I had eagerly awaited The Art of Destiny since I saw the author put it on Goodreads. I enjoyed reading The Art of Prophecy and needed to know what happened to Wen, Taishi, Qisami, and Sali. So, when I saw the widget arrive in my email, I immediately downloaded it. This book did not disappoint.
First, I want to let everyone know that there is a map (a little small on my Kindle, but it might be bigger in a book) of The Enlightened States. I loved that. The second thing, and this is what I loved, is that the author included a glossary (or a Dramatis Personae). It lists every single named character in the book and has a brief description of them. As a reviewer, that is a lifesaver since I am forever going back and forth on my Kindle to find characters and make sure the names are correct.
I also want to let everyone know that this book is long. It is 672 pages. It is also slow, but, as I said above, the author reintroduced characters and introduced new characters. And there was a lot.
The Art of Destiny is split into three separate storylines. One follows Wen Jian and Tiashi. The other follows Qisami. The last storyline follows Sali. The storylines are kept entirely different from each other until the end of the book. Then Wen Jian, Tiashi, and Qisami’s storylines merge. But Sali’s is kept separate, and the author did have good reason for that. All of the storylines were well-written and very rich in lore. I was immersed in each storyline separately and did not have an issue transferring from one to another.
The storyline following Wen Jian and Tiashi focuses on Wen Jian, his training, Tiashi bringing the other grandmasters to the Cloud Pillars, and the events at the end of the book. I enjoyed reading about the other grandmasters and their chosen martial arts. I liked how each interacted with Wen and Tiashi. I also liked that they all had Wen’s back and would follow him (and Tiashi) anywhere. The storyline was still ongoing at the end of the book, and I am curious about where everyone ended up.
The storyline with Qisami did make me a little sad. Once placed in the Duke’s household, she seemed to find a family that accepted her for who she was (at face value). She formed friendships outside of her pod. She lost sight of why she was there until Firstwife told her to kill people that she had become attached to. But the saddest thing is when her pod mates betrayed her. Her surprise and betrayal came off the pages, as did her anger. She was so upset that she let Wen and Tiashi slip through her fingers.
The storyline with Sali had my attention the most. She was trying so hard to find a way to get rid of the Pull of the Khan. But her journies and the pull were killing her. She was also trying to be strong for her tribe. Her weariness was palpable. But, when she heard of a potential cure in the north, on the island nation of Hrusha, she reluctantly went. Her character’s growth while on the island was comparable to Qisami’s. I loved her fight scenes with the Stormchaser. It was the highlight of the book for me. What she turned into also surprised me.
The book’s fantasy angle was incredible (including the martial arts). I loved that the author based it on Chinese folklore and then ran with it. I wish the author recorded some of the lore in a glossary because I had some issues keeping them straight (but that is a me issue, not a book or writing issue).
The end of The Art of Destiny was good. Nothing was wrapped up. Instead, things were revealed and left there for my overactive imagination to process. I can’t wait to see where book three will take these characters. I also can’t wait to see how the author will merge Sali’s storyline with Qisami, Wen, and Tiashi’s.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Wesley Chu for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Art of Destiny. All opinions stated in this review are mine.