Zhao Volume 1

by Kang Jing, Api Ngo, Alan Bay

"1279 The Battle of Yamen" - By decree of the formidable Kublai Khan, Mongol forces achieved a resounding victory over the ranks of the once-mighty Song Dynasty.

Four decades of conflict culminated in this one final naval battle that consigned the Song empire to the annals of history and established the Mongols' total dominion over China, ushering in a new The Yuan Dynasty.

Caught in the tides of history, Zhao Ming, revered General of the Song, Spear-Master of the Zhao, and his wife Su Xi'er, together with their three sons, embody the dwindling embers of a once-glorious dynasty. Living concealed lives under false identities for years, their world is irrevocably altered by a single reckless moment, thrusting them back into the treacherous abyss.

Zhao Ming finds himself crushed between impossible choices wrought by fate, and torn apart by moral obligations to his family and brethren. His one decision will decide the fates of thousands, his every step reverberating across time.

Fate, destiny, duty and honour intertwine in this epic saga of blood, blades and tears...

Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2023

Reviews

[Winston Goh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my personal review of “Zhao Volume 1” by Kang Jing, Api Ngo and Alan Bay. At the onset, I was initially reluctant to buy this book based on a foreign story, but I decided later give it a try. And I have no regrets. First, it is a creatively imagined tale, yet narrated real enough to be believable. In fact, this fictional story is based on an actual history account of the fall of the Song Dynasty and the rise of the Yuan Dynasty. The pace is fast and entertaining with action, drama, and love stories (of a family, couples, and the people) to boot. While 200 pages appears daunting at first, once I got started, it is so easy to read and follow the plot. It fleets by so smoothly, ending with me asking "what will happen next (in Volume 2)?". Second, the art is consistently good – very good indeed. Each and every character is anatomically correct and their costumed and attire appear to be believably accurate. And yes, not only is this story given a full-colour effect, but these colours are cleverly used in good effect to accentuate the various scenes throughout the seven chapters. Third, this hardcover novel is given a deluxe effect with pages of paper that have a nice gloss-matt feel / touch. If not on one’s bookshelf, it certainly can double up as a lovely coffee table book. Fourth, and by no means least, the entire story are created by our very own local talented writers and artists. An original story that is fabulously drawn traditionally – penciled and inked, and then digitally coloured. Any bonuses? Yes! A background account on the actual fall of the Song Dynasty, lovely pin-ups by more local talents, and more! I will suggest to give it a try. Get it from Chiral Comics before they run out! 🙂

[K L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much. Good pace and nice drawings! A relatively light read though it can get quite thrilling at some parts. Nice to unwind and read this on a Friday night :) Highly recommended!

[Dicky Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zhao Volune 1 was a very good read!! The story and art is truly captivating. Can't wait for volume 2 to be released!