The art of prophecy : a novel

Title:

Author:

Chu, Wesley, author.

Personal Author:

Chu, Wesley, author.

ISBN:

9780593237632

9780593501047

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

532 pages ; 25 cm.

Series:

The war arts saga ; book one

War arts saga ; bk. 1.

Abstract:

When the prophecy anoints the wrong hero, Jian decides to save the kingdom from a cruel immortal god-king anyway with the help of a ragtag group of allies, including a grandmaster of magical martial arts, a straight-laced warrior, and a chaotic assassin.

It has been foretold: A child will rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, a cruel immortal god-king, and save the kingdom. Jian has been raised since birth in luxury and splendor, celebrated before he has won a single battle. When Taishi, the greatest war artist of her generation, arrives to evaluate the prophesied hero, she finds a spoiled brat unprepared to face his destiny. Possessed of an iron will, a sharp tongue Taishi-- and a band of unlikely allies-- will find a way to forge Jian into the weapon and leader he needs to be in order to fulfill his legend. -- adapted from jacket

Subject Term:

Prophecies -- Fiction.

Magic -- Fiction.

Heroes -- Fiction.

Martial artists -- Fiction.

Genre:

Fantasy fiction.

Martial arts fiction.

Novels.

Summary:

Holds:

Available:*

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Summary

A "superb fantasy saga" (Helene Wecker) of martial arts and magic, about what happens when a prophesied hero is not the chosen one after all--but has to work with a band of unlikely allies to save the kingdom anyway, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lives of Tao

"An ambitious and touching exploration of disillusionment in faith, tradition, and family--a glorious reinvention of fantasy and wuxia tropes."--Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of A Deadly Education

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Gizmodo, Kirkus Reviews, The Quill to Live

So many stories begin the same way: With a prophecy. A chosen one. And the inevitable quest to slay a villain, save the kingdom, and fulfill a grand destiny.

But this is not that kind of story.

It does begin with a prophecy: A child will rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, a cruel immortal god-king, and save the kingdom.

And that prophecy did anoint a hero, Jian, raised since birth in luxury and splendor, and celebrated before he has won a single battle.

But that's when the story hits its first twist: The prophecy is wrong.

What follows is a story more wondrous than any prophecy could foresee, and with many unexpected heroes: Taishi, an older woman who is the greatest grandmaster of magical martial arts in the kingdom but who thought her adventuring days were all behind her; Sali, a straitlaced warrior who learns the rules may no longer apply when the leader to whom she pledged her life is gone; and Qisami, a chaotic assassin who takes a little too much pleasure in the kill.

And Jian himself, who has to find a way to become what he no longer believes he can be--a hero after all.

Reviews (1)

Kirkus Review

A prophecy is unexpectedly foiled and a chosen hero cast adrift in this first of a fantasy trilogy inspired by Chinese martial arts films. Elderly, one-armed, but still incredibly able war artist Ling Taishi is invited to view the progress of the Champion of the Five Under Heaven, prophesied to be the doom of the Eternal Khan, foe of the Zhuun Empire. Taishi discovers that the so-called hero, Wen Jian, is a poorly trained spoiled brat; nevertheless, she sees some potential in him and resolves to train the boy herself. Then a Zhuun foot patrol blunders into the naked, profoundly drunk Khan and kills him themselves, turning Jian into a political liability and forcing the new master-disciple team to go on the run. Under an assumed name, Jian toils resentfully as a novice and servant at a war artist school; Taishi dodges assassins and searches for the temple where the prophecy was made to learn how and why it failed. Meanwhile, Salminde, an elite warrior and close friend of the late Khan, looks first for her sister and then for some way of helping her people, forced into indentured servitude in the aftermath of the Khan's death. Author Chu uses his knowledge and experience as a martial artist, stuntman, and actor to craft an exceptionally easy-to-visualize work with expertly blocked fight sequences; it's impossible not to picture how everything would look on screen (of course, the trilogy has already been optioned for television). This novel is squarely directed at kung fu, wuxia, and wire-fu fans who adore Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Hero; The Legend of Drunken Master; Kung Fu Hustle, and the like, providing a story with an epic sweep punctuated with dashes of humor and sharp-edged banter. Although Jian provides the initial spark for the plot, the novel is marvelously dominated by strong women, including the hot-tempered and fierce Taishi, who occasionally learns that rudeness is not always the best policy; the passionate, grieving Salminde, searching for meaning after her world has ended; and the mercurial, psychopathic shadow assassin Maza Qisami. Dramatic, fun, thoughtful, clever, and (literally) punchy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.