Fall of the King Saber: Tales of the Swordsmen Vol. 3 Author JF Lee

Book Review

5 out of 5 stars!


First and foremost! You must read Volumes One and Two before you dive into this book. The books follow a continuous arc and plotline. Meaning this review will contain spoilers if you haven't read, "Sword of Sorrow, Blade of Joy" and "Fangs of the Black Tiger" first. The first two volumes are excellent and you will not be disappointed!


"They may have kept you alive, but what I am teaching you will make you truly great." - Li Ming


"You can't be afraid to learn something unorthodox." - Tao Jun


Li Ming's agreed to being Shu Yan's master and to train her. FINALLY! Only he's soon regretting his decision as ghosts from his past begin to haunt him. Worse than the on going nightmares ever have. Not to mention the impending duel with General Shazha Kui. . . Li Ming really doesn't have time to train an apprentice and he knows he isn't a great teacher. Yet he promised! 


Shu Yan never wants to get caught and thrown into a cage again. But how can she accomplish this with bounty hunters breathing down her neck? The bounty's grown higher and in this land where rebels, war, and bandits have ravaged it, who wouldn't want a big payday? And why is there this awkwardness between her and the swordsmen since he agreed to be her shifu?


Fair warning this book is rather lengthy! But it helps to set the stage for the rather rude cliffhanger and the volume yet to come. . . Though I honestly knew this volume wasn't the ending because there were certain things that weren't completed. Things some of the stubborn, cast members needed to figure out. . . . I want to grumble about something but I don't want to give anything away. I do want to grab Li Ming by the shoulders and shake him though.


I've spent the last half week reading the books back to back. Have to say I really loved Volume Two, maybe a little more than this volume. Not to say this one wasn't good. Just it was a bit lengthy but JF Lee was making sure his characters were in the right places. Even having the gang all together in several scenes. Maybe being a lonely, swordsmen isn't really Li Ming's destiny.


I enjoyed JF Lee's "Last time on Tales of the Swordsmen. . ." Were if you haven't been reading the volumes back to back or reread them before Volume Three you're able to know and remember what happened. The author still does little short paragraphs of characters when they're reintroduced. I enjoyed that along with a larger list of characters and brief descriptions about them at the beginning of the book.


I like how we get to see a little more of General Shazha Kui's character than we did in Volume Two. Seeing a human side of the man and realizing he isn't a big evil just to be big evil. Also got to see glimpses of his past and other's past.


The fight scenes were fantastic! Especially the ones where Li Ming realizes that maybe he needs to admit to things and adapt. Whether he likes it or not he has to embrace the unorthodox ways. Though he may never admit someone was right about something. . .


"You're so cute when you try to lie." - Jin Lang


I was so happy to see my favorite character back. And again! I would not be mad if the author wrote a book featuring Jin Lang. Maybe his past before we get to see him in Li Ming's series or even a time period after Tales of the Swordsmen. Either way I absolutely love Jin Lang! Definitely the Manga/Anime character who never opens their eyes until they do, then run. He brings a nice comic relief to the series and I love the banter he contributes.


There's a very small hint of romance in the book. Epic swordsmanship, humbling lessons, facing one's past, and so much more. The book does still contain some violence and there's language both in Chinese and English. I cannot wait for the next volume to see what happens next! Because that cliffhanger still got me, even though I knew it was coming!


Enjoy the epic adventure with martial art legends and live to fight another day! Don't forget to give the author some stars!


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9ZSHSV6?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_2&storeType=ebooks


https://jflee.co/


https://www.instagram.com/jflee.author/?hl=en


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