Unfortunately, I do not think this book is for me. I was very intrigued with the magic system (Chi) and the details about cultivation and martial arts but the writing style and characterization lacked depth for me. It was hard to connect with the characters and I was left needing more from the plot. I can see however the intrigue and audience for this, it just wasn't for me.

I received a free copy from Berkley Publishing Group via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publish date March 19th, 2026.

I've always had a soft spot for this genre of books, and I was intrigued by the striking cover, so I decided to give it a shot. In The First Step, young peasant boy Long Wu Ying's life takes a new direction when a cultivator from a prestigious sect plucks him out of the army camp where he's conscripted and allows him to compete for a place in the sect. Plunged into a world where the aristocratic members look down in him for his humble background, Wu Ying is determined to advance his martial arts training or die trying.

I've always been fond of books about Guy (and it's always a guy) Who Levels Up. They're so crunchable. Wu Ying breaks from the usual mold in that he doesn't have a compelling motive to Level Up. Unlike Kvothe's need to smash his bully and evade student debt, Lindon's desire to gain enough power to save his hometown from certain destruction, or Stephen's driving motivation to escape the cycle of poverty, Wu Ying seems to be in it just for the sheer love of the game. Parallel to the focus on Levelling, the worldbuilding is a touch video-game shaped, and the pivotal plot event centers around Wu Ying being sent on a fetch quest for jars of wine. The rest of the novel is mostly occupied by him attempting to accumulate enough XP points from doing sect chores to buy items from the sect store... I am shaking my head disapprovingly at the artificial unloveliness of points and scores, but it does pleasantly remind me of the experience of watching over someone's shoulder as they play video games.

Overall, The First Step is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's here to show the reader a fun time over no less than twelve novels (already previously indie published in Canada!). I enjoyed the silly recurring bit of Wu Ying oozing foul-sweating goo as he meditates and refines his body of impurities--everybody is always telling him to take a bath. The sequence where Wu Ying screamed the name of the sword move as he performed it was also highly entertaining. However, the thoughtlessness of the writing at times does not do the book any favors--for instance, the few women characters are reduced to attractive silhouettes with boobs,

Light and immensely crunchable. Recommended if you enjoyed Islington's The Will of the Many or Will Wight's writing.

I got 50% of the way through this book, which I consider the personal minimum to leave a review.

I really enjoy wuxia and xianxia settings, but this book just didn't do it for me. I found most of the characters very surface level - like, we're following Wu Ying but I have no deeper insight into his character or motives, he's just kind of going with the flow no matter what happens? Get stabbed? Gotta march or die. Get offered a position in a cultivation sect? Gotta train or get kicked out and die. He doesn't feel like an engaging protagonist, and I think including the cast of characters with very specific comments on their jobs or identity was a bit of a mistake - it made character introductions feel less interesting, as we'd already gotten a little information on them. Overall, it just felt like a distant read featuring characters I didn't really care about.

I'm giving this 3 stars as an average rating since I didn't finish the whole story, but I can't say I would personally recommend this.

The First Step by Tao Wong, always a fun read. I have really enjoyed this series from beginning to end, and look forward to where the author takes it to.