The most popular series by the most successful Chinese author - a cultural monument translated into English for the first time.
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
About the Author
Jin Yong is one of the world's bestselling writers, with more than 300 million of his works sold (not including unknown numbers of bootleg copies). He is beloved across China for his wuxia ("martial arts and chivalry) novels, which have given rise to film, television, comic book and video game adaptations. He was awarded an O.B.E. in 1981, and is one of two authors on the MacLehose list who have asteroids named in their honour (the other being Georges Perec).
Industry Reviews
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
