The Ming Storm

The Ming Storm is an Assassin's Creed story, following the Chinese Assassin Shao Jun. I love the games and I enjoy reading these books. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend checking it out, especially if you are a fan of the game.

I am a huge, and I mean HUGE, fan of the AC world and this was a great introduction to a part of history that the AC narrative has never touched on before. I really have always wanted a video game set in this time period, and with this book my hunger has intensified.

Thank you for the e-arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and the wonderful people at Aconyte Books for this ARC.

As a lover of (read: obsessed with) the Assassins Creed franchise this was a gem to read. I love it when the lesser known stories of Assassins and Templars gets told. Expecially when they are told well. A must read for all my fellow nerdy geeks out there.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
The Assassin Creeds series are all pretty good. The plot was good and I enjoyed reading this.

The Ming Storm by Yan Leisheng, another Assassins's Creed book, felt like an interesting way to include the magical aspects we've seen along with the more mundane parts of the world of AC.

Badass female lead plus Ming dynasty? Yes, please.

The tidbits of history blended into an Assassin's Creed story, combined with the exposure to ancient Chinese culture, makes for a rather interesting read. And what better time than AAPI month? I do feel that there were minor moments of lost in translation/not translated properly, but it was never a big enough hang up to deter from the main point. A rich story interwoven with plenty of action; just like the game series. TV series happening when?

Depending on your reading level, it *may* be a tad difficult for a Western reader, but I thought of that as a satisfying challenge.

4.5

I have never played a video game, but when I saw that this novel was set in Chinese history, and written by a Chinese novelist, I grabbed it. Glad I did.

I don't think it was completely successful, but in a way that showcases just how good the author is.

Shao Jun, the last of her clan, goes home after she training with the legendary assassin Ezio Auditore, to find everything destroyed. However, she cannot avenge her former brothers and renew the Brotherhood in China alone. She surrounds herself with allies and tries to defeat the Eight Tigers.

First off, she isn't the lone wolf who takes on the world type of hero. She needs to get and rely on allies. If you've read Water Margin, you might be reminded of how Song Jiang, who had the rep of the mightiest of heroes, actually spends a good deal of the four volumes getting allies to help him with each challenge.

The world is terrifically evoked, the martial arts styles impeccably described, and the characters are well drawn. Which brings me to the sense that it wasn't completely successful: I feel that the author was too constrained by the format of a gaming novel (which promises its reader non-stop battles) and so characterization and worldbuilding and themes kept trying to leak through. The result might be slowly paced for the gamer just looking for cool fights, and too mono-thread for a reader looking for a good spec fic novel that uses the Ming era for its springboard.

Still, an absorbing read, and makes me want to seek more of this author's work.

thank you to netgalley for the arc

This was an easy read, I loved it and could not put it down. I am a huge fan of the Assassin Creed games and own serveral of the AC compainion books, The Ming Storm is a great addition to the franchise espically since this book is based off of a much smaller AC game ( AC Chronicals China) that I loved and this book not ony blends in the history very well but it also brings more life to the storyline of the game.

This book is a real page Turner. I just could not put it down. I read it in a weekend. I read the whole series and I thought this one was the best one. I definitely recommend it.

In a style that blends science fiction with historical fiction, the first novel in the Assassin’s Creed trilogy features the story of Shao Jun, a young Chinese assassin who’s the main protagonist in the video game Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China. I was not an avid fan of the game series and haven’t played it before, but this novel adaptation surely captivates me throughout the story. Set in 16th century China during the era of the Ming Dynasty, the Middle Kingdom was in a state of turmoil after the death of Emperor Zhengde who reigned from 1505 to 1521. Shao Jun, the former concubine nicknamed Imperial Favourite, barely escapes death and travels to Europe to escape the disaster that befalls the Chinese Brotherhood. In Europe, she trains under the Italian Ezio Auditore before finally returning to China.

The essential conflict in this story is the clash between the Eight Tigers, a powerful bunch of eunuchs in the Ming court during the reign of Emperor Zhengde with almost all members were part of Chinese Templars, with the Assassin Brotherhood which attempts progression of new ideas and maintains freedom. They are described as oil and water, who have fought through all recorded human history, both in East and West. In China, it was said that the first conflict between the two factions had already been in existence since the Warring States period, with the Eight Tigers assisted Qin Shihuangdi in establishing first China’s ruling dynasty. Zhang Yong, one of the Eight Tigers, uses the opportunity after the death of Emperor Zhengde to eliminate all of the Chinese Brotherhood, with Shao Jun finally escapes to Europe as a last resort after the extermination of her clan.

Throughout the journey, Shao Jun meets many people that provide assistance to her in times of need, starting with Master Wang Yangming, the scholar from Jiushan University who takes over the role of Mentor for the Chinese Brotherhood after the Great Rites controversy following the death of Emperor Zhengde and other members of the Brotherhood. There are also countless battles in this story, as battles are the essential part of the game which also appear in this novel adaptation. I’ll have to praise the way Yan Leisheng describes battle scenes that are easy to imagine with unique styled moves that each character possesses.

I was reading this book in the hope of finding something related to the decline of the Ming Dynasty, and I was not disappointed in the relevant historical backgrounds. While this story indeed deviates a bit from the real historical Middle Kingdom, there is certainly enough background on the way maritime laws banned all activities on the high seas. The Ming Dynasty was famous for the maritime expeditions led by the Muslim eunuch Zheng He (Cheng Ho) between 1405 and 1433. One of the Ming Ban happened to take place between 1521 and 1529, starting in the same year as the death of Emperor Zhengde which form the historical background of this story. However, it is against this background that the science fiction element of the story is built in the way the Eight Tigers devise a way to create immortal creatures called yuxiao to assist their goals in hold a tight grip on power in the Middle Kingdom, which is certainly interesting.

Even though this is an adaptation from the game, it’s still enjoyable without knowing the stories from the game first. However, I find it a bit confusing at times with the sheer amount of characters in the story, that I think it would be helpful at least to include a glossary that shows the list of characters. Overall, I enjoyed the battle scenes and the depiction of the Ming Empire in this story. Any fans of historical fiction will surely enjoy this.

“Warmth and cold exists only in my mind. The ten Thousand things of this world are nothing and my mind alone gives birth to them. The weather is what it is, and if you are cold, it is only in your mind.” #AssasinsCreed #ShaoJun #TheMingStorm #YanLeisheng #AconyteBooks

My rating: 4,5 / 5

Well, well, well. I’m so impressed by this book! Despite my huge summer reading plans, I have to explore Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, somehow, I’ve missed it. Shame on me! For those who don’t know, most of the Assassin's Creed books are fan-fiction. And this book, if I understand it right if a fan-fiction of this game, released in 2015. Game inspired stories. And the best part of this is, you don’t have to be a gamer to understand them, there is advantage though, if you know some pre-stories. For example, in this book, we have flashbacks of Master Assassin, Ezio Auditore and Italian Brotherhood.

The Ming Dynasty, 16th century China. This book is about Shao Jun, Master Assassin of Chinese brotherhood. She is the last of her clan, she runs away from China to Italy and trains as an assassin, her teacher is famous and well known in the world of Assassins Creed, Ezio Auditore. She returns to China, she has to fight the leader of Eight Tigers, and she can’t do it alone, so she starts looking for the allies.

It’s a fast-paced fantasy, and I had so much fun reading it! My absolutely favorite part was, despite this book being fan-fiction, author has made this book feel so authentic, with little author notes, explaining certain traditions, details, characters, items. Great job!

Best part of this is, there is also a Manga book about Shao Jun, I have to read it next. So much love for this character and Assassins Creed universe in China!

Thank you @Netgalley and @AconyteBooks for provided ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In sixteenth-century China, the Assassins are gone. Zhang Yong, the leader of the Eight Tigers, eliminated all rivals, allowing the Templars to hold all the power. Shao Jun, the only survivor, vows revenge and travels to Europe to train with the legendary Ezio Auditore. When she returns, she must find allies to defeat the Eight Tigers.

The Ming Storm is an original Assassin’s Creed novel, not just a novelization of one of the many games. Shao Jun's journey in this novel is the start of a trilogy. As with all Assassin’s Creed games, there is intense action in the midst of far-flung locales. This one takes place in China, and every once in a while footnotes explain some aspects about the time period that the average reader wouldn't know. Ezio is mentioned often, as he trained Shao Jun, but he doesn't make an appearance. The Eight Tigers group would be Templars, preferring conformity as a means to stability, and the Brotherhood Shao Jun wants to rebuild are the Assassins we know. The remaining Eight Tigers members hope to take out Shao Jun and find the scroll that the late emperor had given Shao Jun. They believe it holds clues to a mystic item; fans of the franchise will realize that they're all searching for Pieces of Eden, even if it's not mentioned by name.

Much of the fighting described in this novel involves philosophy, acupuncture points, and mystic techniques that manipulate internal energy and organs. In other words, if you enjoy C dramas and the like, you'll adore this. Prior knowledge of the Assassin's Creed games or novels isn't even necessary. This is a story of revenge amidst the political backdrop of Ming Empire China, so it follows those plot points. Shao Jun has to defend the honor of the Brotherhood and avenge the deaths of all known members; she and her mentor are the only survivors. Zhang Yong is highly placed in the current government and isn't opposed to sacrificing his followers to achieve his aim. Being the start of a trilogy, we find out what his true aims were near the end, and the climactic battle isn't the end of the story. The next two novels are bound to be just as good as this one.

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I loved this book it the first assassin's creed book I have read and it won't be the last. Its so action packed you lose yourself in the book and find yourself telling the main character what to do and I loved learn more about China. This was the first book I have read that actually put the footnotes in the text and this made for better understanding and better flow. I can't wait to read more by this author.

First of all, thank you very much to Aconyte Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for honest reviews. This review is written by me voluntarily.

This story is set in early 1500s China and this story is a part of the Assassin's Creed Universe. The main character, Shao Jun is the main character of the game Assassin’s Creed Chronicle: China. She is a last member of her clan and this is the story on how she gets revenge for her fallen mentors and brothers.

This story has a lot of actions and heavy, detailed descriptions in each chapter, making readers get to understand more about the story. However, this makes the chapters quite long and heavy, making it a little bit harder for me to focus because my preference is more to short chapters. However, in my opinion, these descriptions are needed in this story.

This story is written by Yan Leisheng, a famous Chinese author. Thus, for me, the writing style is not really the same as usual English novels that I have read before. However, if the reader has read Chinese web novels and novels before, the reader can get comfortable with the writing style much more easily. There are quite a number of characters in here, taking me sometimes to remember most of them. However, if you are a fan of Chinese historical dramas and web novels, you may already know this.

For me, I really like this novel because I was always interested in the Assassin's Creed universe even though I never played the game. Their details are always interesting. The story is also really exciting because I always do not know what to expect for each chapter. I am also excited to know more about Shao Jun’s backstory because for me, she is one of my favourite characters in AC’s universe. For me, if you are a fan of Assassin’s Creed games and universe, you should try reading this story.

I always enjoy an Assassin Creed book and The Ming Storm is no different. I enjoyed reading an AC novel that was set in Asia and not Europe like the other books were. I really enjoyed the characters and the world was well built. I am looking forward to what comes next in the Assassin's Creed world.