A Snake Lies Waiting
Legends of the Condor Heroes Vol. 3
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4.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
THE CHINESE "LORD OF THE RINGS" - NOW IN ENGLISH FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THE SERIES EVERY CHINESE READER HAS BEEN ENJOYING FOR DECADES - 300 MILLION COPIES SOLD.
"Jin Yong's work, in the Chinese-speaking world, has a cultural currency roughly equal to that of "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars" combined" Nick Frisch, New Yorker
"Like every fairy tale you're ever loved, imbued with jokes and epic grandeur. Prepare to be swept along." Jamie Buxton, Daily Mail
China: 1200 A.D.
Guo Jing has confronted Apothecary Huang, his sweetheart Lotus' father, on Peach Blossom Island, and bested the villainous Gallant Ouyang in three trials to win her hand in marriage.
But now, along with his sworn brother, Zhou Botong of the Quanzhen Sect, and his shifu, Count Seven Hong, Chief of the Beggar Clan, he has walked into a trap. Tricked by Huang into boarding a unseaworthy barge, they will surely drown unless Lotus - who has overheard her father's plans - can find a way to save them.
Yet even if they are to survive the voyage, great dangers lie in wait on the mainland. The Jin Prince Wanyan Honglie has gathered a band of unscrupulous warriors to aid him in his search for the lost writings of the Great Song patriot General Yue Fei. If he is successful, the Jin armies will gain the key to total victory over the Song Empire, condemning Guo Jing's countrymen to centuries of servitude.
Translated from the Chinese by Anna Holmwood and Gigi Chang
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The entertaining third volume of the Condor Heroes series showcases Yong's characteristic blend of kung fu based magic and timeless themes of love and betrayal. Picking up from A Bond Undone, hero Guo Jing and his teachers, Count Seven Hong and Zhou Botong, are stranded in shark-infested waters as their ship sinks. They are saved by Jing's former rival, Gallant Ouyang, and his uncle, Viper. Once aboard Ouyang's ship, Jing discovers the rescue was a trap and Gallant and Viper hope to uncover the details of the Nine Yin Manual, a document that exists only in the minds of Jing and Botong. Jing's betrothed, Lotus Huang, rescues Jing, Hong, and Botong in the nick of time and leads the trio back to shore, but the fire of revenge and ambition burning in their many rivals follows them on land as well as sea. The story will feel slow for new readers, but fans of Yong's previous Condor Heroes novels will appreciate the convergence of many separate subplots and the enthralling ending, which serves as a strong setup for the next in the series. This is a solid installment.
