Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor for the Emperor, she trains soldiers in weaponry as well as women. She has kept her head down, obeyed the laws, and tried to just do her job.... but then one day a powerful man assaults her and then tries to frame her for a crime since she did not give in to him... and now she is disgraced, tattooed as a criminal and on the run from an Imperial Marshall who will stop at nothing to see her dead. While on the road she is nearly killed but then finds herself being recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan, a group of mountain outlaws who seek justice... but are also murderers, thieves, smugglers and cutthroats themselves. Together they will take down the empire. This is definitely a good read for fans of stories inspired by classic martial arts literature featuring a case of bandits who seek justice and won’t let their gender stop them from fighting for women’s rights. This one personally just didn’t connect with me as much as I would have hoped. It is told through various POVS, and had a lot going on from court politics, bandit adventures, schemes, and so much more. It definitely gave the vibe of like a tv series with so many things going on and different character’s stories being connected to one another. I just didn’t find myself connecting with the story or characters and it definitely was a “its me not you” thing.

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tordotcom for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you so much Tor for sending me an ARC!
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This is one of my most anticipated reads this year and I was so excited to get a copy of this! And I love how thick the book is which added to my tremendous excitement.
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Lush worldbuilding, diverse cast of characters, immersive reading experience, really everything I could ever love in a book.
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Definitely recommending to my followers!

Readers will be lining up for publication day!! One of the best books I have read mixing old Chinese literature with strong female power and relationships. Have we forgotten old stories of female outlaws? Author S. L. Huang's The Water Outlaws will make readers remember, and also create legendary new female outlaws to grow old with. Readers will see these female characters as barbarians, and true heroes as well. Well done & will be HIGHLY recommended in my library! Five of five strong stars.

I don't know the original, Water Margin, of which this is a "genderspun retelling", so I can't say where Huang is riffing or inventing wholesale. But I can say that this is an epic, fabulous, fascinating and hugely enjoyable story.

Also, all you aspiring writers who look to Robert Jordan or GRRM? Look here instead. This could easily have been spun out as a trilogy. In terms of plot, it wouldn't even have been that hard. (In terms of writing - that's a different question.) Instead, Huang has written a concise story that doesn't even FEEL concise - it feels sprawling in the best possible way. It's well under 500 pages but has lazy, reflective moments; multiple points of view; a series of adventures; and an appropriately climactic conclusion.

The primary narrator is Lin Chong, a woman who has become a Master Arms Instructor of the Imperial Guard - an achievement that's not quite unique, but certainly makes her notable. Through no fault of her own, things go wrong for her, and she is left to make choices that she really doesn't want to.

Another narrator is Lu Junyi, described in the Dramatis Personae as a "wealthy socialite and intellectual" - she holds salons and owns a printing press, so you get the idea. She, too, experiences some unexpected events, and is also left with unsavoury choices.

And then there's Cai Jing. Chancellor of the Secretariat, second only to the Emperor, and really deeply unpleasant. Having his point of view was a truly intriguing choice from Huang; maybe it was something from the original story she chose to keep. It certainly adds to the experience of the story, and problematises some aspects. At the same time, his attitudes and actions reinforced the conclusions I came to about the government of this society.

Finally, although they're not given POVs, the majority of the cast are the bandits of Liangshin. Drawn together through adversity, luck, a lack of options, and sometimes deliberate action, they're something of a Merry Men of Sherwood - but mostly women and genderqueer, with even more dubious backgrounds in the main. I loved almost every single one of them.

And the story? Revenge, the struggle against oppression, preventing bad things from happening, etc. Spikes of climax before the final denouement, challenges and resolution along the way - it's well paced: not a cliff-hanging page-turner every chapter, but with a momentum that meant I always wanted to keep reading. There's ghosts, and weird tech-or-is-it-magic, and oh-that's-more-like-magic, thus sliding into the sf/fantasy genre - it's not quite 'blink and you'll miss it' but it's very much not the focus of the narrative, although integral to it.

The Author's Note reflects on the fact that this is "intentionally, gloriously violent", and that's true - but it's not every page, and it's not gratuitous in the "can I make a reader feel really ill" way.

Enormously fun.

This book is SO GOOD, you are all going to love it! The central premise -- lawful good heroine discovers that actually the system is designed to protect corrupt and awful men and must turn to honorable banditry in the company of other women to survive -- is of course delightful in and of itself, but I really appreciate that Huang's version of this story is more complex than it sounds at first. Some of the other bandits are good, some are less so; some are manipulating the people around them in search of what they believe to be the higher good. The stakes escalate abruptly and so does the level of violence. Your faves are not safe in this book! But it also feels good and triumphant, despite the beloved characters we've lost, at the end. There was no point where I wanted to put the book down (as you can see from the fact I finished the book in two days). I have not read The Water Margin, so I can't say if I'm missing out on appreciating the specific references, but I *can* say that I enjoyed the story tremendously despite not knowing the original. Despite the very different setting, the vibes of this book felt very similar to one of my childhood favorite books, The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley, and I think if that's a nostalgic favorite of yours as well you should definitely pick The Water Outlaws up.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang is a thrilling and action-packed fantasy novel that draws inspiration from a classic martial arts literature. The book follows Lin Chong, an arms instructor who trains the Emperor's soldiers in various weapons. However, when a powerful man ruins her life and turns her into a criminal, Lin Chong is forced to go on the run and ends up joining the Liangshan Bandits, a group of mountain outlaws who believe in justice for all.

Huang has created a vivid and immersive world, with well-developed characters and an engaging plot that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. The story is fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of fight scenes and daring escapes that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.

Lin Chong is a compelling protagonist, a strong and capable fighter who has been forced to face some harsh truths about the world she lives in. The Liangshan Bandits are a diverse and interesting group, and their interactions with Lin Chong are some of the most enjoyable parts of the book.

The Water Outlaws is a fantastic addition to the genre, and Huang's skillful writing and world-building will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in this exciting new series.