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This is the first ever English translation from Chinese of Jin Yong‘s classic historical fantasy tale of kung fu masters and evil empires by Anna Holmwood. Originally published in 1958 (the first in a quartet), it has an action-driven, energetic plot and although the portrayal of grumpy kung-fu masters seems stereotypical now, it was innovative at the time and there‘s a lot of fun to be had in seeing the various masters compete with each other.

This book was significantly lighter than I was looking for, not a fault of the book necessarily but it didn‘t really do a lot for me. Everything felt rather flat, maybe a translation issue or maybe it just wasn‘t trying to be what I want it to be. On the surface the story seems decent but when reading it I just didn‘t care all that much. At the time I read them I preferred Conn Iggulden‘s conqueror series about this historical time period.

This was incredibly well translated. I am very impressed considering you not only have a translation but a completely different alphabet and culture to think about during that translation.

The world...feels big and despite not being a giant book itself, there are a lot of characters but i really liked that we got so many perspectives and loved the adventure.

Great start to an awesome series!

An online friend fell hard for danmei novels and tv shows, and somehow dragged me into wuxia in their wake. Without having much cultural background, I frequently had the feeling that allusions had gone over my head - but the range of characters & interesting fight scenes kept me from feeling too lost. I‘m *extremely* glad I bought book 2 before I‘d quite finished the 1st. It‘s not a cliffhanger, but Tuesday is a long wait for “then what happened?”

I could not get into it. It is a bit too fantastic for me (I cannot believe I am writing that) and somehow It didn‘t work for me. I still recognize how original the work is and the quality of the writing, but it is just not for me

#currentlyreading 📚
“A Hero Born” (Legends of the Condor Heroes # 1) by Jin Yong
#jinyong #fiction #aheroborn #chineseliterature #fantasy #legendsofthecondorheroes

It's a great start to a well known series but the translation is just not so good. It bogs the story and by the time I was nearly finished, well I really couldn't wait until it was over. It dragged a lot throughout the book. Good Translation is crucial for novels like these to be successfully read and enjoyed.

Seriously! This book should‘ve been translated YEARS ago in English. I can see why it‘s one of the most beloved classics all over the world. It belongs up with my Hobbit, Lord of the Rings series, Dunes, many classics on my shelves. I CANNNOT wait for the next book to come out here in USA!!!

Billed as a Chinese epic tale a kin to LOTR. Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. It was a DNF at 27%. A lot got lost in translation. The prose was lacking and there was no character development. Lots of action but not good enough to make up for the shortcomings

With a following compared to LotR, GoT, and Harry Potter COMBINED, it‘s wild that this is just now being published here. I‘ve never been into kung fu fiction (wuxia) but with all the hype, I had to try. A Hero Born is just so much fun. The fights are thrilling, the writing riveting & historical, the characters complex & engaging. I can‘t wait for the rest of the series, blessedly coming out over the next two years. Wuxia has won this reader over!

Novelist Jin Yong, known as the ‘Tolkien of Chinese literature‘, died today at 94. This book is the first in a highly rated four part series that is said to appeal to fans of George R.R. Martin, J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien. #TBR