A Hero Born

Wow, what a fun read. If you like martial arts movies this is the book for you. Two sworn brothers are attacked and killed, leaving their wives behind. One of those wives is captured by a prince, another is kidnapped by an evil administrator whose death leaves her alone on the Mongolian plains.
The story follows the child of the woman who escaped to Mongolia, through his upbringing, his tutelage under various shifus (masters) and his experiences once he heads toward an appointed duel back in his homeland.
I loved every minute of it. It reminded me of Eiji Yoshikawa's Musashi except with more action and less swords. I understand this is a new translation and that it is a very established story in China, and I can see why. I can't wait to get my hands on the next volume!

Absolutely amazing story that was very visual. I couldn't put it down! I could tell that the translator put in a lot of work on this and it shows. An absolutey fantastic job. I can't wait for the next books.

I found this book mesmerizing. Its pace is as quick as many of its kung fu moves, but this enhances its energy rather than detracting from it. This cultural difference between style and pace is quickly overshadowed by a finely woven journey that is human at its very core. Indeed, the pace becomes part of the enjoyment of the reading and one of the tools that makes the story intriguing. Though the places, characters, and words are from the East, at its heart "A Hero Born" is eloquently human, relating to the reader in unifying themes of love and loss, revenge and power, struggle and victory.

What begins with two friends and a country’s struggle to remain independent will quickly evolve into delicate plotting, journeys among the enemy, and the quest to learn what it means to be a hero. "A Hero Born" is a compelling adventure that spans lifetimes and regimes.

It isn’t often that we take the chance to read from, not just a different genre than we may normally choose, but an entirely different country and culture. This is the first time that "A Hero Born", a beloved Chinese epic, has been translated for English-speaking readers. We readers are lucky to have the opportunity to meet these characters and hear their stories while learning more about older cultures not often discussed in our own literature. More than this however, is the simple truth that the characters are engaging, the story is timeless, and I couldn’t put it down.