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Condemning the Heavens #2
Blood of the Army
In the Kingdom of Heping, every youth must enroll in the army for the sake of fighting the Primordial Beasts.
An army is a cruel place where one mistake can cost both you and your brothers' lives.
This year another group of youngsters has arrived at the Recruitment Camp where they will be trained to become real soldiers.
These youngsters' hearts overflow with excitement, hope, and expectations for their future, all of them wishing to produce great achievements, and make their ancestors proud.
Xue Wei is one of these youngsters, but things do not go as he expected. Hidden intrigues, personal revenge, and unexpected encounters shake up the young man time and time again, and he is forced to reevaluate his morals and purpose in life.
An army is a cruel place where one mistake can cost both you and your brothers' lives.
This year another group of youngsters has arrived at the Recruitment Camp where they will be trained to become real soldiers.
These youngsters' hearts overflow with excitement, hope, and expectations for their future, all of them wishing to produce great achievements, and make their ancestors proud.
Xue Wei is one of these youngsters, but things do not go as he expected. Hidden intrigues, personal revenge, and unexpected encounters shake up the young man time and time again, and he is forced to reevaluate his morals and purpose in life.
- GenresFantasy
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2018
196 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Tinalynge
44 books167 followersI am Tinalynge, an aspiring author who is deeply inspired by eastern fantasy such as wuxia, xianxia, and xuanhuan. The first story I wrote was Blue Phoenix, a series I poured my very heart and soul into creating.
Since I started writing, I have finished Blue Phoenix at eight books, Overthrowing Fate at three books and began Condemning the Heavens. Although I have finished two series so far, I still consider myself a beginner in the world of writing. I am aware that my writing still needs to evolve and grow to become better, and as a result, I work very hard daily to improve my writing and produce stories that people can enjoy reading.
Thank you, everyone, who has read my books, I am sure that with your continued support I will be able to continue improving and create worlds filled with wonder and excitement.
Since I started writing, I have finished Blue Phoenix at eight books, Overthrowing Fate at three books and began Condemning the Heavens. Although I have finished two series so far, I still consider myself a beginner in the world of writing. I am aware that my writing still needs to evolve and grow to become better, and as a result, I work very hard daily to improve my writing and produce stories that people can enjoy reading.
Thank you, everyone, who has read my books, I am sure that with your continued support I will be able to continue improving and create worlds filled with wonder and excitement.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 28, 2021
If you can tolerate the low standard of English, there is plenty to like in this series. The 180-degree turn forced on the protagonist in this book was a brave move that really paid off.
It is hard to ignore the gaping logic holes, but I think I'm getting better at it. A guy who helped his dad in the apothecary of a small village till nine years of age manages to brew a concoction that raised a Sky-level warrior to Heavenly-level... okay. Xue Wei gains the ability to conjure weapons from chi and masters all of them without any teachers, sparring, or even books... okay. The army permits some of its most promising recruits to attempt to get into the equivalent of special forces, knowing that 90% of them will die during the test... okay. I could go on, but you have to suspend your disbelief really hard if you want to enjoy this series.
But I'm still reading, so I guess the author is doing something right.
It is hard to ignore the gaping logic holes, but I think I'm getting better at it. A guy who helped his dad in the apothecary of a small village till nine years of age manages to brew a concoction that raised a Sky-level warrior to Heavenly-level... okay. Xue Wei gains the ability to conjure weapons from chi and masters all of them without any teachers, sparring, or even books... okay. The army permits some of its most promising recruits to attempt to get into the equivalent of special forces, knowing that 90% of them will die during the test... okay. I could go on, but you have to suspend your disbelief really hard if you want to enjoy this series.
But I'm still reading, so I guess the author is doing something right.
September 21, 2019
It was enjoyable.
Ok the book was good but I wanted more depth in it and the advancement of the plot was just carbon copy of so many wuxia novels. Gets a 3.5 out of 5 rounded up.
Ok the book was good but I wanted more depth in it and the advancement of the plot was just carbon copy of so many wuxia novels. Gets a 3.5 out of 5 rounded up.
January 1, 2021
well its written on stone' the MC has no match, he can kill anyone or outrun them if not.
August 5, 2020
Rating 3.0 stars
Not as good as the first book. It started out well and then I couldn't tell where the author was trying to take me. There were a bunch of relationships that were developed in the first book and the first part of this book that just sort of went away with no real explanation. I know the main character is a loner and doesn't trust many people but there needs to be some personal interactions or it makes it hard for the reader to care. The MC flew through the levels in the second part of the story. Again the first 1/3 of the book was good and then it felt like everything changed. No more advancement for the last 2/3 of the book. There is something special and secret about the MC but that mystery won't keep me coming back forever without something else to keep my interest. I am not sure I will continue the series. I read a review that the next book is kind of flat so I am not sure if I want to give it a try.
Not as good as the first book. It started out well and then I couldn't tell where the author was trying to take me. There were a bunch of relationships that were developed in the first book and the first part of this book that just sort of went away with no real explanation. I know the main character is a loner and doesn't trust many people but there needs to be some personal interactions or it makes it hard for the reader to care. The MC flew through the levels in the second part of the story. Again the first 1/3 of the book was good and then it felt like everything changed. No more advancement for the last 2/3 of the book. There is something special and secret about the MC but that mystery won't keep me coming back forever without something else to keep my interest. I am not sure I will continue the series. I read a review that the next book is kind of flat so I am not sure if I want to give it a try.
May 19, 2018
I read this book on wuxiaworld.
After the first book, where we see him reaching the army where he's supposed to expend 10 years of his life killing beasts. We get to meet an interesting cast like the prince or the prophet, as well as some cultivators that are assigned to his unit.
This starts as a type of book where everything is about how the army is structured and our hero kind of doesn't really fit in the molds of the army while fitting quite well with his unit. The second part of the book is more about a conspiracy that sets the story into far more interesting areas.
After the first book, where we see him reaching the army where he's supposed to expend 10 years of his life killing beasts. We get to meet an interesting cast like the prince or the prophet, as well as some cultivators that are assigned to his unit.
This starts as a type of book where everything is about how the army is structured and our hero kind of doesn't really fit in the molds of the army while fitting quite well with his unit. The second part of the book is more about a conspiracy that sets the story into far more interesting areas.
August 23, 2018
2 stars : the plot development is atrocius .
Usually this genre follows quite a linear story, always pointing to a bigger stage and continuous MC powerups, so I didn't have this mighty expectations.
To be honest the general idea isn't that bad, but the actual "implementation" makes no sense at all. There's a heavy lack of common sense that I franly felt not justified: the MC sould be a smarty, but makes a lot of dumb choices. On top of this, he goes around like a head-less chicken.
Usually this genre follows quite a linear story, always pointing to a bigger stage and continuous MC powerups, so I didn't have this mighty expectations.
To be honest the general idea isn't that bad, but the actual "implementation" makes no sense at all. There's a heavy lack of common sense that I franly felt not justified: the MC sould be a smarty, but makes a lot of dumb choices. On top of this, he goes around like a head-less chicken.
July 10, 2019
Training days
A lot of this is a training montage. Xue Wei is still a confusing character that is difficult to relate to. The story feels a little forced. It's a good read. No idea where the story is going next.
A lot of this is a training montage. Xue Wei is still a confusing character that is difficult to relate to. The story feels a little forced. It's a good read. No idea where the story is going next.
July 23, 2021
Maybe the character is just progressing really slowly, but he isn’t a likable protagonist. He’s strong and I like when characters level up but the story isn’t really taking off. If by book three the story doesn’t pick up then I’m going to cut my losses and forget this series.
December 1, 2020
I have been working my way through this series and it is interesting. The intrigue is certainly non western which adds to it for me as I do not have a long history with this genre.
April 30, 2021
Terrible
I stopped 2/3 in and I will not be going further. This was a disappointment. I was a fan of the authors prior series but this book felt like she didn’t even try.
I stopped 2/3 in and I will not be going further. This was a disappointment. I was a fan of the authors prior series but this book felt like she didn’t even try.
May 6, 2021
Got better the main character starts to develop..... And mystery is nice
October 28, 2025
I've recently finished listening to the publisher pack of Tinalynge's Condemning the Heavens, containing volume one and two of the series. The book is narrated by Scott Merriman.
What to say? This is another Wuxia novel. It feels like I've read quite a few of those lately…
That said, this is probably one of the better wuxia series I've read so far. While I do have a few grievances with it, it's the first book in quite a while that I just couldn't put down. There was something with it that compelled me to continue listening. I think I can attribute it to it feeling like one fluid story, rather than being "cut up" into chapters. It also has a very fast pace that makes the book easily digestible.
The main character, while not perfect, still isn't as insufferable as many other power fantasy self-inserts. He has flaws, like not being good at making friends, or how he easily loses himself to his bloodlust, and actually is hold to them. While he is disgustingly OP, at least compared to others at his cultivation level, that is not unusual for wuxia novels, and it's still obvious that he isn't the strongest person in the world (yet).
Tinalynge manages to create a mystery from the beginning of the series; who is Xiao Lei really? What is Xue Lei? How are they connected to the Primordial Beasts? And they don't reveal the answer immediately, unlike many other stories I've read. It keeps the story interesting without having to create a "story of the novel" to keep up interest. It makes the series feel more like one story.
With all that said, I still have some grievances; Tinalynge has a bad habit of repeating themselves. It happens more than a few times that a piece of information, e.g. how a skill works, is revealed, just to be repeated a few paragraphs later. The language in the book also reminds me a bit of the fan translated light novels I read before I found professional translated works. The sentence structure and word choice, while not grammatically incorrect, makes it feel like the book has been directly translated from Chinese with its unnessesarily pompous language.
Tinalynge also has a bad habit of having Xue Lei talk about how stuff works in a tell-not-show kind of way, which makes the info dumps a bit annoying and sometimes makes the flow awkward.
That said, these are all not bad enough to ruin my experience fully, and it's still a book that I had a difficulty to put down. It would had felt a bit insufficient if I had gotten only volume one instead of the publisher's pack. The story is fast paced enough for the content of volume one to feel like it ends too quickly.
I have no complaints about Scott Merriman's performance. He manages to portray each character with personality and doesn't lower the experience. It's like film music; it enhances the experience without being that noticeable.
In total I want to give this publisher's pack an 8/10.
What to say? This is another Wuxia novel. It feels like I've read quite a few of those lately…
That said, this is probably one of the better wuxia series I've read so far. While I do have a few grievances with it, it's the first book in quite a while that I just couldn't put down. There was something with it that compelled me to continue listening. I think I can attribute it to it feeling like one fluid story, rather than being "cut up" into chapters. It also has a very fast pace that makes the book easily digestible.
The main character, while not perfect, still isn't as insufferable as many other power fantasy self-inserts. He has flaws, like not being good at making friends, or how he easily loses himself to his bloodlust, and actually is hold to them. While he is disgustingly OP, at least compared to others at his cultivation level, that is not unusual for wuxia novels, and it's still obvious that he isn't the strongest person in the world (yet).
Tinalynge manages to create a mystery from the beginning of the series; who is Xiao Lei really? What is Xue Lei? How are they connected to the Primordial Beasts? And they don't reveal the answer immediately, unlike many other stories I've read. It keeps the story interesting without having to create a "story of the novel" to keep up interest. It makes the series feel more like one story.
With all that said, I still have some grievances; Tinalynge has a bad habit of repeating themselves. It happens more than a few times that a piece of information, e.g. how a skill works, is revealed, just to be repeated a few paragraphs later. The language in the book also reminds me a bit of the fan translated light novels I read before I found professional translated works. The sentence structure and word choice, while not grammatically incorrect, makes it feel like the book has been directly translated from Chinese with its unnessesarily pompous language.
Tinalynge also has a bad habit of having Xue Lei talk about how stuff works in a tell-not-show kind of way, which makes the info dumps a bit annoying and sometimes makes the flow awkward.
That said, these are all not bad enough to ruin my experience fully, and it's still a book that I had a difficulty to put down. It would had felt a bit insufficient if I had gotten only volume one instead of the publisher's pack. The story is fast paced enough for the content of volume one to feel like it ends too quickly.
I have no complaints about Scott Merriman's performance. He manages to portray each character with personality and doesn't lower the experience. It's like film music; it enhances the experience without being that noticeable.
In total I want to give this publisher's pack an 8/10.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews