but for those who love an intricately-crafted world where martial arts dominate life and the characters are compelling, then this is a book you will want to add to your TBR! An epic fantasy ode to martial arts and magic—the story of a spoiled hero, an exacting grandmaster, and an immortal god-king from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lives of Tao. Así empieza el Arte de la Profecía. Con Jian, el héroe que designó la profecía, libre de su destino y dejando de ser relevante mientras su nueva maestra, Taishi, intenta hacerle desaprender todo lo aprendido para que se acerque mínimamente a lo que se espera de él. Con Sali, que decide aparcar sus obligaciones para vengar a su difunto Kan. Y, por último, con Qisami, una asesina que disfruta de su trabajo y que tiene como objetivo eliminar al elegido y a su maestra.

One could make the argument that it was one of the first epic fantasies, filled with great conflict and big personalities. It also showed that even though it was set almost two thousand years ago, the more things changed the more people stayed the same.

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. I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for a digital copy of this book. And Jian himself, who has to find a way to become what he no longer believes he can be—a hero after all. Your title is a play on Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, can we expect more influences from Chinese literature and mythology?

Now, the fighting. I’m not big on fighting, battles, weapons, etc. I can edit that stuff all day, every day but on a personal level, I tend to disengage. 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. I enjoyed this book a lot. It felt like I was reading a wuxia movie like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or House of Flying Daggers. The intriguing plot had several twists and an ensemble cast of compelling (if not always likeable) characters. I like that one protagonist is an older lady; you don't see too many adults on epic adventures in fantasy. Even the one-and-done characters made an impression. Let’s discuss your characters. Can you tell us a bit more about Jian and Taishi? What inspired their personalities?So 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.