Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this!!!! The Art of Destiny continues to expand on how destinies and prophecies go awry. It is a beautiful book told from the perspective of so many different sides. I will be anxiously waiting for the next tale in this saga.

The second installment of the War Arts Saga will not let you down. If you drank in the character development, world building and action-adventure in The Art of Prophecy, then you will relish the second helping in The Art of Destiny. And you will be left anticipating the sweet dessert of the next installment of the saga,
The story picks up a short time lapse after the end of the first book, introducing some new characters and building up the narrative in the first two acts for a (few) stupendous payoff(s) in the third act. I would not say that the beginning is slow, the pace matches the first book fairly well and the multi-perspective account is engaging but the culmination of this installment was excellent.
This is an epic fantasy series featuring a nominative "War", but when there is violence, it is not gratuitous violence. If a character is killed, it is integral to the plot and not just for shock and awe. Romance is nominal, very nominal; but unless you are looking for a romantacy, you will not miss it (if you are--this is not your book). This book, the entire saga actually, is a superb representation of an epic fantasy sage that I would recommend to anyone looking for something in this genre.
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I can't tell if Wesley Chu is a genius because he knew ahead of time which characters fans would fall in love with. OR if he saw the reception for book one and adjusted accordingly. Either way, this is one of the rare sequels that ISN'T a flop and capitalizes heavily on the setup from book one. Not a spoiler, but: the ending made me shriek and laugh at the same time. Can't wait for book #3!

I absolutely loved The Art of Destiny! I went into the book with extremely high standards due to my love of The Art of Prophecy and thankfully it did not disappoint. Sometimes in series the second book falls flat but this one absolutely did not. Everything that I loved about the first book continued in this one and I cannot wait for the next one! The writing is fantastic and the characters, both new and old, were a joy to read. I do think it is important to mention that this book is roughly 125 pages longer than the first but that did not take away from my reading experience in the slightest. This truly is such a great sequel and I highly recommend reading this series if you have not already.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an advance copy of this book of fantasy that mixes mythology, martial arts and epic storytelling for a unique and original fantasy adventure.

Giving up on a dream is hard. Especially when so many people are counting on that dream to either make them money, give them power, or free a country from a despot. And while trying to make that dream a reality, one is treated like a hero, best of foods, clothes, and supposedly training to make this dream a reality, only for reality to bite back. Suddenly one is lost, and there are a lot of mad people who wasted time, money, and thoughts of power on this dream. People don't like admitting they are wrong, and will do a lot of stupid things to show they weren't including still training for the event that once gave purpose. Even as a lot of enemies are plotting all around. The Art of Destiny is the second book in the War Arts Saga, a trilogy by Wesley Chu that features martial arts action, mythology, broken dreams and promises, deception, and lots of adventure and great writing.

The second book opens three years after the last one. Jian was once the the Chosen Hero, he who would take on the Immortal Khan, a tyrant in the next kingdom, and end the Khan's long life for good. One problem is the Khan died without Jian, and now there are a lot of embarrassed people, both governmental and religious who want Jian to suffer for fooling them. Jian is hiding with the one master who never gave up on him Taishi, who continues to train him, along with some other Masters who have gotten to old to adventure anymore. The kingdom is going through a bit of a civil war with power being contested by many powerful forces. In the land of the Khan there is also problems, as the life force of the Khan has infested one of the Khan's friends, and her death might return the Immortal Khan to life, and war. Jian's training has gone well, but his gift for trouble soon brings a lot of attention to his hideout, and with this attention comes enemies Jian had no idea he had.

This is the second book in a series that I am really enjoying, a series that has a lot of potential and much to explore. The writing is very good, balancing a few different points of view, and yet never losing the narrative flow. There is plenty of action and martial arts derring-do, but more importantly Chu shows what the cost all this has on a person. The Masters are all acclaimed for their deeds, but most of them are lonely people, living lives full of lies, and petty hatreds, that keep them away from people they care about and love. The truth is the biggest victim in saga, as so much of what the masters have done, even their feuds have been made up make the legend seem more impressive. There is a lot of lying, a lot of deception, and a lot of confusion on what is right and wrong. Themes one doesn't ordinarily see in fantasy novels. I'm not sure if the outside world, pandemic life, political coups might have had an influence on Chu's writing. However this makes the book very grown-up seeming. Not everyone will make it to the end, the truth is usually the first victim of anything. This is a story with costs, and a book where actions have consequences. I really enjoyed it

Coming into this might be hard without reading the first book, so start there. This is a great sequel and builds on the story. The ending just carries on along with action and revelations, and lots of deceptions, even from the main characters. Recommended for fantasy readers who want something new, and people who like intense stories about different places. Also role players will enjoy this for the description of the fighting arts, the training, and the cool world this all takes place in. I can't wait for the next book.

The Art of Destiny is the second book in the War Arts Saga series. I loved the Art of Prophecy (1st in series), and was very excited to be approved for this arc!
The Art of Destiny starts a few years after the end of Art of Prophecy. The writing style continues with the three different narrative perspectives: Jian and Taishi, Sali, and more prominently, Quisami. New characters are introduced that add to the story and adventure, while others take on more depth (Hampa and Quisami). Chu continues with writing all the female characters as strong, independent, leaders in their own right.

Things to enjoy:
Character driven narrative
Adventure
Found family/friends
Names of the fighting techniques ( I loved them)
The writing style
The humor
Beautiful cover art
For those who are not into romance, this is a great series for you. No sex, love triangles, ect. I think maybe one kiss happened after a fight, but no pining for love happening here:-)

I loved this just as much as the first.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, del Rey.

The task of writing a second installment equally as beautiful and intriguing as the first is a hard task, but Wesley Chu did it perfectly.

I loved the continued growth and development of the characters, world, lore and look forward to the next even more. I feel this series is a fresh breath into the fantasy genre. I love that the characters feel authentic and genuine and believable.

This has easy become a must buy and must read fantasy series for me.

Thank you so much to Wesley Chu, Del Rey, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Art of Destiny: The War Arts Saga - Book 2 by Wesley Chu

672 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group. – Ballantine, Del Rey
Release Date: September 26, 2023

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Martial Arts

There are multiple story lines in the book that continue where the first book ended. Jian, the prophesized hero of the Tiandi is now being called an evil villain. His grand master Taishi is worn out and wants to pass the reins of her family line to Jian, but he is just not ready yet. She gathers other war artist masters to help finish his training.

Qisami is a Shadowkill assassin. She and her cell are on a secret mission by one of the dukes to infiltrate an opposing dukedom. They all have ordinary rolls that put them in strategic positions to kill and destroy when needed. Qisami begins to question the assignment when she is asked to perform an unthinkable act. Now she is not sure where her allegiance belongs.

Sali, the Viperstrike of Nezra, is the last of her kind. She is really feeling the affects from the Pull of the Khan, and she has soul rot. Her city was destroyed during her last mission and the people taken as slaves. After a revolt and escape, they have reestablished a new colony on a volcano rim, but they need supplies. They are running low on ore and food. Sali and her neophyte Haampa must go the furthest place in the realm, the frozen city, to find an alliance, supplies, and a possible cure.

The book is long, there is no getting around that. The author has built a world and characters are realistic and he does an amazing job of putting the reader into the story. The book is emotional at times as the reader gets attached to characters. I found myself laughing and getting angry at the characters. The book ends quickly setting the stage for the next book in the series. In the beginning of the book, the author provides a thorough list of characters to remind readers who everyone is and their status. This is a great help to get caught up from the first book. If you like fantasy books with the good versus evil plotline and flawed individuals, you will enjoy reading this book.

A great second installment to this unique and engaging series. Chu knocks it out of the park. The character development and action were on point. Engrossing and brilliant character driven fantasy!

wow!! book 2 was even better than book 1, which was a high bar to begin with. chu made me fall even more in love with every character in this series, especially qisami and sali. despite the many different pov’s in this story, chu made sure to spend time fleshing out each character and it paid off.
my only complaint about the art of destiny was that it started out a bit slow, but the last third of this book was absolutely insane. i loved every page of it.
thank you netgalley for the arc <3

Measuring up to the first book of a series can be a daunting task, but Wesley Chu avoids the sophomore slump with The Art of Destiny, the second tale in his War Arts saga. When the story picks up, Wen Jian, the prophesied hero, has been training in secret with his mentor, Taishi. Hiding and on the run, they’re the most wanted people in the kingdom. Unfortunately, Taishi’s health is declining, and she feels the pressure to finish her protégé’s training.

In the kingdom, the ever-warring dukes are jostling for power, but might be on the verge of a truce — assuming they can trust each other. They’re involving everyone in their schemes, including Qisami, the shadowkill assassin, and her crew. When they’re hired to go undercover during peace negotiations at Duke Yanso’s palace, Qisami finds herself playing double agent. Her loyalties are tested.

Meanwhile, Salminde the viperstrike has traveled to the far north to seek a cure for the wasting disease she incurred when her khan died. She hopes to rid herself of the disease while securing the future of her outlawed tribe.

Chu deftly weaves these story threads together as tensions rise in the kingdom. Chafing under the restrictions of hiding out, Jian eventually goes to town and finds the religious order that formerly venerated him has now labeled him the Villain of the Tiandi. All goes spectacularly wrong when Jian, Taishi, and their war artist friends are captured, then sent to Duke Yanso’s palace, where the pulse-pounding climax plays out.

One thing that sets this story apart from similar fantasy tales is its wry sense of humor. The hero whines, the assassin worries she’s getting soft, and the war artists snipe and squabble amongst themselves like old married couples. That’s not to say Chu shortchanges the action — far from it. Those who like their fantasy served up with martial arts and a dash of wit will find much to love about The Art of Destiny.

I adore these books. The action reads like an anime with hilarious action, but the characters are full of heart and flaws. I highly, highly recommend this!

A great second entry in this series!
Life kept interrupting so it took me a while to finish this book. However, this is a very entertaining, enjoyable, adventure filled book! The main characters from book one return and we have some new characters joining the adventure. I enjoyed the character growth of Jian. Will he be able to mature and fulfill his destiny? The book is full of intrigue, adventure and has bits of humor as well.
If you read and enjoyed the first book in the series, definitely read this book. And if this book sounds interesting to you but you haven’t read the first book, then do yourself a favor and pick up book one! You won’t regret it. Happy reading!

Just finished the first book, Art of Prophecy, and realized this series just isn’t for me. There were funny moments and it wasn’t bad at all, just not my cup of tea. This would be a great read for anyone who’s a fan of anime, Asian history, and martial arts. Wesley Chu is a wonderful writer and my lack of enjoyment with this series isn’t at all on him, his writing, or any part of the story. I look forward to promoting this book on publication day, as I believe many people would enjoy it!

After throughly enjoying the first book, The Art of Destiny did not disappoint. The best parts of the first book - the characters and the humorous writing - got even better. I could read about these characters all day and and not get tired it was a joy to see the journeys they went on in this book.

Thanks to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

The Art of Destiny is the action-packed sequel to The Art of Prophecy! Jian is the hero of prophecy, but what happens when it seems like the prophecy has made a mistake? Jian still needs to train with his masters and flee the various enemies he’s made through his journey. Qisami is infiltrating a noblewoman’s household and employing every trick she knows. Sali has been charged by her sister with fully investigating whether she can ever be healed from holding the last remaining piece of the Khan’s soul. What adventures will the three go on in the latest installment in this series?

Wesley Chu’s style of writing is so compelling and hilarious. I love the witty banter, the subtle jokes, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it comedy. The stakes are higher than ever! Jian is the same straightforward and sweet hero who is always doing his best. I loved Taishi’s character growth, learning about her background, and seeing how she chooses to fulfill her own personal destiny. Sali is impossible not to want the best for and goes on one of the most harrowing journeys- including travel by iceberg. I love Qisami so much and can’t wait to see where her story goes after that cliffhanger!! Her shadowkill powers were fascinating and I loved watching her navigate the complex politics of the court.

The Art of Destiny is fast-paced and filled with cinematic scenes of martial arts battles. It is clear this is a huge passion of Wesley Chu’s and it comes across the page in vivid prose. I love how he took the traditional trope of the chosen one and creatively re-imagined it. The world-building encompasses intricate details and is also expansive. I can’t wait to see what happens next to all of these lovable characters!! Readers who enjoy action-packed fantasy, cinematic battles, witty prose, and heartwarming characters will love this book.

Thank you so much to Wesley Chu, Del Rey, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

This book is set a couple years after the first, and Wen is slowly building to be a master. I love the fact this book is equally character driven as the first, and fully immersive in its plot, people and world-building. We get to see some our old favourite characters, as well as meeting some new ones who are equally wonderful too. We have different storylines going on that intertwine together and build a rich, witty, emotional, and beautiful story. You will feel everything from heartwarming to heart wrenching moments, and yet you’ll keep coming back for more.

Absolutely loved this sequel. I’m so glad I took a chance on book one after always eye balling the gorgeous cover. I loved the characters even more in this book. This kept me engaged and I couldn’t put it down

Thanks to Random House Worlds and NetGalley for the ARC. I have been eagerly anticipating the second installment in The War Arts Saga, so I jumped at the chance to review it early--and it did not disappoint.

Anyone who has read The Art of Prophecy should have a pretty good idea of what to expect for book 2, in terms of overall vibes. Don't take that to mean that the book is predictable--just that there's no wild tonal shift for the second volume. It's still a character-driven action-comedy and a martial arts fantasy with some of the wildest worldbuilding outside of The Stormlight Archive.

I found myself dwelling a lot on "second book syndrome" as I read this volume. It turned out that Wesley Chu was thinking about it too--he says so in the acknowledgements at the end of the book--and I think it shows in the text. It's a particular issue for this series because of just how transitional this section of the story is. Whereas the various divergent POVs in book 1 all come together at the end of that volume, The Art of Destiny's plot allows for no such convergence. It could almost be split into 3 separate books, and they could each stand on their own without the other two plotlines. They're definitely set for a collision course in book 3, but it doesn't happen here--the very definition of that thorny second book problem.

It seems like Chu solves the problem by leaning into it. Especially in the first half of the book, chapters tend to drop us into the middle of things, circumstances already established. Any event to shake up the status quo comes as a mini-cliffhanger at the end of a chapter. When we come back to that POV, the new status quo has already established itself, and we are once again dealing with character interactions right in the middle of things. Besides underscoring the fact that this is a middle book by always telling us the middle portion of every little mini-arc, this serves to emphasize just how character-driven the series really is.

It may not seem like the first choice for a fantasy martial arts comedy--you might think it would be all action, with plot point after plot point--but War Arts really is all about the characters. The plot isn't moving any faster than it did in the first book, which wasn't exactly slow, but it isn't fast-paced, either. I think that's more noticeable in the second book, as it lacks the momentum of plotlines moving towards one another.

The second book is particularly perilous for character-driven trilogies, in general, with slow-moving transitional plot threads losing some readers altogether. It can seem like nothing is happening at all. Chu has an advantage here, though, in that his character interactions are unfailingly hilarious. Not every character-driven story has to be a tortured meditation on the darkness that lurks within the human soul. They can also be full of wisecracks and over-the-top slapstick comedy, such that--even if you do lose the plot and feel like things aren't really progressing--you'll be too busy laughing to be overly concerned.

Ultimately, though, every character interaction happens for a reason--never just because Chu wanted an excuse for a gag. Besides advancing the plot, they do a lot of heavy lifting with the worldbuilding, which is pretty out there. You can learn a lot from scenes that are mostly just characters hanging out on a ship--a ship which just happens to be an entire iceberg, rigged up with machinery to make it move under its crew's command. Chu does not, however, make us read everything between the lines in people's conversations. He has a deft hand with exposition, explaining little tidbits as they become relevant, without ever feeling like he's infodumping.

Also, this is still a series with a magic system based in martial arts. There is plenty of action, and by the end, it's a thrill-a-minute pageturner. There's no jarring change of pace as that happens, either. All of the pieces are set in place such that, even when things descend into chaos, it is perfectly in tune with the flow of the story.

I'm giving this book 5 stars because I love the series, and I think it deserves the kind of precedence that the algorithm gives to books with a lot of 5-star reviews. I don't think it's the greatest book ever written, and I could knock off stars for one thing or another to try to honestly reflect minor criticisms, but the way that the algorithm treated that rating would not be an honest reflection of my opinion of the book. It gets the highest of recommendations from me, with many high hopes for the conclusion.

After throughly enjoying the first book, The Art of Destiny did not disappoint. For me, the best parts of the first book - the characters and the humorous writing - got even better. I could read about these characters all day and it was a joy to see the journeys they went on in this book. The lore/world is also expanded on in an interesting way that I’m excited to see how that develops.

I especially enjoyed a chosen one fantasy book where the chosen one is almost a side character. The whole concept is so clever and the writing is even more so. It can be difficult to do humor well. Chi’s writing is the perfect balance of wit. I only wish I didn’t have to wait for the next book.