i adored the second book and adored this one even more! taishi is still my absolute favorite. so feisty. i highly recommend this series to everyone!

Another amazing read from Wesley Chu! The sequel to The Art of Prophecy left me needing more but also feeling like I really enjoyed having another journey in this world.

I got to see what some of my favorite characters are up to, Jian and Taishi. I absolutely adore their relationship and wish i knew these two in real life. This book expanded upon this gorgeous world with more lore and kept me entertained with the incredible fight scenes.

If you loved the first book or are looking for a fresh, fun, fantastic fantasy to dive into, then I wholeheartedly recommend this!

Out October 10, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

After thoroughly enjoying The Art of Prophecy and the fun characters, witty banter, and wild adventures, I was very excited to pick up The Art of Destiny. While the Art of Prophecy is a stellar set up to the anticipated (reluctant) master-and-apprentice dynamic, The Art of Destiny follows through with that trope to the end. Not only do we get to see Taishi and Jian learn to work together as master and apprentice, but we get to see a whole crew of retired warmasters and their proteges. Just like the Art of Prophecy, this is a sweeping fantasy world with many political powers at play, and we see the world through three main storylines/perspectives, and that gives the overall plot its definition and depth. The characters were loveable, and the writing swept me along. This book continues the set up of the epic in book one in the best way-- I found myself enjoying this book even more than the first. The storylines are left unfinished for what I know will be an explosive finale, and I'm excited to see how Jian continues to grow as a character. I definitely recommend this book if you have read the first book and want to see what happens to the characters; and I recommend the trilogy as a whole to those who enjoy fighting and martial arts- based fantasy with a healthy dash of political intrigue thrown in.

A huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free eArc of this in exchange for my thoughts!

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Random House Ballantine/Del Rey for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before I started reading Destiny, I re-read Prophecy - which, while a good idea, I do not believe is necessary to catch all the minor details. This second novel is great at re-introducing ideas we learned in Prophecy, without being over-explanatory to concepts we should “already” know. I do still think it’s a good idea to re-read the first book when reading a sequel, but that’s also in part because the first book was also great so it’s not a great loss to re-read it.

This book starts with a timeskip from the ending of The Art of Prophecy. The best way I can describe this series, and I mean this with admiration, is as if I’m watching a TV show. Prophecy ends with two of our main leads - Taishi and Jian (along with Zofi) escaping and with Taishi finally starting Jian’s training as a windwhisper. It’s very cinematic, a great ending to the book that makes you want to continue with the series. I could almost picture it as the season finale.

Destiny, then, starts with a timeskip. We still focus on the same four characters with their own POV chapters - Taishi, Jian, Qisami, and Salminde - but we see the effects of the end of the first book in their current lives.

- Jian is much more trained as a war artist, but he’s still struggling with mastering the art of windwhispering
- Taishi is aging and her body occasionally fails her, along with her worries of promoting Jian and leaving him without a master
- Qisami and her shadowkill cell are dealing with the aftermath of their failed capture of Jian, and are now struggling to make ends meet after having been demoted
- Salminde is struggling with the piece of her soul from the eternal Khan, and it is rotting her away as she searches for a way to remove it without sacrificing her life

I did catch something in Prophecy I somehow missed during my first read - the prophecy is not actually broken. The Zhuun believe the eternal Khan is an immortal being, but the Katuia know that it is an unbroken cycle of people being possessed and becoming the Khan. It’s also fascinating that this same cycle happens with the oracle who originally told the prophecy of the hero who would kill the eternal Khan. There’s definitely a connection here, and Destiny works to explain the larger picture about how everything connects.

I think it’s very interesting how the understanding of the belief systems in these novels change depending on whose POV we are following. This is something I really enjoyed in both novels - there are no outright villains in the conflict between the Zhuun and the Katuia, nor is there anyone directly in the right. We can sympathize with Jian being the prophesied hero of the Tiandi, but we also sympathize with Salminde and her people as well. We get a nuanced view of the conflict from both sides, and I always enjoy that within my fantasy novels.

The main character POVs in this novel are mostly separated from one-another, as opposed to in Prophecy when there were multiple times they directly interacted. Jian and Taishi have one plot, and then Qisami and Salminde each have their own plots. Other than a brief meeting in the book, none of these plots really interconnect. However, we (as the reader) can see the overarching plot that interconnects everything, even if it hasn’t technically occurred yet.

The way these POVs inform our understanding of the prophecy/religion, strongly remind me of Samantha Shannon’s “The Priory of the Orange Tree.” In both these series, there are almost separated plots happening with each of the named characters, and it’s not until significantly later that we can see how they interconnect to the larger plot. Each character having their own separate plots also allows us a deeper look into the world without being “stuck” in one place. Jian and Taishi are focusing on his training to (possibly) defeat the eternal Khan if the prophecy still exists. Salminde is exploring the birthplace of the Khan and through her we gain more understanding of the religions involving him. Qisami’s chapters are more focused on the Dukes and the politics surrounding the world, expanding our knowledge of the political conflicts that were only hinted at in Prophecy.

A big theme in Destiny is doing what you believe to be right, even if it’s against expectations or what everyone else expects you to do. That it’s more important to do the right thing in the moment, to help the people being directly affected, than doing some nebulous “right” thing that may or may not have a better impact in the future. Do what you know will help, not just what you hope will pay off in the future. Each character is given growth to learn and be their own person, and each one surprised me with their actions and how it related to their growth as a character.

While this book does feel like it’s the middle novel in a fantasy series, that’s not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. Personally, I only find it an issue if I didn’t enjoy the first novel.
However, I enjoy how these books are set up to be extremely character driven with focus on the thoughts of the POV characters. I think Destiny is excellent at expanding each of the POV characters to give us both a better understanding of their character, while also allowing each of them to grow as a character. None of the four POV characters remain stagnant in Destiny, and each of them grows and changes in some way throughout the novel. Personally, I was really interested in the more in-depth character analysis of Qisami, and she really grew on me throughout Destiny as she became less and less of a single-note character.

I highly recommend The Art of Destiny, as it took everything I was hoping for in a sequel after I read The Art of Prophecy, and accomplished it and more. There were some plot twists that happened that I ABSOLUTELY did not see coming. It really allowed me to learn more about the characters and bond with them more (even Qisami, which surprised me).

And finally - The Art of Destiny - just like The Art of Prophecy - ends on a season finale decision that makes me excited to continue the series in the next book.

(For the publisher: I will post a review on Instagram and Tumblr the week of Sept 18.)

In this episode, I ended up enjoying an immensely slow and dense sequel…

Friends, friends, friends.

Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress.

In March of 2022, I was invited to read an advance copy of Wesley Chu’s book The Art of Prophecy.

In that review, I mentioned how the following lines in the synopsis got me hooked.

"It has been foretold: A child will rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, a cruel immortal god-king, and save the kingdom.

The hero: Jian, raised since birth in luxury and splendor, celebrated before he has won a single battle.

But the prophecy was wrong."


I know, that’s incredibly compelling stuff! However, I also described how much of a slog the actual reading experience was. The characters were good, the premise was excellent, and the story was a frustratingly slow and lengthy experience.

In fact, by the time it came for me to request The Art of Destiny, I forgot to do it when I got the email from Random House/Ballantine. It took a reminder in a Facebook book group for me to actually go and request it.

So, how was The Art of Destiny as a sequel? More importantly, how was the reading experience?

I’ll say this much. Going into this book, it was challenging for me to remember plot points from the first book. I’m happy to say that the plot was much more memorable than the first one. Jian, Taishi, Sali, and Qisami continued to be excellent focal points of this series. Jian is the bumbling, adorable student who has so much to deal with being the face of an ever-changing prophecy. Taishi is hilarious and poignant as Jian’s mentor. Sali is dealing with her own rejection of destiny, and Qisami was fascinating as the assassin taking her crew on one last job.

The Art of Destiny was a well-written, clever book, and there’s a lot to like about it. However, my reading experience, while better than the first book, still felt like a chore.

With great characters, interesting storylines, and compelling explorations of the themes of destiny, warfare, relationships, and politics, The Art of Destiny was almost 100 pages longer than the first book, which I already felt was too long.

When a book takes me a month to finish, I know that it’s usually either the pacing, the length, boring plot, or all of the above. In this case, I think that it is the length and the pacing.

After all, the third act is incredibly exciting, and as the three main POVs started to race towards their respective finish lines, I wanted to see how the series would end.

So far, the War Arts saga really improved in the sequel compared to the original. The pacing and length is still frustrating, since I feel like this book is hampered by some of those choices, just like the first one.

My guess is that the audiobooks would be better choices for this one, and I do absolutely believe that you should check the audiobooks out, because the themes and the characters are fascinating and exceptionally well developed.

This series is good, but better pacing could have made it an all-time great. The premise is that good, and it is that exploration of destiny, prophecy, and purpose with great characters that will lead me to recommend it to you here today.

Until next time, keep your bookmarks close.

Peace, Love, Pages.

I really enjoyed this sequence to The Art of Prophecy and had fun going back to Jian's world, in all of its complexities. The Art of Destiny was as strong as the first book in terms of plot development and the characters also grew with it, which was a great thing to witness. The time passage of 3 years in the storyline helped in this sense, and I didn't feel like I lost visibility of it given the explanations.

All female characters were well portrayed, in particular Qisami's development. She was one character that I didn't enjoy a lot in the previous book, but now her path and reasoning is deeper and I found myself cheering for her. The same happens for Salminde and her search for her cure. This is a positive point in this series overall - the characters all have their flaws and positives, no black and white interactions here.

Taishi and Jian, as the main circle, were quite interesting in their dynamic. I'd like to have read more of their training, but since we're constantly changing between 3 groups we don't get as much as I'd like. Considering the book is almost 700 pages long, it could have cut back on general descriptions and focused on their interactions more. On this point, for me there was a lot of explaining and less showing in some cases, with some information that didn't add to the storyline, but did add atmosphere. As someone that prefers books that are more direct-to-the-point, those parts weighted on me.

The ending of the book surprised me and I am again looking forward to the next instalment. I was expecting the paths to cross in this book in a more solid form, but overall I'm satisfied with the direction it is going. The War Arts Saga is an ambitious project, and I think Wesley Chu is managing it very well. Bonus points for the gorgeous cover, can't wait to have it in my hands to add it to my shelf.

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, del Rey for the e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is going to be a hard review to write, because while I liked the story, I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I did the first book, The Art of Prophecy. My biggest disappointment is that this story doesn’t really seem to go anywhere. It is definitely a set up for the third book, but it seemed to be stuck in the everyday mundane living of the characters with few action sequences and not a lot of movement in the overall plot.

All of my favorite characters from the first book are back, plus we meet a whole lot of new characters. It was fun and interesting to meet up with the main characters and to see how they change over the course of the book. Many of them had emotional journeys, especially Qisami and Sali, but their plot lines often felt disjointed and disconnected from each other and the overall storyline. The new characters were also fun to get to know, especially the group of old war masters that come to help Taishi train Jian. The masters were often the source of the humor that is threaded throughout the story, especially as they bicker about whose war art is better.

My main issue with the story was the pacing. It was very slow throughout most of the book, even the fight scenes felt slow. And even though I enjoyed the descriptions and details in everything they really bogged down the narrative. There just didn’t seem to be much new added to the story. There was some very interesting lore that Sali uncovers, about the eternal Khan, but that seemed to be about it. Some of the politics involved with the Dukes was not very clear and I had a really hard time understanding their motives, besides world domination that is.

Of course this is just my opinion. I have seen many reviews that found this to be a wonderful and exciting read. While I don’t necessarily agree with them, I can see their points. If you enjoyed the first book, then I think you will probably at least like this one. It is very long, maybe too long, but it is worth reading as I think it really is a solid set up for what happens in the next book.

This review will be posted on Fanbase Press closer to the publication date. I'll remind my editor when the assigned date gets close to avoid missing it the way we did on the previous novel!

What’s a prophesied hero to do when their projected destiny stops being in fashion? Wen Jian lost his identity as the Hero of the Tiandi during The War Arts Saga Book 1, and he must forge a new destiny for himself that combines responsibilities to others (a learned skill after being a heralded, spoiled boy for most of his life) with becoming a skilled war artist. Can he grow up enough to really learn Taishi’s fighting style before her body finally shuts down? Is that even enough in a world that has now painted them as villains and fugitives? And what about the rest of the diverse cast? Their lives have taken drastic turns thanks to the events in The Art of Prophecy, and Sali and Qisami face especially complex life events that will affect everything.
Wesley Chu’s afterword mentions concerns about the difficulties of second installments in a trilogy (common belief is that they’re never as good as the first because they’re connective tissue between set up and climax), but in my opinion The Art of Destiny skillfully builds upon the first book and pushes the characters towards adventures and choices that engaged me. Even the slower chapters serve a purpose in moving the story forward, and I appreciated the mixture of drama and humor that prevented me from having to do extreme emotional lifting the entire read. However, my favorite component was how Wesley Chu regularly subverted expectations repeatedly throughout the numerous storylines. Almost every time I thought I had accurately predicted how things would end I was wrong, which impressed me given I’ve read a lot of fantasy novels and reinterpretations of hero’s journey sagas.
I praised the number of well-developed female characters in book 1, and book 2 ramps it up by amplifying the importance of an amazingly nuanced female power player, Sunri. Additionally, one of the most formidable opponents Jian faces in the key battle near the end of the book is a woman (any more details would ruin it).
The Art of Destiny entertained and intrigued me from start to finish, and it skillfully develops a basic hero’s journey into a multi-faceted saga where teamwork is more important than being The Best. I found it a compelling continuation to the story from The Art of Prophecy, and I’m eager to get my hands on the final volume once it becomes available.
4.5 Unique Childcare Methods out of 5

I derived as much pleasure from this book as I did from its predecessor. The humor, originality, and freshness of the characters remained delightful, and the world-building continued to captivate with its immersive richness. Overall, reading this book was a thoroughly pleasant experience. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that it lacked novelty or compelling elements that truly justified the time invested in reading it. A significant portion of the story seemed devoted to portraying the characters' everyday lives, which, while enjoyable, grew repetitive over time.

In contrast to the first book, where the different perspectives intertwined seamlessly, this installment felt more disjointed. It's evident that the groundwork is being laid for significant events in the third book, but the lack of cohesion in this one led to a somewhat underwhelming payoff. Interestingly, I found myself more engrossed in Taishi and Jian's narratives, despite maintaining my interest in the other characters. Regrettably, Sali's chapters failed to capture my attention.

Although I found it to be an enjoyable experience, this book didn't quite achieve the same level of adoration I held for "The Art of Prophecy." Nevertheless, I'm genuinely excited to witness the unfolding of events in the next installment.

Posted august 26th

Mildly belated arc review.

Everything I loved about the first book I also enjoyed in this one. It’s funny, the characters are original and fresh, the world-building is lush. I had a good time reading it. Unfortunately it also didn’t introduce anything new that I found particularly interesting or that justified the time it took to read it. Much of the book felt very slice of life to me. For a good chuck of the book we slow down, and just look at how the characters live, which is nice, but becomes repetitive.

In book 1, the separate POVs play really well off each other, but in this one they feel more disparate. We’re clearly setting them all up for a big things in book 3, but because it never comes together here, the pay-off is underwhelming. I was also, notably more invested in Taishi and Jian’s portions of the book, despite my carry-over interest in the characters, Sali’s chapters in particular just left me unengaged.

It was a fun time. I’m genuinely excited to see how things go in the next book, it just wasn’t a fave in the same way The Art of Prophecy was for me.

The Art of Destiny is book two of Wesley Chu’s War Arts Saga. I loved the first book and the second didn’t disappoint. I love the character growth seen with the main characters and the added depth we get from other minor characters. The books are so immersive and I love the world it puts you in. Something refreshing as well was the lack of romance, we had plenty of humor and things to make you feel but no romance or love triangle taking too much of the plot. Overall this one is definitely a 5 star for me, as was The Art of Prophecy.

I said in my review of The Art of Prophecy, that I’d probably stick around for the rest of the series because I was having a good time hanging with the characters, and here I am, sticking around for the next one in the series. This is a chunky tome -- almost 700 pages, and I think it could have done with losing some of them, though I sometimes struggle with epic fantasy. I think I can put my finger on what I struggled with in reading this book, which I feel like I like less than it deserves. I think it was just very very slow to get going. Once it got going in the back half, I was hooked and invested, but the meandering beginning felt to me like it lacked focus.

I still love all these characters, and there were some very satisfying resolutions. The fight scenes continue to be the second most fun part of the book, and I do enjoy spending time in this very well developed world. I just wish the plot had been a little better telegraphed in the early pages so I could feel the momentum developing. But, as I say every time I review a sequel on this blog, I’ll put this for the reader of the Art of Prophecy, because if you haven't read that, you need to read that before this book or it will make absolutely no sense. If you enjoyed The Art of Prophecy, you’ll enjoy this book about the same--if you thought Art of Prophecy was slow, you’ll like this less, if you’re a Brandon Sanderson fan, you’ll maybe like this even more.

I was provided with an advance reader copy in exchange for this honest review.

Will be posted the week of sept 25 to comply with preferences and links will be updated at that time.

Finding out that a book is the first in a series generally summons up one of two feelings: despair or excitement. And that all depends on how the book presents itself. The Art of Prophecy told enough of a story that one could walk away satisfied. Yes, there was a cliffhanger, but not one that gave the impression that you'd inadvertently overcommitted and gotten no payoff in the first few hundred pages. Each book is robust, full of story and worldbuilding, and yet somehow leaves you craving more.

The Art of Destiny continues in a similar vein. While there's enough exposition scattered throughout the book to get new readers up to speed, they'll miss out on quite a bit—especially when it comes to our hero's journey. To refresh, our hero is Jian: prophesied to save the world from the evil of the Eternal Khan, he was raised in luxury and trained by the kingdom's finest masters. But while he was busy being soft, spoiled, and coddled, a random soldier killed the Khan. Throughout the first book, Jian goes on the run with Taishi, the only master who truly believed in him. As she tries to protect him from the people who want him dead, the world around them rumbles with magic and political turmoil.

Now in the second book of the series, we spread our gaze across three groups of people. Jian continues his training—still an affable meathead under Taishi's watchful eye, but clearly growing by leaps and bounds. Time is growing short, as Taishi is ailing and wishes to pass her abilities on to her heir so he can chase down his destiny, whatever it may be. Meanwhile Salminde, a former ally of the deceased Khan, seeks to save her own life by freeing herself of the portion of his soul that still resides within her. And the assassin Qisami goes on an undercover mission that places her right in the middle of a twisted political conflict. Before the book concludes, these three stories will cross, once again twisting fate.

One thing I particularly love about Wesley Chu's writing is that he's not afraid to have characters get a bit silly. There are legitimate laugh-out-loud moments peppered through the drama, death, and deception. Most of all, though, I love his fight scenes. The combat all throughout the War Arts Saga is masterfully written, detailed and exciting. It's like a martial arts movie jumping right off the page. Writing combat in prose is hard; Chu makes it look as effortless as his own war artists in action.

I can't recommend The Art of Destiny enough... but I also highly recommend picking up and reading The Art of Prophecy first. It's a saga that deserves to be experienced in full.

This was a read that definitely lived up to its hype. I feel 2nd books in trilogies sometimes get dumped on as they don’t have high enough stakes. Chu didn’t disappoint with fantastic characters, epic fight scenes, and So. Much. World building!!!

I think the story picks up in a good amount of time when the first one finished. The aging mentor, the chosen one needing the mindset to be the hero, and sympathetic antagonists to the plot.

The political field shows there is bigger things at play and the maneuvering characters to put them in the right place, the right time and the right interactions is a lot to juggle. Qisami’s character felt a little out of place in her part and her team was just kinda there for most of her part of the story. But the ending definitely made up for the somewhat bland middle.

While little things could’ve been cleaned up or felt unnecessary to the plot relevance, I felt it was given a good pace and easy enough read to keep me interested.

Magical Kung Fu is a genre you didn’t know you needed until it comes out. The fighting keeps getting better and better with his books. The reader can fall into the story and watch it right in front of their eyes. It definitely make me want to watch some wuxia now.

Sali’s arc was definitely the best and the true nature of the Khan is revealed. Family and friendships are tested, bigger stakes are required. While some of it was predictable, I mean it in a good way.

But where do we go from here? How will he tie up this in a nice bow? The chess pieces are set, I’m ready for more!!

Book 3 isn’t coming fast enough!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this!!!! The Art of Destiny continues to expand on how destinies and prophecies go awry. It is a beautiful book told from the perspective of so many different sides. I will be anxiously waiting for the next tale in this saga.

The second installment of the War Arts Saga will not let you down. If you drank in the character development, world building and action-adventure in The Art of Prophecy, then you will relish the second helping in The Art of Destiny. And you will be left anticipating the sweet dessert of the next installment of the saga,
The story picks up a short time lapse after the end of the first book, introducing some new characters and building up the narrative in the first two acts for a (few) stupendous payoff(s) in the third act. I would not say that the beginning is slow, the pace matches the first book fairly well and the multi-perspective account is engaging but the culmination of this installment was excellent.
This is an epic fantasy series featuring a nominative "War", but when there is violence, it is not gratuitous violence. If a character is killed, it is integral to the plot and not just for shock and awe. Romance is nominal, very nominal; but unless you are looking for a romantacy, you will not miss it (if you are--this is not your book). This book, the entire saga actually, is a superb representation of an epic fantasy sage that I would recommend to anyone looking for something in this genre.
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I can't tell if Wesley Chu is a genius because he knew ahead of time which characters fans would fall in love with. OR if he saw the reception for book one and adjusted accordingly. Either way, this is one of the rare sequels that ISN'T a flop and capitalizes heavily on the setup from book one. Not a spoiler, but: the ending made me shriek and laugh at the same time. Can't wait for book #3!

I absolutely loved The Art of Destiny! I went into the book with extremely high standards due to my love of The Art of Prophecy and thankfully it did not disappoint. Sometimes in series the second book falls flat but this one absolutely did not. Everything that I loved about the first book continued in this one and I cannot wait for the next one! The writing is fantastic and the characters, both new and old, were a joy to read. I do think it is important to mention that this book is roughly 125 pages longer than the first but that did not take away from my reading experience in the slightest. This truly is such a great sequel and I highly recommend reading this series if you have not already.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an advance copy of this book of fantasy that mixes mythology, martial arts and epic storytelling for a unique and original fantasy adventure.

Giving up on a dream is hard. Especially when so many people are counting on that dream to either make them money, give them power, or free a country from a despot. And while trying to make that dream a reality, one is treated like a hero, best of foods, clothes, and supposedly training to make this dream a reality, only for reality to bite back. Suddenly one is lost, and there are a lot of mad people who wasted time, money, and thoughts of power on this dream. People don't like admitting they are wrong, and will do a lot of stupid things to show they weren't including still training for the event that once gave purpose. Even as a lot of enemies are plotting all around. The Art of Destiny is the second book in the War Arts Saga, a trilogy by Wesley Chu that features martial arts action, mythology, broken dreams and promises, deception, and lots of adventure and great writing.

The second book opens three years after the last one. Jian was once the the Chosen Hero, he who would take on the Immortal Khan, a tyrant in the next kingdom, and end the Khan's long life for good. One problem is the Khan died without Jian, and now there are a lot of embarrassed people, both governmental and religious who want Jian to suffer for fooling them. Jian is hiding with the one master who never gave up on him Taishi, who continues to train him, along with some other Masters who have gotten to old to adventure anymore. The kingdom is going through a bit of a civil war with power being contested by many powerful forces. In the land of the Khan there is also problems, as the life force of the Khan has infested one of the Khan's friends, and her death might return the Immortal Khan to life, and war. Jian's training has gone well, but his gift for trouble soon brings a lot of attention to his hideout, and with this attention comes enemies Jian had no idea he had.

This is the second book in a series that I am really enjoying, a series that has a lot of potential and much to explore. The writing is very good, balancing a few different points of view, and yet never losing the narrative flow. There is plenty of action and martial arts derring-do, but more importantly Chu shows what the cost all this has on a person. The Masters are all acclaimed for their deeds, but most of them are lonely people, living lives full of lies, and petty hatreds, that keep them away from people they care about and love. The truth is the biggest victim in saga, as so much of what the masters have done, even their feuds have been made up make the legend seem more impressive. There is a lot of lying, a lot of deception, and a lot of confusion on what is right and wrong. Themes one doesn't ordinarily see in fantasy novels. I'm not sure if the outside world, pandemic life, political coups might have had an influence on Chu's writing. However this makes the book very grown-up seeming. Not everyone will make it to the end, the truth is usually the first victim of anything. This is a story with costs, and a book where actions have consequences. I really enjoyed it

Coming into this might be hard without reading the first book, so start there. This is a great sequel and builds on the story. The ending just carries on along with action and revelations, and lots of deceptions, even from the main characters. Recommended for fantasy readers who want something new, and people who like intense stories about different places. Also role players will enjoy this for the description of the fighting arts, the training, and the cool world this all takes place in. I can't wait for the next book.

The Art of Destiny is the second book in the War Arts Saga series. I loved the Art of Prophecy (1st in series), and was very excited to be approved for this arc!
The Art of Destiny starts a few years after the end of Art of Prophecy. The writing style continues with the three different narrative perspectives: Jian and Taishi, Sali, and more prominently, Quisami. New characters are introduced that add to the story and adventure, while others take on more depth (Hampa and Quisami). Chu continues with writing all the female characters as strong, independent, leaders in their own right.

Things to enjoy:
Character driven narrative
Adventure
Found family/friends
Names of the fighting techniques ( I loved them)
The writing style
The humor
Beautiful cover art
For those who are not into romance, this is a great series for you. No sex, love triangles, ect. I think maybe one kiss happened after a fight, but no pining for love happening here:-)

I loved this just as much as the first.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, del Rey.