I was excited for this since I read the other two long time ago! It did not let me down, was amazing and the cover art is perfect as fhe other ones

I’ve picked up The Art of Prophecy (book 1) on a whim and after a couple of pages fell into a different world. Chu writes in a fully encompassing and atmospheric way. Three books later, here we are. The Art of Legend continues the plight of our friends a couple of years after The Art of Destiny ended.
In the beginning we are given a sort of “what happened up until now”, which gets us readers back acquainted with the characters and their personalities.
This trilogy had me sitting at the edge of my seat, laying upside down, whilst “fighting” my way through enemies and through to the end. I enjoyed the ride and feel that the ending was abrupt in a way. But maybe that’s just me wanting more of this cast?
Found family, banter, lore and detailed fighting scenes - atmospheric writing and great character building.
I honestly didn’t expect to love and enjoy this trilogy as much as I did, but I am glad I picked up The Art of Prophecy and got to explore, conquer and conclude this series.

Thank you to Wesley Chu for this masterpiece and to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for allowing me to fight this last battle with our friends!

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for this ARC.

4.5 stars

The War Arts Saga for me is a series I wasn't expecting to fall head over heels for. Considering how it is a story with Wuxia elements--which I have a love hate relationship with that genre in the Chinese Drama market--I was surprised to learn how much how I prefer it in written format. It allows the whimsical nature to shine, and it heightens the fantastical elements of war martial arts. Wesley Chu does an amazing job at choreographing the fights, while making each style distinct and unique which gets me so much more excited as I love well written fight scenes in fantasy.

In The Art of Legend, its primary focus is on fighting, fighting, and more fighting. Taking place five years after the previous installment, our intrepid heroes took refuge in a city soon to run over by the conquering Empress Sunri. Everyone decided on the worst decision of staying in town in a battle that they were doomed to lose from the start, but that didn't stop them from still giving their all. Wen Jian, however, still has more room to grow, but that's something I appreciate about our prophesized hero: he's realistic, and honestly it all went to his head with how he was originally brought up. The Masters and disciples we met in the previous novel also continue to grow into their own--albeit mostly off screen as they're not main POV characters. A common thread that bound the side characters and POV characters was the desire to do what was right and to help the normal citizens stay afloat in these dire times.

This is reflected hugely in Pei's actions as she attempts to guide our main characters to the best outcome. Unfortunately, free will makes completing a prophecy a bitch in this world. A prophecy can be all good and dandy but you have the choice to complete it. Which is an interesting take on prophecies. Normally they are perpetuated to be an inevitable fate that happens regardless of your attempts to thwart it. So with free will involved, how do you convince people to do the right thing? Not everyone has the same beliefs or morals, and personal relationships make it hard to take the big steps necessary to take up the mantle. There are consequences for making the wrong decision, and the butterfly effects' ripples have a gargantuan reach.

Having said that, I do feel that most readers would be a little disappointed with the ending of the book. However, if they pay attention to the prophecies and their counterparts, it's pretty obvious that something else needs to be done. Personally, I greatly enjoyed the final standoff and sobbed through the epilogue, though I did feel the build up needed a little more oomph. The reader is kind of blindsided in the middle by new information that drives the story to follow the route of the prophecy. The Art of Legend was also 700 pages long, so I understand the willingness to cull a little to reach the conclusion as I feel another novel in the series would be hard pressed to close as succinctly as The Art of Legend did.

Also, I don't know what Chu did but damn was this the funniest novel in the series. My poor partner was subjected to me reading paragraphs to PAGES of text with me chortling along to the content. Our characters felt the most realistic in this regard as a lot of the scenes I was chuckling at, involved our heroes just flat out dealing with the cunning wit of others, as well as unseen circumstances such as a cloak to the face while one was ready to jump on board to begin a battle. It was chef's kiss.

Overall, I highly recommend reading this series as it's such a refreshing take on the hero's journey and what it takes to become a master. I also really appreciated the balance of character backgrounds, traits -- such as gender and romantic proclivities-- and fighting styles. It'll be hard to find anything else quite like The War Arts Saga.

Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I was excited to be approved for this as someone who enjoyed the first two books in this trilogy. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It had many of the positive aspects that I've come to expect from the series thus far. I did knock a couple of points however, as it also kept up some of the things I didn't enjoy, mainly from book 2.

First, the good. Chu continues to flesh out a rich and interesting world of MMA (magical martial arts), telling a familiar story of 'the chosen one', but in a way that is anything but trite or derivative. I found myself lost in the ample imagery of all kinds of cities and landscapes, woven naturally into and throughout the story. The setting and the plot play off of each other in a really satisfying way. Descriptions of people, locations, as well as little things like the food and drink, are all really well done and immersive. There are many imaginative pieces of the world mixed well with more familiar concepts or common items that help ground an incredible other world in reality. Authenticity is something that really comes through in a lot of the book. Characters speak to each other in a way that feels real, adds weight to their decisions and relationships, and makes it difficult not to care for them. There was clearly a lot of time put into making things make sense - while there are some more spiritual or unexplained parts of the world, and even with magic involved, things still tend to follow a logical path.. The way a city is planned out, the type of food people eat or recreational activities they enjoy, the decisions made by people or factions, all these tend to have a strong grounding in the world and story told thus far.

I do, of course, have a few gripes that did detract from the book. I didn't feel like there was much character development throughout this book, despite the authenticity mentioned above. Most characters felt pretty much the same as they were to me from start to finish. There are some exceptions, though I felt that a few characters had a tendency to fall in line with what would make some more intrigue and interaction, even if it didn't really have a strong grounding in who they were and what they had experienced at that point. I feel that the split perspectives in which this story was told was partially responsible for this, though it did allow for more exploration of the world. Because of the changing perspectives, I also didn't feel like enough time was spent with Jian and his development. Finally, being as vague as I can to avoid any spoilers, I thought the ending of this trilogy was rushed and extremely unsatisfying. There are many things that I wanted to see come to fruition or play out that I just don't think were handled well, and what did resolve left me wanting more.

Some of these detractors did cause the book to drag on for me at some points or left me unsatisfied. Despite that, I did really like the story, the world building, and the people. I would still recommend this series to a friend, maybe with a caveat or two, and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another book by Wesley Chu.

I as very satisfied with how this ended. It was a nice neat little wrap up that did leave you questioning things.

The Art of Legend is the finale of Wesley Chu’s War Arts Trilogy and he brings all the pieces together for an unforgettable finish to his epic series. Chu makes some bold choices that sometimes work, but sometimes feel off in the finale to his epic fantasy trilogy.

When Chu released The Art of Prophecy three years ago, the concept was tantalizing -- what happens when the prophecy about your entire life turns out to be wrong? Wen Jian had essentially been raised to be the master war artist that would one day take on and defeat the Eternal Khan. But Jian is a petulant brat and the Khan finds himself dead at the hands of a nobody. Chu’s first book smartly took on the “screwed up prophecy” with Master Ling Taishi taking Jian under her wing, seeing something in him that no one else sees.

Now, I loved the first two books in Chu’s War Arts series, but looking back I was expecting a bigger payoff than what we got in the finale of his series. For the most part, The Art of Legend is well-written, but…it just lacked that oomph…that something special you look for in the epic finale to a fantasy series. I enjoyed a lot of it, but in the end, while I wanted to find one of my top books of 2025, I just couldn’t put it up there.

By the time we start this installment, Jian and Taishi have a healthy group of friends helping them out, but as always the story alternates and weaves between Jian, Taishi, the Viperstrike Saliminde, and the assassin Qisami. In many ways the series really benefitted from seeing all the sides of the conflict and putting a human face on our heroes, villains, and anti-heroes throughout. But, it really lends a messiness to the whole ordeal. I think Chu made some choices throughout the series and this book that just didn’t quite work like maybe he wanted. By turning the prophecy on its head in the first book, he set up the books to subvert the main plot point throughout. Even at the end of the trilogy, we get a great fight scene…until he just takes a hard left. At times subverting the expectations really works, but other times it feels weird and hollow. I appreciate authors making bold swings and choices, but they didn’t always work for me.

In some ways, it feels like this series should be four books instead of three and we have to move the chess pieces about a little earlier than intended at times and certain plot points don’t work quite as well. But, I applaud Chu for his series and I think I’d like to re-read it down the road with fresh eyes and with more of the knowledge about the ending.

I think Chu does some great work subverting the genre and putting his characters in interesting scenarios throughout the series. If you’ve read the first two books in the War Arts series, I recommend The Art of Legend.

Thank you to Del Rey for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for this ARC! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

First of all, another slay with the cover (Design by Cassie Vu / Illustration by Tran Nguyen)!

For those who have forgotten some information, there's a recap. In an interesting way, but still.
After all the hardships, training and trials - the conclusion is here. I would say it's a solid one, but I would have liked to not have the ending so .. anticlimactic? Unsatisfying?
The fight scenes are still amazing, the dynamics and relationship bonds are enjoyable. And the world-building is still on par with the first book. It has heart, humor, growth and the writing continues to be engaging. But it could have been cut shorter (same with book 2). But that's on me.

I know that the readers, who enjoy wuxia/fantasy stories, will enjoy this trilogy a lot. And I'll be waiting for Wesley Chu's next works :)

The Art of Legend is an awesome wrap-up to a series that’s been full of heart, humor, and some seriously cool action. Jian’s growth from would-be chosen one to a hero who makes his own path is really satisfying to watch. Taishi is still the ultimate grumpy mentor, and the rest of the crew, Sali, Qisami, and all the new faces, make this story feel even bigger and more fun. The group dynamic is great, and it’s all about finding your people and becoming stronger together.
Wesley Chu really nails the balance of fast-paced fight scenes, emotional moments, and just the right amount of chaos. The whole story leans into the idea that legends aren’t born, they’re built, and that makes it hit even harder. If you’ve been loving this series, this finale definitely delivers with a ton of energy and heart.
Big thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. This series is massively underrated, has some of the best covers, has a grumpy mentor troupe, a subverted prophecy, and the best friendships and found family.

Sadly, it didn’t quite deliver the satisfying, explosive ending I wanted.

There is a recap - but done in a very unique way told unreliably from various side characters. Whilst this was fun, I think it lacked the clarity a matter-of-fact recap would have provided.
The character list was VERY helpful.

<b>He was a good egg, that boy, but his shell was too soft.</b>

Our character have gone through a lot since book and the relationships and dynamics developed are so well done.

Chu writes with sharp wit, creates exciting action scenes, and delivers easy banter.

<b>“Nothing. Your double whip chain is stupid, but you’re good at it. It suits you.”
“Why does that compliment sound like an insult?”
“I had a terrible upbringing, so I can’t say anything unconditionally nice.”
</b>
However, this book didn’t feel as polished.
There was a lot of running away, standing your ground, sieges.
There were unnecessary side escapades which resulted in a lack of focus on the main plot.

Without spoilers, this could have still scraped a four stars, had the ending not let me down so much. I had to check I had the complete book!

I still recommend this series, especially for fans of The Dandelion Dynasty and A Tainted Cup.

Arc gifted by Del Rey.

I was thrilled with the conclusion it wrapped up everything neatly and I was left satisfied.
The story telling was consistent from beginning to end.

I always love martial arts books, and definitely the War Arts series has me at the very first book, so I guess this is the last book, and it was soooooooo good, I must say. Although the novels in the War Arts Saga occasionally felt like they might have been shorter, the author's writing style, intriguing world-building, and endearing characters make it a simple and delightful read. Since I completed The Art of Destiny, I've been curious to know how this story concludes. The trilogy comes to a close with The Art of Legend. The way the plot presented the characters was my favorite aspect of this novel, even if there were a few unexpected turns and an intriguing conclusion. I like how this novel injects humor and doesn't take itself too seriously in between the excitement of combat and politics. Since I hadn't read the prior two volumes in a long time, I also valued the engaging way the story was presented in this segment. I really, truly hope for more books from Wesley in the future. As an Asian, I love all the materials he used to create this masterpiece, which relates to me a lot. Thank you for accepting my request!

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read the eARC of this title!!

Overall, it was a decently solid conclusion to the trilogy but not exactly what I personally wanted from it. The first half of the book was mostly good. The second half kind of went…. Downhill very quickly.

Qisami and her storyline were again my favorite. I adore her character and I am genuinely sad not to have any more stories for her. Sali’s plot was mostly good in the times it overlapped with Qisami’s. There was one section of her plot I didn’t like, where it almost felt like all her character building was thrown out the window, but it didn’t last too long, thank goodness.

Jian and Taishi… their plots were my least favorites this book. Taishi and the other war artists were honestly a bit annoying. I didn’t really care for their banter and I wish both of these plots were shortened. I didn’t like how most of the first half of the book was essentially pointless once something happened in the second half. No spoilers but I was incredibly disappointed.

And the ending was… anticlimactic. I expected more.

I did still enjoy reading this book, but felt it could have been better.

What an excellent and exciting ending of such a fantastic trilogy. I absolutely adore living in this rich and well developed world, and I'm very sad to see it come to an end. One of my favourite thing about getting to the end of a series is that the world has already been fully fleshed out and now we get to really live with the characters and their experiences as the story comes to a close, it feels familiar and bittersweet. I would recommend this series to anyone for the worldbuilding alone, it feels so fully understood and real that I could step through the page and into the adventure.

The action was exciting and cinematic, the characters were beautifully done, and I can't say enough positive things about each one of these books. They're an instant favourite, and I'm so grateful for the chance to read this one early.

The world and the characters were a high point throughout the first two novels of the War Arts trilogy, and that continues to be true in the final installment. We have that same fleshed out setting, similar enough to our world to be familiar but with enough fantastical elements to be alluring. It doesn’t grow any more by this point. We’ve seen all of the world we need to, and then some, for the story to be told. So we get to sit and enjoy the events that happen in it now. Especially with some of the fights we see, it’s always a treat seeing the War Arts in action and we get a few new ones here.

Then there are the characters, who we do still get to see grow. Every one of the major characters has changed a great deal since their introductions in the first book. They’ve grown, all in different ways, and traveled through wonderful character arcs that all reach satisfying conclusions. Watching them all reach their conclusions is probably the biggest strength, and draw, of this novel for me.

The only complaint I have about the book is the very end of it. It makes sense, sure. But it also feels a bit…abrupt. And it leaves the impression that the main characters have mostly been maneuvered throughout the series instead of influencing their own destinies, and legends. The ending seemed a bit anti-climactic as a result. It’s probably the main reason I wouldn’t quite go so far as to consider this to be a great book.

But The Art of Legend, and The War Arts trilogy, was certainly a good story despite that stumble. Even if I don’t quite agree with how the ending happened I understand why the author wrote it the way he did, I can see how it fits the themes of the novel.

And above all else, the book was quite simply fun. The cast of characters, and the world, were easy to immerse myself in. I was always happy to immerse myself in the pages, let time pass me by as I followed the adventures of the characters and immersed myself in the setting. It captured the imagination and made me want more. Accomplishing those two things has always, I feel, been the most important factor in whether I consider to be a book to be good or not. And this one certainly passed that test, an exciting end to an exciting trilogy.

It’s always bittersweet when a fantasy series comes to an end—especially one as bold, emotionally layered, and creatively rich as Wesley Chu’s War Arts Saga. The Art of Legend, the third and final installment, closes the trilogy with a powerful mix of heartbreak, heroism, and haunting introspection. It’s a story not just of destiny, but of what happens when the path we’ve been trained to walk suddenly disappears beneath our feet.

Jian, once hailed as the chosen hero meant to save the world from the Eternal Khan, finds himself unmoored after his foretold enemy is defeated too early, too unexpectedly. What follows is a gripping tale of political tension, shifting loyalties, and the high cost of being shaped by prophecy. Accompanied by a formidable cast—including the greatest War Artist of her generation—Jian is thrust into battle once more, just as rumors swirl that the Eternal Khan might not be gone after all.

What makes this book stand out isn’t just its thrilling action, imaginative world-building, or elegant prose—it’s the emotional weight carried by every decision. Chu doesn’t shy away from showing how the best intentions can lead to ruin, how heroes falter, and how even villains can feel heartbreakingly human. The characters make mistakes—sometimes devastating ones—and readers will find themselves cheering, mourning, and occasionally wanting to shake them in frustration.

The world Chu has built is intricate and full of life, from city pods sailing over grass seas to sacred battlegrounds soaked in myth. His descriptions are immersive and often beautiful, making it easy to understand why his characters would fight so hard for what they believe in—even if it leads to tragedy.

Though The Art of Legend offers helpful context, new readers should absolutely start with book one to fully appreciate the emotional arcs and world complexity. Fans of fantasy, especially those who enjoy wuxia influences, will find a rare blend of magic, martial arts, and moral depth here. With this trilogy, Wesley Chu cements himself as a storyteller worth following—and I, for one, can’t wait to see where he takes us next.

This was great! I love the premise and the different stories that we follow and how they intersect. I would highly recommend this to anyone who like anime and the over the top fight scenes.

My thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for an advance copy of this third book in a fantasy series that tells of heroes and villains all doing what they think is right, and the cost on themselves, the people around them and the world itself.

There is a certain sadness that comes when one knows that a fantasy series is ending. One has become accustomed to the faces of the characters doing deeds and having deeds being done on them. Where small actions led to bigger problems, where the future seems predecided, until it isn't. Where characters are sure of their course, until their course destroys the world around them, killing friend and foe a like. Especially the books are well-written, well-plotted, and filled with ideas, and ways of looking at fantasy fiction that are new, different, exciting and enthralling. Like this series, one I will miss, but since I have discovered a new writer to follow, well I will get by. The Art of Legend by Wesley Chu is the concluding book in the War Arts trilogy, a story about what happens when the life foretold, does not come to pass, set in a rich fantasy world of politics, magic, and occasionally love.

Jian had been shaped since birth to the be hero not only of his own narrative, but a Prophecy that would change the world. Only Jian could defeat the Eternal Khan, a war leader from the south who sailed the Grass Seas on his city pods. However the Eternal Khan was killed in battle, leaving Jian at a loss. And a problem for those in power. Jian fled the home he knew into the life of a fugitive, and a target by numerous enemies. Jian was accompanied by the the greatest War Artists of her generation, and along the way they gained more allies, and of course more enemies. The book begins with their latest sanctuary suddenly under siege. Jian is enlisted as a hero to fight to protect the city, but things start going wrong fast. Soon people are dying the city is in trouble, and things are not going right at all. And rumors are beginning that the Eternal Khan might be back again.

I have always felt that my tombstone should have under my name "It seemed like a good idea at the time." That explains the smart things and stupid things I have done in multitude. There is much about this saying that can be said about the characters in this book. At one point even a high ranking all seeing prophet yells to the characters, if you had just done what your were supposed to, everything would have gone fine. And that is what I like about this book. There is a lot of sadness here. Things aren't always going right. Good people do bad things, and have bad things happen to them. Sometimes we aren't the hero of our own story. Chu has created a very good story, with fantasy trappings, that reflects much about our current day. The politics of what is good for me. The characters are very real, and even while fighting hundreds of people at once, can feel, can make readers feel for them. And sometimes make readers want to yell at them for their actions. The world is really well developed, a world that I would like to explore again. Chu writes beautiful passages about environments the characters are passing through, describing why people would want to be in these places, and why fighting for them is so important. There is really a lot here to enjoy.

This is the third book, and I have to say start with the first. Chu has a good way of bringing people back up to date with the story, but honestly one would be missing a lot if one started here. Fantasy fans and wuxia stories will really enjoy this. They are loaded with action, magic, and ideas, however there are many twists and many little things that make the story quite unique. These were the first books I have read by Chu, but I want to read more, and even more, stories set in this wonderful world.

The War Arts Saga is an interesting ride, the books have at times felt like they could have been shorter but the author's writing style, interesting world building, and quirky characters makes it an easy and enjoyable read. I've wanted to see how this story ends since I finished The Art of Destiny and with The Art of Legend, we conclude the trilogy. There are a few twists that I didn't foresee and the ending took an interesting direction, but my favorite part of this book was the way that the story showed the characters. Taishi has been my favorite character of the series, but Jian comes into his own over time in this book, and Sali also shines. I appreciate that between the fighting and politicking suspense, this book doesn't take itself too seriously and injects some humor. I also appreciated the interesting delivery of the story so far section, as it had been a while since I read the first too books.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.