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A Hero Born

Legends of the Condor Heroes Vol. I

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A Hero Born

By: Jin Yong, Anna Holmwood - translator
Narrated by: Carolyn Oldershaw, Daniel York Loh
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About this listen

 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.

China: 1200 A.D.

The Song Empire has been invaded by its warlike Jurchen neighbours from the north. Half its territory and its historic capital lie in enemy hands; the peasants toil under the burden of the annual tribute demanded by the victors. Meanwhile, on the Mongolian steppe, a disparate nation of great warriors is about to be united by a warlord whose name will endure for eternity: Genghis Khan.

Guo Jing, son of a murdered Song patriot, grew up with Genghis Khan's army. He is humble, loyal, perhaps not altogether wise, and is fated from birth to one day confront an opponent who is the opposite of him in every way: privileged, cunning and flawlessly trained in the martial arts.

Guided by his faithful shifus, The Seven Heroes of the South, Guo Jing must return to China - to the Garden of the Drunken Immortals in Jiaxing - to fulfil his destiny. But in a divided land riven by war and betrayal, his courage and his loyalties will be tested at every turn.

Translated from the Chinese by Anna Holmwood

(P)2019 Quercus Editions Limited©2019 Anna Holmwood Action & Adventure Asia China Fantasy Fiction Historical Superhero Destiny Mythology Mongol Empire Romance

Critic Reviews

Jin Yong's oeuvre has been passed down in the East from generation to generation and thus nurtures people of all ages. For adults, they are fairy tales, while for children, they are mythologies. Anyone who longs to grow up and yearns for innocence after reaching maturity must read his novels. (Yan Lianke, Man Booker International shortlisted author)
Jin Yong (Louis Cha) has long been a legend in China. Now Anna Holmwood's elegant translation brings his world to English readers in all its historical glory . . . [A] unique treat for historical and fantasy fiction fans. Prepare to be hooked! (Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking)
[Jin Yong's] fantasy worlds rival J.R.R. Tolkien's every bit in creativity, breadth, and depth
Jin Yong . . . is working with themes that are absolutely timeless - good versus evil, love versus sacrifice, nature versus nurture, honour versus deceit . . . This is magnificent writing that will more than reward your patience. It's also nice to finally read a translation that isn't stilted in any way and is as fresh on the page as if the source material were written yesterday. (Ian White)
The pace and drama is as swift and smooth as the intricate and detailed fighting scenes. This is the first in the series and I shall look forward to reading the second.
The world's biggest kung fu fantasy writer . . . Guo Jing, a young soldier among the massed ranks of Genghis Khan's invading army and son of a murdered warrior, may soon become as familiar a questing literary figure as Frodo Baggins from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, or Jon Snow from Game of Thrones. (Vanessa Thorpe)
A Chinese Lord of the Rings.
A stirring epic, full of gravity-defying kung fu, treachery, loyalty and love . . . hugely entertaining. (Antonia Senior)
In Anna Holmwood's spirited translation, this action-packed and ideas-laden saga is as revealing of modern as of ancient China.
Because of the scope of the narrative, both in terms of time scale and geography, and the sheer number of characters, it's the unreal action and clever plot twists that captivate . . . You'll be rooting for the heroes to the end. (Miriam McDonald)
This publishing phenomenon comes to us in a brisk and thrilling new translation . . . The tale is like every fairy tale you're ever loved, imbued with jokes and epic grandeur. Prepare to be swept along. (Jamie Buxton)
The most widely read Chinese writer alive. His books have been adapted into TV series, films and video games, and his dense, immersive world inspires the kind of adoration bestowed on those created by writers like western worldbuilders such as JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling and George RR Martin. (Marcel Theroux)
All stars
Most relevant
Loved it, I do struggle at the beginning but everything gets better after the main character grows up.

Great exciting story

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I'm looking forward to the next books! when I first started I had to start over after 15 minutes as I realised that with all the different names I needed to be a bit more aware of who was who. Once I got over that hurdle I found it very entertaining.

tip of the iceburg

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Interested in seeing where the story goes from here. liked the characters. Had fun.

Soapy and enjoyable.

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A gripping story that kept me hooked from start to finish, with an outstanding performance throughout.

Unputdownable

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This is a fantastic book. Excellently told with an outstanding performance by the narrator. I finished it in just a few days. If you like fantasy, asian history, wuxia, epic narratives, or even games like Dark Souls or Nioh, with touches of humour, you will love this

Wonderful book, amazing story, perfect translation

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