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The First Step
(A Thousand Li #1)
by
Long Wu Ying never expected to join a Sect or become a real cultivator. His days were spent studying, planting rice on the family farm and spending time with his friends. Fate, however, has different plans for Wu Ying and when the army arrives at his village, he and many other members of the village are conscripted. Given the opportunity to join the Verdant Green Waters Se
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Kindle Edition, 302 pages
Published
April 2nd 2019
(first published March 28th 2019)
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Tao Wong
Eastern fantasy, aka xianxia
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Start your review of The First Step (A Thousand Li, #1)
*This is one of the books I read for #SPFBO 2019*
I have to say this book is quite different to a lot of the others in the batch. It's a story which focuses primarily on martial arts with a strong influence from Chinese/Asian cultures. There is a magic called Cultivation where you infuse your body with healing magic and Chi and you can channel through the meridians. The practice is almost like a meditation technique but also something which you can enhance with time and determination. ...more
I have to say this book is quite different to a lot of the others in the batch. It's a story which focuses primarily on martial arts with a strong influence from Chinese/Asian cultures. There is a magic called Cultivation where you infuse your body with healing magic and Chi and you can channel through the meridians. The practice is almost like a meditation technique but also something which you can enhance with time and determination. ...more
Needle in the Haystack
Normally finding a decent English translated Wuxia novel is a bit of a struggle. Oftentimes I feel like it comes down to whether you are okay with grammatical errors or poorly written stories. This has none of those problems and many of the positives. The character is practical and doesn’t benefit from some magical ring or item that makes him super talented. Instead he is a grinder from the lowest rung of society who works his way up to stand on par with people who had eve ...more
Normally finding a decent English translated Wuxia novel is a bit of a struggle. Oftentimes I feel like it comes down to whether you are okay with grammatical errors or poorly written stories. This has none of those problems and many of the positives. The character is practical and doesn’t benefit from some magical ring or item that makes him super talented. Instead he is a grinder from the lowest rung of society who works his way up to stand on par with people who had eve ...more
Notes:
It took a bit for me to get into the story but once I did, I had fond flashbacks to Black Belt Theater & other old school martial films. Good fun! I will try to read the next book but who knows when I'll get to it or finish it without audio. =P
It took a bit for me to get into the story but once I did, I had fond flashbacks to Black Belt Theater & other old school martial films. Good fun! I will try to read the next book but who knows when I'll get to it or finish it without audio. =P
Awesome
I've been seeing a couple authors try their hands at this genre and I've got to say that this is the author that seems to have done it best...even above some of my beloved and most favored of authors. The author has managed to get all the beats all the culture all the character notes you'd expect for this genre and uplift them...its like seeing a gourmet chef make a 5-star version of captain crunch or pizza rolls...5-star comfort snacks....and I have to say as much as I get down on this ...more
I've been seeing a couple authors try their hands at this genre and I've got to say that this is the author that seems to have done it best...even above some of my beloved and most favored of authors. The author has managed to get all the beats all the culture all the character notes you'd expect for this genre and uplift them...its like seeing a gourmet chef make a 5-star version of captain crunch or pizza rolls...5-star comfort snacks....and I have to say as much as I get down on this ...more
I wavered between 2 and 3 stars. It was okay but it was excruciatingly well intentioned with delightful footnotes. The actual storytelling was strained, the character development limited, and the wordsmithing weak, but I did kind of like it, so Goodreads "three stars = I liked it".
Good hearted farm bumpkin with a heritage of a mysterious family sword tradition is drafted into war and then offered the opportunity to join a cultivating sect. Politics abound but he finds a core of frien ...more
Good hearted farm bumpkin with a heritage of a mysterious family sword tradition is drafted into war and then offered the opportunity to join a cultivating sect. Politics abound but he finds a core of frien ...more
Good cultivation, less tropes.
Starts with farmers son being drafted into the army and getting recruited into a sect. This causes him to be mucked in sect politics and nobles scorn. Wu Ying is an ardent cultivator with a powerful will to live. While most of his actions come somewhat begrudgingly, he still tries hard and takes any benefit he can find wholeheartedly.
Good book, slightly tame in comparison to other cultivation novels, definitely Wuxia and not Xianxia. This may change as ...more
Starts with farmers son being drafted into the army and getting recruited into a sect. This causes him to be mucked in sect politics and nobles scorn. Wu Ying is an ardent cultivator with a powerful will to live. While most of his actions come somewhat begrudgingly, he still tries hard and takes any benefit he can find wholeheartedly.
Good book, slightly tame in comparison to other cultivation novels, definitely Wuxia and not Xianxia. This may change as ...more
A wuxia for those not familiar with the genre
Most of the time, wuxia novels have this weird way of writing that often would got lost in translation. This novel is written in the ways western readers of epic fantasies could easily enjoy, both in form and structure, while staying true to the motifs and themes of wuxia stories. This is a great way to introduce the genre, with a relatable main character and conflicts that is very common in the genre.
Most of the time, wuxia novels have this weird way of writing that often would got lost in translation. This novel is written in the ways western readers of epic fantasies could easily enjoy, both in form and structure, while staying true to the motifs and themes of wuxia stories. This is a great way to introduce the genre, with a relatable main character and conflicts that is very common in the genre.
Okay, so, first, for those who don't know me -- I am, as I believe the author of this work to be, an Asian-American, despite my European-American name. My Asian ancestors came from a different part of Asia than Mr. Wong's, but just as he describes in his post scriptum, I grew up watching Samurai movies and Hong Kong wire-fu adventure tales... in my case, doubly because I enjoyed the action, and because I was desperate to see faces like my own; to figure out who I was supposed to be, how I was su
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I was looking for something similar after finishing all the Cradle books currently out, but all the xianxia translations I could find were really low quality or just did not appear well written. This book was not that at all, it has a good buildup so far and excellent footnotes explaining certain relevant phrases, ideas, etc.
Really looking forward to more in this series and will check out some of Tao Wong's other books.
Really looking forward to more in this series and will check out some of Tao Wong's other books.
The First Step is more palatable than 99% of books in the xianxia genre simply by featuring a protagonist whose main characteristic is not revenge or greed or thirst for power(the xianxia archetypal main character is to take a DnD murder hobo and dial up the sociopathy, greed, and self-righteousness to 111), but instead curiosity and stubbornness. The driving themes of exploration--of the self and of the world--and class struggle elevate the work even further above the others in the genre, and w
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Interesting worth the time
I liked the story. It took many things already done and put a new spin on them. I like the Far East setting. I enjoyed the LItrpg style that still maintained a non-computer environment.
The main character isn’t Overpowered which is nice. His fatal flaws are his kindness and naivety. He spends a lot of time near death. In the end it makes sense why, but waiting to the end to see it is tough.
My one major issue of the book is the dialogue. Not much dialogu ...more
I liked the story. It took many things already done and put a new spin on them. I like the Far East setting. I enjoyed the LItrpg style that still maintained a non-computer environment.
The main character isn’t Overpowered which is nice. His fatal flaws are his kindness and naivety. He spends a lot of time near death. In the end it makes sense why, but waiting to the end to see it is tough.
My one major issue of the book is the dialogue. Not much dialogu ...more
Wow! Top notch quality!
Amazing what a difference it makes when a professional author takes the genre on, without translation.
Great we'll written, entertaining work. A Little reminiscent of some of the great 70s/80s China inspired novels, but more up to date. The author shows both great authentic knowledge of Chinese history and culture and the self control to know how much to share at once to a avoid exposition overload.
I really enjoyed the System Apocalypse series by th ...more
Amazing what a difference it makes when a professional author takes the genre on, without translation.
Great we'll written, entertaining work. A Little reminiscent of some of the great 70s/80s China inspired novels, but more up to date. The author shows both great authentic knowledge of Chinese history and culture and the self control to know how much to share at once to a avoid exposition overload.
I really enjoyed the System Apocalypse series by th ...more
good xianxia/wuxia/cultivation novels are hard to find. this one started slow, as in, halfway through it i was contemplating just DNFing it. the first half was boring - 3 stars at best. i didn't expect his development to happen in a snap, but as fiction, i expected the journey to be interesting. i'm glad i stuck around the last third of it was where all the action was at. the "villains" were quite stereotypical - some powerful elder and a bunch of rich kids trying to stamp down a lowly peasant.
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Cultivation stories seem to be the new trend for a lot of gamelit and litrpg authors. Readers should do themselves a favor and read this book by Tao Wong to get an idea of what a good cultivation book looks like. Personally, I think this book sets the bar.
I'm not too into cultivation stories, I prefer gamelit and litrpg instead. However, the progressive nature of a good cultivation story will give me a similar sense of satisfaction. Fans of the Two Week Curse series will likely find ...more
I'm not too into cultivation stories, I prefer gamelit and litrpg instead. However, the progressive nature of a good cultivation story will give me a similar sense of satisfaction. Fans of the Two Week Curse series will likely find ...more
This wasn't too bad. The author didn't try to pander to anyone in this novel, which was great. Everything felt and flowed smoothly.
The only problem with these novels is that they kindle a hatred inside you, when these other people (in this case it's nobles) treat the protagonist like trash. They are in the wrong and force people to agree with them that water is not wet and we don't need air to survive.
Which I guess is the author making you hate the villain and cheer for the protagon ...more
The only problem with these novels is that they kindle a hatred inside you, when these other people (in this case it's nobles) treat the protagonist like trash. They are in the wrong and force people to agree with them that water is not wet and we don't need air to survive.
Which I guess is the author making you hate the villain and cheer for the protagon ...more
[Audiobook version]
The First Step is a fun, light, if overly formulaic novel. It follows the standard formula of scrappy young apprentice who has to struggle against organizational and class politics to prove just how good they really are with an adventure in the middle. The world building I feel is its strongest card. Wong crafted a rich world that feels deep and lived in. The schools of chi and kung-fu feel authentic to classic chinese fantasy and Hong Kong wire-fu as well.
Besides ...more
The First Step is a fun, light, if overly formulaic novel. It follows the standard formula of scrappy young apprentice who has to struggle against organizational and class politics to prove just how good they really are with an adventure in the middle. The world building I feel is its strongest card. Wong crafted a rich world that feels deep and lived in. The schools of chi and kung-fu feel authentic to classic chinese fantasy and Hong Kong wire-fu as well.
Besides ...more
Solid foundation, great characters and story
I found many things about this book refreshing. The lack of the constant duplicity of characters, in particular. There are many tropes of fakeness that pervade Hollywood and western fiction in general and this just felt like fresh air.
I very much enjoy the cultivation style of fantasy where the hero improves through work vs. Deus ex machina typical in western fiction.
The main character was well written and supporting cast entertaining. I enjoyed ...more
I found many things about this book refreshing. The lack of the constant duplicity of characters, in particular. There are many tropes of fakeness that pervade Hollywood and western fiction in general and this just felt like fresh air.
I very much enjoy the cultivation style of fantasy where the hero improves through work vs. Deus ex machina typical in western fiction.
The main character was well written and supporting cast entertaining. I enjoyed ...more
Excellent read. Picked it up as it came out on Amazon (Thank you Kindle Unlimited). I found myself in awe of the world building, the realistic and down to earth character, the grinding and challenges the main character has to go through. Wu Ying, is not a superpower off the bat, even at the end he has to struggle to earn the glory. There is a lot of potential for the growth of Wu Ying and his friends and enemies in the following novel. It is a great read and an even better intro to the wuxia gen
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Actual rating: 3.5 stars
This was my first Wuxia novel, an Eastern/Chinese martial arts story about Cultivation. While reading it, I could envision it as a movie in my head, which made it enjoyable. I liked that the main character was good natured, and that it focused on his grit and determination to learn the skills he needed. It's a peasant rice farmer learning to become a martial artist, while dealing with the entitled nobles, and the bullying Elders. It's also a good reminder to g ...more
This was my first Wuxia novel, an Eastern/Chinese martial arts story about Cultivation. While reading it, I could envision it as a movie in my head, which made it enjoyable. I liked that the main character was good natured, and that it focused on his grit and determination to learn the skills he needed. It's a peasant rice farmer learning to become a martial artist, while dealing with the entitled nobles, and the bullying Elders. It's also a good reminder to g ...more
A new asian cultivation series! If you are a fan of the cradle series you will enjoy this
New series from this author, who I have read one of his other series that I really liked. This series is in the same vein as the Cradle series, by Will Wight, but with a more detailed progression level. I highly recommend this and can’t wait for the sequels which feels like there are many more to come.
New series from this author, who I have read one of his other series that I really liked. This series is in the same vein as the Cradle series, by Will Wight, but with a more detailed progression level. I highly recommend this and can’t wait for the sequels which feels like there are many more to come.
A good Wuxia/xianxia novel
A well written Wuxia/Xianxia novel but a lesser(still good) Tao Wong novel. As someone who has read a few Wuxia novels I think Tao Wong would have benefited from pulling away from some of the stylings. The MC is not OP like most in these kind of novels, but the liberal use of Chinese measurements kept jarring me from reading by constantly having to convert the measurements. Still a well balanced novel
A well written Wuxia/Xianxia novel but a lesser(still good) Tao Wong novel. As someone who has read a few Wuxia novels I think Tao Wong would have benefited from pulling away from some of the stylings. The MC is not OP like most in these kind of novels, but the liberal use of Chinese measurements kept jarring me from reading by constantly having to convert the measurements. Still a well balanced novel
Very Enjoyable!
This is not normally a style I read but I’m so glad I did. A fascinating form of storytelling that is normally ruined through poor translation from Chinese into English, but this story was very well done. I also really enjoyed the little tidbits of information that were slipped in explaining the meanings of words and phrases used. I will definitely be getting the next in this series!
This is not normally a style I read but I’m so glad I did. A fascinating form of storytelling that is normally ruined through poor translation from Chinese into English, but this story was very well done. I also really enjoyed the little tidbits of information that were slipped in explaining the meanings of words and phrases used. I will definitely be getting the next in this series!
A thousand li
Very enjoyable read, i really liked that the main character wasn't the stereotypical OP or super lucky type, instead you get a much more believable mc who isn't some prodigy but keeps progressing through perseverance and hard work. Really liked that the mc isn't arrogant or hotheaded as a lot of this genres mcs can be.
Will definitely be waiting for more of this series.
Very enjoyable read, i really liked that the main character wasn't the stereotypical OP or super lucky type, instead you get a much more believable mc who isn't some prodigy but keeps progressing through perseverance and hard work. Really liked that the mc isn't arrogant or hotheaded as a lot of this genres mcs can be.
Will definitely be waiting for more of this series.
Good book
This is a standard no frills eastern fantasy cultivation book that has a poor peasant that constantly works hard and is always looked down upon by the nobles. Although the mc has some fortuitous encounters they are minor and it's a constant uphill battle for the mc. This book was well written and had good fight scenes, I just wanted the mc to have more of an advantage and maybe be a little op, but I still want to read more.
This is a standard no frills eastern fantasy cultivation book that has a poor peasant that constantly works hard and is always looked down upon by the nobles. Although the mc has some fortuitous encounters they are minor and it's a constant uphill battle for the mc. This book was well written and had good fight scenes, I just wanted the mc to have more of an advantage and maybe be a little op, but I still want to read more.
On the fence but read it so I guess I liked it
This was interesting I've read the cradle series, sufficiently advanced magic, and a few other xanxia books and this was a good read. It was well written but I felt the names were to long ( I get its Asian cultural names) but it gets hard to read a sentence with two and three word names. Another thing was character interaction was a bit weak nobody was developed. I hope the author continues and moors in the next!
This was interesting I've read the cradle series, sufficiently advanced magic, and a few other xanxia books and this was a good read. It was well written but I felt the names were to long ( I get its Asian cultural names) but it gets hard to read a sentence with two and three word names. Another thing was character interaction was a bit weak nobody was developed. I hope the author continues and moors in the next!
3.5/5 stars
I would only recommend this book to people who are fans of the cultivation genre, but for the genre it seems to be one of the better choices.
The dialogue can be a bit off sometimes but overall the quality is pretty reasonable.
The plot is pretty standard stuff and fits what you expect from the genre. Its a very easy read but I'm still waiting for something that comes close to The Cradle Series.
I would only recommend this book to people who are fans of the cultivation genre, but for the genre it seems to be one of the better choices.
The dialogue can be a bit off sometimes but overall the quality is pretty reasonable.
The plot is pretty standard stuff and fits what you expect from the genre. Its a very easy read but I'm still waiting for something that comes close to The Cradle Series.
Fun
Cultivation novels aren’t my normal reads. I have read a few. I liked that the women in this one weren’t simpering power groupies but figures of strength on their own. The MC felt like he was struggling uphill, he lucked out time and again (fate as the book put it) but he struggles. A fun read, enjoy.
Cultivation novels aren’t my normal reads. I have read a few. I liked that the women in this one weren’t simpering power groupies but figures of strength on their own. The MC felt like he was struggling uphill, he lucked out time and again (fate as the book put it) but he struggles. A fun read, enjoy.
An amazing example of story
This is an amazing example of how Eastern fiction should be written. All the tropes were there. And somehow, they turned into an interesting story of smarts, hard work, and humanity struggling against ...normal life. It was refreshing, wonderfully interesting, and I can’t wait for book 2.
This is an amazing example of how Eastern fiction should be written. All the tropes were there. And somehow, they turned into an interesting story of smarts, hard work, and humanity struggling against ...normal life. It was refreshing, wonderfully interesting, and I can’t wait for book 2.
Another good cultivation wuxia
The storyline was good though sometimes a little long winded in the explanations but I get it lol I love the fact he work in some Chinese curse words my Chinese vocabulary has expanded by a few words tho it wasn't much to begin with lol I look forward to the next one!
The storyline was good though sometimes a little long winded in the explanations but I get it lol I love the fact he work in some Chinese curse words my Chinese vocabulary has expanded by a few words tho it wasn't much to begin with lol I look forward to the next one!
Pretty good, but slow.
This is an entertaining cultivation book for an author new to the genre. It just runs a little slowly at times. Fights scenes are pretty good and the main noble v peasant plot line pisses me off because I buy into it so much. I hope there is more about battling beasts and doing something with beast cores in the sequel.
This is an entertaining cultivation book for an author new to the genre. It just runs a little slowly at times. Fights scenes are pretty good and the main noble v peasant plot line pisses me off because I buy into it so much. I hope there is more about battling beasts and doing something with beast cores in the sequel.
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Tao Wong grew up in Malaysia, did his degrees in the UK and then after a years working in SEA, moved to Vancouver, BC, Canada. Afterwards, he ended up in Whitehorse, the Yukon where he resides most days with his wife and child working and writing the stories that build in his head.
A lifelong gamer and reader, he's managed to find a niche where he can write about areas to his content.
P ...more
A lifelong gamer and reader, he's managed to find a niche where he can write about areas to his content.
P ...more
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A Thousand Li
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