This is the life story of young boy's journey as he leaves his wealthy family in imperial china, becomes a Taoist monk on Hua Mountain, matures and leaves the mountain, and experiences many fascinating trials. In addition to his lessons and growth in Taoism and Hua Quan Kung Fu, his relationship with his master is a central theme.

This book is especially important to me because it presents the experience of Hua Quan Kung Fu, which I'm presently training under one of the only existing schools of this style in North America. This style is one of the styles with the oldest and most central lineage in China. However, not much material is available on it.

This book teleports the reader into a time and a culture that is mysterious, mystical, and exciting. For me, it was a real page-turner.