Why I Swore to Never Hire a Goon (Except in Emergencies): Tales from the Jianghu Book 4 Author JF Lee
Book Review
4.5 out of 5 stars!
"They're bad luck! All they do is ruin everything!"
Shi is notoriously known in his town. . .as being the town idiot. He seems to always have a dark cloud around him and no luck at all. His simple motto in life is to just lay down and take things or run and hide. But everything changes when his beloved sister is kidnapped!
No one wants to touch Shi with a ten-foot pole let alone help him. Leaving Shi to turn elsewhere for potential help in getting his sister back. Shi can no longer run from things; he must face the world on his own with the help of goons. Goons who are about to broaden his world in the best way! Maybe. . ?
"I never said I was a good monk. I liked the girls, and I liked the meat." - Xu Qing
If you grew up watching those over-the-top martial arts movies with cool moves, English dubs that didn't align with the original language, and actors who were famous for martial arts, this author is for you! JF Lee's an amazing person and what's really drawn me to his works is just the comedy and the fight sequences. I had forgotten about those old movies until I stumbled upon this author!
Shi and his sister are being shunned by the entire town, Shi more than his sister. Everything just seems to fall through for the older brother. He keeps praying that his luck will turn around or his next big idea will actually work! Shi wants to do right by his sister so when it's confirmed she is kidnapped he will stop at nothing. It's time to grow up and man up as they say.
"Apparently, you can motivate goons with snacks." - Shi (Gooning 101)
I kept getting vibes of "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Just the feelings I got between Shi and his hired crew reminded me of Milo Thatch and his newfound "friends". I loved the development of the main character and how he realized he had to grow up and do something! The individuals of the group were excellent, and I loved the comedy they helped to present. Including one of the name's a goon went by! Oh, and don't forget about the little four-legged friends that easily stole center stage!
This book is lighthearted, but some darker things are brought up. There's some language but very minor things a lot of them are just mentioned as a character is "cussing". Violence and bloodshed are present. We only get Shi's POV in this book which I enjoyed since the main growth was focused on him. Zero to a possible hero? Not saying that some of the other members had arcs of their own and demons they had to face! Loved the notes at the end of the book!
For me the paragraphs were a little long and the metaphors used where very detailed out. This is just my personal opinion; you may not mind either! JF Lee does really help to build up his world and give all the little details, so you feel like you're wherever the MC is. There are little recaps and introductions to characters you meet in some of the author's other series. No real spoilers but since I've read almost all of the author's works, I am just excited to see some of my favorites!
This book does have a HEA but I feel like we may see Shi again in another book of his own or as a side character in one of Lee's ongoing series! If you do start with this book there aren't any spoilers for the other series. He does also include where you can find certain characters who were mentioned in this book.
"Maybe all you really need in life is just a little bit of anarchy." - Shi
Enjoy this book with action, comedy, unlikely friendships, and snacks! Don't forget to give the author some stars!
What is wuxia? — JF LEE WUXIA AUTHOR
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