A fast-paced, joyful retelling of a classic Chinese novel, full of wuxia action sequences and rousing eat-the-rich antics. Huang goes maximalist here, juggling a wide range of characters and embracing their complicated dynamics -- and it works just like a summer blockbuster ought to. This one is fun fun fun.

I wasn't expecting this to be a book centered around a corrupt government but there you go. I did enjoy all the lgbtq characters as I don't read alot of books with them in it. Parts of the book did drag but I did enjoy it.

This was a very cool book that I definitely think I will need to go back and reread. I will definitely be recommending this one as well

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang tells the story of a group of outcasts who have found common ground in wanting to rid the empire of its corruption and restore it to its former glory. It’s an inspiring and brutal tale of heroes, anti-heroes, and villains all fighting for their version of justice. Huang adds a dash of magic and incredibly high stakes to tell a compelling story that has easily become one of my favorite books of 2023.

One act of defiance against an Imperial Marshall earns the respected arms instructor, Lin Chong, in a cell with a tattoo on her cheek and a death sentence over her head. Her friend and wealthy socialite, Lu Junyi, interferes and is able to have Lin Chong’s sentence reduced to forced labor in a work camp. However, Lin Chong doesn’t make it to the camp. Instead, she finds herself in the fierce company of The Bandits of Liangshan. The bandits take in everyone looking for a second chance, but not all members are as noble as the former Imperial instructor. With few options and a vendetta against the man who ruined her life, Lin Chong will attempt to find her place among a group of thieves, murderers, and criminals to fight against the flood of an unjust and corrupt empire.

Huang does an excellent job showcasing the horrors of powerful men and how the world bends to their whims. The story centers around a group of vigilante outlaws, so Huang quickly sets the stage to demonstrate the severe power imbalance between them and the rich men of the court. Several frightening and uncomfortable situations play out throughout the book, and I was horrified by the scenarios that Lin Chong and Lu Junyi are forced into. The characters navigate difficult situations, and oftentimes every choice leads to harm for either themselves or others. My indecisive, perfectionist brain was on fire as I thought about the choices I would make in their shoes, and I applaud Huang for capturing the difficulty and consequences of these situations.

These situations are made even better by the characters and their unaligned moral standards. It’s interesting to see the characters’ values fluctuate throughout the book, which characters change, and why they do. While there are many colorful characters with varied ideals, there are three who have the most page time and share their inner turmoil. Lin Chong does not rock the boat and has lived her life working hard and never questioned the authority surrounding her as an Imperial arms instructor. One of Lin Chong’s students, Lu Junyi, is a wealthy but knowledgeable woman who does not hide her frustration or shy away from sharing her ideas to better the empire. Then there is our sunshine himbo Lu Da, whose impulsiveness may have landed her in some tight spots but is someone who has a heart of gold and a strong sense of justice. Each woman will be tested over and over again, while the reader sits and watches the consequences of their actions play out.

The Water Outlaws is a strong standalone story. It has great pacing and multiple POVs that are interesting and contribute to the story meaningfully. The inner workings of the magic system remain vague, but the powers and incredible feats support the story well and serve as tools for both sides to manipulate. There is only one part that was unsatisfactory to me, and it was a fade-to-black ending given to one of the characters. Their story felt unfinished, especially when every other story stream wraps up nicely and flows home to a larger potential plot to carry on. As one of our more tortured and conflicted characters, maybe we are meant to sit in uncomfortable silence and think, “What now?” without any real answers as to what their future holds. I am happy to endure an ending filled with unknowns, but it does feel out of place given that every other character has a definitive end.

I was swept away by The Water Outlaws’ shifting tides of loyalty and the complicated web of tributaries that marks each character’s unique path. This book is definitely being shelved as one of my favorite reads this year, and I encourage you to pick it up and respond to the bandits’ rallying cry.

Rating: The Water Outlaws - 9.0/10

While there was a lot I enjoyed about THE WATER OUTLAWS, unfortunately I found that the book's dry writing style, slow pacing, and abundance of one-off characters to be a bit too much. Working my way through the last half was a chore, and only a few days after finishing the book, I realized I can't recall more than a handful of characters or events.

Weirdly, the story at the core of this was definitely compelling—I loved the glimpses of alchemy and the corruption of the government officials—but there just wasn't enough to anchor me in the story, especially in regards to the characters. Even with a character directory at the beginning of the book, the sheer number of outlaws and officials and soldiers was overwhelming. Most of these named characters also had little to no effect on the events of the story, but also weren't really interesting enough as characters to justify their presence outside of that. At times, especially during the later battle sequences, it just felt like they were there to be bodies.

All-in-all, I'm pretty disappointed in this one.

A beautiful queer historical fantasy that kept me turning page after page.

The premise? A promising weapons woman just wants to keep her job and be content. When a villain crosses her path, she must join a group of bandits to stay alive.

Stunning, sharp, poignant, and queer as hell

Okay, I needed the screen adaptation for this YESTERDAY. This was such an action-packed book full of lovable characters and a politically driven plot that had me on the edge of my seat cheering on the bandits! There are quite a few POVs to keep up with, but it's well worth it to see how all the perspectives line up. I only wish we had some time devoted to more character growth and development.

Thanks to Netgalley and TOR for the ARC!

When I caught wind of this Feminist Retelling of a classical Chinese text, I knew it would have high expectations to live up to. S.L. Huang managed to craft a book that lived up to my hopes and then some.

An epic that follows a dynamic cast of characters, The Water Bandits mainly tracks the fall (or perhaps, rise) of Lin Chong from an esteemed martial arts instructor in the Empire’s military to a rogue who leads a sisterhood of bandits in a quest to take power from provincial lords and place it back into the hands of the people at every turn. Similar to She Who Became the Sun or The Poppy War, but Huang definitely has a unique voice and stands plenty well without comparison to more well known works.

The highest possible praise that I can give this book, besides saying that the prose was fast paced and equally sharp witted, is that it could have worked as a trilogy but I am so glad that Huang decided to keep the structure intact as is. The pacing does NOT let up, and despite being told from multiple perspectives I was never bored or itching to get to a plot point I could tell was coming but was meandering along to get there. Every choice made, both in terms of characterization and structure, is intentional and pays off wonderfully. Despite everything publishing keeps pushing, one offs are good actually!!

My only gripe is that all of the characters we get to know are embodied and have a satisfying depth save one. Perhaps she was a last minute addition and just didn’t get the time to develop as fully as others did, but even knowing that I still was a tad disappointed with her childish characterization.

The Water Outlaws is a queer genderbent retelling of Water Margin, one of the most famous works of Chinese literature about 108 bandits living on Mount Liang who rebel against the government. With a gorgeous cover and an author known for writing fantastic fight scenes, I was quite excited to see more retellings of Chinese literature. However, I felt a general disconnect with the characters and the pacing felt off.

I admit, I wasn’t actually familiar with Water Margin when I read this book (although I did skim the Wikipedia article after) so I treated this book as its own work. Perhaps knowing the original story, I would have had a better appreciation for how Huang re-interprets the plot and characters. In the original work, all the bandits are men, whereas in The Water Outlaws, the bandits of Mount Liang are women who’ve been failed by society in some way or other, and have found a second life in this new sisterhood. This one factor completely overhauls the motivations of the original story, and while I thought the exploration of such was interesting, it felt lacking to me.

I think The Water Outlaws suffers from the same issue a lot of retelling face: being forced to follow the same rough outline and not deviating too far from the character arcs from the original work in a way that still feels true to the re-imagined character. I think it’s here where I had the biggest struggle. These characters like Lin Chong and Wu Yong would be so interesting and then suddenly do something that felt out of character, and my guess is because of the retelling issue. Despite this book being so character-driven, I just never felt myself connecting to the actual characters and so I found it difficult to really get into the story.

That being said, the action and fights were delivered exactly as promised. Huang writes combat in a way that feels clear, one where you can picture every move a character makes and exactly where they’re positioned on the battlefield. After the first 35% or so, the story is pretty much non-stop action (they’re bandits after all). The added component of the god’s tooth, giving characters wuxia-like fighting technique, made the stakes so much higher and more fun to read.

Overall, I rate this book a 3/5. I struggled through the slow first 35% of story and it was hard to immerse myself in the story due to a lack of connection with the characters, but the action was extremely well written and the worldbuilding was both interesting and surprisingly compact.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Very powerful and well-crafted. Reminded me of why I love fantasy so much. I'll be reading more from this author for sure.

THANK YOU for the content warnings. Gold star for that.

The writing style (a lot of narrative distance) didn't work for me personally and knowing the content I was in for, I decided to stop after chapter 1 (4%). That said, there are some cool aspects to the story and I see this going over well with the right audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

3.5/5

The Water Outlaws is epic and action-packed. Huang's descriptions of fight scenes are cinematic and fluid, and the political and societal discussions are just as compelling. The worldbuilding and magic system is relatively simple but perfectly executed.

I do think that I would have enjoyed the book more if the side characters (of which there are many) were fleshed out further. I loved reading about the bandits of Liangshan, but never felt like they were truly a 'family', even though that is a huge component of the story. This is still a great story for anyone into historical fantasies or retellings!

A group of mostly female outlaws, skilled in martial arts and composed of murderers, smugglers, and cutthroats fights for justice in this action-packed historical fantasy.

The Water Outlaws is a retelling of the Chinese classic Water Margin, which follows a group of Robin Hood-esque badass women and gender-nonconforming folk. I had no background knowledge of the original tale, and I was instantly hooked.

The Water Outlaws follows numerous POVs, which really adds to the story for me. You have a wealthy, intelligent woman who attempts to use her knowledge and wealth to help the society around her. Another is a person who grew up struggling to get by, and had to break a few laws along the way to do so. Our main character is a martial arts expert who respects the society she exists in, until one day she is unexpectedly accused of a crime she did not commit. Huang does a fantastic job of using these main POVs, along with our numerous side characters with different life experiences, to show how patriarchy really does affect everybody in some way or another.

I absolutely adored this book. The magic system was so interesting, and I wanted to stay in this world that Huang created for as long as possible. It was so interesting seeing how these different characters with different backgrounds and motivations interacted in this world so differently for the same ultimate goal of just making the world a better place. I am so excited to get a physical copy of this book, and I will be telling everyone I know to read it!

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely epic feminism. This is empowering. It made me want to conquer and spread equality everywhere. It is truly inspiring.

This book feels like a classic, but it boasts modern ideas and deals with timeless issues, particularly for women, but really any gender or sexuality.

I loved this so much!

Out August 22, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.

Look, for this being an anticipated read, it did not disappoint. I was drawn to it simply because of the COVER (like GORGEOUS) and the title and then you read the synopsis and it's immediately bandits and fighting against the patriarchy and gender/sexuality norms while tying in martial arts and some magic/spiritual elements. Lin Chong is the main character and her life is turned upside down after being accused of a murder attempt by a man who was bested by her...and then tried to kill her...and then Lu Da saves her (a chaotic force of an adopted little sister) and suddenly Lin Chong's morals and skills are tested when she finds a home in the group of the bandits.

But wait! The man who was bested isn't done and another man comes trying to create the power of the gods and there is alchemy and an entire war raged on 40 bandits.

It's so good, y'all. The action is written well and the world building is succinct for how much goes into it. There are SO many characters with their own stories on why they chose to live with the bandits. I loved it. My only issue is that there are some things left unfinished, like Lin Chong has children but they're only mentioned as estranged? Plus Lady Lu Junyi and some other threads where I'm like hmmmmmmmmm

I felt very underwhelmed by Water Outlaws, but I strongly suspect it’s because I was in a bad headspace while I read it. Looked at objectively, Water Outlaws is a very good book, maybe even a great one, with lots of strong threads woven together into an impressive tapestry. The arcs of the various main and major characters are meaty, complex, and immensely satisfying, and Huang places her cast in a complicated world where concepts like right and wrong, justice and vengeance, and even good and evil are murky, all but impossible to define, and sometimes heartbreakingly fluid. In that it’s painfully realistic.

But there’s definitely an element of wish fulfilment and tongue-in-cheek fun winding through the book too, with marvellousIy over-the-top, magical martial arts allowing for anime-esque battles with incredible visuals. And if many writers struggle to write great battle scenes, I can assure you that Huang is not one of them; both the light-hearted examples of supernatural mastery and the dark, desperate fights for freedom are, frankly, spectacular.

This is far from a bloodless book; many of the themes and topics it deals with are ugly and painful, and Huang doesn’t gloss over the viciousness and death that are an inevitable part of fighting for your right to exist. The successes of the bandits mean death for their enemies – there’s no getting around that – and that isn’t pretty. But it shouldn’t be.

(I do wish there’d been some acknowledgement that the Empire’s soldiers are really just cogs in the machine; that it’s a tragedy, and an evil, that they have to die because the people commanding them are rotten, rather than because of any crimes, or even choices, of their own. Instead they were turned into a faceless horde, which was kind of surprising given how much the rest of the book critiques the system they’re all trapped in.)

I was under the impression that Water Outlaws was going to be massively queer and feature a whole lot of gender fuckery, and that’s not really the case? We have several very minor nonbinary characters, and a major POV character is sapphic, but that’s it. And that’s fine, but I just wanted to give a head’s up to anyone else who had the same wrong idea about what they’re in for here. (Although I guess you could argue that pretty much the entire cast is made up of unfeminine women? That’s not an argument I would buy, though.)

Regardless, I thing Water Outlaws succeeds at being exactly what it wants to be – an adventure story that doesn’t try to pretend the world is a simple place; entertaining as hell while leaving you with plenty to think about; and, somehow, a book that manages to feel straightforward despite its crunchy complexity. If it wasn’t quite to my taste, that doesn’t change my enthusiastic recommendation. Definitely receives the Sia stamp of approval!

3.5 stars!

The Water Outlaws contains fascinating mythology, fluid writing, interesting character journies, evocative writing that got you raging, pitiful, vengeful, and interesting character dynamics. My main con with the story is that it's hard to feel attached to the band of bandits since the story jumps around a lot since there are many characters to explore at the same time. So it made the middle a bit hard to get through and very easy for me to stop reading the story. Overall, likeable to finish.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I never quite clicked with this book. I do think it will find an audience with other readers, but it ended up not being for me.