Sword of Sorrow, Blade of Joy

Probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

It's been a long while since I've read anything on Kindle Unlimited, but one day I got an email with this book as a recommendation and I knew I couldn't resist. I've been on a wuxia kick for a while now, and reading any book in the genre that I don't have to look for translated on multiple blogs is an unexpected convenience. So I immediately decided to get this one.

And I wasn't wrong. I will not say that the prose is beautiful or stunning or any such superlatives, but what this book offered to me was fun. The prose is very accessible, with some of the dialogues and particularly the swears making me laugh a lot with their inventiveness. The plot itself is mostly fast moving, but it's typical of the wuxia dramas I've come to love - encountering foes while traveling the jianghu, some spectacular fight sequences, meeting old friends and making new ones, and all these adventurous bouts interspersed with moments of contemplation and reminiscing the joys and sorrows of the past. Even though it took me a few sittings to complete because I kept putting it down, I found the second half particularly engaging with its multiple betrayals and devious villains and finally the past coming to light.

Li Ming and Shu Yan are also stereotypical protagonists whom I've gotten used to encountering in multiple other media. Li Ming is a grumpy swordsman who is just alive but not living, probably sustaining on the hope that he will get his revenge one day and show his filial piety to his dead master. Shu Yan is running away literally from her tragic past, in the hope for a better future. They are a very unlikely duo and despite their nonstop bickering throughout, it's obvious that they start to care for each other as father and daughter as the story goes on. While I loved the realization about life that Li Ming has towards the end, what I found most unforgettable about the book was how shrewd and cunning as well as sweet talking Shu Yan could be, excellent at extracting money from every opportunity. But I don't mean this in a bad way because she is ultimately very good at survival, while also caring for those she loves.

There are some more interesting side characters who add some heart to the proceedings. Han Mama is like a mother figure who has to do lots of unsavory things to ensure the innocent people in her town survive, but ultimately her warmth is very soothing. Jingyi is a formidable woman in her own right, taking over her father's business and ensuring that everything goes well, making her like a role model for Shu Yan. And then Tao Jun - the very charming and sly magistrate and sworn brother of Li Ming whose presence brings a lot of entertainment to the story. I loved his bond with Li Ming and I have a feeling we'll see more of him in the sequel.

In the end, this was fun and entertaining and exactly what I was looking for during a bad week. It definitely took my mind off all my worries and I'm happy for that. It also ends on a terrifying cliffhanger, so I guess I just have to read the sequel soon because I badly wanna know what happens next.