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The Grave Robbers' Chronicles #5
Deadly Desert Winds
Written by a man known as “the Stephen King of China,” The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles (known in Chinese as ???? / Daomu Biji), is as impossible to put down as a bag of good potato chips. A story with more twists and turns than a burial cavern, disgusting and unsettling monsters, and the funniest grave robbers the world has ever known, it’s kept Chinese readers awake far into the night. Now it’s your turn… The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles is a novel about the grave-robbing adventures of Wu Xie, a young man hailing from a family that had been tomb-raiders for centuries. It is one of the most popular novel series in China with several million fans.
In volume 5:
When Uncle Three finally tells his side of the story, his nephew still feels skeptical. When mysterions videtapes show up in the mail, with scenes that are mystifying, horrible, and involve faces that are much too familiar, they bring questions that demand action and answers.. An abandoned house holds more peril than anyone expected—and a notebook with a message from the past. An expedition into the Gobi Desert turns into a rainforest adventure with deadly snakes and a tragic death. Then there is It, a mysterious and demonic force that threatens to destroy the lives and minds of the grave-robbing companions. Once again Panzi, Fats, Qilin, and Uncle Three’s nephew, with Ning added to the group, band together to follow the incomplete and possibly flawed leadership of a man who is perhaps a killer, probably a liar, and beyond a doubt the most engaging villain in horror fiction. Deadly Desert Winds skillfully introduces new characters and devious plot twists that make this adventure series more compelling than ever before. The fifth volume of the Grave Robbers’ Chronicles will soon be followed by Graveyard of a Queen, the sixth in the series. Will the questions be answered? Will the adventures continue? And who will be the next to die?
In volume 5:
When Uncle Three finally tells his side of the story, his nephew still feels skeptical. When mysterions videtapes show up in the mail, with scenes that are mystifying, horrible, and involve faces that are much too familiar, they bring questions that demand action and answers.. An abandoned house holds more peril than anyone expected—and a notebook with a message from the past. An expedition into the Gobi Desert turns into a rainforest adventure with deadly snakes and a tragic death. Then there is It, a mysterious and demonic force that threatens to destroy the lives and minds of the grave-robbing companions. Once again Panzi, Fats, Qilin, and Uncle Three’s nephew, with Ning added to the group, band together to follow the incomplete and possibly flawed leadership of a man who is perhaps a killer, probably a liar, and beyond a doubt the most engaging villain in horror fiction. Deadly Desert Winds skillfully introduces new characters and devious plot twists that make this adventure series more compelling than ever before. The fifth volume of the Grave Robbers’ Chronicles will soon be followed by Graveyard of a Queen, the sixth in the series. Will the questions be answered? Will the adventures continue? And who will be the next to die?
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2014
20 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 25, 2020
This series is finally hitting its stride but I’m almost out of English translations
January 4, 2016
Amazing saga, great characters, amazing landscapings, and its filled with terror, horror, a plot with amazing twists at every curve, and monsters & creatures that will give you nigthmares and keep the ligth on next to your bed.
Totally recomended
Totally recomended
December 21, 2020
"I don't want to be your postfrolic snack" is the single most iconic sentence wu xie has ever said.
But anyway: FINALLY. This is what i've been waiting for. I don't know if it's me who changed or this book is really 500 times better than the previous ones, but I suspect it's a little of both. Wu Xie stopped yelling and cursing for no reason - whenever he does now, he does it with good reason lol, in this book, every time he got angry or frustrated, it was definitely understandable, with all the mysteries and unanswered questions piling up. So that alone added a star to my rating already, because I really didn't like his personality in the previous books.
I found the writing and the story itself to be better too - i'm not sure what exactly I liked more about it, but this book kept me interested from the first page to the last which wasn't the case with the previous ones.
But anyway: FINALLY. This is what i've been waiting for. I don't know if it's me who changed or this book is really 500 times better than the previous ones, but I suspect it's a little of both. Wu Xie stopped yelling and cursing for no reason - whenever he does now, he does it with good reason lol, in this book, every time he got angry or frustrated, it was definitely understandable, with all the mysteries and unanswered questions piling up. So that alone added a star to my rating already, because I really didn't like his personality in the previous books.
I found the writing and the story itself to be better too - i'm not sure what exactly I liked more about it, but this book kept me interested from the first page to the last which wasn't the case with the previous ones.
September 23, 2021
Pretty much what I've come to expect from this series. High literature? Not so much. Internal consistency? Never met. Filling plot holes? Why fill when you can grab a shovel and dig deeper? But for all that, I enjoy this series. If I expect it to be nothing save what it is, I'm never disappointed.
February 7, 2021
So, I came to read this saga after watched drama Ultimate Note and I awed how faithful its plot to the book. No wonder it's won praises from the book fans.
Uncle Three woke up from his coma and told Wu Xie what happened in the undersea tomb and Changbai Mount. Even so, Wu Xie didn't get the answer for his questions.
Moreover, he got package with two videotapes inside. The package sender was Zhang Qilin! How's that possible, didn't he entering the bronze door?!
Long story short, the clues in the videotape lead him into Gobi dessert and joining Ning's team, following Chen Wen-jin route twenty years ago.
And surprise, Zhang Qilin was came back from the bronze door and joining the team as well!
Qilin
"I am a person of no past and future. Everything that I've done has been to find the connection between me and the rest of the world, where I came from, why I'm here. Can you imagine being like me, with nobody to care one damn if I ceased to exist? I'd leave without trace, as though I never was alive in the first place. Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and wonder if I really am a living being, or am I just someone else's shadow"
Wu Xie
It's not as exaggerated as all that. If you disappeared, I'd care enough to find out where you went and what had become of you
Haven't I told you how great Xu Lei's dialogues are?
I have and I love them so much!
Those dialogues between two adults men successfully delivers so much feels without being corny.
And book 5 was a real page turner!
Up until 25% of the book was Uncle Three's story of his expedition, even so it didn't lost its thrills!
Also, immortality capsule finally joining the chat XDD
Uncle Three woke up from his coma and told Wu Xie what happened in the undersea tomb and Changbai Mount. Even so, Wu Xie didn't get the answer for his questions.
Moreover, he got package with two videotapes inside. The package sender was Zhang Qilin! How's that possible, didn't he entering the bronze door?!
Long story short, the clues in the videotape lead him into Gobi dessert and joining Ning's team, following Chen Wen-jin route twenty years ago.
And surprise, Zhang Qilin was came back from the bronze door and joining the team as well!
Qilin
"I am a person of no past and future. Everything that I've done has been to find the connection between me and the rest of the world, where I came from, why I'm here. Can you imagine being like me, with nobody to care one damn if I ceased to exist? I'd leave without trace, as though I never was alive in the first place. Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and wonder if I really am a living being, or am I just someone else's shadow"
Wu Xie
It's not as exaggerated as all that. If you disappeared, I'd care enough to find out where you went and what had become of you
Haven't I told you how great Xu Lei's dialogues are?
I have and I love them so much!
Those dialogues between two adults men successfully delivers so much feels without being corny.
And book 5 was a real page turner!
Up until 25% of the book was Uncle Three's story of his expedition, even so it didn't lost its thrills!
Also, immortality capsule finally joining the chat XDD
May 2, 2024
The BEST one so far!! As others have said before, it feels like the story is finally hitting its stride. It's always been fun, plus I'm already biased since I love the dramas, but the handling always felt a bit wobbly... In this arc it finally feels like everything is coming together, some answers are coming out, Wu Xie is maturing, Iron Triangle is forming, and I'm really enjoying the way all of the characters are interacting now. The author's writing has definitely improved. Also, Lei Xu should definitely lean more into scaring us and less into disgusting bugs, because I loved everything about that whole thing in the basement! The atmosphere had me gripped, which I didn't expect since I was already prepared because I watched Ultimate Note.
Side note, Ultimate Note really outdid itself with book accuracy, I'm impressed! They things the drama added are great (like, why sit on introducing Hua so long? or how it showed us Xiao Ge's side of things in the devil city [impossible in the books since it's from Wu Xie's POV]), and the important stuff is untouched.
Bless the fan-translation, because I would've missed so much of the story if I relied on the official one (I'm going to keep repeating this until I reach the end: WHY DID THEY CUT OUT INFORMATION? PARAGRAPHS? INTERACTIONS? WE NEED THOSE, STOP IT!).
Side note, Ultimate Note really outdid itself with book accuracy, I'm impressed! They things the drama added are great (like, why sit on introducing Hua so long? or how it showed us Xiao Ge's side of things in the devil city [impossible in the books since it's from Wu Xie's POV]), and the important stuff is untouched.
Bless the fan-translation, because I would've missed so much of the story if I relied on the official one (I'm going to keep repeating this until I reach the end: WHY DID THEY CUT OUT INFORMATION? PARAGRAPHS? INTERACTIONS? WE NEED THOSE, STOP IT!).
December 1, 2025
God I just ADORE this series. It's so wild, it's so fun, it's silly sometimes, it is dramatic... It's just a good time and it's fun to read something that it fundamentally just kinda goofy. I agree with other reviewers that the series is starting to hit its stride, and I look forward to reading more. Or rather, finishing the last book in this edition and then switching to the online translation and starting the whole series over <3
The Grave Robbers' Chronicles / The Lost Tomb I lovvvvvvvvveeee youuuuuuuu
The Grave Robbers' Chronicles / The Lost Tomb I lovvvvvvvvveeee youuuuuuuu
August 3, 2021
Reviewing as a drama fan:
Although there are some differences, this book (& the next one) have been adapted most accurately into their drama counterpart (Ultimate Note). Very fast paced and enjoyable. In spite of it being so similar to the drama (which I watched 1st), it was still very engaging.
The iron triangle is finally starting to come together, although certainly not to the same extent as they appear in the drama. PingXie fans will be able to see a particular iconic moment and a few other crumbs but to be honest, the drama is very generous in creating more moments for them than the original source provides.
Although there are some differences, this book (& the next one) have been adapted most accurately into their drama counterpart (Ultimate Note). Very fast paced and enjoyable. In spite of it being so similar to the drama (which I watched 1st), it was still very engaging.
The iron triangle is finally starting to come together, although certainly not to the same extent as they appear in the drama. PingXie fans will be able to see a particular iconic moment and a few other crumbs but to be honest, the drama is very generous in creating more moments for them than the original source provides.
April 27, 2020
Patrolling adventure book that will give you legitimate chills, the author gets better with very novel.
July 12, 2020
The Mystery
Wow such an interesting mystery to start the book with. I’m quite curious how this is going to end. On to the next book!
Wow such an interesting mystery to start the book with. I’m quite curious how this is going to end. On to the next book!
December 12, 2020
One of my favourite so far. We finally have a smidget more about Qilin. Can't wait to read the rest...
January 10, 2021
I hope I can finish
March 9, 2022
There are still many questions, but I think things are starting to come together.
January 11, 2023
The best one of the series so far - good writing, good story. This installment feels more like the first half of a single story with book 5-6 than a standalone book, but I really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews