I am enjoying this series but didn’t quite enjoy this instalment as much as the prior one. I did like how action packed this third book is, and all the discussion of the different kung fu styles. There were some absolutely fantastic scenes, and I liked the inclusion of a few illustrations in the version I read (they turned up well on e-reader too, which doesn’t always happen). Some of the challenge here I think is that a lot of the settings are very constrained – a boat, a deserted island, an inn – so the narrative feels cramped somehow and the pacing is seriously impacted by the fact that characters at times have nowhere to go. There are a lot of coincidences, people turning up just at the right time, overhearing things – a few too many I think – and as other reviewers have mentioned, it is somewhat frustrating to have the ‘good’ characters repeatedly demonstrating how virtuous they are by assisting the ‘bad’ ones, then inevitably suffering consequences as a result. I eagerly look forward to reading the fourth book & hope to watch an adaptation sometime soon as well. I would absolutely recommend this series to someone wanting to read wuxia, but will note that you really do need to start with the first book, not this one. 

Content warnings: violence, death, threat of sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, suicide, war, sexism, ableism, classism