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The Three Kingdoms Chronicles #3
Dynasty Killers: An Epic Novel of Ancient China
Han Empire - 196 CE Warlords rise and fall within the broken Han empire. Old names vanish from the land, while brazen leaders make their fame—none more so than Cao Cao, the once powerless lord who now controls the puppet court of the emperor. As the final clash between Cao Cao and his old friend Yuan Shao draws near, the Hero of Chaos leads a brutal war to secure his borders and dominate his neighbors. His troops know no rest, his enemies no mercy, and while they learn to fear the glint of Cao Cao’s spears, it’s in the shadows that Liao Chun and his elite warriors sway the fate of the empire. But as losses amass, even among his closest friends, Chun realizes that maybe his cause is not as just as he thought. Victims are no longer faceless, their screams haunt his nights, and when another path opens up for the young officer, Liao Chun faces the ultimate Blind obedience or honest betrayal.
398 pages, Paperback
Published August 9, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 17, 2023
4.5 Stars
I have completely fallen in love with this historical fiction series. I already loved the general story of the Three Kingdoms but after reading the translated text, I found the narrative to be rather… dry. I love the 2010 adaptation but the written work didn't flesh out the characters the way I wanted it to do.
So for me this series is the perfect solution. It retells the romanticized piece of history in a way that truly brings the characters to life. The character development on this series is top notch. Overall, the writing is quite strong, with an easy polished style.
I really enjoyed this volume and look forward to each subsequent book to come in this series. I highly recommend it to a wide range of readers. This is a great introduction to The Three Kingdoms story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author.
I have completely fallen in love with this historical fiction series. I already loved the general story of the Three Kingdoms but after reading the translated text, I found the narrative to be rather… dry. I love the 2010 adaptation but the written work didn't flesh out the characters the way I wanted it to do.
So for me this series is the perfect solution. It retells the romanticized piece of history in a way that truly brings the characters to life. The character development on this series is top notch. Overall, the writing is quite strong, with an easy polished style.
I really enjoyed this volume and look forward to each subsequent book to come in this series. I highly recommend it to a wide range of readers. This is a great introduction to The Three Kingdoms story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author.
August 24, 2023
This was easily my favorite of the Three Kingdoms Chronicles books so far. Dynasty Killers picks up where Heroes of Chaos left off, and it's adapting some of my favorite parts of this history. Wu does a fantastic job mapping the various political factions and situations when China was perhaps at its most split; things started to coalesce at this point. And that could provide a big hurdle, because there is a lot of important material to get through, and I think it was handled pretty well.
We continue to follow Liao Hua (called Chun still) and by now, Hua is an adult in both timelines. Which means he is fully capable and willing to be in the thick of things, but it also means his flaws are full on display. There are times when our protagonist is deeply unlikeable, there are times when I think he pushes his luck with his lord Cao Cao to an unbelievable degree (real Uhtred/ King Alfred energy), and there are times where Liao does the right thing and you're rooting for him. I think that makes him a pretty complex character.
The prose is better in this book, particularly I thought the dialogue was noticeably better, and there were a few scenes with minor, non-historical characters that were really affecting.
The proceedings in Dynasty Killers has Cao Cao dealing with foes in all directions - Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Lu Bu, Zhang Xiu, Liu Bei, Sun Ce. This period of years is where Cao Cao really EARNS his reputation and becomes the "hero of chaos" and I love it so much. Cao Cao and Liao Hua's changing relationship in this one was very good, as Liao realizes that power continuously corrupts. If I'm nitpicking, I think the political situation leading up to the battle of Wan was not given enough time in relation to how monumental the results had on the rest of TK history. The battle itself was really good though. DK also featured a lot more concerning Lu Bu, and while I realize it would be tough, I just wish there were more chances to give Bu some page time. Lu Bu traumatized me as a kid and nothing can truly get across just how scary he was in Dynasty Warriors 3, haha.
The reason this book is not a full five stars is because there is a very jarring, dark scene involving rape, necrophilia, and pedophilia that comes out of nowhere about halfway through the book. The girl is not given a name or any character, she exists just to scandalize the main character, and the scene just felt very out of place to the relatively tame "action-adventure" style we had gotten for the last 2.5 books. For additional context, I had just read Dark Age by Pierce Brown shortly before this, and that book has pages and pages of some the darkest, most heinous shit I've ever read, and I didn't dock that book for it, because it felt tonally appropriate and was handled with care. I just can't get behind the ratio of "dark" to "necessary" in this case. It also continues to make Xiahou Dun a monster, which...hey, I like Xiahou Dun, stop it 😭
Finally, there's a minor plotline where a 30ish year old man falls in love with a 13-14 year old girl on first sight and this is seemingly romanticized. In history, these two people did actually get married, but it seems as if it was a political marriage and here it is a strictly romantic one. Which gives me the ick. My question is; if we can change things so that Xiahou Dun lost his eye differently, why can't we age this girl up or make it a marriage forced upon them or at the very least...not have our main character actively helping a grown man sneak around to bang a young teen? 🫠
Besides these two things, I had no issues with the book, and like I said, I really enjoyed reading it. The battle leading into Guandu is great, and I also enjoyed the brief glimpses into Sun Ce and the formation of Wu that we get. I also think the secondary characters work for the strategists was good - Xun Yu, Man Chong, Guo Ji, Zhou Yu etc each felt distinct and I enjoyed their different philosophies.
8.5/10
We continue to follow Liao Hua (called Chun still) and by now, Hua is an adult in both timelines. Which means he is fully capable and willing to be in the thick of things, but it also means his flaws are full on display. There are times when our protagonist is deeply unlikeable, there are times when I think he pushes his luck with his lord Cao Cao to an unbelievable degree (real Uhtred/ King Alfred energy), and there are times where Liao does the right thing and you're rooting for him. I think that makes him a pretty complex character.
The prose is better in this book, particularly I thought the dialogue was noticeably better, and there were a few scenes with minor, non-historical characters that were really affecting.
The proceedings in Dynasty Killers has Cao Cao dealing with foes in all directions - Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Lu Bu, Zhang Xiu, Liu Bei, Sun Ce. This period of years is where Cao Cao really EARNS his reputation and becomes the "hero of chaos" and I love it so much. Cao Cao and Liao Hua's changing relationship in this one was very good, as Liao realizes that power continuously corrupts. If I'm nitpicking, I think the political situation leading up to the battle of Wan was not given enough time in relation to how monumental the results had on the rest of TK history. The battle itself was really good though. DK also featured a lot more concerning Lu Bu, and while I realize it would be tough, I just wish there were more chances to give Bu some page time. Lu Bu traumatized me as a kid and nothing can truly get across just how scary he was in Dynasty Warriors 3, haha.
The reason this book is not a full five stars is because there is a very jarring, dark scene involving rape, necrophilia, and pedophilia that comes out of nowhere about halfway through the book. The girl is not given a name or any character, she exists just to scandalize the main character, and the scene just felt very out of place to the relatively tame "action-adventure" style we had gotten for the last 2.5 books. For additional context, I had just read Dark Age by Pierce Brown shortly before this, and that book has pages and pages of some the darkest, most heinous shit I've ever read, and I didn't dock that book for it, because it felt tonally appropriate and was handled with care. I just can't get behind the ratio of "dark" to "necessary" in this case. It also continues to make Xiahou Dun a monster, which...hey, I like Xiahou Dun, stop it 😭
Finally, there's a minor plotline where a 30ish year old man falls in love with a 13-14 year old girl on first sight and this is seemingly romanticized. In history, these two people did actually get married, but it seems as if it was a political marriage and here it is a strictly romantic one. Which gives me the ick. My question is; if we can change things so that Xiahou Dun lost his eye differently, why can't we age this girl up or make it a marriage forced upon them or at the very least...not have our main character actively helping a grown man sneak around to bang a young teen? 🫠
Besides these two things, I had no issues with the book, and like I said, I really enjoyed reading it. The battle leading into Guandu is great, and I also enjoyed the brief glimpses into Sun Ce and the formation of Wu that we get. I also think the secondary characters work for the strategists was good - Xun Yu, Man Chong, Guo Ji, Zhou Yu etc each felt distinct and I enjoyed their different philosophies.
8.5/10
July 23, 2023
This review was originally posted on Before We Go Blog
Dynasty Killers is the third instalment in the gripping Three Kingdoms Chronicles, and it is easily my favourite book of the series so far. Full of action, political scheming, emotional turmoil, and brutal backstabbing and betrayals, this book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
Once again, the older Liao Hua takes us back in time to his younger years serving under Lord Cao Cao. In the previous instalment, we already saw him rising in rank and gaining more agency, but here he truly comes into his own. Slowly but surely, Hua (or Chun, at the time) starts to realise that the cause he is fighting for may not be as heroic as he thought it was. As the brutal and merciless war continues, his conscience starts to weigh on him more and more, and soon his loyalties are tested beyond belief.
I honestly think the character work in this series has always been stellar, but this was the first time I actually believed I was reading about real people. The character development is absolutely phenomenal and I was blown away by some of the surprising character arcs.
Hua’s emotional turmoil in this book was just so compelling and I loved seeing him slowly start to doubt the heroic ideal that he has always been chasing. He is still young, relentlessly ambitious, and way too hot-tempered for his own good, but there were also way more moments of reflection and introspection, which I personally really appreciated.
I also really enjoyed the further development of the side characters and exploring all the complicated character dynamics. Whether it’s friendships, rivalries, familial bonds or even romances, every single interpersonal relationship here is just so complex, nuanced and painfully realistic. I think the author is really good at capturing human emotion, which got me very emotionally invested and made all the gut wrenching scenes hit all the harder.
And holy smokes, are there some hard hitting moments in here. This book is maybe a bit less military/war focused than the previous two instalments, but there are still plenty of brutal and bloody action scenes, including some of the most legendary historical battles. As I’ve said before, I am not the biggest fan of military-focused stories, but for some reason I found all the action scenes way more compelling in this instalment than ever before. Because of the slower pacing and improved character development, the stakes felt higher than ever before and I was fully emotionally invested.
Also, the political intrigue in this instalment was just extremely juicy and riveting. I loved seeing how seemingly small and well-intentioned actions can have immensely catastrophic ripple effects over time. And the schemes upon schemes, shifting alliances and brutal back stabbings and betrayals had me completely glued to the page.
Now, for a story that is so focused on war, I really appreciate that all the fighting is never glorified, especially in this third instalment. In his narration, the older Hua makes sure to convey just how horrifying and devastating all the fighting and scheming was. I do think some scenes were awfully shocking, especially those involving the violation of women, though I also can’t deny that they fit the narrative and felt natural for the time and situation. Luckily the author doesn’t linger on those scenes and does a great job of exploring both the physical and emotional scars that are suffered, which only made the story more nuanced and impactful.
All in all, I am very impressed and satisfied with this continuation of the series and cannot wait for more. I read 200 pages of this book in one day because the author just completely sucked me in and I felt like I was fully transported back to Ancient China. And with the way this book left off, I am very curious to see how things are going to escalate, because chaos is brewing in both the past and present timeline.
If you haven’t yet started The Three Kingdoms Chronicles, I highly recommend you do so. This is historical fiction done right.
Thank you to the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is scheduled for release on August 10, 2023.
Dynasty Killers is the third instalment in the gripping Three Kingdoms Chronicles, and it is easily my favourite book of the series so far. Full of action, political scheming, emotional turmoil, and brutal backstabbing and betrayals, this book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
Once again, the older Liao Hua takes us back in time to his younger years serving under Lord Cao Cao. In the previous instalment, we already saw him rising in rank and gaining more agency, but here he truly comes into his own. Slowly but surely, Hua (or Chun, at the time) starts to realise that the cause he is fighting for may not be as heroic as he thought it was. As the brutal and merciless war continues, his conscience starts to weigh on him more and more, and soon his loyalties are tested beyond belief.
I honestly think the character work in this series has always been stellar, but this was the first time I actually believed I was reading about real people. The character development is absolutely phenomenal and I was blown away by some of the surprising character arcs.
Hua’s emotional turmoil in this book was just so compelling and I loved seeing him slowly start to doubt the heroic ideal that he has always been chasing. He is still young, relentlessly ambitious, and way too hot-tempered for his own good, but there were also way more moments of reflection and introspection, which I personally really appreciated.
I also really enjoyed the further development of the side characters and exploring all the complicated character dynamics. Whether it’s friendships, rivalries, familial bonds or even romances, every single interpersonal relationship here is just so complex, nuanced and painfully realistic. I think the author is really good at capturing human emotion, which got me very emotionally invested and made all the gut wrenching scenes hit all the harder.
And holy smokes, are there some hard hitting moments in here. This book is maybe a bit less military/war focused than the previous two instalments, but there are still plenty of brutal and bloody action scenes, including some of the most legendary historical battles. As I’ve said before, I am not the biggest fan of military-focused stories, but for some reason I found all the action scenes way more compelling in this instalment than ever before. Because of the slower pacing and improved character development, the stakes felt higher than ever before and I was fully emotionally invested.
Also, the political intrigue in this instalment was just extremely juicy and riveting. I loved seeing how seemingly small and well-intentioned actions can have immensely catastrophic ripple effects over time. And the schemes upon schemes, shifting alliances and brutal back stabbings and betrayals had me completely glued to the page.
Now, for a story that is so focused on war, I really appreciate that all the fighting is never glorified, especially in this third instalment. In his narration, the older Hua makes sure to convey just how horrifying and devastating all the fighting and scheming was. I do think some scenes were awfully shocking, especially those involving the violation of women, though I also can’t deny that they fit the narrative and felt natural for the time and situation. Luckily the author doesn’t linger on those scenes and does a great job of exploring both the physical and emotional scars that are suffered, which only made the story more nuanced and impactful.
All in all, I am very impressed and satisfied with this continuation of the series and cannot wait for more. I read 200 pages of this book in one day because the author just completely sucked me in and I felt like I was fully transported back to Ancient China. And with the way this book left off, I am very curious to see how things are going to escalate, because chaos is brewing in both the past and present timeline.
If you haven’t yet started The Three Kingdoms Chronicles, I highly recommend you do so. This is historical fiction done right.
Thank you to the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is scheduled for release on August 10, 2023.
June 18, 2024
Dynasty Killers is a great book! This book is full of great character moments from Liao Chun. You really get a good look into the way he thinks, and how he feels in every situation. It really made me feel connected to his character in a way the previous two books did not, and I love that! It does this without sacrificing any of the action that the previous two books were full of, which is a great feat of writing from Mr. Wu. I really enjoy this book, and this series as a whole. If you’re interested at all in the three kingdoms period of ancient China, I would strongly recommend picking this series up!
December 31, 2023
Dynasty Killers: An Epic Novel of Ancient China by Baptiste Pinson Wu
Adventurous, challenging, emotional,
hopeful, inspiring, reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5 ⭐
I had a feeling, even before reading The Three Kingdoms Chronicles...that I was going to love this tale.
This third entry is a wonderful (heart rending) story. Honour and betrayal. I am learning the "landscape" of the political realm of the Han dynasty. The warring factions/houses, and the political alliances (held together with barely a string).
Our protagonist is a hot head and sometimes doesn't use his head...when faced with personal hatred for people (for what they've done to him/others in the past), but he is also an honourable person in his core.
I am beginning to see him as a wonderful friend, if he has grown to see YOU as such, but also a fearsome and treachorous enemy, if ever you cross him.
The stakes have grown so high, by the end of the book, that I'm not exactly sure IF...what he has been contemplating to do...is the right thing, but then again...he has to do what he BELIEVES is right (not some western reader...far removed from the time, era and culture).
I cannot wait to read Forest of Swords. I now KNOW that this adventure is in GREAT hands...and now I need to be patient and wait. Ugh.
Adventurous, challenging, emotional,
hopeful, inspiring, reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5 ⭐
I had a feeling, even before reading The Three Kingdoms Chronicles...that I was going to love this tale.
This third entry is a wonderful (heart rending) story. Honour and betrayal. I am learning the "landscape" of the political realm of the Han dynasty. The warring factions/houses, and the political alliances (held together with barely a string).
Our protagonist is a hot head and sometimes doesn't use his head...when faced with personal hatred for people (for what they've done to him/others in the past), but he is also an honourable person in his core.
I am beginning to see him as a wonderful friend, if he has grown to see YOU as such, but also a fearsome and treachorous enemy, if ever you cross him.
The stakes have grown so high, by the end of the book, that I'm not exactly sure IF...what he has been contemplating to do...is the right thing, but then again...he has to do what he BELIEVES is right (not some western reader...far removed from the time, era and culture).
I cannot wait to read Forest of Swords. I now KNOW that this adventure is in GREAT hands...and now I need to be patient and wait. Ugh.
August 26, 2023
Wow, how do I even start a review for this one?
This might be my favourite in the series so far. Lemme just get a couple annoyances out of the way first though. It’s frustrating how little time we spend in each part. Skipping through time quickly to get to the big moments in the story. I understand why it’s done, it’s just frustrating as I feel it could be done a little more naturally maybe. There are times as well which still read a little clunky for to English not being the author’s native language but as always these moments are easily forgiven and looked over for me.
Now the good stuff. This entry in the series contains three important battles and they are all awesomely brought to life on the page. My favourite part was the first huge battle in the camp against Zhang Xiu’s men. It had insanely high tension and I just wanted to keep reading, hoping my favourite characters didn’t my bit the dust. It truly felt like I was in the battle feeling the desperation of Liao Chun and the emotions of the other characters in Yue Jin and Xu Chu. It was amazing. The description and short battle with Lu Bu was also epic. And finally, the sadness I felt at the end of the book when it becomes clear this is the end of a chapter for our MC and the respect he has for Cao Cao, plus what he goes through with Guli. It brought tears to my eyes. The author is able to attach me to these characters beyond what I had thought possible and I adore it.
I just need these books to be longer. Take a little time here and there to breath before we move on. 400-500 pages per book would be amazing, though I understand the logistics behind writing and publishing books don’t always allow this.
I love this series. I will continue to drop everything else I am reading for this. Thank you Baptiste.
This might be my favourite in the series so far. Lemme just get a couple annoyances out of the way first though. It’s frustrating how little time we spend in each part. Skipping through time quickly to get to the big moments in the story. I understand why it’s done, it’s just frustrating as I feel it could be done a little more naturally maybe. There are times as well which still read a little clunky for to English not being the author’s native language but as always these moments are easily forgiven and looked over for me.
Now the good stuff. This entry in the series contains three important battles and they are all awesomely brought to life on the page. My favourite part was the first huge battle in the camp against Zhang Xiu’s men. It had insanely high tension and I just wanted to keep reading, hoping my favourite characters didn’t my bit the dust. It truly felt like I was in the battle feeling the desperation of Liao Chun and the emotions of the other characters in Yue Jin and Xu Chu. It was amazing. The description and short battle with Lu Bu was also epic. And finally, the sadness I felt at the end of the book when it becomes clear this is the end of a chapter for our MC and the respect he has for Cao Cao, plus what he goes through with Guli. It brought tears to my eyes. The author is able to attach me to these characters beyond what I had thought possible and I adore it.
I just need these books to be longer. Take a little time here and there to breath before we move on. 400-500 pages per book would be amazing, though I understand the logistics behind writing and publishing books don’t always allow this.
I love this series. I will continue to drop everything else I am reading for this. Thank you Baptiste.
January 26, 2024
Literary Directive 001/24 - Read these books in Order!
I implore the author of this work to bring to market the next book at the very earliest opportunity!
I’ve read the three so far, back to back, and what a joy - 3 days - 3 Books.
The blood, greed and power struggles of the Han Dynasty Era have been outstanding thus far. These books have inspired me to purchase some huge non-fiction volumes on the subject, they are that good!
I implore the author of this work to bring to market the next book at the very earliest opportunity!
I’ve read the three so far, back to back, and what a joy - 3 days - 3 Books.
The blood, greed and power struggles of the Han Dynasty Era have been outstanding thus far. These books have inspired me to purchase some huge non-fiction volumes on the subject, they are that good!
June 17, 2026
Wu is honestly becoming one of my favorites. When I start reading a book by him I honestly have trouble putting it down. I will always say I think he is one of the top for his characters. With this being a historical fiction about stuff I have no idea about I still get sucked in. His writing has honestly made me do some reading on the Three Kingdoms history. As a side note, Mr. Wu if you read this by chance, a novella about Guli and what she was up to would be so awesome 😁
July 5, 2025
4.5 rounded up. The is historical fiction done right. It's one of my favorite historical fiction series. Short reads that are easy to finish in a couple of days because the characters are so well done I didn't put it down. Highly recommend.
July 28, 2023
eARC kindly provided by author.
*Spoilers Ahead*
Dynasty Killers accelerates the pace set in the previous books without losing any of the character or historical development. This book may contain the most intense period of the Three Kingdoms era where a great deal of events all occur and overlap within the same four years, starting in 196AD and finishing in 200AD. Lü Bu rises and falls in Xu province along with Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei moving around the central plains a great deal. Yuan Shao and Cao Cao clash at Guandu. Yuan Shu declares himself Emperor and perishes. Sun Ce, independent of Yuan Shu, conquers lands that later become the southern kingdom of Wu. And Zhang Xiu in Wan rebels against Cao Cao. It would have been easy to show some of this through letters or speeches but a great deal is shown on the page as our hero Liao Chun fights for his life time and time again.
Plot
This is purposefully brief as a great deal happens all intertwined and my summary of it would be a disservice to Pinson Wu’s writing and the history itself.
Baptiste Pinson Wu creatively entwines Chun’s Scorpions, a special forces unit of Cao Cao’s army, into the history of the Three Kingdoms. He starts off spiking Zhang Fei’s wine to cause havoc in Xu, travelling south to attempt alliance talks with Sun Ce (and infiltrating another city in the process), to destroying Yuan Shao’s supply depot at Wuchao, and more all the while developing his relationship with Tian Guli, the other Scorpions, and Guan Yu amongst others. There’s a whole lot more in the book than that and it’s all fitted into a rather modest 398 pages.
There are many deaths within the book both of fictional characters and historical. The strong definition the characters have makes certain that each one has an emotional hit to Liao Chun and the reader.
Characters
The cast remains similar to the previous instalment with a few additions and changing dynamics. There is a growing tension throughout the novel between Liao Chun and basically everyone else. His fiery personality and all-encompassing commitment to Cao Cao places a great deal of strain on him and those around him as he is sent far afield alone or with a small group, experiences the death of close comrades, and more. Cao Cao, historically and in the book, becomes more determined and, from a certain point of view, more ruthless in his actions to reunite China. He is often portrayed as the villain for his colder and more distant approach to waging war and governing than his main rivals Liu Bei and Sun Ce, and later Sun Quan. Pinson Wu plays on this and uses it to create the divide between Chun and Cao so that Chun chooses to follow Guan Yu, and thus Liu Bei. An event multiple books in the making. This is historically who Liao Chun (aka Liao Hua) fought for until the end of the Three Kingdoms period and the time from his birth to joining Guan Yu is almost entirely unknown. Pinson Wu has taken great advantage of this blank page of history to craft an entertaining and historically grounded story of Chun’s early years.
The Scorpions, Chun’s band of highly skilled but misfit killers, has all the banter and thick bonds you’d expect of a group risking life and limb for each other as routinely as they do. At times echoing the dynamic of the Bridgeburners in Malazan. Entertaining to read and easy to root for.
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, along with a plethora of Southlanders, make their appearance in Dynasty Killers. Fleeting though it is Sun Ce is well presented as the brash, short fused, warrior-king he is known for being in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Pinson Wu has turned this up to 11 for Ce as his personality is similar to Liao Chun’s but circumstance has placed them in disparate positions. This similarity creates abrasive and tense scenes between two characters still in the early days of proving themselves. Zhou Yu, on the other hand, is the mild-mannered and considerate strategist that serves as the counterbalance to Sun Ce.
Pinson Wu navigates the difficulty in working with well known figures of history whose characterisations are established making them instantly recognisable yet unique to his own take on the Three Kingdoms period.
Writing
Clean, concise, and precise. Written with a rhythm that makes reading a pleasure, and generally in a casual manner. Pinson Wu has developed his style well over the three books, a good sign for future novels in what promises to be a rich, lively, and long series.
Dynasty Killers finishes, what I would say is, the first arc of Liao Hua’s life. He has grown up, learned to fight, to take orders and give them, travelled the land, and chosen who he will swear fealty to till his dying breath.
The first three books can be found on Amazon Kindle for less than $10/£8 for the set.
*Spoilers Ahead*
Dynasty Killers accelerates the pace set in the previous books without losing any of the character or historical development. This book may contain the most intense period of the Three Kingdoms era where a great deal of events all occur and overlap within the same four years, starting in 196AD and finishing in 200AD. Lü Bu rises and falls in Xu province along with Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei moving around the central plains a great deal. Yuan Shao and Cao Cao clash at Guandu. Yuan Shu declares himself Emperor and perishes. Sun Ce, independent of Yuan Shu, conquers lands that later become the southern kingdom of Wu. And Zhang Xiu in Wan rebels against Cao Cao. It would have been easy to show some of this through letters or speeches but a great deal is shown on the page as our hero Liao Chun fights for his life time and time again.
Plot
This is purposefully brief as a great deal happens all intertwined and my summary of it would be a disservice to Pinson Wu’s writing and the history itself.
Baptiste Pinson Wu creatively entwines Chun’s Scorpions, a special forces unit of Cao Cao’s army, into the history of the Three Kingdoms. He starts off spiking Zhang Fei’s wine to cause havoc in Xu, travelling south to attempt alliance talks with Sun Ce (and infiltrating another city in the process), to destroying Yuan Shao’s supply depot at Wuchao, and more all the while developing his relationship with Tian Guli, the other Scorpions, and Guan Yu amongst others. There’s a whole lot more in the book than that and it’s all fitted into a rather modest 398 pages.
There are many deaths within the book both of fictional characters and historical. The strong definition the characters have makes certain that each one has an emotional hit to Liao Chun and the reader.
Characters
The cast remains similar to the previous instalment with a few additions and changing dynamics. There is a growing tension throughout the novel between Liao Chun and basically everyone else. His fiery personality and all-encompassing commitment to Cao Cao places a great deal of strain on him and those around him as he is sent far afield alone or with a small group, experiences the death of close comrades, and more. Cao Cao, historically and in the book, becomes more determined and, from a certain point of view, more ruthless in his actions to reunite China. He is often portrayed as the villain for his colder and more distant approach to waging war and governing than his main rivals Liu Bei and Sun Ce, and later Sun Quan. Pinson Wu plays on this and uses it to create the divide between Chun and Cao so that Chun chooses to follow Guan Yu, and thus Liu Bei. An event multiple books in the making. This is historically who Liao Chun (aka Liao Hua) fought for until the end of the Three Kingdoms period and the time from his birth to joining Guan Yu is almost entirely unknown. Pinson Wu has taken great advantage of this blank page of history to craft an entertaining and historically grounded story of Chun’s early years.
The Scorpions, Chun’s band of highly skilled but misfit killers, has all the banter and thick bonds you’d expect of a group risking life and limb for each other as routinely as they do. At times echoing the dynamic of the Bridgeburners in Malazan. Entertaining to read and easy to root for.
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, along with a plethora of Southlanders, make their appearance in Dynasty Killers. Fleeting though it is Sun Ce is well presented as the brash, short fused, warrior-king he is known for being in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Pinson Wu has turned this up to 11 for Ce as his personality is similar to Liao Chun’s but circumstance has placed them in disparate positions. This similarity creates abrasive and tense scenes between two characters still in the early days of proving themselves. Zhou Yu, on the other hand, is the mild-mannered and considerate strategist that serves as the counterbalance to Sun Ce.
Pinson Wu navigates the difficulty in working with well known figures of history whose characterisations are established making them instantly recognisable yet unique to his own take on the Three Kingdoms period.
Writing
Clean, concise, and precise. Written with a rhythm that makes reading a pleasure, and generally in a casual manner. Pinson Wu has developed his style well over the three books, a good sign for future novels in what promises to be a rich, lively, and long series.
Dynasty Killers finishes, what I would say is, the first arc of Liao Hua’s life. He has grown up, learned to fight, to take orders and give them, travelled the land, and chosen who he will swear fealty to till his dying breath.
The first three books can be found on Amazon Kindle for less than $10/£8 for the set.
June 23, 2025
Dynasty Killers is book 3 of the chronicles and it is the best yet! Incredible action, intense character developments. Allegiance's are tested, battle lines are drawn and Liao Chun faces life defining decisions.
Baptiste’s writing as developed so much in these series and there is another leap in this book. Namely the battle scenes which are so brilliantly depicted and as well as the emotions of the characters.
Baptiste’s writing as developed so much in these series and there is another leap in this book. Namely the battle scenes which are so brilliantly depicted and as well as the emotions of the characters.
March 14, 2024
Definitely reading “Forest of Swords” when it comes out becauuuseee the whole series so far has sucked me in and kept me there for the entirety of reading it
May 26, 2024
4.5 Stars
I love a good betrayal!
I love a good betrayal!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2023
“𝙈𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨, 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙚𝙮𝙚-𝙩𝙤-𝙚𝙮𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨; 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣’𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙠𝙚.”
♕Dynasty Killers by Baptiste Pinson Wu - 3rd in The Three Kingdoms Chronicles - set in the Three Kingdoms period of China, tells the story of Liao Hua/Chun, the military general of the Shu Han.
196 CE. China. As the final clash between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao his old friend draws near to control the Han empire, Cao Cao's troops know no rest, his enemies no mercy, and always live in fear; while Liao and his elite Scorpions sway the fate of the empire from the shadow. As the power continuously corrupts Cao Cao and more and more people begin to die even among his closest friends, Laio starts to realize that his cause of fighting may not be as heroic as he thought it was.
𝙄 𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙣, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙪 𝘽𝙚𝙞’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙢.
♕Wu had once again masterfully recreated the stories of three kingdoms, full of action, political scheming, emotional turmoil, and brutal backstabbing and betrayals, and covered some of the significant battles of Chinese history that keep me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
♕The story mainly focuses on Cao Cao's rise to power despite unsurmountable odds, Liao's emotional turmoil, and his changing relationship with his lord that ultimately lead the readers closer to the ending of the first arc of the series.
♕In the last book, we see Laio rising in rank and fighting for Cao Cao, but here he truly comes into his own. As the brutal and merciless war continues, gradually his conscience starts to weigh on him more and more, and soon his loyalties are tested beyond belief.
♕The secondary characters, both historical and fictional - Liu Bei, Lü Bu, Guan Yu, Man Chong, and Tian Guli - were also meticulously written and developed. I easily connected with them, but sadly a lot of them with whom I had gotten attached died in this book.
♕The climax is astounding, where Liao faces a moral dilemma, and with it comes the realization that his path has to change. I can't say enough how this gonna change everything. I'm so excited to read the next book now.
Overall, it was an amazing read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are into Chinese history and three kingdom lore then it is a must-read. Highly recommended.
𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(4.5/5)
♕Dynasty Killers by Baptiste Pinson Wu - 3rd in The Three Kingdoms Chronicles - set in the Three Kingdoms period of China, tells the story of Liao Hua/Chun, the military general of the Shu Han.
196 CE. China. As the final clash between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao his old friend draws near to control the Han empire, Cao Cao's troops know no rest, his enemies no mercy, and always live in fear; while Liao and his elite Scorpions sway the fate of the empire from the shadow. As the power continuously corrupts Cao Cao and more and more people begin to die even among his closest friends, Laio starts to realize that his cause of fighting may not be as heroic as he thought it was.
𝙄 𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙣, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙪 𝘽𝙚𝙞’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙢.
♕Wu had once again masterfully recreated the stories of three kingdoms, full of action, political scheming, emotional turmoil, and brutal backstabbing and betrayals, and covered some of the significant battles of Chinese history that keep me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
♕The story mainly focuses on Cao Cao's rise to power despite unsurmountable odds, Liao's emotional turmoil, and his changing relationship with his lord that ultimately lead the readers closer to the ending of the first arc of the series.
♕In the last book, we see Laio rising in rank and fighting for Cao Cao, but here he truly comes into his own. As the brutal and merciless war continues, gradually his conscience starts to weigh on him more and more, and soon his loyalties are tested beyond belief.
♕The secondary characters, both historical and fictional - Liu Bei, Lü Bu, Guan Yu, Man Chong, and Tian Guli - were also meticulously written and developed. I easily connected with them, but sadly a lot of them with whom I had gotten attached died in this book.
♕The climax is astounding, where Liao faces a moral dilemma, and with it comes the realization that his path has to change. I can't say enough how this gonna change everything. I'm so excited to read the next book now.
Overall, it was an amazing read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are into Chinese history and three kingdom lore then it is a must-read. Highly recommended.
𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(4.5/5)
August 13, 2025
Dynasty Killers
Great moments of humanity in a harsh world of violence and distrust.
I just finished Dynasty Killers, which is Book Three of Baptiste Pinson Wu’s The Three Kingdoms Chronicles. Great work, great series, it’s illuminating and entertaining which is all I ask for in a book. I loved the moments of humanity interspersed throughout the violence and villainy. Honor among enemies is my favorite trope and Dynasty Killers serves it up in abundance.
Liao Chun is now a full-grown man in the twilight of the Han Dynasty. He’s the captain of the Scorpions, an elite troop of warriors doing the biding of legendary warlord Cao Cao. But as Chun does his mentor’s dirty work in the ongoing Chinese civil wars, he must reconcile his own conscience with his masters ruthless ambitions.
Pinson Wu is doing us a great service, bringing such a rich history and culture to western eyes with real historical characters and depictions of actual events like the Battles of Wancheng, Xiapi, and Guandu. Consider me among his legions of fans. Five stars from me. I was not emotionally prepared for what happened in this book. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, and unexpected. Bravo, Mr. Pinson-Wu.
Great moments of humanity in a harsh world of violence and distrust.
I just finished Dynasty Killers, which is Book Three of Baptiste Pinson Wu’s The Three Kingdoms Chronicles. Great work, great series, it’s illuminating and entertaining which is all I ask for in a book. I loved the moments of humanity interspersed throughout the violence and villainy. Honor among enemies is my favorite trope and Dynasty Killers serves it up in abundance.
Liao Chun is now a full-grown man in the twilight of the Han Dynasty. He’s the captain of the Scorpions, an elite troop of warriors doing the biding of legendary warlord Cao Cao. But as Chun does his mentor’s dirty work in the ongoing Chinese civil wars, he must reconcile his own conscience with his masters ruthless ambitions.
Pinson Wu is doing us a great service, bringing such a rich history and culture to western eyes with real historical characters and depictions of actual events like the Battles of Wancheng, Xiapi, and Guandu. Consider me among his legions of fans. Five stars from me. I was not emotionally prepared for what happened in this book. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, and unexpected. Bravo, Mr. Pinson-Wu.
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