The Art of Destiny: The War Arts Saga – Book 2 by Wesley Chu
672 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group. – Ballantine, Del Rey
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Martial Arts
There are multiple story lines in the book that continue where the first book ended. Jian, the prophesized hero of the Tiandi is now being called an evil villain. His grand master Taishi is worn out and wants to pass the reins of her family line to Jian, but he is just not ready yet. She gathers other war artist masters to help finish his training.
Qisami is a Shadowkill assassin. She and her cell are on a secret mission by one of the dukes to infiltrate an opposing dukedom. They all have ordinary rolls that put them in strategic positions to kill and destroy when needed. Qisami begins to question the assignment when she is asked to perform an unthinkable act. Now she is not sure where her allegiance belongs.
Sali, the Viperstrike of Nezra, is the last of her kind. She is really feeling the affects from the Pull of the Khan, and she has soul rot. Her city was destroyed during her last mission and the people taken as slaves. After a revolt and escape, they have reestablished a new colony on a volcano rim, but they need supplies. They are running low on ore and food. Sali and her neophyte Haampa must go the furthest place in the realm, the frozen city, to find an alliance, supplies, and a possible cure.
The book is long, there is no getting around that. The author has built a world and characters are realistic and he does an amazing job of putting the reader into the story. The book is emotional at times as the reader gets attached to characters. I found myself laughing and getting angry at the characters. The book ends quickly setting the stage for the next book in the series. In the beginning of the book, the author provides a thorough list of characters to remind readers who everyone is and their status. This is a great help to get caught up from the first book. If you like fantasy books with the good versus evil plot line and flawed individuals, you will enjoy reading this book.
