Because when Taishi, the greatest war artist of her generation, arrives to evaluate the prophesied hero, she finds a spoiled brat unprepared to face his destiny. Sali, our point of view character in the Grass Sea, is fantastic. With a very “takes-no-shit” attitude, Sali has a way with walking into a room and just owning it (she also has one of the coolest weapons I’ve ever read in fantasy). Sali is one of those characters I could sink into so easily, and yet while she has a hard edge and she’s prone to uh… hurting people who cross her, she has a spine crafted of loyalty and love to her people and those she cares about. She has her own moral core, and her raw humanity is what makes the Grass Sea, this incredible, strange place that Chu created, so intensely captivating and immersive. My feelings about the worldbuilding were similar to that of most of the characterization: though there were some intriguing concepts introduced, they were surface level and weren’t fleshed out enough. The various fighting magics sounded like they could have been visually fantastic, and I did love learning about Sali’s people’s customs in her earlier chapters—what was expected of her (which I won’t discuss for fear of spoiling too much) and the mobile cities that set them apart from the “land-chained.” But as someone who wants societies and people with dimension in the stories I consume, these were not expanded on enough for my taste.

I honestly cannot find negative thing to said about this book… i love everything i had read from it… from writing style, worldbuiling, character development to the epic fighting scenes, it’s everything i love in Fantasy book *insert all the heart eyes emojis here* except there is NO ROMANCE in this book 😁 but maybe i can get it in the next book? who knows 🤔 The Art of Prophecy is the first book in The War Arts Saga, an epic fantasy series by Astounding Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Wesley Chu. I was excited about this novel with magical martial arts due to the premise of a prophecy that turned out to be wrong and a couple of the characters: namely, an older woman who had thought her adventuring days were over and a chaotic assassin. But I ended up having rather mixed feelings about The Art of Prophecy, which I enjoyed throughout Act I but was less and less enthusiastic about the further into it I got. Basically, I moderately liked one character and one other character’s storyline, was fairly indifferent to another character and most of her plot, and was outright annoyed by the point-of-view character introduced around the halfway point. A lore glossary to deeper explain some of the worldbuilding would have been nice too, especially descriptions of the colorfully named martial arts techniques used by various characters. The hero: Jian, who has been raised since birth in luxury and splendor, celebrated before he has won a single battle. Taishi was such a standout character for me, with so much strength and personality without becoming grating. Jian was also incredibly loveable and his coming-of-age arc felt thought out and well deserved.The palacelord led her across the balcony toward an elevated dais, rambling on about his stupid fruit the entire time. “They are so succulent you will believe it is nectar from heaven. My orchards are renowned among all of the Enlightened States.” The overseer began to speak again, his voice carrying across the arena. “Behold, Wen Jian, the Prophesied Hero of Legend, the savior of the Zhuun people, the one foretold by the Tiandi Prophets, under the sign of a thousand stars, to fulfill his destiny and lead the mighty armies of the Enlightened States to victory over the terrible, evil, savage hordes of the Katuia Clans, break the immortality of their Eternal Khan, and bring everlasting peace to the Children of Zhuun. Bear witness...” Hands down, what I loved most about The Art of Prophecy was the way it turned a well-known fantasy trope on its head. What happens when the chosen turns out not to be the chosen one after all? While the first part of the novel played out like your typical master and apprentice scenario with Taishi taking on the role of wise teacher and Jian the part of the reluctant student, the plot was turned on its head once it is revealed that the Eternal Khan is dead. From here on out, it was anyone’s guess what would happen. While I will admit to being a big fan of warrior-in-training stories so I didn’t actually mind the cliches in the first part that much, I also had a blast once the focus shifted to Jian’s exile and all the developments that followed.

Wesley Chu has done it again—this time on an epic scale. The Art of Prophecy is a terrific and compelling story that plays off so many classic tales taken from our own world and reinvents them all in classic fashion.” —Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of Child of Light I won’t spoil the fast-paced plotline, which unfolds unexpectedly, because that’s exactly the point. I won’t go over the characters you’ll get to meet, how each one is unique but somehow familiar. And I won’t mention the more… colorful sensory details that make up these fantastic locations. The Art of Prophecy was a book I knew less than nothing about before I started reading. I enjoy going into books ignorant. I read so much (and edit so much) that unless I do, I end up predicting most of the story before I even start to read, which diminishes my enjoyment. So, not knowing what this was about was really a benefit. The training overseer stood and clapped his hands. “You all have the honor of aiding in the training of the undefeated Champion of the Five Under Heaven, the terror of the Katuia Hordes, and the savior of the Zhuun people. Fight bravely, but remember your place. The penalty for injuring him is death. The penalty for drawing his blood is death. The penalty for refusing to engage is death.” The overseer continued, rambling off another ten or fifteen rules. By the time he was done, Taishi wasn’t sure how any fighting was possible. “Any questions?” he intoned.Once Taishi left Jian at the school and they went their separate ways, that was also when I felt both characters were able come into their own. They became much more interesting as a result, after shaking off the expectations that came with their previous roles. It became a close contest at this point as to who was my favorite POV to follow, as Sali’s presence also grew more prominent as the story progressed. She was definitely one of the more memorable characters, caught between duty and her own personal mission to find her missing sister. Perhaps the only character I did not feel much sympathy for was Qisami. She seemed a little over-the-top, and had little depth beyond being the badass, merciless, psychotic assassin archetype. Hopefully the next book will give her more substance. The plot though was so fun and intriguing that I was hooked from the beginning. Every plot twist just had me reeling and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next! And I still can’t!!! This is a cliff hangar for real and I’m just dying to see what’s going to happen next!!! And maybe you think you already know how this story will go. I know I did. But it doesn't go that way at all. Can you tell us a little something about your sequel, The Art of Destiny? Where will the story lead us next? Ah, this year has been a thing that’s happened. I’m going to try to get in the habit of writing at least one review a week from now on, but I’ve been extremely busy and I just haven’t had time. So, here I am.

An ambitious and touching exploration of disillusionment in faith, tradition, and family-a glorious reinvention of fantasy and wuxia tropes."-Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of A Deadly Education An ambitious and touching exploration of disillusionment in faith, tradition, and family—a glorious reinvention of fantasy and wuxia tropes.”—Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of A Deadly EducationSo many stories begin the same way- With a prophecy. A chosen one. And the inevitable quest to slay a villain, save the kingdom, and fulfill a grand destiny.