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Saga of the Swordbreaker #1
Dawn of the Broken Sword
Li Ming is a small-town boy with big dreams.
In the era of the Five States and Ten Corporations, the immortals of the jianghu stand head and shoulders above the masses. Li Ming aspires to join their ranks.
But the world of the rivers and lakes is fraught with peril. Deception and danger lurk in the shadows. Bloodthirsty beasts roam the wilds. Martial cultivators constantly battle for wealth, glory and status.
Armed with his ancestral swordbreaker, Li Ming enters the jianghu as a biaohang, eager to deliver justice with steel and magic—and to chase the dream of immortality.
But first, he must prove himself worthy.
Author's This series is not a power fantasy. There are no LitRPG / GameLit elements, no unconventional relationships, and no sexual content. It is, quite simply, a cultivation story—in the actual sense of the term.
In the era of the Five States and Ten Corporations, the immortals of the jianghu stand head and shoulders above the masses. Li Ming aspires to join their ranks.
But the world of the rivers and lakes is fraught with peril. Deception and danger lurk in the shadows. Bloodthirsty beasts roam the wilds. Martial cultivators constantly battle for wealth, glory and status.
Armed with his ancestral swordbreaker, Li Ming enters the jianghu as a biaohang, eager to deliver justice with steel and magic—and to chase the dream of immortality.
But first, he must prove himself worthy.
Author's This series is not a power fantasy. There are no LitRPG / GameLit elements, no unconventional relationships, and no sexual content. It is, quite simply, a cultivation story—in the actual sense of the term.
612 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2022
33 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 17, 2024
Wuxia in a scify setting in futuristic china-like country.
The idea is interesting even though i don't think that martial arts mix well with laser guns, grenades and airplanes..
The plot is rather interesting and the world exotic but the story suffers from endless training, obsession about weapons and a lack of personality. Somehow a lot of the story felt rather sterile too me annd i skimmed over pages of meaningless dialogues...
The idea is interesting even though i don't think that martial arts mix well with laser guns, grenades and airplanes..
The plot is rather interesting and the world exotic but the story suffers from endless training, obsession about weapons and a lack of personality. Somehow a lot of the story felt rather sterile too me annd i skimmed over pages of meaningless dialogues...
December 19, 2022
Li Ming is a former soldier who has decided to follow in his father's footsteps and enter the world of rivers and lakes, a poetic term for the society of martial artists. Armies, private security companies, and secret societies all offer opportunities to martial artists for power, wealth, and fame - if you can survive magical beasts, criminals, crooked corporations, and rival fighters. Li Ming is a honest and good man, which leaves him a fish out of water in the cutthroat world of the jianghu. He must cultivate strength and gather wealth and allies to survive, while avoiding the moral compromises demanded by a world ruled by corporations, governments, and immortals who only care about power for power's sake.
There are vivid and entertaining action sequences where a combination of guns, magic, and qi-based martial arts are used, each providing different strengths and weaknesses. The setting is an interesting mix of near future sci-fi technology juxtaposed with a China where the magical past has survived to the present day. The plot and characterization aren't particularly deep but are effective - you can easily root for Li Ming, and his friends provide interesting and varied perspectives contrasting with his own.
However, there is one massive weakness of the novel - all these good parts are hidden under excessive amounts of pointless description. We get descriptions on how our protagonist trims his nose hairs, whether condiment containers look used or not, and whether or not restaurants are near hotels. Descriptions are necessary to flesh out the setting, but in many cases these descriptions are about mundane things that need no fleshing out. Your enjoyment of the book will depend on whether you can skim over pages and pages of dull exposition that go on and on, but if you can there is an entertaining story beneath.
There are vivid and entertaining action sequences where a combination of guns, magic, and qi-based martial arts are used, each providing different strengths and weaknesses. The setting is an interesting mix of near future sci-fi technology juxtaposed with a China where the magical past has survived to the present day. The plot and characterization aren't particularly deep but are effective - you can easily root for Li Ming, and his friends provide interesting and varied perspectives contrasting with his own.
However, there is one massive weakness of the novel - all these good parts are hidden under excessive amounts of pointless description. We get descriptions on how our protagonist trims his nose hairs, whether condiment containers look used or not, and whether or not restaurants are near hotels. Descriptions are necessary to flesh out the setting, but in many cases these descriptions are about mundane things that need no fleshing out. Your enjoyment of the book will depend on whether you can skim over pages and pages of dull exposition that go on and on, but if you can there is an entertaining story beneath.
December 26, 2025
going into this book blind was a good choice because the sheer whiplash I got when they brought in the augmented reality goggles was incredible to experience
definitely written by a man, definitely someone obsessed with chinese culture, decent read. WAY too in-depth sometimes (every single gesture is painstakingly described - a line that other authors would write as 'Li Ming signaled his target' becomes 'Li Ming pointed two fingers at his eyes, curled his hand into a tiger’s mouth in front of his chest, and pointed at the threat'), not nearly descriptive enough other times (I don't think half the characters have real descriptions) but overall pretty okay
definitely written by a man, definitely someone obsessed with chinese culture, decent read. WAY too in-depth sometimes (every single gesture is painstakingly described - a line that other authors would write as 'Li Ming signaled his target' becomes 'Li Ming pointed two fingers at his eyes, curled his hand into a tiger’s mouth in front of his chest, and pointed at the threat'), not nearly descriptive enough other times (I don't think half the characters have real descriptions) but overall pretty okay
December 16, 2022
interesting first of a trilogy
Caveat: A 5 is reserved for LOTR or W&P class lit. I’d give this a 4-. Basically it only sets the stage, introducing us to the world and characters. That said, it is an interesting stage and I enjoyed the read. I didn’t have to wade through a boring section to get to the interesting part. Still, the plot wasn’t very advanced.
Caveat: A 5 is reserved for LOTR or W&P class lit. I’d give this a 4-. Basically it only sets the stage, introducing us to the world and characters. That said, it is an interesting stage and I enjoyed the read. I didn’t have to wade through a boring section to get to the interesting part. Still, the plot wasn’t very advanced.
September 24, 2022
Saga of the Swordbreaker book 1, but works on its own.
In a future after a catastrophe, Li Ming, having left the military, goes to the city to work as a jianghu -- with a combination of cyperpunkish high tech and qi-powered martial arts.
Even on the way there, he helps the bus with one of the monsters of the era. In the city, he gets a job, works on his skills, and works jobs, starting with bodyguard duty for a martial arts fighter come for a match. In a bildungsroman, he makes friends, shops for better gear, helps with an invasion, and more.
The job at the end brings a conclusion to this part of the tale, though there's clearly room for the sequels.
In a future after a catastrophe, Li Ming, having left the military, goes to the city to work as a jianghu -- with a combination of cyperpunkish high tech and qi-powered martial arts.
Even on the way there, he helps the bus with one of the monsters of the era. In the city, he gets a job, works on his skills, and works jobs, starting with bodyguard duty for a martial arts fighter come for a match. In a bildungsroman, he makes friends, shops for better gear, helps with an invasion, and more.
The job at the end brings a conclusion to this part of the tale, though there's clearly room for the sequels.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews