The Ming Storm

Assassin's Creed

by Yan Leisheng

The Ming dynasty becomes a battleground for the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Order of the Templars in this blockbuster action novel from a previously unexplored part of the beloved Assassin’s Creed universe.

China, 16th century. The Assassins are gone. Zhang Yong, the relentless leader of the Eight Tigers, took advantage of the emperor's death to eliminate all his opponents, and now the Templars hold all the power. Shao Jun, the last representative of her clan, barely escapes death and has no choice but to flee her homeland. Vowing to avenge her former brothers in arms, she travels to Europe to train with the legendary Ezio Auditore. When she returns to the Middle Kingdom, her saber and her determination alone will not be enough to eliminate Zhang she will have to surround herself with allies and walk in the shadows to defeat the Eight Tigers.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Gaming

368 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

Yan Leisheng has had a special interest in science fiction since an early age, but it wasn’t until his thirties that he was first published. Since then, he has published twenty books, including novels, short story collections, essays, and poetry. His most famous trilogy “Heaven Prevails” has sold over 500,000 copies in Chinese.

Reviews

[Sherwood Smith]

i have never played a video game, but when I saw that this novel was set in Chinese history, and written by a Chinese novelist, I grabbed it. Glad I did.

I don't think it was completely successful, but in a way that showcases just how good the author is.

Shao Jun, the last of her clan, goes home after she training with the legendary assassin Ezio Auditore, to find everything destroyed. However, she cannot avenge her former brothers and renew the Brotherhood in China alone. She surrounds herself with allies and tries to defeat the Eight Tigers.

First off, she isn't the lone wolf who takes on the world type of hero. She needs to get and rely on allies. If you've read Water Margin, you might be reminded of how Song Jiang, who had the rep of the mightiest of heroes, actually spends a good deal of the four volumes getting allies to help him with each challenge.

The world is terrifically evoked, the martial arts styles impeccably described, and the characters are well drawn. Which brings me to the sense that it wasn't completely successful: I feel that the author was too constrained by the format of a gaming novel (which promises its reader non-stop battles) and so characterization and worldbuilding and themes kept trying to leak through. The result might be slowly paced for the gamer just looking for cool fights, and too mono-thread for a reader looking for a good spec fic novel that uses the Ming era for its springboard.

Still, an absorbing read, and makes me want to seek more of this author's work.

Copy provided by NetGalley

[Sasan]

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for the opportunity.

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I'll preface this review by saying that I am a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed games and try to play as many installments as I can, which made me extra excited to start this book given that it's related to the game and in a new location I have not seen before. Therefore, I was prompted to request the book and attempt to read it, which was thankfully approved.

This is 100%, a it's not you, but me situation as I quickly came to realize that I liked playing the game, not reading about it. I say this because the book is easy to get through, there are even text notes for some of the words or proverbs that come up in the book that may need clarifying or a background story and it's got the level of mystery and bloody action that I have come to expect from the franchise.

But, I just couldn't get into it.

I started feeling like I'm forcing myself to continue the book, I started looking up the 2-D game pack so I may debate buying that instead and the worst part of all, is that I started wanting to skim over the paragraphs just so I can get through it faster and that's not something I want to do as someone who reads solely for pleasure. That's without mentioning how totally unfair that is to both author and book so I opted not to do it anymore.

Officially dropped at 32%

[Susanne Krajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bei Assassin's Creed kann ich einfach nicht nein sagen. Dazu kommt aber aber auch, dass ich ebenso fast alle anderen Bücher der Reihe kenne und diese gut vis sehr gut waren. Mit dem hier, wurde ich allerdings nur so mäßig warm.

Nach ihrer Ausbildung bei Ezio Auditore, kehrt Shao Jun wieder zurück in ihre Heimat. Dort warten allerdings jede Menge Gefahren auf sie. Allen voran Zhang Yong, der Anführer der Acht Tiger, der erblich zu Aufgabe gemacht hat, die Bruderschaft der Assassinen auszurotten. Shao Jun ist praktisch eine der letzten Überlebenden. Weshalb Zhang Yong nun dicht auf ihren Fersen ist, um zu verhindern, dass die Bruderschaft erneut aufgebaut werden könnte. Doch die junge Frau scheint vielleicht doch nicht die einzige Überlebende zu sein.

Ich hatte etwas Schwierigkeiten in die Story zu kommen, was vermutlich an den Namen lag. Ich hatte arge Probleme die Personen auseinander zu halten und auch das zuordnen von männlich und weiblich fiel mir etwas schwerer als sonst. Das sind allerdings persönliche Probleme.

Ansonsten geht es, wie eigentlich immer, darum Gegenstände zu finden, welche dabei helfen Wissen zu entschlüsseln und natürlich Rache zu üben. Passiert ja so eigentlich in jedem Assassin's Creed Buch. Witzigereweise gehört das für mich dazu und stört mich nicht, auch wenn es sich wiederholt. Das, gepaart mit ordentlich Kung Fu, sorgt für eine an und für sich spannende Story. So ganz warm wurde ich aber leider trotzdem nicht.

Fazit

Auch wenn ich etwas gebraucht habe, um in die Geschichte zu kommen, hat es sich zu einem wirklich fesselnden Werk entwickelt. Die Kämpfe sind toll beschrieben und man bekommt eine gutes Bild dazu im Kopf geformt. Für AC Fans definitiv unterhaltsam und empfehlenswert. Am Ende von mir 4 Sterne

[Nikki Sojkowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

**An ARC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

The Ming Storm is the latest novelization of the Assassin's Creed video game franchise. While a long time AC fan, this is my first novelization and I was super excited to get started. Unfortunately, The Ming Storm sacrifices the book's flow and charm for the sake of technical specificity. What could have been a fun action-adventure novel got bogged down by trying to name and describe every specific fighting technique, causing short fights to take up pages and pages of mind-numbing descriptions. The storylines and exhilarating fights are what I love about the Assassin’s Creed video games but this book became a martial arts lecture instead. If the rest of the AC books use the same writing style, I’ll be giving them a pass.

[Esther Siedler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buchtitel: Assassin's Creed: Der Ming-Sturm
Autor/in: Yan Leisheng
Verlag: Cross Cult
ISBN: 9783966586139
Ausgabe: Ebook
Erscheinungsdatum: 27.10.2021

Inhalt:
"Die Ming-Dynastie wird zum Schlachtfeld für die Bruderschaft der Assassinen und den Templerorden in diesem Actionroman zu einem bisher unerforschten Teil des beliebten Assassin’s-Creed-Universums.
China, das 16. Jahrhundert. Die Assassinen sind fort. Zhang Yong, der unbarmherzige Anführer der Acht Tiger, schlägt aus dem Tod des Kaisers Kapital und eliminiert alle seine Gegner, sodass nun der Templerorden alle Macht inne hat. Shao Jun, die letzte Vertreterin ihres Clans, entkommt nur knapp dem Tod und hat keine andere Wahl, als aus ihrem Heimatland zu fliehen. Sie schwört, ihre einstmaligen Waffenbrüder zu rächen, und reist nach Europa, um vom legendären Ezio Auditore zu lernen. Nach ihrer Rückkehr ins Reich der Mitte reichen ihr Säbel und ihre Entschlossenheit allein nicht aus, um Zhang Yong zu eliminieren: Sie muss Verbündete um sich scharen und sich in den Schatten halten, um die Acht Tiger zu bezwingen."

Meinung:
Zuerst möchte ich mich bei NetGalley, dem Verlag und dem Autor herzlich für das Bereitstellen dieses Rezensionsexemplares bedanken!
Möglicherweise kennen einige von euch die Spielreihe "Assassin's Creed". Ich persönlich liebe die Spielreihe und habe deswegen auch angefangen die Bücher dazu zu lesen. Durch Zufall hatte ich dann dieses Buch gefunden und musste es demnach unbedingt haben.
Was mir hierbei direkt gefallen hat, war das Cover. Dieses hat mich direkt mental in die Spiele hinein katapultiert. Es spiegelt absolut gut den Inhalt und vor allem die Atmosphäre des Werkes wieder.
Kommen wir nun aber zum Inhalt. Dieser, muss ich sagen, ist definitiv für Fans der Assassinen Welt gedacht. Ob andere Leser hierbei großartig Spaß haben können, weiß ich nicht. Es ist doch durchaus recht tief in der Materie drin. Für mich war es überaus spannend Shao Jun auf ihrer Reise zu begleiten. Es gibt ja auch einen Zusatzteil zu der Hauptreihe von Assassin's Creed, in dem es um Shao Jun geht. Durch dieses Buch mehr Informationen über die Assassinin zu bekommen war wirklich toll. Was mich persönlich nur etwas gestört hat war, dass durch den sehr langatmigen Schreibstil einiges an Spannung verloren geht. Das finde ich total schade.
Zu den Protagonisten kann man hauptsächlich sagen, dass sie genau so beschrieben werden, wie man sie aus den Spielen kennt. Da ich ja schon von den Spielen fasziniert war, war ich demnach auch von diesem Werk und vor allen von den Protagonisten begeistert. Diese haben einfach alle Tiefe und Authentizität.
Den Schreibstil fand ich, wie schon erwähnt, überaus langatmig und teilweise viel zu blumig. Das war das Einzige, was ich tatsächlich kritisieren muss.

Fazit:
Was kann man also zu diesem Buch sagen? Dieses Werk ist recht spannend und vor allem für Fans trotz des Schreibstils ein absolutes Muss, meiner Meinung nach!

[Milou]

I got through the first lockdown by playing all the Assasin’s Creed games I could get my hands on for PS3. They really helped me get through those months, so when I saw this book on Netgalley I got very excited. I think I should have stuck with the games though.
This isn’t necessarily the book’s fault though. I always struggle to get into books that give us a lot of action scenes before giving us time to get to know and care for the characters involved in the fighting for their lives. In this case the writing itself also didn’t really work for me. Again, there wasn’t anything wrong with it, yet failed to draw me in and keep me engaged. It was a struggle to read... so I decided to DNF it.

[Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the Assassin's Creed series, despite having really fallen behind in the games. I've played several, and those that I have played I've really enjoyed, especially Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (seriously, set anything in Victorian era London I'm going to fall in love with it). But, I've not really experienced all that this ever expanding universe has to offer, so when I saw that Aconyte Books were going to be bringing out a novel set in this universe I was very, very excited.

Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm follows the events of the side scrolling spin-off game Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, and sees the assassin Shao Jun returning to her homeland after spending time learning from master assassin Ezio Auditore following the destruction of her brotherhood. Having been taught by the best assassin in the world Shao Jun feels that she's finally ready to take on the members of the Eight Tigers, a group of eunuchs that control the Chinese imperial court.

I'm actually quite glad that I haven't played this game, as it means that I get to come to the book completely fresh, without any preconceptions of what to expect. Though I do expect that there will be moments in this book that directly reference parts of the game, and those will be completely lost on me. However, the book very much feels like a regular novel, and there were never any times where anything felt odd or out of place, like Yan Leisheng was having to put something in just because it was in the game.

Instead of feeling like an adaptation, books that sometimes struggle to have their own voice, or where the parts of the story that the author has added feel tonally very different from those in the original material, Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm felt like a cohesive and tonally unique book. If I didn't know it was telling the story of the game I'd have believed it was a completely original new story within that universe.

I was also very impressed that Aconyte employed a Chinese author to work on the book. I know this might seem like a really obvious thing to do, but not every publisher would think to do that. Not only does this decision show a great deal of respect on the publisher's part, but it also makes the book feel very different. You can always tell when an author knows the subjects that they're writing about, and when people are writing about places and people that they know over things they've simply researched.

Yan Leisheng wrote in a way I wasn't expecting too, and it took me a while to learn his writing style. This was partially down to myself, and the fact that I was expecting the book to have a certain pace and tone because of the source material it's based upon. I was expecting the novel to move quickly, to be full of action, and to have faced paced dialogue. Instead, it's a book that takes it's time. It spends a good deal of its text going into depth about the people and places, and making sure the reader has a good understanding of things. There are sometimes moments where Leicheng will spend a page or two giving you detail about the history of a person in the middle of dialogue, where the response to what they've just said takes a page or two to come because of the details we're being given.

I'm not sure if this is a cultural thing or not, whether it's a writing style that's more favoured by Chinese authors like Leisheng, or if it's his own personal style. Either way, it made the book a very different type of experience, though if I had to compare his style to another author I'd have to say it reads like Stephen King. Much like King Leisheng goes into depth, provides heaps of context, and doesn't race towards a conclusion, instead allowing the reader to meander through this world he's creating.

Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm might be based upon a video game, but it felt like a book that was purely its own creation. It's a book that cares more about crafting a living breathing world, filled with characters that have a lot of depth, who the readers can come to understand. Even if you're not normally interested in video game books, or even action books, I'd say it's worth reading because it's a lot more than either of those, and is a book that explores the history and culture of China with care and attention.

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one left me with mixed feelings, but largely didn’t work for me. I did enjoy the historical aspect as well as how that was merged with the speculative elements, but unfortunately that ended up lost to a large extent beneath a vast cast of characters that I struggled to keep track of and in the technical details. Had there been a little more focus on the adventure/action aspect, which were interesting, and less of the names of moves, and technical aspects which while necessary in the game, lose a lot when translated into fiction then it would flowed a lot more easily and been a gripping read, rather than one I kept taking breaks from.

[Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the Assassin's Creed series, despite having really fallen behind in the games. I've played several, and those that I have played I've really enjoyed, especially Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (seriously, set anything in Victorian era London I'm going to fall in love with it). But, I've not really experienced all that this ever expanding universe has to offer, so when I saw that Aconyte Books were going to be bringing out a novel set in this universe I was very, very excited.

Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm follows the events of the side scrolling spin-off game Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, and sees the assassin Shao Jun returning to her homeland after spending time learning from master assassin Ezio Auditore following the destruction of her brotherhood. Having been taught by the best assassin in the world Shao Jun feels that she's finally ready to take on the members of the Eight Tigers, a group of eunuchs that control the Chinese imperial court.

I'm actually quite glad that I haven't played this game, as it means that I get to come to the book completely fresh, without any preconceptions of what to expect. Though I do expect that there will be moments in this book that directly reference parts of the game, and those will be completely lost on me. However, the book very much feels like a regular novel, and there were never any times where anything felt odd or out of place, like Yan Leisheng was having to put something in just because it was in the game.

Instead of feeling like an adaptation, books that sometimes struggle to have their own voice, or where the parts of the story that the author has added feel tonally very different from those in the original material, Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm felt like a cohesive and tonally unique book. If I didn't know it was telling the story of the game I'd have believed it was a completely original new story within that universe.

I was also very impressed that Aconyte employed a Chinese author to work on the book. I know this might seem like a really obvious thing to do, but not every publisher would think to do that. Not only does this decision show a great deal of respect on the publisher's part, but it also makes the book feel very different. You can always tell when an author knows the subjects that they're writing about, and when people are writing about places and people that they know over things they've simply researched.

Yan Leisheng wrote in a way I wasn't expecting too, and it took me a while to learn his writing style. This was partially down to myself, and the fact that I was expecting the book to have a certain pace and tone because of the source material it's based upon. I was expecting the novel to move quickly, to be full of action, and to have faced paced dialogue. Instead, it's a book that takes it's time. It spends a good deal of its text going into depth about the people and places, and making sure the reader has a good understanding of things. There are sometimes moments where Leicheng will spend a page or two giving you detail about the history of a person in the middle of dialogue, where the response to what they've just said takes a page or two to come because of the details we're being given.

I'm not sure if this is a cultural thing or not, whether it's a writing style that's more favoured by Chinese authors like Leisheng, or if it's his own personal style. Either way, it made the book a very different type of experience, though if I had to compare his style to another author I'd have to say it reads like Stephen King. Much like King Leisheng goes into depth, provides heaps of context, and doesn't race towards a conclusion, instead allowing the reader to meander through this world he's creating.

Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm might be based upon a video game, but it felt like a book that was purely its own creation. It's a book that cares more about crafting a living breathing world, filled with characters that have a lot of depth, who the readers can come to understand. Even if you're not normally interested in video game books, or even action books, I'd say it's worth reading because it's a lot more than either of those, and is a book that explores the history and culture of China with care and attention.

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm by Yan Leisheng is a novelization based on the events of the side scrolling Assassins Creed spin-off game “Assassin's Creed: Chronicles: China.”

Set in China in the year 1526 AD, the book follows the story of popular fan favourite Assassin Shao Jun, as she returns to her homeland after visiting Master Assassin Ezio Auditore in Italy. The Chinese Brotherhood having been recently decimated by a Templar group known as the Eight Tigers, she vows revenge upon them and seeks the aid of her elusive Mentor Wang Yingming. Their Templar aligned enemy is led by Zhang Yong, a ruthless leader who will stop at nothing to eliminate any remnants of the Assassins, and to acquire the First civilization artifact known as the Precursor Box brought to the country by Jun. With the help of her mentor Sho Jun set offs on a journey of vengeance to stop the Eight Tigers.

I'm actually quite glad that I haven't played this Assassins Creed game, as it means that I got to come to the book completely fresh, without any preconceptions of what to expect. Though I do expect that there will be moments in this book that directly reference parts of the game, and those will be completely lost on me. However, the book very much feels like a regular novel, and there were never any times where anything felt odd or out of place, like Yan Leisheng was having to put something in just because it was in the game.

Instead of feeling like an adaptation, books that sometimes struggle to have their own voice, or where the parts of the story that the author has added feel tonally very different from those in the original material, Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm felt like a cohesive and tonally unique book. If I didn't know it was telling the story of the game I'd have believed it was a completely original new story within the Assassins Creed universe.

I was also very impressed that Ubisoft employed a Chinese author to work on the book. I know this might seem like a really obvious thing to do, but not every publisher would think to do that. Not only does this decision show a great deal of respect on the publisher's part, but it also makes the book feel very different. You can always tell when an author knows the subjects that they're writing about, and when people are writing about places and people that they know over things they've simply researched.

Yan Leisheng wrote in a way I wasn't expecting too, and it took me a while to learn his writing style. This was partially down to myself, and the fact that I was expecting the book to have a certain pace and tone because of the source material it's based upon. I was expecting the novel to move quickly, to be full of action, and to have faced paced dialogue. Instead, it's a book that takes it's time. It spends a good deal of its text going into depth about the people and places, and making sure the reader has a good understanding of things. There are sometimes moments where Leicheng will spend a page or two giving you detail about the history of a person in the middle of dialogue, where the response to what they've just said takes a page or two to come because of the details we're being given.

I'm not sure if this is a cultural thing or not, whether it's a writing style that's more favoured by Chinese authors like Leisheng, or if it's his own personal style. Either way, it made the book a very different type of experience, though if I had to compare his style to another author I'd have to say it reads like Stephen King. Much like King Leisheng goes into depth, provides heaps of context, and doesn't race towards a conclusion, instead allowing the reader to meander through this world he's creating.

Overall, Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm might be based upon a video game, but it felt like a book that was purely its own creation. It's a book that cares more about crafting a living breathing world, filled with characters that have a lot of depth, who the readers can come to understand. Even if you're not normally interested in video game tie-in books, or even action books, I'd say it's worth reading because it's a lot more than either of those, and is a book that explores the history and culture of 16th century China with care and attention.

[Bagus · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a style that blends science fiction with historical fiction, the first novel in the Assassin’s Creed trilogy features the story of Shao Jun, a young Chinese assassin who’s the main protagonist in the video game Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China. I was not an avid fan of the game series and haven’t played it before, but this novel adaptation surely captivates me throughout the story. Set in 16th century China during the era of the Ming Dynasty, the Middle Kingdom was in a state of turmoil after the death of Emperor Zhengde who reigned from 1505 to 1521. Shao Jun, the former concubine nicknamed Imperial Favourite, barely escapes death and travels to Europe to escape the disaster that befalls the Chinese Brotherhood. In Europe, she trains under the Italian Ezio Auditore before finally returning to China.

The essential conflict in this story is the clash between the Eight Tigers, a powerful bunch of eunuchs in the Ming court during the reign of Emperor Zhengde with almost all members were part of Chinese Templars, with the Assassin Brotherhood which attempts progression of new ideas and maintains freedom. They are described as oil and water, who have fought through all recorded human history, both in East and West. In China, it was said that the first conflict between the two factions had already been in existence since the Warring States period, with the Eight Tigers assisted Qin Shihuangdi in establishing first China’s ruling dynasty. Zhang Yong, one of the Eight Tigers, uses the opportunity after the death of Emperor Zhengde to eliminate all of the Chinese Brotherhood, with Shao Jun finally escapes to Europe as a last resort after the extermination of her clan.

Throughout the journey, Shao Jun meets many people that provide assistance to her in times of need, starting with Master Wang Yangming, the scholar from Jiushan University who takes over the role of Mentor for the Chinese Brotherhood after the Great Rites controversy following the death of Emperor Zhengde and other members of the Brotherhood. There are also countless battles in this story, as battles are the essential part of the game which also appear in this novel adaptation. I’ll have to praise the way Yan Leisheng describes battle scenes that are easy to imagine with unique styled moves that each character possesses.

I was reading this book in the hope of finding something related to the decline of the Ming Dynasty, and I was not disappointed in the relevant historical backgrounds. While this story indeed deviates a bit from the real historical Middle Kingdom, there is certainly enough background on the way maritime laws banned all activities on the high seas. The Ming Dynasty was famous for the maritime expeditions led by the Muslim eunuch Zheng He (Cheng Ho) between 1405 and 1433. One of the Ming Ban happened to take place between 1521 and 1529, starting in the same year as the death of Emperor Zhengde which form the historical background of this story. However, it is against this background that the science fiction element of the story is built in the way the Eight Tigers devise a way to create immortal creatures called yuxiao to assist their goals in hold a tight grip on power in the Middle Kingdom, which is certainly interesting.

Even though this is an adaptation from the game, it’s still enjoyable without knowing the stories from the game first. However, I find it a bit confusing at times with the sheer amount of characters in the story, that I think it would be helpful at least to include a glossary that shows the list of characters. Overall, I enjoyed the battle scenes and the depiction of the Ming Empire in this story. Any fans of historical fiction will surely enjoy this.

[Uwe Tächl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assassine in China mit mehr Kampfsport als Assassinen-Fertigkeiten

The Ming Storm ist der Auftakt einer Trilogie um Shao Jun. Ihr Ziel ist es, die Assassinen in China wiedererstarken zu lassen. Sie war Ezio Auditores letzte Schülerin und ist nach dessen Tod in ihre Heimat zurückgekehrt. Bisher war sie in den Spielen “Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China” und “Assassin's Creed Rebellion” vertreten und in dem Kurzfilm „Assassin’s Creed Embers“.

China im 16. Jahrhundert. Die Ming Dynastie ist der Austragungsort des Kampfes zwischen Templern und Assassinen. Die Assassinen sind so gut wie vernichtet, als Shao Jun in ihre Heimat zurückkehrt und sich schwört, die Acht Tiger auszulöschen, die nach dem Tod des Kaisers die Macht an sich gerissen haben. Der Kampf gegen Zhang Yong und die anderen Tiger beginnt.

Man merkt, dass das Buch von einem chinesischen Autor geschrieben ist, so wie einem Namen, Spitznamen, Kampfsportbezeichnungen und Ortsangaben um die Ohren gehauen werden. Das hat mich oft aus dem Lesefluss herausgerissen und ich habe ziemlich gebraucht, bis ich mir die Namen einigermaßen merken konnte. Es wird also Zeit, mehr chinesische Literatur zu lesen, um damit besser zurecht zu kommen.

Shao Jun hat mir sehr gut gefallen und sie eignet sich hervorragend als Identifikationsfigur. Man kann ihren Rachefeldzug gut nachvollziehen und ist als Assassinenfan eh immer froh, wenn es den Templern an den Kragen geht. Auch wenn Shao Jun von Ezio ausgebildet wurde, überwiegen doch ihre chinesischen Wertvorstellungen, die eher im offenen Kampf, als wie im geheimen Meucheln verwachsen zu sein scheinen. Trotzdem kommen ihre Spezialwaffen reichlich zum Einsatz und man verliert nie aus den Augen, dass es sich um einen Assassin‘s Creed Roman handelt.

Man bekommt durch die Handlung sehr guten Einblick in die historische Situation und den Alltag im damaligen China. Shao Jun gelingt es, spannende Gefährten für sich zu gewinnen. Man merkt, dass ihre Situation ziemlich aussichtlos ist und sie von ziemlich viel Ereignissen um sie herum abhängt, um ihre Rache zu bekommen.

Fans der Spiele und historischer Fiction im alten China kann ich das Buch durchaus empfehlen. Die Handlung fließt für mich nicht so leicht, dass ich richtig genießen konnte, sondern musste doch konzentriert den ganzen chinesischen Eigenheiten folgen. Insbesondere die unzähligen unterschiedlichen Kampftechniken, die kurz erwähnt werden, sagen mir halt mal gar nichts. Noch eine Wissenslücke, die nicht einfach zu schließen ist.

Insgesamt ein etwas anderes Assasin’s Creed Buch in einem tollen Setting, das sehr authentisch vom Autor präsentiert wird. Ich bin gespannt, wie die Trilogie weitergehen wird.

[M. K. French · Rating 4 out of 5]

In sixteenth-century China, the Assassins are gone. Zhang Yong, the leader of the Eight Tigers, eliminated all rivals, allowing the Templars to hold all the power. Shao Jun, the only survivor, vows revenge and travels to Europe to train with the legendary Ezio Auditore. When she returns, she must find allies to defeat the Eight Tigers.

The Ming Storm is an original Assassin’s Creed novel, not just a novelization of one of the many games. Shao Jun's journey in this novel is the start of a trilogy. As with all Assassin’s Creed games, there is intense action in the midst of far-flung locales. This one takes place in China, and every once in a while footnotes explain some aspects about the time period that the average reader wouldn't know. Ezio is mentioned often, as he trained Shao Jun, but he doesn't make an appearance. The Eight Tigers group would be Templars, preferring conformity as a means to stability, and the Brotherhood Shao Jun wants to rebuild are the Assassins we know. The remaining Eight Tigers members hope to take out Shao Jun and find the scroll that the late emperor had given Shao Jun. They believe it holds clues to a mystic item; fans of the franchise will realize that they're all searching for Pieces of Eden, even if it's not mentioned by name.

Much of the fighting described in this novel involves philosophy, acupuncture points, and mystic techniques that manipulate internal energy and organs. In other words, if you enjoy C dramas and the like, you'll adore this. Prior knowledge of the Assassin's Creed games or novels isn't even necessary. This is a story of revenge amidst the political backdrop of Ming Empire China, so it follows those plot points. Shao Jun has to defend the honor of the Brotherhood and avenge the deaths of all known members; she and her mentor are the only survivors. Zhang Yong is highly placed in the current government and isn't opposed to sacrificing his followers to achieve his aim. Being the start of a trilogy, we find out what his true aims were near the end, and the climactic battle isn't the end of the story. The next two novels are bound to be just as good as this one.

About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL #Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

[Letter From Afifah (Afifah) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, thank you very much to Aconyte Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for honest reviews. This review is written by me voluntarily.

This story is set in early 1500s China and this story is a part of the Assassin's Creed Universe. The main character, Shao Jun is the main character of the game Assassin’s Creed Chronicle: China. She is a last member of her clan and this is the story on how she gets revenge for her fallen mentors and brothers.

This story has a lot of actions and heavy, detailed descriptions in each chapter, making readers get to understand more about the story. However, this makes the chapters quite long and heavy, making it a little bit harder for me to focus because my preference is more to short chapters. However, in my opinion, these descriptions are needed in this story.

This story is written by Yan Leisheng, a famous Chinese author. Thus, for me, the writing style is not really the same as usual English novels that I have read before. However, if the reader has read Chinese web novels and novels before, the reader can get comfortable with the writing style much more easily. There are quite a number of characters in here, taking me sometimes to remember most of them. However, if you are a fan of Chinese historical dramas and web novels, you may already know this.

For me, I really like this novel because I was always interested in the Assassin's Creed universe even though I never played the game. Their details are always interesting. The story is also really exciting because I always do not know what to expect for each chapter. I am also excited to know more about Shao Jun’s backstory because for me, she is one of my favourite characters in AC’s universe. For me, if you are a fan of Assassin’s Creed games and universe, you should try reading this story.

[Michael Botterill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Assassins Creed book The Ming Storm by Yan Lei Sheng, published by Aconyte Books, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.

So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.

I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.

So let’s crack on with a review then!

What is Assassin Creed
Assassins Creed is an adventure game franchise published by Ubisoft (One of my Edge of Empire Co-hosts works there as well I should probably mention), and depicts a millennia-old conflict between the Assassins, who fight to preserve free will, and the Templars who desire to bring around peace by controlling people.

The games take place throughout various historical periods, the original 2007 game being set in the era of the 3rd Crusades, and the latest game Assassins Creed Valhalla, set in the Viking Invasion of Britain.

This book is based on Assassins Creed Chronicles China.

The Story
This takes part after the short film, Assassins Creed: Embers in 1526 China and features the female assassin, Shao Jun, who has returned from Europe where she trained with the protagonmist of the second game, Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

She returns to China to fight the Eight Tigers, a group of eunuchs aligned with the Templars in the court of the Jianjing Emperor.

Prior to the novel, the Eight Tigers had all but wiped out the Assassins of China, leaving just Shao Jun and her mentor alive, so this is very much a story about revenge.

Conclusion
Look I wanted to love this book I really did, I am a big fan of the games, but this book just didn’t work, it was not an enjoyable read at all.

There is no real flow to the book as so much technical detail is thrown in, and it just gets so mired in trying to describe every single kung-fu move being used and its meaning.

The narrative changes point of view in a way that makes you have to go back and go right when did this characters point of view come in, I had to reread so much simply because there was little warning when the perspective changed.

It should have been a great action novel and don’t get me wrong, the story itself is really good, excellent in fact, but I struggled to read it, its just doesn’t work.

I hate giving a bad review it hurts me, but I see potential in this book, a round of editing to deal with the persepective changes and some heavy cuts to make the fight scenes flow better and I think that underneath is a good novella.

But it feels like its been padded out to make a novel.

2 out of 5 stars.

[Mar*Grieta* · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Warmth and cold exists only in my mind. The ten Thousand things of this world are nothing and my mind alone gives birth to them. The weather is what it is, and if you are cold, it is only in your mind.” #AssasinsCreed #ShaoJun #TheMingStorm #YanLeisheng #AconyteBooks

My rating: 4,5 / 5

Well, well, well. I’m so impressed by this book! Despite my huge summer reading plans, I have to explore Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, somehow, I’ve missed it. Shame on me! For those who don’t know, most of the Assassin's Creed books are fan-fiction. And this book, if I understand it right if a fan-fiction of this game, released in 2015. Game inspired stories. And the best part of this is, you don’t have to be a gamer to understand them, there is advantage though, if you know some pre-stories. For example, in this book, we have flashbacks of Master Assassin, Ezio Auditore and Italian Brotherhood.

The Ming Dynasty, 16th century China. This book is about Shao Jun, Master Assassin of Chinese brotherhood. She is the last of her clan, she runs away from China to Italy and trains as an assassin, her teacher is famous and well known in the world of Assassins Creed, Ezio Auditore. She returns to China, she has to fight the leader of Eight Tigers, and she can’t do it alone, so she starts looking for the allies.

It’s a fast-paced fantasy, and I had so much fun reading it! My absolutely favorite part was, despite this book being fan-fiction, author has made this book feel so authentic, with little author notes, explaining certain traditions, details, characters, items. Great job!

Best part of this is, there is also a Manga book about Shao Jun, I have to read it next. So much love for this character and Assassins Creed universe in China!

Thank you @Netgalley and @AconyteBooks for provided ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Andrea C · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for it.*

In this book we follow a young girl Shao Jun, the last representative of her clan, which has returned home after she has trained with the legendary assassin Ezio Auditore. However, she cannot avenge her former brothers and renew the Brotherhood in China alone. She surrounds herself with allies and tries to defeat the Eight Tigers.

Well, I liked the plot. Good revenge story is what I like :) but... As said in description Shao Jun could not do it by herself, which by all means is okay everybody needs help sometimes, however it seemed to me, that she needed to be rescued or to be helped almost all the time, except two or three fights.
If she had the skills and she was trained also by Ezio, she should be better figther...
Another issue is in my opinion trying to describe every fighting technique, what stretches short fights enormous.
From me solid 3,5 stars :) certainly recommend reading, if you like Assassins and historical setting.

#Aconytebooks #review #Marvel #MarvelEnt
About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.
For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

[Misa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars

Due to my crazy love for this video game, I was so eager to read this book in addition to the fact that it's set in the Ming dynasty China which is a dynasty that fascinates me so much and also because of a female assassin.

Well, it started so well with Zhang Yong as a great villain and the leader of the Eight Tigers, the fight were well discribed but then it got too much with all the blah, blah, blah about the different kung fu fighting styles with some nonsense about their origines that were SO irrelevant and I could careless. There were some good fights even if everyone can fly while fighting like "Tiger and Dragon" or Jet Lee's style but all those long descriptions killed my joy of reading this book.

Also, what made me rolling my eyes several times during this book was Shao Jun's great freaking luck, for me, she is not the hero of this book, her character is so lame dumb and lifeless. What make me angry more was the over use of insulting her with the "W" word, I started to count then I gave up because it looks like the author made it like her title!! Why?!

I feel like I've read a script for an historical movie and not a book. I'm so disappointed with this book but I knew that things made based on a video game rarely succeed either it is a movie or a book like here.

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. To be fair, I did like the book, but my disappointment in this book came from its format and structure of the book. I am wondering if this book was originally written in Chinese, and much of it was not translated properly. That would explain a lot of the mistakes in grammar and titles used for some of the characters.

The book is action-packed, and I do like the spiritual and philosophical side of Kung Fu and martial arts in general. The annoying thing is that the book changes characters' perspectives in the same paragraph. Also there are a lot of back story explanations, if there were in section breaks I would have not minded, but having the characters talking then talking, then in the same paragraph the rest of the chapter is the backstory. This happens multiple times, getting confusing into annoyance.

Shao Jun is one of the last surviving members of the Brotherhood (the Society of the Mind). She has been on the run most of her life but mentored but some legendary teachers. Now, she is returning to re-build the Brotherhood in China. However, is this too late? Has the enemy already consolidated their power, as well as learned secrets from the past and the future?

The book should have been great, but the book the structure really lets it down. The book needs to be edited a lot better. It is very different from the Manga comic, and my son says from the game as well. On top of that, the book does not continue or does with a different writer and Assassin in the lead.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

“When opposing forces are equal, courage makes all the difference”

This is probably one of the most unusually written books I have ever read, I am not sure if I read a novel or a guide on Kung Fu! There was so much time spent explaining the individual Kung Fu moves, that I felt it took away from the plot and the action scenes. But at least it was educational!!

Despite this, I did actually really enjoy the book once it got going. Shao Jun is a great character, she develops a lot throughout the story, it feels like a journey of discovery for her. There are a lot of other strong characters which Shao Jun meets along the way.

The plot is good, if a little strange at times, with an ending I didn’t see coming. I did find the pacing to be quite slow, that may be due to all the information thrown into it, but if you’re willing to persevere until it gets going, then it’s definitely worth it.

Overall, if you enjoy very factual historical books, with a bit of a fantasy twist, then I would definitely recommend this.

Thank you to Netgalley, Aconyte Books and Yan Leisheng for a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Plot - 4/5
Character Development - 3/5
Pacing - 3/5
Escapism Factor - 3/5
Emotional Connection - 3/5

[George Giotsas · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 16th-century China, the Eight Tigers, led by Zhang Yong, have annihilated their rivals, and have the country under their rule. Sao Jun, having returned from Italy where she was trained by Ezio Auditore, will attempt to avenge the loss of her comrades, and end the tyranny of Zhang Yong.

Obviously, the book is a lot more fun if you are a fan of the franchise and you have played the games. Personally, not only have I played the games, but I have read most of the other books in the series. In general, if you are a fan of the games, read the books, they provide a different perspective on the story.

For those of you unfamiliar with Assassin's Creed, focus on the blending of historical figures and locations with fiction. Read it like a historical novel.

It has many beautiful elements of Chinese culture, from philosophical and literary sayings to religious traditions and sites. All in the context of a fast-paced adventure.

It could (and hopefully will) be a game of the size and quality of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and not like the Chronicles of China that is out there right now.

[Noah Mullins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of both the AC games as well as the novels (and in some cases the novels more so). This book was no exception however it was the most disappointing and not because of the original author but because of the translator. The book I read before this one (Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica) was also a translation and a great one at that. I even commented to a friend how great the translation was. I understand that it can be difficult to translate from one language to another while keeping artistic intention but the translation of this book seems careless. I could tell that the story is very beautiful but the constant grammar and spelling mistakes take away from it to the point that it was irritating. It seems like it was just a literal translation with not much thought given to editing the final translation to preserve the artistic intent of the story.

[Andrew Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would actually rate this 3.5 stars if I could. I enjoyed the story and thought the plot was well done. I feel like there could have been a little more character work to really flesh out Shao Jun's backstory and get inside her mind to learn her motivations. I think the book suffered a little bit from being a translation. It was pretty obvious at points that this was translated. I actually read an interview with the translator, and she had actually translated it from French. So I don't fault her too much as she was translating a translation. The editing in this book was pretty poor as I found many misspellings and typos. But that didn't really detract from the story.

[Leslie Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this as a ARC copy for a honest review and here we go.
Maybe because I am not really a player of the game or because I had not read the others available I could not relate to the characters.
I must clarify however that the writing was not the issue. I would still recommend this if Assassin's Creed is a favorite of yours and you can relate the characters in the story.
Thanks so much for the chance to review, I will try again after I play threw some of the games and see if it helps me relate to the characters and story more.

[Pam Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ming Storm by Yan Leisheng is a book in the Assassin's Creed universe. 

I'm a fan of the Assassin's Creed games, and so I was looking forward to this book, but as I haven't read any of the other books in the series, and I'm not up to date on games, so I felt lost when there were references to what had happened before this book.

There's lots of action as you would expect from a story in the Assassin's Creed world!  There's references to other assassin's that you will have come across in this world.

 The Ming Storm  was published on 1st June 2021 and is available from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop.org .

I'm afraid I couldn't find where you could follow Yan Leisheng.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Aconyte Books .

[Bethsleeps · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good I guess. It jumps around to other character a lot which is a shame as Shao Jun seemed like a pretty interesting character and I would rather have spent all the time with her. Tho I still can’t pin down her skill level, she’s apparently surviving by luck more then half the time but she’s also supposed to be one of the best fighters of a generation? Trained by Ezio as well her other master you’d think she’d have the advantage against most people but she rarely does. Oh well, it was fine, just wish it had jumped around less and maybe spent a bit more time on character development.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book and found it epic! I must say I have never played the game and I have seen the contrast in reviews as it seems to deviate from the theme of the game. But for me having never played that wasn’t an issue. I believe it was very well done and as always books, movies and games translate differently to a new medium. So I hope others can embrace it for what it is an absolutely amazing book.

I highly suggest reading it. If you’re on the fence I say give it a try with an open mind. I’m not a gamer but I love a good read and this definitely didn’t disappoint!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley for the arc

This was an easy read, I loved it and could not put it down. I am a huge fan of the Assassin Creed games and own serveral of the AC compainion books, The Ming Storm is a great addition to the franchise espically since this book is based off of a much smaller AC game ( AC Chronicals China) that I loved and this book not ony blends in the history very well but it also brings more life to the storyline of the game.

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book it the first assassin's creed book I have read and it won't be the last. Its so action packed you lose yourself in the book and find yourself telling the main character what to do and I loved learn more about China. This was the first book I have read that actually put the footnotes in the text and this made for better understanding and better flow. I can't wait to read more by this author.

[Naomi]

DNF. Started skimming around page 140, gave up soon after.
I'm not sure if it's cultural differences, or the author's writing style, but I could not keep track of anything. There are too many aside descriptions of people, places, literature, fighting styles... I got lost and did not feel like wading my way back through.
Since the description specifically mentions Shao Jun going to train with Ezio, I thought that would be the beginning of the book, but it isn't, much to my disappointment.