how *funny* it would be. The humor never takes you out of the story or reduces the stakes, which is impressive, but I laughed out loud more than a few times. Ling Taishi's sarcasm is part of it, but Chu also walks this neat line wherein he both includes the conventions of wuxia and playfully avoids taking them too seriously; at one point one master war artist tells another that Eternal Bright Light was a dumb name for a family war arts lineage.

See also:
"The Emperor’s Mighty Cleave met Fireflies Rake the Night followed by Evil Twins Cheat at Dice countered by Baby Goat, the Dumb Jerk."*
(Quote is from an unproofed copy and may have changed before publication)

The second is that there are no book-end cliffhangers, which is even more impressive. I've often felt like I want to recommend a book I've loved but _only after_ the series is complete; not here. At the ends of both the first and second books, the reader knows there's still a wider story arc that's under way, but they each feel like complete books with satisfactory endings. The immediate crises are resolved instead of trying to hook you with a last-minute emergency, and I really appreciate that.

tl;dr: I loved it, I'll 100% be reading the 3rd book when it comes out, and I'm now a big fan of Wesley Chu. I received an ARC from Netgalley but that has no impact on how I feel about the book.

*That line was absolutely written by someone who has met baby goats.

Lives were upended when the Eternal Khan unexpectedly died all on his own. Sali lives with the rot of the Khan’s soul and wants to save her people, Qisami just wants to make ends meat with her shadowkill crew and go back to the way things were, Jian continues to train in hiding not sure what his end game really is and Taishi lives with a secret that she will need to come to terms with sooner rather than later. As each navigate their stories, the empire is balancing politics and a power grab. What is the next role for our hero?

This is a great second installment of the War Arts Saga trilogy. The author does a great job of following key characters after the events in book one to a point where threads are ready and developed for a final culmination in the last novel. Each storyline is engaging and it was entertaining to see how they connect and overlap. The growth and depth of the characters was also fun to see. We are again set up quite nicely for the next book - and I’m looking forward to it! 5 stars.

Review based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Random House Publishing Group/Del Rey and NetGalley. Thank you!

I didn't love this second book as much as I had enjoyed the first, but by no means does that mean it wasn't good! Chu does a great job with writing fight scenes that feel detailed and energetic, and its interesting to see the characters a few years after the end of the previous book. Overall, not bad but not like, overwhelmingly great. I'd still recommend it!

A great sequel to The Art of Prophecy! The characters are riveting and enjoyable. Every page was a turner. It's a must read for any fantasy lover.

First, thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

This took such a long time to read just because of busy-life-related-things, but I really liked this book. I think Wesley Chu is one of the best authors at depicting the different types of war arts/fight scenes, and I still think this book excels in its uniqueness of having a protagonist who isn't really experienced/super smart and rather focuses on the mentor-apprentice relationship between Taishi and Jain. I liked the new characters that are introduced, and I grow to understand Qisami and Sali more as characters. I grew to like Qisami more than i did in the first book. The "choreography" of the fighting...is so good. I love the different names of the fighting styles, too.

Spoilers ahead!

At the same time, I have to say that I am slightly harsher on this book than I am on the first book because there's always the novelty of learning about the characters that sustains a first book. I usually like the second book in the trilogy the least for most trilogies, so please do understand that part of it is my own personal taste.. With that being said, I think that the three POVs felt frustrating at times because I wanted to learn more about the intersection of these three characters. I typically expect the first book to have more separate POVs, but, by the second book, I do have an expectation of these stories intersecting more. It just feels like there are three separate stories going on in too many places, and I needed some sort of climax that would give me a pay-off after this back and forth. Characters from the different POVs do appear into the same scenes later on in the book, but those scenes felt largely underwhelming due to no real revelation or story progression happening as a result of those characters meeting each other. I really hope the third book will give me a better pay-off!

Additionally, I was slightly disappointed by Jian's progression as a fighter. While the dynamic between Taishi and an unexperienced & naive Jian made sense and was quite funny in the first book, there's moments where I wish Jian had more moments of character development, whether as a fighter or as a character. While he is no longer arrogant, he seems to mostly become a decent fighter (though not great) and still not very mature. To be clear, I don't expect him to mature that quickly: it's just that I wish there were more situations that happened in this book that led to him (or frankly, any character) growing or progressing in their personalities much more. Jian, and honestly many of the side characters, felt like they remained the way they were at the start of Book 2. There's character deaths/injuries that I feel like could have significantly impacted the primary characters more, yet I felt myself not caring as much as I really wanted to. I don't think it's the writing's fault (the writing is great, in my opinion); I just think that, due to the number of characters present in the book (and the three POVs), not enough time has been devoted to all the key characters (much less the numerous side characters) to leave me sufficiently emotionally invested in some of these characters/situations.

I'd give it a 3.5/5 - I still recommend and would look forward to the third book in the trilogy.,

Overall, thank you, Wesley, for this wonderful series. I really do love getting to read so much more Asian-inspired fantasy books nowadays :)

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of The Art of Destiny by Wesley Chu. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

The Art of Destiny is the second book in the series, and I continue to enjoy the story. Jian and Sali keep me engaged in the plot, and I can't wait to see where we go from here. Their character growth is excellent, and I genuinely hope ]they can find their truth without having to fight each other. I give this book 4/5 stars.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit https://www.ManofLaBook.com

The Art of Destiny by Wesley Chu is the second book in the War Arts Saga, following a prophesied hero, who’s anything but. Mr. Chu is a best-selling, award-winning, author, as well as an accomplished martial artist, actor, and stuntman.

Jian, the hero who was prophesized hero meant to kill the Eternal Khan, is now an ordinary young man trying to find his way in the world. His grumpy master, Ling Taishi, instructs him in the way of her family’s powerful war art, but he still has a long way to go. Taishi recruits elderly grandmasters who come out of retirement to train the hero.
But he’s not very talented.

Assassin Qisami is on a secret mission to protect a rich, powerful woman. Qisami goes undercover and finds comfort in an ordinary life she never had before.

Sali, an exiled warrior is being poisoned by the spirit of the Eternal Khan within her. Sali discovers she can lead her people to freedom, if the spirit doesn’t kill her first.

I enjoyed The Art of Prophecy, the first book in the series, very much. The second book in the series continues the story in the same charming way the first did.

It’s a silly story, but full of great characters and world building and adventures galore. Jian, the protagonist of The Art of Destiny by Wesley Chu, is a lovable boy, clumsily working his way in life towards being a master windwhisper. He failed to be the prophesied hero, and now has to find a new path in life.

Once again, the great fighting technique names really gave me a chuckle. Every once in a while, it was even fun to say them out loud. I can only the author walking around yelling them out to see what they sound like. It was either great fun, or pure hell.

As much as I enjoyed the previous book, I have to say that enjoyed this one a bit more. It is more character drive with excellent storytelling. To my surprise, I found the parts about Qusami, an assassin working undercover as a maid/nanny, to be the most interesting. This competent, ruthless assassin found herself enjoying in the day-to-day lives most people take for granted. The relationship between Taishi and Jian also develops. Taishi now looks at him as a lost puppy, a son and heir.

Each character has reasons for their actions which drives the storytelling. The story is filled with humor, heart, and each story-line flows seamlessly into the bigger plot and world.

This is a pretty long book, but it’s easy reading, and lots of fun. The story is imaginative and engaging, filled with vivid battles – but it’s the characters that make it worth reading.

Art of Destiny is the second book of Wesley Chu's War Arts Saga. It suffers slightly from second-book-in-a-series syndrome, as it spends a lot of time getting characters in place for the next installment. The book moves between 3 separate characters who converged in the climax of book one, but who are now scattered widely in book two. Consequently, the book doesn't build to one major conclusion, and there are stretches where not very much happens.

Still, the book is well worth reading: Chu's worldbuilding is very imaginative, and we find out a good deal more about how this world works. There are a number of well-choreographed action pieces, and the characters are complicated, imperfect, and often fall short of their Heroic Archetypes. Sort of like real life, except with kung fu magic.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next book.

The Art of Destiny was one of my most anticipated reads for 2023. Only a year has passed since the War Arts saga began, but I still needed a refresher. I easily fell back into the series thanks to not only a detailed character list that refreshed my memory but also because Wesley Chu’s dynamic characters felt like old friends that I was excitedly catching up with. Book two has a much different vibe and takes a more wandering path to set the stage for the rest of the series. It has a slow pace and branches off to many different subplots, so it lacks a lot of the punchiness and excitement in book one, but I still found myself unable to put the book down. Spoilers below for book one in the series, The Art of Prophecy.

The world erupts into chaos now that the prophecy is good and broken. The Tiandi religion has abandoned its prophesied hero, and the dukes amass armies to push at their borders. Unrest, droughts, and all sorts of drama unfold throughout the Enlightened States, but the country’s problems have not yet reached the mysterious peaks of the Cloud Pillars. In this remote area, Wen Jian continues to train under Taishi, the Grandmaster of the Windshipering School of the Zhang Lineage. While Jian struggles under the weight of his destiny, he is granted a small reprieve as his enemies turn their attention elsewhere. Qisami and her Shadowkill cell failed their mission and are now licking their wounds by taking on bad, low-paying contracts. In Katuia, the Pull of the Khan is destroying Sali’s body, and the famed Viperstrike is but a shadow of herself as she attempts to create freedom and safety for her clan.

The story structure changes a lot in The Art of Destiny. At its foundation, the same incredible characters are at the helm, ready to carry out immersive fight sequences and deliver quippy lines so we don’t take ourselves too seriously. But the story is evolving, and book two gives us a totally different flavor. The characters in book one are either focused on surviving or hunting, and the story weaves together into a satisfying culmination of events where all the characters meet head-on in a final showdown. In the sequel, the paths have diverged and the pieces of the story become scattered on different winds as the characters take on side quests. Jian trains more freely to prepare for the prophecy, Qisami goes back to the Shadowkill grind, and Sali searches for a cure. The story spends a lot of time building and putting the pieces into the proper position for book three, so it felt like I was treading water a lot of the time. I still enjoyed the book very much, but it definitely lulls in places and has a slower pace in comparison to its explosive predecessor.

One of my favorite parts about this series is that the chosen one is nowhere near ready to fulfill his prophecy. It’s this realization that kicks off the events of book one, and Jian’s lack of discipline, training, and youthful whims were qualities that served him well in that story. But when Destiny picks up three years later, it seems that the young man has regressed. Jian has become a bumbling himbo barely aware of himself and the world around him. Now, I like that Jian is naive and that there are gaps in his training. He is young and untested, and I fully expected him to continue his evolution in this book. However, his shortcomings are magnified so much more in this book that Jian feels unrecognizable. This can be explained by the focus of the story, which zooms in on Jian’s training in a way that was absent in book one. Jian’s struggles also make the prophecy feel impossible which plays into the everpresent foreboding feeling that the world is going to shit. Additionally, Jian’s regression does support the story’s development overall because it allows Chu to grow the cast all the while digging in his heels to make the reader comfortable with a hero who is not going to meet expectations. Ultimately, Jian’s failures continue to support the theme of our unqualified hero, but it was jarring to re-acquaint myself with him in this book.

I am thrilled that Chu introduces new characters to build Jian’s support group for his hero’s journey in this book. Taishi may be the Windwhispering Grandmaster, but there is only so much she can teach Jian. Recognizing this flaw provides Jian opportunities to work with other trusted war masters and their heirs to round out his abilities. Bringing in these new characters builds out the world further, exposes us to different fighting styles, and gives us a peek into Taishi’s history. While Jian’s story does lull, part of it is kept fresh by the many new personalities that hurt and help him along his path. Qisami and Sali also provide the reader with avenues to meet new characters and explore other areas of the world. Although their stories feel detached and separate from Jian’s, they both serve to keep tabs on the world while Jian is hidden away. Qisami has a pulse on the Enlightened States and provides us a window into the very real issues brewing amongst the dukes. Sali continues to be our eyes into the feared Katuia clans as the failed prophecy disrupts their long-held belief system.

Overall, I found The Art of Destiny to be a good but largely underwhelming story. I’m giving it a higher rating simply because Wesley Chu has created a fantastic cast of characters that I want to read about even on their worst days. I am hopeful that these hard-earned pieces of the story are setting up for an epic conclusion to the series.

Rating: The Art of Destiny - 7.5/10

Wesley Chu’s "The Art of Prophecy" was one of my favorite reads of 2022, and I was absolutely thrilled to have been offered an early copy of the second book in the series, "The Art of Destiny."

Those readers who were as charmed as I was by the lovable martial-arts fantasy, will be happy to hear that Chu's second volume is as entertaining and heartfelt in tone as the first book. It's still a character-driven action-comedy with a magic system based around martial arts. There are four returning POV characters, with Quisami given a more prominent role this time - and a more relatable one, too. I found myself surprisingly drawn to her chapters (unlike in "Prophecy," where I despised her; the difference being that she was now expressing actual human emotions). Sali's chapters, as well, were a highlight this time around, where previously I'd found myself unenaged, and decidedly against her and in favor of Taishi and Jian, instead.

"Destiny" is set 2-3 years after the conclusion of the first book, and follows Wen Jian training under his master, Ling Taishi, to (hopefully) become the Master Windwhisper, and worthy of the title of Champion Under the Five. Sali strives to secure her people's future and find a permanent home for Nezra, train a worthy successor in Hampa, as well as deal with the "soul rot" that is slowly killing her. Quisami finds herself on the outs with her shadow assassin consortium, and in league with some surprising new benefactors.

Unlike in volume one, these divergent POVs do not come together at the end. In general, I would say that despite a storyline that continues to twist and turn, some readers could complain about a rather slow-moving plot. This would apply to the first 2/3rds of the novel, filled with slice-of-life scenes that contribute little action to the overall story (this applies especially to the Taishi/Jian portion of the book). Personally, I enjoyed those chapters, as they allow readers to become more comfortable (in a lived-in sense) with the Taishi/Jian/Zofi trio, and the found-family that the three build over the course of the novel, a family that they will need by their side as the plot suddenly escalates. None of the emotional impact would be there for the last third of the book, were it not for those "slower" chapters. Plus, they are hilarious.

The War Arts Saga, continues to be - sadly - underrated. In preparation for "Destiny," I re-read "Art." While it was not actually necessary, I did so because the novels are *that* gosh darn enjoyable. Like the best friend you never knew you were looking for.

The Art of Destiny is the second book in the War Arts Saga, following up with MC Wen Jian approximately a year or two after the conclusion of the first book. Jian and master Taishi have been in hiding and continue to work on Jian’s war arts abilities. However, when Jian learns that the Tiandi have changed the prophecy and turned him into a villain, life on the run becomes much more dangerous for Jian. Meanwhile, readers experience multiple POVs as we catch up with supporting characters like the shadowkill, Qisami, and the will of the Khan, Sali. Qisami’s POV gives readers more insight into the bigger political picture and supports the greater world building of this series. This is a part of the story we didn’t get as much insight into in the first book and ramps up to a pretty epic battle between the dukes. Chu does an excellent job pulling many of his characters together at the end to give them a role in the contentious conclusion. Personally, I loved following Sali’s storyline the most. One thing I really enjoyed about the first book was the depiction of scenery as characters traveled the world. As Sali sets out to find a cure for the pull of the Khan, she does the most traveling of all the characters. I found myself cheering for her to succeed more than any other character.
Wesley Chu does an excellent job world building, though it felt it took a little while for the plot to pick up in this book compared to the first. He also writes amazing, strong female characters who kick a lot of butt. Even though the MC is a prophesied hero, his success is clearly dependent on the strong women who support him and protect him throughout his journey and he knows it. This book is full of quick wit and amusing dialogue that balances nicely with a plot that gets a bit more serious and heavy than in the first book. This book introduces several new characters who practice other war arts and expand on the fight-based magic system of the world.
I do feel this book suffers the same way many middle books do in a series, as it does have slow points while the plot builds, but I do feel it was a good setup for the next book in the series, which I greatly look forward to reading. I would recommend this series for anyone who loves action packed fighting and adventure. The world building is completely new and original with oriental inspiration.

The Art of Destiny is the second installment to Wesley Chu's The War Arts Saga. This phenomenal series of books is an Asian epic fantasy inspired by wuxia and is well deserving of all the praise and accolades.

Not only is the world stunningly complex, and the characters so very layered, but it is filled with so much unexpected and well done humor, even mores in this installment. I might say that this second book is even better than the first with the phenomenal battle scenes and how beautifully character driven it is. The complex found family relationships in this book really drove the novel . I personally enjoy character-heavy books.

This book takes place years after the The Art of War following characters we know and love while introducing other new ones too. Fans of book 1 might find the tonal shift a little jarring as we no longer are solely fixed on Juan, but in this book we flipflop the narrative to three different character: Jian, Taishi, and Sali. I personally enjoy this shift as it shows an expansion of the world and through the different perspectives of the characters.

If you're into unapologetically Asian books featuring epic world building, lush settings, fantastical battle scenes, amazing character arcs, and comedy, definitely pick this book, and the series up as it is quite a ride.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arch of this book

And so it continues with the same witty banter that was throughout the first installment of this saga and i'm ALL here for it. None of these perspectives leave anything on the table and they are all fully engaging. The martial arts descriptions make me feel like I am watching it first hand. If you have master and apprentice stories this is one series you MUST pick up, you won't regret it.

It feels like Wesley Chu was destined to write this book.

The Art Of Prophecy (book one of the War Arts Saga) took the traditional hero’s journey and flipped it on its head. Instead of the ordinary person venturing on a quest to discover something great about themselves, Jian (the fabled saviour of the world) must go on a quest to become an ordinary person. How do you follow up such a subversive and fun idea? To put it simply — you do it like this.

Classic wuxia has a great many tropes from which to draw. Inventive action. The mentor/mentee dynamic. Martial arts that border on the mythological. The Art of Destiny has all of this in spades. But it doesn’t solely appeal to die-hard wuxia fans. If you’re a lover of SFF in general, you’ll find this to be a real treat.

The biggest difference between the first book and its sequel is the narrative structure.

In book one, the plot blossomed to incorporate several main characters but remained fixed firmly on Jian — the prophesied hero who was said to one day slay the Eternal Khan. This time, the narrative is divided equally between three main strands: Jian and Taishi (the young hero learning from his master), Sali (a disillusioned warrior once devoted to the evil Khan), and Qisami (a shadowkill assassin). Yes, the two main antagonists from book one share as much page-time as the traditional protagonist, except, by about halfway through the book, you won’t think of them as antagonists. In fact, you won’t know whether any of them deserve the label of “bad guys” and “good guys.” It’s their subtle changes in perspective that make this a worthy sequel, subverting everything I thought I knew about these characters from book one. I fully expected them to pick up their roles from where we left them, and yet, like they’re fighting styles, they had the tendency to side-sweep me in the way their arcs unfolded, enabling them to deliver blows straight to the heart, and it left me reeling.

That’s not to say that this book is any less fun than the first. If anything, it dials up the humour to another level. It even throws in a mini-heist for each of the characters, as if things weren’t already crazy enough! Whether it’s a jailbreak, a rescue, or an undercover ruse, the chapters speed by. Banter abounds — sharp as the Swallow Dances blade — and the action is a riot (particularly in the second half).

My favourite character is Taishi. The old master is on impeccable form in every moment she appears. But each of the new characters in this ever-expanding world is given their own standout moment, and you can’t help but be endeared to them.

This could so easily have been just a vessel for cool action, but it’s not— it’s a book which has something to say (although its message and themes come across in a whisper rather than a scream). I loved the subtle speculation over whether destiny negates choice — whether we can choose to change the path of our lives or not. This central question makes the shifting character dynamics even more poignant, adding an extra dimension to the characters’ journeys, and leaving you with more to think about than just “kick, kick, punch.”

There’s a lot of build in the early parts of the book, but it all leads to a satisfying climax. Trust me — the payoff is very much worth the setup. And I guess that’s a little bit like destiny, isn’t it? It always arrives, and usually when we least expect it.

If you’re a fan of wuxia, you’ll drool at how good this series is. Book two does not disappoint. It’s every bit as irreverent, entertaining, full-throttle, indulgent, inventive, refreshing, and playful as the first book. This is a saga destined for greatness, and I cannot wait to see what’s coming next.

All the stars. I'm obsessed. I cannot wait to hold the physical copy in my hands because wow. I love this world, these characters, this book. Definitely plan on reading it again along with the audio. So glad I discovered The Art of Prophecy because these books have become absolutely favorites this year.

This book took me a month to read. That is almost unheard of for me. And it’s not that I didn’t like the story, I did. But 3+ POVs that are completely disparate made it hard to get into the story. Nearly every chapter was a different (aka you never stay with 1 POV long). That made it hard for me to keep reading and found myself putting this down after a chapter. You can see how the stories will come together, but it seems like a long slog to get there. If this is a trilogy, I’ll probably pick up the last book as hopefully the storylines will finally come together and I’ll notch this one down to middle book syndrome. But if this ends up being more than 3 book series, I might be done.

As with The Art of Prophecy, the first book in the The War Arts Saga, I couldn't put down The Art of Destiny. In the Art of Destiny, Wesley Chu continues his epic wuxia with even more beautiful world-building, deeper characterization, a storyline that continues to twist and turn and get more awesome, and incredibly well-written action sequences. This series continues to be wildly underrated and, as I wrote in my review for the first book, someone please option this and give it the epic movie trilogy or TV series it deserves!



This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. Thanks go to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for providing the ARC.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Asian Fantasy
Number of characters and subplots: High
Gratuitous Violence: Low (I would say low because there's more talking than battles and the bloodiest or worst part is off page. I was also surprised that the language was crude but not full of profanity.)

THE ART OF DESTINY is book two in the trilogy. It starts in the most intriguing fashion, where I was laughing at the rules associated with thievery.

I enjoyed so much of this story. The characters are diverse in their attitudes and their backgrounds. It's fun to see each one and how they interact with each other.

A few of my favorites:

— Jian who is now ordinary and is easily swayed—but he also has a sense of honor and loyalty to his master.
— Quisami who finds someone to fill in the empty space of her family.
— Sali who suffers under a heavy prophecy (physical and psychological suffering).

As much as is going on, I felt like the story was a bit slow. Why? I'm not sure—perhaps, because of the multiple threads? Or possibly because of all the asides? Regardless, I wish I could have kept both of those things of multiple threads and asides and still having the book cut by a couple hundred words. But such is epic fantasy, right? I think this is a comment on my reading habits more than the book.

This book gives us some resolutions, but there's loose threads. Oh, and so much more to come for Jian in particular.

I recommend this book!

Happy reading!

PS: The illustrator for the cover deserves a special shout out! It's gorgeous!!!