A Bond Undone

This was way better than the first book. I absolutely loved it!

Probably more of a 4.5 though.

My listening of this audiobook has been going on for a while but it wasn't because I didn't like it; mostly just that I needed to be in the right mood to appreciate it. And I'm glad I picked it right back up in the new year in earnest and finished it pretty quickly.

I'm someone who hates physical exercise and the most I can do is walk for a little while, but even that needs some motivation. And it was this audiobook which became my walking companion, biding me to walk some more when I didn't want to. And I have to agree, on some days, I didn't even realize how long I had walked because I was too engrossed in the story. Whatever minor quips I had with the translation in the first book, I didn't feel any of that this time and I just enjoyed this full on martial arts story. Ofcourse the descriptions of the martial art techniques or the Taoist philosophies aren't always easy to grasp but nonetheless they didn't take away from the wonder that some of the scenes evoked and I was thoroughly entertained. This was also a book of reunions, partings, revelations and betrayals and I loved how the author manages to incorporate so many elements while also ensuring there's a fight scene for every situation.

I couldn't help but be reminded of the most recent cdrama I watched, Sword Snow Stride when reading about the adventures of Guo Jing. The character of the drama, Xu Fengniang and Guo Jing are diametrically opposite in personalities but they are equally underestimated by everyone. In a similar vein, both seem to acquire new shifus as they travel and I just find it very funny. Guo Jing is such a sweet, open hearted but naive young man and I am always in disbelief that some of the top martial masters just end up teaching him their skills. And he never even realizes how strong and powerful his skills have become.

But Lotus or Huang Rong is the perfect companion for him. She is sharp, cunning, cheerful, and a skilled martial artist herself. She may not want anything to do with the wulin than having her father's approval and Guo Jing's love, but she still ends up playing a significant part in ensuring GJ survives as well learns more martial arts. They both are just so earnest and innocent in love and I can't help but root for them wholeheartedly.

There are villains too many in this series but I adore the many jianghu heroes who fight for pride but also respect each other and tell stories of their past exploits. So many of them become related to Guo Jing in some way or the other and I like how humble he remains and eager to learn from them all. I especially liked one of the five greats and the Beggar Sect's leader Count Seven Hong's interactions with Guo Jing and Lotus - they felt like a lovely little found family always grumbling and sniping at each other but only with affection.

In conclusion, I probably enjoyed this more than A Hero Born but that's probably because I felt more familiar with the world this time around. While a lot happened in this book, it also felt like nothing significant actually didn't happen but that doesn't matter - this is the coming of age story of Guo Jing and I love traveling along with him on his adventures. I'm very excited to get to the next one because that one promises to be more tense and angsty and dangerous. In the meantime, I'm also excited to watch the 2008 drama adaptation starring Hu Ge and just see how this story unfolds on screen.