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The Grave Robbers' Chronicles #1
Cavern of the Blood Zombies
Uncle Three loves good food, good booze, good card games, and bad women–and he’s never found a grave he wouldn’t rob. He can’t help it–it’s in his blood–grave robbing has been the family business for centuries.
So when his bookseller nephew comes to him with a map to an ancient tomb, Uncle Three sets off to find it, in the company of some grave-robbing colleagues, his nerdy nephew, and a strange poker-faced guy that nobody can quite figure out.
Uncle Three knows that the grave he seeks will lead him and his companions to "another kind of world," but not even he could ever imagine what they are about to find. Lost in a labyrinthine cavern that is full of dead bodies, Uncle Three and his comrades fight for their lives as they come up against vampires, corpse-eating bugs, and blood zombies.
THE FIRST VOLUME OF The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles, which will soon be followed by Angry Sea, Hidden Sand, Cavern of the Blood Zombies is as impossible to put down as a bag of good potato chips. A story with more twists and turns than a burial cavern and the funniest grave robbers the world has ever known, it’s kept Chinese readers awake far into the night. Now it’s your turn...
So when his bookseller nephew comes to him with a map to an ancient tomb, Uncle Three sets off to find it, in the company of some grave-robbing colleagues, his nerdy nephew, and a strange poker-faced guy that nobody can quite figure out.
Uncle Three knows that the grave he seeks will lead him and his companions to "another kind of world," but not even he could ever imagine what they are about to find. Lost in a labyrinthine cavern that is full of dead bodies, Uncle Three and his comrades fight for their lives as they come up against vampires, corpse-eating bugs, and blood zombies.
THE FIRST VOLUME OF The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles, which will soon be followed by Angry Sea, Hidden Sand, Cavern of the Blood Zombies is as impossible to put down as a bag of good potato chips. A story with more twists and turns than a burial cavern and the funniest grave robbers the world has ever known, it’s kept Chinese readers awake far into the night. Now it’s your turn...
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2011
89 people are currently reading
833 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 4, 2016
I absolutely love this book series! I don't usually write reviews of books because I'm terrible at expressing my opinions on things. But I saw that this didn't have a very good review so I just had to do something about it. In general I believe that the translation doesn't truly fully express what the original Chinese text does, because in the Chinese version there are a lot of expressions and words in the text that are hard to translate because of what it means or because of how it relates to the Chinese culture in which English speakers may not understand. Also due to that a lot of witty remarks or jokes made between the characters are also lost because they either wouldn't make sense in English or b/c most English speakers wouldn't understand it. And so that aspect is lost to the translated versions of the series. But not everything has been lost because the story line itself is still quite splendid. It's intense and kept me from putting the book down. The pace is fast and the mysteries within the storyline aren't cliche and predictable. And the translation itself is quite well done in my opinion since I would say that this series would be difficult to translate whilst trying to keep the true meaning and making sure that the humor are still present. It's not horribly done and it's not extremely difficult to read. Just what more could you ask for since there are so many books that are either horribly translated or blandly translated.
September 11, 2020
I mostly read this because of the show. It was enjoyable, kinda stupid, kinda hilarious, MUCH faster paced than the shows so far.
April 28, 2013
I had to read Cavern of the Blood Zombies by Xu Lei after finishing Search for the Buried Bomber. The sequel to Bomber hasn’t been translated and I was thirsting for more books by this author. Luckily, Things Asian Press has managed to put two other of his books into print. This is the first of a series, The Grave Robber Chronicles. Chinese novels can run to an arc of ten or more books. This edition comes with rich illustrations by Neo Lok Sze Wong.
Cavern of the Blood Zombies opens with a preamble taking place fifty years ago. A family of tomb robbers are busy excavating an important find. After constant bickering among themselves, the elder members of the family elect to go down into the hole they’ve dug while leaving the youngest member on the surface holding the rope to a bucket. When the rope begins to get pulled hard, he pulls back harder until the bucket comes flying out of the hole. The bucket contains the severed hand of his brother and an ancient document written on silk. The young tomb robber barely escapes with his life by out running a “blood zombie”.
Flash forward fifty years. The descendant of the man who fled the tomb is now running the Hangzhou Xiling Printing Company and reading his grandfather’s journal. A mysterious customer enters the shop, which specializes in selling antiquarian books, trying to find out if they buy ancient manuscripts from the Waring States Period (475-221 BC). The stranger has been referred to the shop by a shady character and wants to know if they still have the manuscript his grandfather escaped with from the tomb. To prove his sincerity, he shows the narrator a manuscript written on silk, very similar to the one his grandfather stole. The narrator manages to photograph the silk before the stranger leaves.
He takes the photograph to his father’s third brother (“Uncle Three”), a bon vivant who’s a famous tomb robber in his own right. When Uncle Three looks at the photograph, he claims it to be a coded map of an important noble’s tomb from ancient China. Convinced the document is a treasure map, Uncle Three assembles a team to go after the goods.The team consists of:the narrator, Uncle Three and two of Uncle Three’s old grave robbing buddies, Panzai and Big Kai. Later they are joined by a quiet young man nick-named “Poker Face”.
The tomb raiders find the mysterious ancient grave and spend the rest of the novel trying to get the treasure out if it. Along the way, they meet-up with another grave robber, who is christened “Fats” because of his size. They find themselves lost in an underground labyrinth out-running carnivorous bugs known as “corpse-eaters”, blood zombies, and a man-eating tree. They also have to survive booby-trapped coffins, preserved corpses, and constant attack. The novel ends inconclusively,which leads into the next book in the series.
This is a book where it helps to know a little bit about Chinese cosmology and mythology. I think some of the translations match western equivalents too readily. The book lacks foot notes which would help the uninitiated understand some of the references being made.
There’s plenty of humor in the book. Uncle Three is constantly arguing and putting down his companions.But you never know when a trap door is going to open.
I’m curious how the series develops. Book #2 awaits.
Cavern of the Blood Zombies opens with a preamble taking place fifty years ago. A family of tomb robbers are busy excavating an important find. After constant bickering among themselves, the elder members of the family elect to go down into the hole they’ve dug while leaving the youngest member on the surface holding the rope to a bucket. When the rope begins to get pulled hard, he pulls back harder until the bucket comes flying out of the hole. The bucket contains the severed hand of his brother and an ancient document written on silk. The young tomb robber barely escapes with his life by out running a “blood zombie”.
Flash forward fifty years. The descendant of the man who fled the tomb is now running the Hangzhou Xiling Printing Company and reading his grandfather’s journal. A mysterious customer enters the shop, which specializes in selling antiquarian books, trying to find out if they buy ancient manuscripts from the Waring States Period (475-221 BC). The stranger has been referred to the shop by a shady character and wants to know if they still have the manuscript his grandfather escaped with from the tomb. To prove his sincerity, he shows the narrator a manuscript written on silk, very similar to the one his grandfather stole. The narrator manages to photograph the silk before the stranger leaves.
He takes the photograph to his father’s third brother (“Uncle Three”), a bon vivant who’s a famous tomb robber in his own right. When Uncle Three looks at the photograph, he claims it to be a coded map of an important noble’s tomb from ancient China. Convinced the document is a treasure map, Uncle Three assembles a team to go after the goods.The team consists of:the narrator, Uncle Three and two of Uncle Three’s old grave robbing buddies, Panzai and Big Kai. Later they are joined by a quiet young man nick-named “Poker Face”.
The tomb raiders find the mysterious ancient grave and spend the rest of the novel trying to get the treasure out if it. Along the way, they meet-up with another grave robber, who is christened “Fats” because of his size. They find themselves lost in an underground labyrinth out-running carnivorous bugs known as “corpse-eaters”, blood zombies, and a man-eating tree. They also have to survive booby-trapped coffins, preserved corpses, and constant attack. The novel ends inconclusively,which leads into the next book in the series.
This is a book where it helps to know a little bit about Chinese cosmology and mythology. I think some of the translations match western equivalents too readily. The book lacks foot notes which would help the uninitiated understand some of the references being made.
There’s plenty of humor in the book. Uncle Three is constantly arguing and putting down his companions.But you never know when a trap door is going to open.
I’m curious how the series develops. Book #2 awaits.
August 17, 2012
Okay... I read this book in Chinese and finished reading the DMBJ series in Chinese. Still, since I really liked it, I am in full support of an English translation of the fic and spreading the love and culture! Perhaps there are some things lost in translation, but I don't think it will really subtract from the sheer awesomeness of this series.
The first book is sort of rough around the edges when compared to the later installments, but by no means mediocre. It was still an intense, enthralling read, well-paced with just enough intrigue. I normally don't read first POV, but the main character is not this over-powered Gary Stu, which was a huge reason I could swallow the first POV so easily. I also don't normally follow super-long series, but again the Grave Robbers' Chronicles has broken that preference, since I bought all the entire series...
Of course, I have to add that the author is a master of characterization. Each character has a distinct, powerful personality, and everyone is quite likeable--you just want to keep reading on because of them. I admit, I actually first decided to pick up this book because of the...uh...slashable content (邪瓶 FTW!!), but I was beyond pleased with the decision to give this immensely popular series a chance. I love following the main character's journeys and solving mysteries after mysteries, each answer just leading to more questions... The author really knows how to hook readers, lol.
Right now I'm already following the sequel to the Grave Robbers' Chronicles (藏海花)and am eagerly waiting for new chapters. 三胖子 you are so evil!! Now I'm going to have to buy more books to add to my collection...
The first book is sort of rough around the edges when compared to the later installments, but by no means mediocre. It was still an intense, enthralling read, well-paced with just enough intrigue. I normally don't read first POV, but the main character is not this over-powered Gary Stu, which was a huge reason I could swallow the first POV so easily. I also don't normally follow super-long series, but again the Grave Robbers' Chronicles has broken that preference, since I bought all the entire series...
Of course, I have to add that the author is a master of characterization. Each character has a distinct, powerful personality, and everyone is quite likeable--you just want to keep reading on because of them. I admit, I actually first decided to pick up this book because of the...uh...slashable content (邪瓶 FTW!!), but I was beyond pleased with the decision to give this immensely popular series a chance. I love following the main character's journeys and solving mysteries after mysteries, each answer just leading to more questions... The author really knows how to hook readers, lol.
Right now I'm already following the sequel to the Grave Robbers' Chronicles (藏海花)and am eagerly waiting for new chapters. 三胖子 you are so evil!! Now I'm going to have to buy more books to add to my collection...
January 21, 2021
Finally decided to read this series after watched Ultimate Note , PingXie FTW! (^,,^)v
This first installment was an introduction to the characters and the grave robber world.
We introduced to Wu Xie, Uncle Three, Zhang Qiling, Fatty Wang, and Panzi.
"I", the protagonist, the drama audience knew him as "Wu Xie" but his name wasn't even revealed til the end of the book. He's an intellectual, an antique shop owner and an enthusiast of ancient history, been feeding of grave robbers stories since his childhood by his late grandfather, a legendary grave robbers.
Uncle Three, Wu Xie's third uncle, a veteran grave robber.
Zhang Qiling, the mysterious-cool fighter who has powerful blood which scared off the corpse-eater monster! Uncle Three called him "Menyouping" (hence the CP name 'PingXie' XDD). He's quiet but seems knew a lot about ancient tomb and all the history surrounding it.
Wu Xie's first impression of him was "an obnoxious deaf-mute jerk" as well as "I felt safe whenever he's around" :p
Fatty Wang, seems like an experienced grave robber, met Wu Xie and co in the blood zombie cavern. He's loud and chatty but reliable.
Panzi, a retired soldier, Uncle Three's follower.
The first book was an enthralling fast-paced action which took the readers dive into the grave robber world.
This first installment was an introduction to the characters and the grave robber world.
We introduced to Wu Xie, Uncle Three, Zhang Qiling, Fatty Wang, and Panzi.
"I", the protagonist, the drama audience knew him as "Wu Xie" but his name wasn't even revealed til the end of the book. He's an intellectual, an antique shop owner and an enthusiast of ancient history, been feeding of grave robbers stories since his childhood by his late grandfather, a legendary grave robbers.
Uncle Three, Wu Xie's third uncle, a veteran grave robber.
Zhang Qiling, the mysterious-cool fighter who has powerful blood which scared off the corpse-eater monster! Uncle Three called him "Menyouping" (hence the CP name 'PingXie' XDD). He's quiet but seems knew a lot about ancient tomb and all the history surrounding it.
Wu Xie's first impression of him was "an obnoxious deaf-mute jerk" as well as "I felt safe whenever he's around" :p
Fatty Wang, seems like an experienced grave robber, met Wu Xie and co in the blood zombie cavern. He's loud and chatty but reliable.
Panzi, a retired soldier, Uncle Three's follower.
The first book was an enthralling fast-paced action which took the readers dive into the grave robber world.
September 20, 2020
i wish i could read this book in chinese because i've never been more sure that i'm missing out on most of the fun this way.
i don't like the translation and it affected my enjoyment of this book, and i hate that it did because i've seen tlt 1 and loved it and the only thing that kept me reading was that i KNEW the story was good and i KNEW that i was going to get to know the characters sooner or later and get attached to them. if i hadn't seen the lost tomb before, it definitely wouldn't have happened in this book unfortunately.
still, it's short and fun and i'm obviously going to keep reading because i already know and love the characters so it doesn't matter that i read fan translations for free that were... better... than this :')
i don't like the translation and it affected my enjoyment of this book, and i hate that it did because i've seen tlt 1 and loved it and the only thing that kept me reading was that i KNEW the story was good and i KNEW that i was going to get to know the characters sooner or later and get attached to them. if i hadn't seen the lost tomb before, it definitely wouldn't have happened in this book unfortunately.
still, it's short and fun and i'm obviously going to keep reading because i already know and love the characters so it doesn't matter that i read fan translations for free that were... better... than this :')
August 15, 2020
Even tho the writing style or skill isn't the best (yeah i know, it will get better later on in the series) and you really need to squint a lot to see my fav pairing Pokerface and Wu Xie acting at all, it is still really interesting and i just read most of the book in one sitting, because even with the lack of writing skill (or the lack of the english translation) it is intriguing and you want to know what is going to happen next.
And I mean its treasure hunting, it is supernatural, no annoying woman (yet), it's perfect :D
And I mean its treasure hunting, it is supernatural, no annoying woman (yet), it's perfect :D
April 22, 2023
Somehow I couldn't warm up to this book. The horror was okay and the premise seemed promising, but the style was exhausting and riddled with fat-shaming, homophobia, and sexism. This might be due to the translation (I read the book in English), but it ruined the experience for me. I had to force myself to finish, but doubt I will continue the series.
September 17, 2016
It IS horror alright. There were some parts that made me gasped and shivered in horror. This book is exactly what my nightmare used to be like. Trapped in a weird place, desperately searching a way out and escaping from something which trying to kill you...
I thought this book was about zombies! Okay, there are zombies. But it is so much more.
(And I really like how I can relate to the characters even though I don't know the names of the characters yet. I don't think the MC's name is revealed here? Lol.
And I really like Poker Face. Or whoever his name.)
I thought this book was about zombies! Okay, there are zombies. But it is so much more.
(And I really like how I can relate to the characters even though I don't know the names of the characters yet. I don't think the MC's name is revealed here? Lol.
And I really like Poker Face. Or whoever his name.)
September 10, 2012
Read it in Chinese and LOVE it. I never really read horror stories, but I started just for it. The English translation could be terrible especially by looking at the cover...
January 10, 2024
I'm almost tempted to say I read this twice, since I read this and then checked it against the fan translation. A constant wax-on, wax-off situation until I got tired and read to the end and then doubled back to check it. This official one... is... not well translated. Beyond some questionable translation choices, there was even times where I could see missing paragraphs! Odd.
I entered the Daomu Biji/The Lost Tomb fandom through the cdramas, so I know pretty much everything that's in these books already, but of course I wanted to read the series properly. It's fun to read the books, but yeah... this official translation is just lackluster in every way, and don't get me started on the art, which is.. not very good (sorry artist!), it's not even near the equivalent of the official art. If you're looking for an entry to the DMBJ universe I'd suggest you look up the fan-translation or start with the live action. There's even a donghua out if that's more your speed, though it only covers 1 arc.
As for the content of this book, it's Wu Xie's first tomb adventure! Since it's the very beginning and the main plot hasn't kicked in yet, I'd consider it quite basic. This serves simply as an introduction to the world and the characters - Wu Xie, Uncle Three/Sanshu, Panzi, Pangzi (translated as Fats in the official release which just... makes it sound terrible), and Xiao Ge (aka Poker Face). The adventure itself is fine, though like I said introductory in nature I feel, all of my complaints are literally just for the translation. Like, even talking about names, for some reason the official translation railed against calling Xiao Ge... Xiao Ge, or Little Brother (technically Little Older Brother but...) and had people call him Menyouping or "you son of a bitch"/"pal" when referring to him out loud instead. Which not only annoys me because that's not what they're calling him, but also because Menyouping is Wu Xie's private nickname for him, not the name he's known by by other people (Xiao Ge), and it's literally just Poker Face untranslated (ok literally it's "stuffy oil bottle" but Poker Face is the widely accepted equivalent). It's beyond me why sometimes they'd call him Poker Face and sometimes call him Menyouping as if they're 2 different names... and just completely avoid the actual name they're calling him in the original text.
I love DMBJ, so I'm hoping that one day the books are licensed by a more competent publisher that gives it the release it deserves (and doesn't stop translating at book 6!! they didn't even finish the series!!). Overall I'll give the book an average rating, because looking beyond my grievances with the translation, it was fun and I'm always fond of DMBJ. The fan translation would get a 4 though.
I entered the Daomu Biji/The Lost Tomb fandom through the cdramas, so I know pretty much everything that's in these books already, but of course I wanted to read the series properly. It's fun to read the books, but yeah... this official translation is just lackluster in every way, and don't get me started on the art, which is.. not very good (sorry artist!), it's not even near the equivalent of the official art. If you're looking for an entry to the DMBJ universe I'd suggest you look up the fan-translation or start with the live action. There's even a donghua out if that's more your speed, though it only covers 1 arc.
As for the content of this book, it's Wu Xie's first tomb adventure! Since it's the very beginning and the main plot hasn't kicked in yet, I'd consider it quite basic. This serves simply as an introduction to the world and the characters - Wu Xie, Uncle Three/Sanshu, Panzi, Pangzi (translated as Fats in the official release which just... makes it sound terrible), and Xiao Ge (aka Poker Face). The adventure itself is fine, though like I said introductory in nature I feel, all of my complaints are literally just for the translation. Like, even talking about names, for some reason the official translation railed against calling Xiao Ge... Xiao Ge, or Little Brother (technically Little Older Brother but...) and had people call him Menyouping or "you son of a bitch"/"pal" when referring to him out loud instead. Which not only annoys me because that's not what they're calling him, but also because Menyouping is Wu Xie's private nickname for him, not the name he's known by by other people (Xiao Ge), and it's literally just Poker Face untranslated (ok literally it's "stuffy oil bottle" but Poker Face is the widely accepted equivalent). It's beyond me why sometimes they'd call him Poker Face and sometimes call him Menyouping as if they're 2 different names... and just completely avoid the actual name they're calling him in the original text.
I love DMBJ, so I'm hoping that one day the books are licensed by a more competent publisher that gives it the release it deserves (and doesn't stop translating at book 6!! they didn't even finish the series!!). Overall I'll give the book an average rating, because looking beyond my grievances with the translation, it was fun and I'm always fond of DMBJ. The fan translation would get a 4 though.
February 1, 2021
Started reading this series after watching The Lost Tomb drama adaptation.
My review will primarily consist of comparisons for similar fans. It will contain general spoilers as well:
A consistent trend I’ve noticed with Chinese dramas is the transformation of complex, morally grey characters into selfless nationalists. The drama presents Wu Xie has a naive man with no interest in tomb raiding, who only embarks upon adventures to protect cultural relics. In contrast, the book version of Wu Xie is eager to raid a tomb in the hopes it’ll bring some fortune his way. Both versions are overall the moral compass of the group when it comes to life or death situations and wanting to protect his comrades.
Despite some people claiming that censorship requirements took away from the horror elements of the books, I’d disagree (so far anyways). While book events were more violent, everything was reasonably explained in the same vein as the drama. If you’ve watched the drama and want more zombies, you won’t find any here.
Much of the dialogue was lifted from the book word for word. The biggest story differences include the dramas inclusion of Ning who was absent from this book entirely and whose absence also allowed Wu Xie to shine and be less of a damsel in distress.
Xiao Ge is much more of a background character in the novel. While we’re used to him showing up and saving Wu Xie throughout the drama, he’s much busier taking care of his own business here and Wu Xie is left to fend for himself most of the time (which was honestly great for his character development and awesome to see). However, for fellow Xiao Ge enthusiasts like myself, our favorite tomb raider clearly has a larger role to play in the grand scheme of this story.
Overall, the book moves much faster than the drama and omits a lot of extraneous scenes. It’s interesting being in Wu Xie’s head but my attachment was also pre-established with my viewing of the drama. If I’d read this book without being 1st introduced to the drama and these characters, this would’ve been nothing special and I’d have been very unlikely to continue with the series. I was hoping these books would give me a better understanding of the show and characters but overall, I didn’t gain too much from reading it. As of now, I’ll probably just stick to the dramas moving forward. Perhaps after finishing the dramas I’ll return to these books if I’m desperate for more content but for now, I’m good.
My review will primarily consist of comparisons for similar fans. It will contain general spoilers as well:
A consistent trend I’ve noticed with Chinese dramas is the transformation of complex, morally grey characters into selfless nationalists. The drama presents Wu Xie has a naive man with no interest in tomb raiding, who only embarks upon adventures to protect cultural relics. In contrast, the book version of Wu Xie is eager to raid a tomb in the hopes it’ll bring some fortune his way. Both versions are overall the moral compass of the group when it comes to life or death situations and wanting to protect his comrades.
Despite some people claiming that censorship requirements took away from the horror elements of the books, I’d disagree (so far anyways). While book events were more violent, everything was reasonably explained in the same vein as the drama. If you’ve watched the drama and want more zombies, you won’t find any here.
Much of the dialogue was lifted from the book word for word. The biggest story differences include the dramas inclusion of Ning who was absent from this book entirely and whose absence also allowed Wu Xie to shine and be less of a damsel in distress.
Xiao Ge is much more of a background character in the novel. While we’re used to him showing up and saving Wu Xie throughout the drama, he’s much busier taking care of his own business here and Wu Xie is left to fend for himself most of the time (which was honestly great for his character development and awesome to see). However, for fellow Xiao Ge enthusiasts like myself, our favorite tomb raider clearly has a larger role to play in the grand scheme of this story.
Overall, the book moves much faster than the drama and omits a lot of extraneous scenes. It’s interesting being in Wu Xie’s head but my attachment was also pre-established with my viewing of the drama. If I’d read this book without being 1st introduced to the drama and these characters, this would’ve been nothing special and I’d have been very unlikely to continue with the series. I was hoping these books would give me a better understanding of the show and characters but overall, I didn’t gain too much from reading it. As of now, I’ll probably just stick to the dramas moving forward. Perhaps after finishing the dramas I’ll return to these books if I’m desperate for more content but for now, I’m good.
December 5, 2022
Sooooo... 2 1/2 stars?
I've watched two Lost tomb series -so far, and enjoyed them for the action, horror elements and the iron triangle. When I found that at least six of the books that are the source material is translated into english I immediately bought the first book.
So here we are.
The plot it fairly consistent with the first season of the drama - and being familiar with the characters certainly helped when reading this book. And I did enjoy the fast-paced if skeletal plot, the heavy horror elements and the budding friendships, buuuuut...
The writing is objectivly just not good. Now, this is a translation, and the original seems to be quite popular - I cannot really tell if the translation is bad, or the original writing was lacking. As it is the english version reads quite amateurish. The descriptions are almost non-existent, the main characters just tells you what happens and part of the dialogue has zero natural flow.
In addition there's not much time spent on developing the setting or the charactes - you have action, action and action, but little padding. This book really could use a lot more padding. Give me anything. Hell, tell me the weather - I am begging at some points in this novel.
However - I am a sucker, so I will continue the series. I really want to read more about the iron triangle & see them spend more time together, and I see several reviews saying that this is a debut novel and the series does - allegedly - improve. Hope springs eternal.
I've watched two Lost tomb series -so far, and enjoyed them for the action, horror elements and the iron triangle. When I found that at least six of the books that are the source material is translated into english I immediately bought the first book.
So here we are.
The plot it fairly consistent with the first season of the drama - and being familiar with the characters certainly helped when reading this book. And I did enjoy the fast-paced if skeletal plot, the heavy horror elements and the budding friendships, buuuuut...
The writing is objectivly just not good. Now, this is a translation, and the original seems to be quite popular - I cannot really tell if the translation is bad, or the original writing was lacking. As it is the english version reads quite amateurish. The descriptions are almost non-existent, the main characters just tells you what happens and part of the dialogue has zero natural flow.
In addition there's not much time spent on developing the setting or the charactes - you have action, action and action, but little padding. This book really could use a lot more padding. Give me anything. Hell, tell me the weather - I am begging at some points in this novel.
However - I am a sucker, so I will continue the series. I really want to read more about the iron triangle & see them spend more time together, and I see several reviews saying that this is a debut novel and the series does - allegedly - improve. Hope springs eternal.
March 1, 2022
I bought every available volume of this series because I adore the adaptations so far. If you expect the first book to be like the first season of the show, you will be disappointed. There are MAJOR differences!
The book is very easy to read and it's sadly kind of short but I iked how the tomb was described and did find some of the things hiding in there scary. I can't really say much about the characters however as I didn't really "cared" a lot for them as there wasn't that much development to say the least, and I found them all to be a bit apathetic and sarcastic all throughout the book. Everyone easily insulted each other and didn't really see much bonding happening between the characters.
Either way, it's a good start for the series, I didn't find myself bored and actually finished this in two days. I do wish the illustrations inside the book would be updated, no offense to the person that made the drawings but I think they could have been done much better so we also had some visuals of the characters.
The book is very easy to read and it's sadly kind of short but I iked how the tomb was described and did find some of the things hiding in there scary. I can't really say much about the characters however as I didn't really "cared" a lot for them as there wasn't that much development to say the least, and I found them all to be a bit apathetic and sarcastic all throughout the book. Everyone easily insulted each other and didn't really see much bonding happening between the characters.
Either way, it's a good start for the series, I didn't find myself bored and actually finished this in two days. I do wish the illustrations inside the book would be updated, no offense to the person that made the drawings but I think they could have been done much better so we also had some visuals of the characters.
August 8, 2021
This is more of a criticism of the publisher because honestly, it reads like a first time authors work, which it was. The book series however is popular and famous, but the written has not been improved to make it flow and an English language edition. Now it is not helped by being a translation and I think the Translator could have done more but it also needs an Editor to go through and say “this needs to be fixed”. It is a fun read if you like the world and kind of story but it is very clunky, and amateurish. I have also read one of the Witcher books so all the problems can not be waved away with saying “it is a translation”. Xu does improve, I am on the 3rd book and his characters become more real and less speakers of lines.
Again, I am more upset by the publisher because this could and should have been better. This should have been a welcome addition to Quartermaine and Jones but it will be relegated to Asian fans clubs.
Again, I am more upset by the publisher because this could and should have been better. This should have been a welcome addition to Quartermaine and Jones but it will be relegated to Asian fans clubs.
March 9, 2020
Uncle Three and his young nephew are part of a family of famous Chinese grave robbers, and this book, "Cavern of the Blood Zombies," is the first in a best selling series by Chinese author Lei Xu.
Fucking awesome. This is full of blood and guts and spit and gore and fast-action sequences and near death experiences and foul language and shit and farts and ghosts and corpse eaters and killer plants and zombified remains of evil generals from the ancient past. With rivers and caverns and traps and treasure maps. And more traps.
In short, if this review intrigues you, read this book. It rocks.
Fucking awesome. This is full of blood and guts and spit and gore and fast-action sequences and near death experiences and foul language and shit and farts and ghosts and corpse eaters and killer plants and zombified remains of evil generals from the ancient past. With rivers and caverns and traps and treasure maps. And more traps.
In short, if this review intrigues you, read this book. It rocks.
December 9, 2022
I wanted to read some of this series before starting the show. The language oscillates between stilted and vulgar, which could be because of translation issues. There are homophobic and fatphobic parts that are annoying. Sometimes the story is very compelling and interesting and sometimes itʻs very confusing. I bought the box set and will probably stick with the rest of the series, but mostly out of optimism that it will get better.
November 30, 2020
It's not the best book I have ever read and I had watched "The Lost Tomb" Season I before so it was pretty much "Déja vu" but I still liked it. I grew up with Indiana Jones so...
I am very intrigued by Zhang Qilin so I can't wait to see more of him and Wu Xie.
It reads quite fast so I'll see what the following books bring.
I am very intrigued by Zhang Qilin so I can't wait to see more of him and Wu Xie.
It reads quite fast so I'll see what the following books bring.
January 15, 2025
It's not a serious literature type, but it's still entertaining. I might enjoy more if I read it in teen age.
The book was originally published online forum so the chapters were designed to hook up the readers with fast-paced and packed actions. There is cliffhanger in nearly every chapter's ending😅. Hard to resist not to read on.
The book was originally published online forum so the chapters were designed to hook up the readers with fast-paced and packed actions. There is cliffhanger in nearly every chapter's ending😅. Hard to resist not to read on.
November 29, 2018
The book read like bad fanfiction, one of the fics where you raise your eyebrows at unbelievable action AND bad style, too. I don’t know if it was Lei Xu’s style or just bad translation, though. Still, I very much prefer the TV series based on the book, The Lost Tomb with Li Yi Feng and Yang Yang.
April 9, 2020
I found these books after watching the tv show and was not disappointed. They are full of mystery and adventure with enough creepiness to give you a thrill.
Dont expect a resolution though. These books are not stand alone and the next picks off right where this one ends
Dont expect a resolution though. These books are not stand alone and the next picks off right where this one ends
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2021
I think, i might enjoy it more if I could read the original text, my Chinese isn’t at that level yet though. Still, a good adventure story; this series satisfies a desire for more indiana jones-esq stories in my life so… I’m happy.
March 5, 2022
The title of this volume gives a pretty good idea of the vibe, which is pretty much tomb-robbing chaos dialed up to 11. Very funny. In retrospect, I'm also not sure more than half the characters are actually given names. Looking at you, Poker Face.
March 6, 2022
Definitely a kinda creepy book. If you’ve ever played Gujian 3, I kept imagining the setting being like Wuzhao’s tomb area - very dark and gloomy.
It’s a very different take from most western zombie stories though.
It’s a very different take from most western zombie stories though.
January 17, 2024
This was ridiculous, entertaining and quick. I don't know what I just read, but I was there for the ride and I loved the book more than I expected I would. It's basically a bunch of incapable men trying to teamwork disrespectfully, so you can guess how that goes. Will definitely read the next book.
July 27, 2020
These are just funny, fun reads and I'm enjoying them a lot!
March 24, 2021
I love this book🥰
May 18, 2021
Great interesting read
If you are looking for a chinese book to read this one has adventure, zoombies, monsters, and so much more.
If you are looking for a chinese book to read this one has adventure, zoombies, monsters, and so much more.
May 24, 2021
to read thos books
May 9, 2022
DNF at 37%. Some interesting horror/gore but not enough to get me through - the translation is pretty literal and not great.
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