I am so thrilled to share The Orchid Farmer's Sacrifice with all of you today! This epic Asian fantasy novel will be available on October 5th, but for now, read on to check out my review of this amazing novel.
The Orchid Farmer’s Sacrifice is the first book in Fred Yu’s Red Crest Series. This book is a plot-driven Asian fantasy and Martial Arts epic that I promise you are not going to want to miss! Once you start reading this book you are not going to want to put it down. The author quickly swept me away into ancient China to follow the journey of a general’s young son as he is hunted across the country because of a birth mark known as the Red Crest. Feng has lived a life of luxury and training to improve his military genius, but everything is about to be turned upside down in the blink of an eye. As each piece of the puzzle falls into place, Feng will come to realize just how high the stakes are and who the true players really are.
The Orchid Farmer’s Sacrifice is the first book that I have read by Fred Yu, but it won’t be the last. My curiosity was immediately piqued when I read the blurb for this book, and let me just say...I was not disappointed in the least. I was immediately swept away in the first few chapters as Feng and his friends leave a village after a night of drinking. On their way home, they are surrounded and attacked. All of Feng’s friends are killed. The brutality of the attack quickly had me questioning --- why? Why do this? The intent was not to steal, so why? It’s not long before Feng learns that chaos is threatening to tear the entire country apart. His sister has been abducted, his father has left the country, and innocents are being slaughtered.
Page after page of drama unfolds in this book. There were multiple moments where my eyes nearly popped out of my head from shock and surprise. I was suspicious of certain moments in the story and of certain characters, but the author keeps me guessing as to who can be trusted and who can’t. The characters are so engaging and I love how each of the relationships is so unique. I like the romance angle that the author writes in this story. It’s light enough to not distract Feng from the ultimate goal/agenda that his path is set upon, but sweet enough to be revisited at the right moment later on in the book.
I’ll be the first to admit, I wondered when the title would come into play in this book. Be patient, it takes a while to get there, but it’s worth it when it does. I recommend that when you get to the chapter with the orchid farmer...grab a few tissues. You’re going to need them. When I read “he sacrifices himself and his entire family to keep our hero alive” my mind went off in multiple directions trying to guess what the author intended. What happens --- I couldn’t have seen coming. While the scenes that play out are heartbreaking and tragic, the family’s strength in their final moments...is profound.
The author truly shows Feng’s growth and development throughout this book. When this book began, I thought Feng was a good but untried member of the military. Brace yourself...he’s not that good. So many characters point out his ineptness so many times it must be true! LOL! But while they point out his weaknesses, they also acknowledge his strengths. Several also work to help him improve and show him that truly is a prodigy in the making. Now, he just has to outsmart the enemy, learn from his mistakes and stay alive.
If you read the word “fantasy” are hoping for something mythical to happen in this book like true creatures of fantasy worlds, you’ll be disappointed to find out that there are none. But that shouldn’t be a reason to turn away from this book! It’s fantastic without all of that. This book is plot-driven, but the characters are another aspect of that driving force. They capture you and keep you page-turning in the hopes that they will succeed and live to see another day. The twists buried throughout this book will keep you digging for the secrets hidden deep within.
This book easily claims 5 out of 5 stars. The Orchid Farmer’s Sacrifice is an amazing story that will keep you coming back for more and eager for the next in this series. You will feel a range of emotions from beginning to end, and even after you’ve finished reading this book will stick with you long after you’re done. This book is definitely one of the top 10 novels of this year that I have read and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. Feng has a tough road ahead of him. Grab this book, you won’t be disappointed in this author’s dynamic creation.
My thanks to the author, Fred Yu, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Available October 5th!
International Giveaway: Paperback copy of the book
Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0e7c6a8f297/
About the Author
As a lifelong student of martial arts, and growing up watching martial arts flicks in the 80s and 90s, Yu decided early on that he would write in this genre. Inspired by George RR Martin’s work, he decided he would write a series in English in this centuries-old Asian genre. Yu has written three previous novels, The Legend of Snow Wolf, Haute Tea Cuisine and Yin Yang Blades. Yu has a BFA Film and Television from NYU Tisch School of Arts. He was born in Guangzhou, China, but presently lives in New York City.
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