A “superb fantasy saga” (Helene Wecker) of martial arts & magic, about what happens when a prophesied hero is not the chosen one after all—but has to work with a band of unlikely allies to save the kingdom anyway“An ambitious & touching exploration of disillusionment in faith, tradition, & family—a glorious reinvention of fantasy & wuxia tropes.” — Naomi Novik, author ofA Deadly Education°°°So many stories begin the same way: With a prophecy. A chosen one. And the inevitable quest to slay a villain, save the kingdom, & fulfill a grand destiny.But this is not that kind of story.It does begin with a prophecy: A child will rise to defeat theEternal Khan, a cruel immortal god-king, & save the kingdom.And that prophecy did anoint a hero,Jian, raised since birth in luxury & splendour, & celebrated before he has won a single battle.But that’s when the story hits its first twist: The prophecy is wrong. What follows is a story more wondrous than any prophecy could foresee, & with many unexpected heroes:Taishi, an older woman who is the greatest grandmaster of magical martial arts in the kingdom but who thought her adventuring days were all behind her;Sali, a straitlaced warrior who learns the rules may no longer apply when the leader to whom she pledged her life is gone; &Qisami, a chaotic assassin who takes a little too much pleasure in the kill. AndJianhimself, who has to find a way to become what he no longer believes he can be—a hero after all.°°°Wesley Chuwrote 13 novels, includingThe Art of Prophecy,Time Salvager,The Rise of Io, &The Walking Dead: Typhoon. He won the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, & his debut,The Lives of Tao, won the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Alex Award. An accomplishedmartial artist& a former member of the Screen Actors Guild,Chuhasactedin film & television, & worked as a model & stuntman