DNF'd @ 15%

I was really looking forward to A Hero Born, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. I'm not entirely sure if that has more to with the genre or this new translation into English, but the style didn't do anything for me. I felt entirely disconnected from all of the characters and events to that point. I have a feeling though that I may enjoy the story in another format. Oh, well. Thanks anyway, NetGalley.

Reading "A Hero Born" brought me back to being a college student almost 10 years ago when I first heard of "Legend of the Condor Heroes." It was always on my "to watch" list that I had of Asian dramas, but I never got around to it. I might have to check out the latest dramatization of it though, because "A Hero Born" became a fun and enjoyable read. 
If I was going to write a review for the first 30% of the book though, it would have been 2.5 stars. I was not enjoying it to the point of dreading it. Trying to understand the history while parsing through literal translations of people's names and attacks was frustrating. Having a prologue that explains some of the history helped, but I actually found reading a few wiki articles about the Song and Jin empires and Genghis Khan helped me have a better appreciation for the story and helped the setting make a bit more sense.

I don't know if it is the translation, or a product of the times (I believe this was originally written in 1957), but it reads a bit choppy. It took me a while to get used to the style of writing and appreciate the story. As part of the translation, the translator used literal naming conventions. As a result, you get names like "Skyfury Guo" and "Justice Duan"- rather than what they would be called in Chinese. It was distracting reading names in this way, but I can't hate on it too much because it makes sense- if you're not used to seeing or hearing Chinese names and you don't know the meaning of the names, a lot more would be lost in translation.

Even with that difficult beginning, I still rated this as a 4-star book. It's a Chinese classic and once I got over the slowness and difficulty of the first half of the book, the second half was really interesting. I look forward to sequel (book one ends with a bit of a cliffhanger!).

On a side note: I loved the endnote of this book- it's not a spoiler so I won't tag it as such. "Legend of the Condor Heroes" was a mistranslation because condors are not native to Asia. The title remains though because the story has been popularized as "Legend of the Condor Heroes." How crazy/fun/interesting is that?!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy of this book. I'm so glad to see this new translation and re-release of this Chinese classic.

DNF @ 17%

I honestly went in with a little doubt, because translated texts are so hit or miss with me, depending on if things are translated to the letter of the original (which often sounds weird in English) or translated in the spirit of the original. I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the translation! Bearing in mind that this is a book written long ago from a different culture, I expected there to be differences in the prose from what I'm used to or normally read. For the most part, though, the translation flowed smoothly (smoother than I expected, for sure) and was really easy to get into and read.

Ultimately, though, this book was just not for me, as I need a little more from my prose and plot. There are a lot of things I recognize from wuxia, and if you like that genre, you'll probably enjoy this. The fighting scenes aren't particularly action-packed or drawn out, but they're easy to picture and what you might expect from the genre. For me, though, the hardest part was a lack of a real plot. Unless I absolutely love the characters (which I feel like I didn't really know these characters, and this isn't the sort of story where I feel I'd connect with them well), I need some action or momentum, and this book just doesn't provide that.

Speaking of which, there were a lot of characters, and like I said, the writing style and story structure just didn't lend actually getting to know them. Which I really need, personally. Also, I knew this story just wasn't for me about the fourth time one of the lead females contemplated simply committing suicide because she's just merely a woman and what more can she do.

I've seen this story compared to Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, and I think that really hurts it. If you're going in expecting either one of those, you're doomed to be disappointed. This is very obviously classical Eastern literature, which shouldn't be compared to Western literature, because they're very different, with different writing styles and tropes and expectations, etc. I think it sets the wrong expectations. No, it doesn't particularly have anything in common with the two comped titles other than that it's a high fantasy story.

Even though this book isn't for me, personally, I can see it being a big hit for fans of wuxia and/or those who are used to reading Chinese translated works. I think of someone like my husband, in particular, who loves reading Chinese novels, and who doesn't care so much about how the prose sounds or if it starts slow, but is more in it for the overall payoff of the story as a whole.

DNF @ 59%

Do you enjoy Chinese martial arts films?
Are you able to forgive weak, clunky prose?

If you answered yes to both questions, then this is the book for you.

First, the good: this is a charmingly classic story, especially if you're familiar with the Chinese wuxia genre. Oaths of brotherhood, endless talk of honour and loyalty, the never-ending balance of issuing challenges and trying to save face for oneself and one's opponent. Qiu Chuji's proposal of an 18 year challenge to the Seven Freaks, which would prove their skills without making any of them lose face, was a stroke of genius on behalf of the plot.

Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to get through this book. I wish there was more character development to make the narrative flow better, and to alleviate the neverending flow of battles, but alas, this is not a book for someone that enjoys deeper exploration of characters.

What more, the extremely inelegant prose hampered how much i could enjoy the plot. I've not read the original Chinese version, so I won't remark upon the translation's faithfulness. But I imagine the following issues were likely present in the original version, which debuted over 50 years ago to a world with very different literary standards from now. Readers should go into this book expecting several things that would be considered basic writing flaws nowadays. Clunky sentences, awkward transitions, sudden leaps of logic, random information dumps plunked down in the middle of nowhere, a *heavy* reliance on telling vs showing, POV-jumping up the wazoo—oh boy, this book is merciless in how it clashes with modern writing sensibilities. Chunks of the book read like a Wikipedia plot summary rather than an actual fiction narrative replete with dialogue, description, etc.

I see some other reviews picked this book up upon hearing it was the Chinese equivalent of The Lord of the Rings—and I couldn't think of a worse way to introduce readers to this book. If you come to this book expecting Tolkien's mastery of prose, you will leave sorely disappointed. Conversely, if you hate how slowly Tolkien paced his stories and wished he described trees less often and jumped straight into the battles (not me! Tell me more about every single leaf, Professor Tolkien!), you might just love A Hero Born, which is action-packed from beginning to end.

It's not without its merits, but unfortunately, A Hero Born fell short of my expectations.

It's always hard to review a book where you're needing to critique both the original material and the translation, which is the case here. The book is the first book in The Legend of the Condor Heroes series originally published in 1957. The new edition, published here, is the first American version of this now classic novel.

As someone who was not familiar with the original source material nor any of the movies and television series made from the source material, I did enjoy the fantasy world-building that occurred within this novel. It's billed as a Chinese Lord of the Rings, which may not be a completely appropriate comparison, in my opinion. However, it is a fantasy journey that the heroes must undertake, which is why I think the comparison is made.

As a whole, I found the read enjoyable if a bit long-winded in a few places. Again, it's hard to tell if this is from the original or a result of the translation here. For those interested in fantasy quests, I definitely think this book is going to be a must read for many.

I had the opportunity to review this book prior to its publication from the publisher. However, the review is completely my own and not impacted by the publishers.

Ahoy there mateys! I tried multiple times (3+) to get into this book and just wasn't excited to keep reading. I am not really sure if this was because of me mood or the translation or the story itself. I am not adverse to trying again in the future because it sounds awesome. But I have come to terms with the fact that I am not going to read this before its release date of 9/17/19. I am however grateful to the publisher for the review copy. Happy reading and sailing!

This is the first book of it’s kind that I’ve ever read and I really enjoyed it - sure, the martial arts descriptions were very Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with the flying and impossible feats but that was very much the book's charm.

It was a bit slow in places, going into historical detail and reiterating certain information but for the most part, it was classic kung fu excellence. It highlighted the many virtues that were expected of masters and the importance of being pure of heart (I’m a sucker for this kind of thing) and though it hinted at future romances, this book was about a young man uncovering the secrets of his childhood and how they came to be.

Obviously, having never read the original, I can’t comment on the accuracy of the translation or any stylistic changes - some of the dramatic character and kung fu names were entertaining, but the narrative was very enjoyable.

It focuses more on the graphic depictions of the fight scenes and landscapes rather than the characters themselves, which makes it quite impersonal but I could see it playing out in front of me.

The book would be a good fit for teenage boys craving action and adventure, and is reminiscent of martial arts movies. While I personally am not a huge fan of these flicks (and by extension, this book), one can’t help but get caught up in the story. Guo Jing is like a leaf in the wind, being blown from one event to the next. Many of the scenes feature detailed battles, some of which go on for pages. It is easy to envision exactly what is happening, and the book flies by on a breakneck pace. The action and the plot form a cohesive element that powers the book from beginning to end.

Don’t look for deep characterizations here, it’s just not that type of book. Energy is focused on the entertainment, both in the battles as well as the participants. Groups of fighters are known by their individual as well as their group names. The Four Daemons of the Yellow River should strike fear in the heart of any of their enemies, and there was no way I was not going to get involved with The Seven Freaks of the South.

I would recommend not reading the CHARACTERS section in the beginning of the book. The list of names might seem overwhelming, and it really didn’t help me with reading the book. However, if you get caught up in the series, it will be a helpful reminder of who everyone is, as the individual descriptions are short but illuminating.

The book seemed to end, not necessarily as a cliffhanger, but certainly with a lot of strings left unraveled. I am guessing this is because there will eventually be twelve books that will tell the entire story, and where “A Hero Born” stopped must have been the most logical spot. I am not an expert on translated works, but since nothing in the text seemed jarring or out of place, I would consider the work to be satisfactory. Fun read, especially for those fans of kung fu movies. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance electronic copy of this book.

Kung-fu Chinese fantasy novel - not for everyone

This is the first of twelve volumes in this fantasy Kung Fu series by a celebrated Chinese author, Jin Yong. This novel centres around two sons of martial art heroes and their fate. Guo encounters a variety of martial art experts and the text is full of fights and Kung fu moves. There’s some historical context but the whole experience is long and not particularly engaging, unless you’re a fan of that sort of thing. The fact that I found this easy to put down says a lot. I completed it, hoping for a bit more inspiration but unfortunately it didn’t happen. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just missed the mark for me. I picked it up because it was dubbed as an epic tale, a classic like Game of Thrones. But it just dragged for me. I've read online that many didn't think an English translation of this story would become a hit in the American market, and I hate that I didn't like it, but I don't think it had anything to do with it being Chinese, so much as the tale is just old and not as impressive anymore, for me at any rate. I also read online a lot of people compared it to LOTR and maybe that's why I did not enjoy it, because I thought LOTR dragged on as well. I loved The Hobbit as a child, but as an adult I can't bring myself to read LOTR. Classic fantasy seems to drag on and on for me, and so did this book.

Arc provided by St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my honest review. A Hero Born is a classic story. Unfortunately for me I just could not engage with this book at all. I do believe a lot of the promising qualities definitely got lost in translation.

I really wanted to like this book, but... (I didn't want to type those words.) On the good side, there is one more book set in classical China which may/may not provide some cultural references for the reader. The primary issue on the bad side is that the writing style is too much of a burden. I admit it -- I did not finish and I am normally compulsive about finishing any book. Other reviews describe and even provide brief examples of the writing. I'm pretty sure it is in the translation -- where the exact words are translated, probably quite accurately, but the music and poetry of the original language is lost. In my opinion, a good translator who is a gifted writer will not exactly translate words, but capture and share the ineffable. That being said, it is also possible that the book being translated was a poor version of the oral stories and really did tell a mostly boring story about uninteresting characters doing mostly foolish things. This would leave the translator with little material to communicate except the bare words. In summary, I can't recommend reading the book for the enjoyment of a good story with engaging characters engaging in thoughtful communication about deep matters. I could visualize it on a reading list for 11th Century China literature or history.

I normally avoid 'adult' books since they take me so long to finish, but sometimes there will be one that's just interesting enough to tempt me to pick it up. This is one of those. I was well rewarded! I ended up loving this and reading it much faster than I thought I would. Well written and original, I highly recommend this one!

Though it has no specific counterpart in Western writing, the wuxia novel has been part of Chinese literature for centuries. ‘Wuxia’ literally means ‘armed heroes’, and features stories about young heroes who usually come from a lower social class and have no lord or master to follow. These heroes usually endure some sort of personal tragedy or loss and often go on a quest to right some wrong. They are guided by a code of ethics not unlike Western chivalry or the Japanese samurai bushido, are trained in a martial art style, and do their best to redress wrongs done to themselves or others.

With his Legends of the Condor Heroes series, popular Chinese author Jin Yong (the pen name of Louis Cha) created a story that has become massively popular since it was first serialized in 1957. Since then, the series has sold more than 300,000,000 copies and been translated in multiple languages, though this new translation by Anna Holmwood is the first time the story has appeared in English.

Though A Hero Born is about the early life of Guo Jing, the story opens before his birth. Skyfury Guo and Ironheart Yang are the best of friends, and their wives are both pregnant. The two friends decide that their children will either be sworn siblings (if they are the same gender) of will be married (if they are of different genders). But before either child is born, a chance encounter with a Taoist will bring ruin onto their lives, as both Skyfury Guo, Ironheart Yang, and the Taoist are enemies of the corrupt government. When soldiers set upon them, the friends are separated and killed and their wives forced to flee. Skyfury’s wife, Lily Li, ends up in Mongolia, where she gives birth to her son, Guo Jing. Eventually, they end up in the court of Temujin, the future Genghis Khan, who takes a liking to young Guo Jing and raises him along with his own children.

Meanwhile, a group of warriors known as the Seven Freaks of the South has been searching for Guo Jing in order to fulfill a promise they made. They intend to train Guo Jing in their various styles of martial arts so that one day, he can face an opponent who will be his equal– and his opposite. The Seven Freaks of the South encounter many obstacles in their quest, however, and come across enemies who could put an end to all of them before they even locate Guo Jing.

But after many trials and travails, the Seven Freaks to find Guo Jing and begin to train him. Their elation is tempered by the fact that Guo Jing has little aptitude for martial arts, and while the boy has great mental fortitude and purity of heart, he is not very smart. The Seven Freaks worry that he will not be ready to face his opponent when the time comes. Behind all this, political forces are slowly building and will soon clash in ways that will change the course of history forever.

“Temujin’s men had claimed a resolute victory over their longstanding enemy… Temujin was flooded with the memories of his capture at their hands, their beatings and insults, the torture and the yoke. Today’s victory had gone some way to redressing that humiliation. His heart quickened, and a laugh bubbled up from within. The earth shook with the shouts of his men as they withdrew from the bloody field.”

It is clear early on that A Hero Born is not a novel from a Western tradition. There is little worldbuilding and even less explanation of the story’s historical background. Readers are expected to know who Temujin is and what his place is in Chinese history. The struggle between the Jin and Song factions are glossed over, too, and readers unfamiliar with Chinese may find themselves flailing at first, though Holmwood’s introduction goes a long way to orienting readers within the historical and cultural context of A Hero Born. But a perfect understanding of Chinese history is not necessary to the story, as contextual clues help the reader to sort out the basics of the good guys and the bad guys.

The pacing, too, is different from what Western readers will be accustomed to. Though the story spans many years and hundreds of miles, the exposition is largely glossed over in favor of intricately described action sequences featuring names of martial arts forms that seem strange at first until the reader settles into the flow of the story. If the reader has watched Chinese martial arts films such as Zhang Yimou’s Hero (2002) or House of Flying Daggers (2004), then imagining the many fight scenes will be easy, as Jon Yong’s writing (and Holmwood’s translation) paints of vivid picture of the fight scenes and moves the story forward at lightning speed.

This is not to say that A Hero Born is nothing but a series of linked fight scenes. It has all the elements a great story could want– rivalries, pure-hearted heroes, clever heroines, love, loss, and tragedy backed up by sweeping historical events. Holmwood’s brilliant translation of A Hero Born opens up an exciting story to the English-speaking world and will leave readers breathlessly awaiting the next installment.

One rainy Sunday afternoon in 1990-something, I curled up on the couch, picked up my TV remote, and discovered the wonderful world of Chinese Wuxia films. The movie playing was The Legend of the Mountain and the English dubbing wasn’t great, but the story! The spectacle! The action! I wanted to believe that if I studied any martial art for long enough that I, too, could fly.

I’ve since watched dozens of these movies and I’m always affected the same way. The stories catch me and keep me, but it’s the special effects that keep me coming back—or simply that same belief that the feats of athleticism accomplished offscreen by a bounce on a trampoline and an invisible wire, are actually possible. That there is a secret world buried somewhere within the layers of our own, where devotees of certain styles of kung fu can learn to do this sort of thing. That it’s all real. That it’s all possible.

So, you can imagine my delight upon discovering the newly translated A Hero Born (Legends of the Condor Heroes) by Jin Yong (translated by Anna Holmwood). The prose is deceptively simple. Peek beneath the surface, however, and you’ll discover the same world I did so many years ago.

A Hero Born begins the story of two men who are destined to be heroes even before they’re born. Set in the evening of the Song dynasty, a time of war, two best friends plan for the futures of their unborn children. If they are a boy and a girl, they will be married. If they are both boys, they will be best friends, just like their fathers. No plans are made in the event both children are girls. Given the time in which this was written, however, I wasn’t particularly bothered by the slight. I read this for the pure Wuxia feel of the story, and though I love to see female characters doing amazing things in modern fiction, I’ve always felt Chinese literature and film has highlighted many wonderful female characters. A Hero Born is no exception. The greatest villain in the story is female and she is truly, truly scary.

Before these plans can come to fruition, however, the two friends and their families are torn apart by the conflict between the Jin and the Song. Both children are born, and both are male. But their destinies have been irrevocably changed. Instead of growing up to be best friends, as their fathers were, these two boys will grow up on opposites of the war—one as the adopted son of Temujin (who will become the Great Khan, Genghis), the other as the adopted son of a prince of the Jin.

Chance will bring them back together in a way that is pure Chinese fantasy: a wandering monk, Eternal Spring, and a close band of warriors, the Seven Freaks of the South, meet and fight. This scene is one of my favourites in the book. The fight reads exactly like a scene from the movies, with the monk arriving with an enormous censor of wine and managing to balance the vessel throughout and use it in the fight.

Afterward, the two parties agree to a new challenge that will settle the matter of whose style of kung fu is superior: they will find these two lost children, one each, and train them over the years. They will meet again, in eighteen years, and the two children will fight. The victor will prove once and for all, who is the winner. It’s convoluted and wonderful and the reason I love watching movies and now reading books like this.

The rest of the novel focuses on the story of Guo Jing, who is born on the Mongolian Steppe and found nearly a decade later by the Seven Freaks of the South. His training begins in earnest and is interspersed with adventures that could each be a complete story on its own. Some readers might find the wandering narrative a little distracting, but this reader reveled in every encounter, especially when they included passages like the following:

“But aren’t they dead?” Zhu Cong said in disbelief. “How can they still be alive?”

“I thought so too. But it looks as if they have been hiding here, practicing their Nine Yin Skeleton Claw,” Ke Zhen’e said. “Mount your horses and head south, as fast as you can. Don’t come back for me. Keep riding for one thousand li and then wait for ten days. If I do not join you by the eleventh day, there is no need to wait any longer.”

I love the specific nature of “Keep riding for one thousand li and then wait for ten days.” To me, that’s the stuff of essential fantasy, regardless of the cultural origin of the author. I grew up on tales like these and love that they’re still being celebrated.

Next, we have another mention of a specific style, from another practitioner who is, of course, “a man of great learning from an esoteric school...”

Ke Zhen’e had heard of Lama Supreme Wisdom Lobsang Choden Rinpoche, of course, a man of great learning from an esoteric school of Buddhism in the northern plains of Kokonor, known across the south and west for his Five Finger Blade kung fu.

But wait, there’s more. There’s always more, and there’s always another style of kung fu to discover:

He had never, in all his years in the wulin, seen anything like this Orchid Touch kung fu, a technique that emphasized speed, accuracy, surprise and clarity.

Rather than throwing a new school of kung fu onto every second page, however, author Jin Yong has constructed a world that could exist—that did exist, for the most part. Fantasy that skirts close to our own history is some of the most compelling because of the way it combines myth and folklore into an almost reasonable explanation of the world around us. It’s stories like these that stay with us, becoming the myths for the future.

I loved the experience of reading this book just as much as I enjoyed the story and I’m thrilled by the idea these translations might bring a whole new world of fantasy to Western readers so that they, too, can discover the wonders of Wuxia, both in literature and maybe film. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series and anticipate a long and adventurous journey with the Condor Heroes.

A Hero Born is an epic novel about the Chinese, the Mongols, and the Huns. It was a story of the struggle between the differing clans. It is an epic tale of adventure, little bit of romance, and some legends mixed together. The story is long but packed full of action so the pace moves quickly.
I enjoyed the adventure, the characters, and the unfolding of the world in which they lived. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I had a better understanding of Chinese culture and history or a better understanding of kungfu. Due to my ignorance of these topics, I wasn't as invested into the story as I could have been but it does make me want to educate myself further on the topics.
I don't think this was a book for me but if you enjoy kungfu or Chinese history you may want to pick up this story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

A Kung-fu story based in 1200 AD China mixing fantasy action with historical events., Two babies from blood brothers are separated before their birth and taught their fighting skills by different masters; one in Mongolia in the land of the the soon-to-be Genghis Khan and the second in the corrupt Chinese southern Jin Empire. The focus is on Guo Jing, his training in Mongolia, various adventures and his journey back to the Jin Empire.
The descriptions of the various fights made use of mythical moves and capabilities that left much to the reader's imagination. I think it worked. I found the story to be fast moving with new characters coming along adding new capabilities and dimensions to this tale of corruption, kung-fu, religious sects and magical moments.
I hated the ending though - too many balls left in the air. How do I get a translated version of the next in this series?

Lost in translation. That's how it felt mostly for me. I believe this book has great potential. I was hoping for an epic fantasy paired with martial arts/Kung Fu, but I had issues with the writing style and the characters. I had trouble keeping them all apart or even picturing them in my head. The dialogues are all matter of fact without and wooden.
I really wanted to like this, but I DNFed it at 30%.
I still believe though that this will find it's fanbase.

The overall sweeping plot of the book was good. I enjoyed the historical aspect of it. The fight scenes and the explanation of kung fu also read really well. I was a little frustrated with the translation of the book, and lot of it felt too literal and the prose just didn't translate correctly or read fluently. This made the characters all seem super one dimensional.

I was glad that I gave it a shot, but I don't think I will be picking up the next book in the series, it just wasn't really my cup of tea.

This was billed as an epic tale, a Chinese LOTR, and I was excited to get an opportunity to read it. My excitement quickly turned to disappointment. Not only was it nothing like LOTR but the prose was awkward at best. I fear that a lot of its luster was lost in the translation process. Despite three separate attempts, this is a DNF for me at 27% complete.

The other main flaw for me was the lack of character development. There is plenty of action which was the best part of the story. However, the action scenes where not written well enough to overcome the flaws. I never was invested in this story and it become more and more laborious the further along I read.

I received a free copy form the publisher in exchange for my honest review. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com.