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A Thousand Li #3
The First War
As war threatens his family, Wu Ying must decide on his path to immortality and the mortal ties that bind
Winter has passed, taking with it the hope of peace. The state of Wei deploy an increasing number of cultivators and soldiers, intent on taking over the state of Shen. Caught in-between the armies is Wu Ying's village and all those that he cares about.
Advised to keep away from the approaching war, Wu Ying will have to decide what is more important - his journey to immortality or the ties to the mortal that he holds onto still. Or perhaps, there is a third way, one that balances both the needs of Heaven and destiny and the karmic ties of the family.
The First War is book three of the xianxia cultivation series, A Thousand Li. The series features immortal cultivation, gods, wondrous martial art styles and spirit beasts and will be loved by wuxia and xanxia fans. A Thousand Li is written by Tao Wong, the bestselling scifi and fantasy LitRPG author of the System Apocalypse, Adventures on Brad and the Hidden Wishes.
Winter has passed, taking with it the hope of peace. The state of Wei deploy an increasing number of cultivators and soldiers, intent on taking over the state of Shen. Caught in-between the armies is Wu Ying's village and all those that he cares about.
Advised to keep away from the approaching war, Wu Ying will have to decide what is more important - his journey to immortality or the ties to the mortal that he holds onto still. Or perhaps, there is a third way, one that balances both the needs of Heaven and destiny and the karmic ties of the family.
The First War is book three of the xianxia cultivation series, A Thousand Li. The series features immortal cultivation, gods, wondrous martial art styles and spirit beasts and will be loved by wuxia and xanxia fans. A Thousand Li is written by Tao Wong, the bestselling scifi and fantasy LitRPG author of the System Apocalypse, Adventures on Brad and the Hidden Wishes.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2020
1230 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
About the author
Tao Wong
137 books957 followersTao Wong is the author of the A Thousand Li progression fantasy series and the System Apocalypse LitRPG series, among others. His work has been released in audio, paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats, and translated into German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and several other languages. He was shortlisted for the UK Kindle Storyteller Award in 2021 for A Thousand Li: The Second Sect. In 2026, the first three books in the A Thousand Li series will be republished in hardcover by Ace Books.
When he’s not writing or working, he enjoys practicing martial arts, reading, and dreaming up new worlds. He lives in Toronto, Canada.
When he’s not writing or working, he enjoys practicing martial arts, reading, and dreaming up new worlds. He lives in Toronto, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
April 18, 2022
So far, I appreciate this book the least in the series. I was in it for Vol. 1 and 2. I still was pulled through, but it's a cultivation story and that felt like it took a backseat. Wu Ying is moving very slowly, it feels like, or maybe I'm simply used to Cradle.
The story starts off pretty good in the sect. I like all that stuff. Then, Wu Ying and friends leave to help his village move and go to war. It was not all that exciting at that point. It was alright. We keep waiting for Wu Ying to move forward and he doesn't in his cultivation. He's getting so far behind that he should have died in all these battles. There was a lot of plot armor going on for Wu Ying.
There was plenty of conflict and nothing really felt like high stakes. The book starts out skipping over a cultivation level which was strange. I would think opening the 12th meridian would be important and it's off book. I guess it means little.
Lots of Cultivators died in the story. I don't know, I'm a little disappointed. I think I'll slow down on this series for now, take a break. Maybe it will be better that way.
The story starts off pretty good in the sect. I like all that stuff. Then, Wu Ying and friends leave to help his village move and go to war. It was not all that exciting at that point. It was alright. We keep waiting for Wu Ying to move forward and he doesn't in his cultivation. He's getting so far behind that he should have died in all these battles. There was a lot of plot armor going on for Wu Ying.
There was plenty of conflict and nothing really felt like high stakes. The book starts out skipping over a cultivation level which was strange. I would think opening the 12th meridian would be important and it's off book. I guess it means little.
Lots of Cultivators died in the story. I don't know, I'm a little disappointed. I think I'll slow down on this series for now, take a break. Maybe it will be better that way.
April 3, 2020
Starting to sense a theme
I’m a fan of this author but similar to system apocalypse his books seem to start off with a good premise, story, action. Then you realize you’re 3 book in and nothing’s happening. Book 1 was great, book 2 was slow but hey, still has potential. I was half way through this book and realized this is boring. So I found myself skipping parts just to make sure I didn’t miss anything in the end. And let’s just say I didn’t. Absolutely no advancement from them MC waste of a book
I’m a fan of this author but similar to system apocalypse his books seem to start off with a good premise, story, action. Then you realize you’re 3 book in and nothing’s happening. Book 1 was great, book 2 was slow but hey, still has potential. I was half way through this book and realized this is boring. So I found myself skipping parts just to make sure I didn’t miss anything in the end. And let’s just say I didn’t. Absolutely no advancement from them MC waste of a book
September 21, 2023
It was good to come back to this series. I think this entry was more about Wu Ying learning about himself. It’s easy to see this as a stumble but I think it’s more about setting up a foundation.
April 7, 2020
The book was entertaining but it doesn't move the story forward much, besides some minor character growth by Wu Ying.
I have really enjoyed this cultivation series in the past but I was expecting a similar experience this time around and there just wasn't enough there. This is hard for me to say, as I have really looked forward to every Tao Wong release, regardless of the series.
Will continue to read the series when book #4 becomes available.
I have really enjoyed this cultivation series in the past but I was expecting a similar experience this time around and there just wasn't enough there. This is hard for me to say, as I have really looked forward to every Tao Wong release, regardless of the series.
Will continue to read the series when book #4 becomes available.
May 29, 2020
Well, I think I'm done with this series. I only finished the book out of obligation rather than entertainment.
My previous complaint about being bored with the day to day minutia of cultivator life still stands and then grew immensely in this book. The entire book was surprisingly boring considering it was supposed to incorporate more world events and plot.
The entire book is mostly just detached exposition. I never really felt any sense of stakes and I honestly also can't call the main character anything other than generic and boring. He has no personality other than a few childish tantrums. He seems like a simpleton most of the time other than when the plot needs him to do something competent to move the story forward.
I previously held this series up as an example for cultivation novels, but as of this book I can't do that any longer.
My previous complaint about being bored with the day to day minutia of cultivator life still stands and then grew immensely in this book. The entire book was surprisingly boring considering it was supposed to incorporate more world events and plot.
The entire book is mostly just detached exposition. I never really felt any sense of stakes and I honestly also can't call the main character anything other than generic and boring. He has no personality other than a few childish tantrums. He seems like a simpleton most of the time other than when the plot needs him to do something competent to move the story forward.
I previously held this series up as an example for cultivation novels, but as of this book I can't do that any longer.
April 12, 2020
Given the war in the title and all the buildup it received in book 2 of the series I really expected this to be more consequential.
Instead we see our protagonist spending the whole book to learn that he should care less about his family (funny sidenote to this series is how every "revelation" the protagonist makes is kinda dumb, his last big one was to care less about how the rich nobles exploited his society).
Also there's little point in writing a novel about a war when you then turn around and have every single member of the protagonist's friend group survive without as much as a lasting injury, ultimately our war turns out to be nothing but a gigantic timekilling exercise that adds nothing to the plot beyond pagecount.
Gonna give the series 1 more book before deciding to drop it but after this there is every chance that I just never bother to remember about it when book 4 comes out.
Instead we see our protagonist spending the whole book to learn that he should care less about his family (funny sidenote to this series is how every "revelation" the protagonist makes is kinda dumb, his last big one was to care less about how the rich nobles exploited his society).
Also there's little point in writing a novel about a war when you then turn around and have every single member of the protagonist's friend group survive without as much as a lasting injury, ultimately our war turns out to be nothing but a gigantic timekilling exercise that adds nothing to the plot beyond pagecount.
Gonna give the series 1 more book before deciding to drop it but after this there is every chance that I just never bother to remember about it when book 4 comes out.
April 8, 2024
Well we've tanked.
The lack of planning of the series shows. Book seems to be written just for the sake of writing, and continuing what little story there is.
That still would have been fine, but unfortunately, the author fell into the trap of conjuring up dramatic situations by introducing new and absurd inconsistencies into his characters. This book honestly felt like it had absolutely different characters from the one's I've been reading so far.
The MC suddenly becomes angry as a wild boar at the silliest things. Worse, he's not angry in the silently upset kind of way, but in a way that makes him lash out at everyone around him. Who the heck is this person and where in the nine hells did he come from? Going from a person who was sensible enough to be the one to calm his angry friend down from doing reckless things in the very first chapters of the first book, now we see someone who absolutely cannot tolerate even a hint of anyone saying anything against him. And that includes his own friends trying to give him suggestions or just throwing out ideas! And worse, this is on top of his friends having done an immensely big favour to him in the first place! What the actual f**k?!
At first I thought that, even though it was all feeling horribly inconsistent, the author was trying to use this as a growth opportunity for his main character. But nothing of the sort happened, and in the end it started to seem like the author felt his MC's actions were natural and justified! Apparently its completely normal to expect your friends to risk their lives for you for nothing, and rub them all the wrong way while you're doing it! Incredible! Who knew?!
The inconsistencies don't stop here though. The book is just full of them.
It is just a horrendous mess overall. I'll try the next book to see if it gets better, but its feeling highly doubtful. I don't even know which main character we'll get in the next book. The sensible, normal person of the first book? The utterly confused and unmotivated person of the second book? Or the one spitting hissy fits at everything and nothing of the third.
The lack of planning of the series shows. Book seems to be written just for the sake of writing, and continuing what little story there is.
That still would have been fine, but unfortunately, the author fell into the trap of conjuring up dramatic situations by introducing new and absurd inconsistencies into his characters. This book honestly felt like it had absolutely different characters from the one's I've been reading so far.
The MC suddenly becomes angry as a wild boar at the silliest things. Worse, he's not angry in the silently upset kind of way, but in a way that makes him lash out at everyone around him. Who the heck is this person and where in the nine hells did he come from? Going from a person who was sensible enough to be the one to calm his angry friend down from doing reckless things in the very first chapters of the first book, now we see someone who absolutely cannot tolerate even a hint of anyone saying anything against him. And that includes his own friends trying to give him suggestions or just throwing out ideas! And worse, this is on top of his friends having done an immensely big favour to him in the first place! What the actual f**k?!
At first I thought that, even though it was all feeling horribly inconsistent, the author was trying to use this as a growth opportunity for his main character. But nothing of the sort happened, and in the end it started to seem like the author felt his MC's actions were natural and justified! Apparently its completely normal to expect your friends to risk their lives for you for nothing, and rub them all the wrong way while you're doing it! Incredible! Who knew?!
The inconsistencies don't stop here though. The book is just full of them.
It is just a horrendous mess overall. I'll try the next book to see if it gets better, but its feeling highly doubtful. I don't even know which main character we'll get in the next book. The sensible, normal person of the first book? The utterly confused and unmotivated person of the second book? Or the one spitting hissy fits at everything and nothing of the third.
April 5, 2020
Rating 2.5 stars
What happened? This series started off really well. But for whatever reason this progression/cultivation book decided not to have any advancement in it. Really, nothing happened. There was no new enlightenment. No great new technique. There was no progression to finding his Dao. If this series doesn't get back to what it was early on, I am not sure I am going to continue. I mean really, a progression novel in which the main character doesn't progress at all? What's the point?
What happened? This series started off really well. But for whatever reason this progression/cultivation book decided not to have any advancement in it. Really, nothing happened. There was no new enlightenment. No great new technique. There was no progression to finding his Dao. If this series doesn't get back to what it was early on, I am not sure I am going to continue. I mean really, a progression novel in which the main character doesn't progress at all? What's the point?
June 4, 2025
Honestly, I feel that this was the weakest book so far. Our hero gets very little done in this book, most of the relationships do not develop as much as I would like, and he seems to just be stalling this entire book. The war was kind of fun, but really the expedition in the last book was far better. Our hero ends the book realizing something and coming to terms with himself, but I do not feel like his realization was worth the entire book.
Still, a fun ride at least that can set up some conflict in the future. Interesting to see if it plays into the story at all or if its forgotten like I suspect it will be.
Still, a fun ride at least that can set up some conflict in the future. Interesting to see if it plays into the story at all or if its forgotten like I suspect it will be.
April 27, 2023
I don't even know what to say. I read this, but couldn't say a single thing about this.
Read
April 19, 2020Research.
May 17, 2022
Better than book 2
Let’s get this out of the way, book two was not good. It rambled on and on with really no point. The character didn’t develop much. The dialogue was non-existent so I had no real hope for this book.
However, I was pleasantly surprised that the author returned with a story that made the first book so interesting. The protagonists friendship and relationships to others gave much needed depth to the story. It helped make the quest interesting and relatable. Not to mention added dialogue.
The author I think admits to the fact book 2 was a waste of time at the start of this book. In fact he says so when referring to how nothing was accomplished by it. After reading this book I see no reason why you should read #2. Other than Tu He’s injury, which doesn’t get addressed in this book either.
The antagonist in the first book returns and adds complexity to the story. Neither a friend nor a real enemy. So a more realistic approach, instead of doing the standard Harry Potter rivalry. Even the girlfriend though unbelievable after 2 book, was used to give the protagonist realistic growth.
In the end I liked the book. Three stars because even though I liked it, the book wasn’t great from cover to cover. There were some really boring parts as well.
Let’s get this out of the way, book two was not good. It rambled on and on with really no point. The character didn’t develop much. The dialogue was non-existent so I had no real hope for this book.
However, I was pleasantly surprised that the author returned with a story that made the first book so interesting. The protagonists friendship and relationships to others gave much needed depth to the story. It helped make the quest interesting and relatable. Not to mention added dialogue.
The author I think admits to the fact book 2 was a waste of time at the start of this book. In fact he says so when referring to how nothing was accomplished by it. After reading this book I see no reason why you should read #2. Other than Tu He’s injury, which doesn’t get addressed in this book either.
The antagonist in the first book returns and adds complexity to the story. Neither a friend nor a real enemy. So a more realistic approach, instead of doing the standard Harry Potter rivalry. Even the girlfriend though unbelievable after 2 book, was used to give the protagonist realistic growth.
In the end I liked the book. Three stars because even though I liked it, the book wasn’t great from cover to cover. There were some really boring parts as well.
April 6, 2020
Good follow up
The book is a fun read and follows the MC through doubts and battles. Very entertaining to say the least.
The book is a fun read and follows the MC through doubts and battles. Very entertaining to say the least.
January 15, 2025
not that enjoyable
This was the hardest to get through so far.
I can tell the MC is making a big mistake. The MC's friends can tell he's making a big mistake. Everyone but the MC can tell he's making a big mistake so reading this story of one long bad idea is a though slog. What's worse is the the MC's friends come along to "keep him out of trouble" even though they could be crippled or killed going along with his harebrained scheme.
Along this road trip through a war zone we see a lot of destruction and pointless death.
The tension and anxiety levels are high right up to the very last chapter where you and the MC are left in little doubt whether it was worth it.
This was the hardest to get through so far.
I can tell the MC is making a big mistake. The MC's friends can tell he's making a big mistake. Everyone but the MC can tell he's making a big mistake so reading this story of one long bad idea is a though slog. What's worse is the the MC's friends come along to "keep him out of trouble" even though they could be crippled or killed going along with his harebrained scheme.
Along this road trip through a war zone we see a lot of destruction and pointless death.
The tension and anxiety levels are high right up to the very last chapter where you and the MC are left in little doubt whether it was worth it.
August 15, 2022
This book is where I finally stopped reading this series, for a few reasons.
The appeal of this series, from what I've seen from others who like it (and from what I've seen of the authors intent), is that unlike virtually every other Xianxia protagonist, the main character is just an average cultivator. He progresses at an average rate, and actually stays in his sect for a long time, allowing characters to stick around and become fleshed out, and for character development to happen.
In theory, this is great! In practice, I don't think it lives up to the premise, for a few reasons:
1) He makes nearly no progress after book one. He's portrayed as a "dumb peasant", and virtually everyone else outstrips him. Rather than an "average cultivator", to me he comes off as the bottom of the class. While constant power escalation can be a problem (and opposite to the point of this series), I feel sideways progression where characters work on utility abilities, defense, sense, versatility, or meaningful crafting is a far better method to deal with power creep, and leads to more fleshing out of the world.
He doesn't really grow as a character, or develop meaningful relationships during this time either. I've seen a few reviews where people accidentally skipped a book, and didn't even really notice because nothing important was missed.
2) To build on this, his "craft/career" he takes up is essentially herb-tending. A lot of detail is spent on him tending fields, but he does almost nothing with it. There's no interesting scenes of strange plant growth methods, no potion making or alchemy, no growing walls or building out of plants, no scenes of him growing magical plants as appliance equivalents (heater, air conditioner, etc.) just dry, boring scenes that could have described a normal peasant farmer. Additionally, it seems like one of the worst pay jobs he could have taken.
The only real use (and decent pay days) he gets out of it is occasionally having the knowledge to pick and preserve some valuable plants in the wild, or being brought on an expedition to grab a rare plant as a backup.
3) Even with the above, I might have pushed on if the characters really were developed enough. But I don't really care about anyone. Not the protagonist, his friends, his teachers.
The appeal of this series, from what I've seen from others who like it (and from what I've seen of the authors intent), is that unlike virtually every other Xianxia protagonist, the main character is just an average cultivator. He progresses at an average rate, and actually stays in his sect for a long time, allowing characters to stick around and become fleshed out, and for character development to happen.
In theory, this is great! In practice, I don't think it lives up to the premise, for a few reasons:
1) He makes nearly no progress after book one. He's portrayed as a "dumb peasant", and virtually everyone else outstrips him. Rather than an "average cultivator", to me he comes off as the bottom of the class. While constant power escalation can be a problem (and opposite to the point of this series), I feel sideways progression where characters work on utility abilities, defense, sense, versatility, or meaningful crafting is a far better method to deal with power creep, and leads to more fleshing out of the world.
He doesn't really grow as a character, or develop meaningful relationships during this time either. I've seen a few reviews where people accidentally skipped a book, and didn't even really notice because nothing important was missed.
2) To build on this, his "craft/career" he takes up is essentially herb-tending. A lot of detail is spent on him tending fields, but he does almost nothing with it. There's no interesting scenes of strange plant growth methods, no potion making or alchemy, no growing walls or building out of plants, no scenes of him growing magical plants as appliance equivalents (heater, air conditioner, etc.) just dry, boring scenes that could have described a normal peasant farmer. Additionally, it seems like one of the worst pay jobs he could have taken.
The only real use (and decent pay days) he gets out of it is occasionally having the knowledge to pick and preserve some valuable plants in the wild, or being brought on an expedition to grab a rare plant as a backup.
3) Even with the above, I might have pushed on if the characters really were developed enough. But I don't really care about anyone. Not the protagonist, his friends, his teachers.
December 27, 2020
An enjoyable third book to the series.
I have the feeling that the author could really make this into a long but very worthwhile series. The stories so far have all been interesting and have pulled me through from beginning to end. While the author does have a tendency every once in awhile to throw out if you words that require the reader to either have a thesaurus or Kindle to look it up in the dictionary. Honestly that's not too bad though it just does tend to pull you out of the book long enough to figure out what he meant.
This is a young adult martial arts fantasy that is appropriate for young adults and above. It does not get really heavily into young adult tropes such as angst and extreme romantic drama. There is some romance as well as humor and of course plenty of action. One thing I do enjoy about the series is that the character is fairly deep. He is not a shining Knight but he is not one of those dark and brooding Gray characters. It is interesting to see how sometimes what I want as a reader is flipped on its head a bit and still just as good.
The main protagonist has been through the last three books generally weaker than everybody around him but building a strong foundation and setting himself up I think for success later. I'm not sure if he'll become one of the all powerful characters that many protagonists of his ilk becomes at least not immediately.
I do think that the author may have mixed up some names of side characters. At the same time there is enough names that it is quite confusing at times but for the most part it is a real smooth read. I do think this was a faster read in the previous two books but overall the entire series is a quick and enjoyable read.
I have the feeling that the author could really make this into a long but very worthwhile series. The stories so far have all been interesting and have pulled me through from beginning to end. While the author does have a tendency every once in awhile to throw out if you words that require the reader to either have a thesaurus or Kindle to look it up in the dictionary. Honestly that's not too bad though it just does tend to pull you out of the book long enough to figure out what he meant.
This is a young adult martial arts fantasy that is appropriate for young adults and above. It does not get really heavily into young adult tropes such as angst and extreme romantic drama. There is some romance as well as humor and of course plenty of action. One thing I do enjoy about the series is that the character is fairly deep. He is not a shining Knight but he is not one of those dark and brooding Gray characters. It is interesting to see how sometimes what I want as a reader is flipped on its head a bit and still just as good.
The main protagonist has been through the last three books generally weaker than everybody around him but building a strong foundation and setting himself up I think for success later. I'm not sure if he'll become one of the all powerful characters that many protagonists of his ilk becomes at least not immediately.
I do think that the author may have mixed up some names of side characters. At the same time there is enough names that it is quite confusing at times but for the most part it is a real smooth read. I do think this was a faster read in the previous two books but overall the entire series is a quick and enjoyable read.
October 10, 2020
I mean this is a decent story. It is more of a side story. Very little growth happens to the MC. There is some emotional growth. Which is good and sets up the future. The MC literally does not move up his power until the very end of the book.... like the last words. The MC does not feel special. I mean he doesn't need to be OP but there is little to nothing unique that make me care about him specifically. There is no hook if that makes sense. I'll keep reading because Tao writes good stuff and I'm curious to see what he does. I will close by saying it was disappointing to see the MC fail at the beginning of the book and then show very little growth. I think he needs to distinguish himself some how. Maybe he is able to focus on both the physical body (tanky like that armored warrior?) and the spiritual. We will see I guess.
If in book 4 there is a ton of growth, I probably would have graded this differently had 3-4 been one book since a major complaint would have been removed.
Last thought to author... you basically made this an entire book about going that last step, and then to end his ascension with little to no fan fair or exploration felt hollow.
If in book 4 there is a ton of growth, I probably would have graded this differently had 3-4 been one book since a major complaint would have been removed.
Last thought to author... you basically made this an entire book about going that last step, and then to end his ascension with little to no fan fair or exploration felt hollow.
June 9, 2020
Alert
First, my review: “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Over the past year it has become apparent that my reviews are somewhat antagonistic and I apologize to those of you that have taken offense. I think I had hoped to change peoples’ minds about reviewing works of art and that seems to have backfired spectacularly. However, I am still going to be true to myself and write what I believe.
To the author: Thank you for this chance to escape reality and enjoy the world you created! Keep up the good work.
To my fellow reviewers: Messaging me and reviewing my reviews is as productive as trying to shovel water out of the ocean. Stop. I get it. Let’s just all live peacefully.
To potential readers: Art needs to be experienced at an individual level. You are the only one that can determine what you like and don’t like. Don’t let others make that decision for you. You should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
First, my review: “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Over the past year it has become apparent that my reviews are somewhat antagonistic and I apologize to those of you that have taken offense. I think I had hoped to change peoples’ minds about reviewing works of art and that seems to have backfired spectacularly. However, I am still going to be true to myself and write what I believe.
To the author: Thank you for this chance to escape reality and enjoy the world you created! Keep up the good work.
To my fellow reviewers: Messaging me and reviewing my reviews is as productive as trying to shovel water out of the ocean. Stop. I get it. Let’s just all live peacefully.
To potential readers: Art needs to be experienced at an individual level. You are the only one that can determine what you like and don’t like. Don’t let others make that decision for you. You should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
July 26, 2020
A proper cultivation novel by an English author, wow have been waiting for something like this for a long time, and this didn't disappoint. Also nicely avoided the OP trap that most of these books have. The story is engaging, the character are realistic and relatable. There still is no overarching plot but that's the norm for cultivation novels. Wouldnt really like the revenge focused plot that most of them follow anyway. Doesn't suit our protagonist and its already way overdone.
The only flaw if one is that the story is somewhat slow-paced. With how big the world seems to be, our protagonist has not really explored it in any way or even shown a desire yet. Does look that it will pick up in the next book though.
Eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.
The only flaw if one is that the story is somewhat slow-paced. With how big the world seems to be, our protagonist has not really explored it in any way or even shown a desire yet. Does look that it will pick up in the next book though.
Eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.
April 5, 2020
One of my favorite cultivation stories
A thousand Li stands as one of the best examples of a pure cultivation story within the genre. It both exceeds expectations for the genre by having a character who is not “suddenly the most powerful” but also maintains the tropes in interesting ways. The powerful noble he beat earlier in the series returns for some profound commentary on the world - the search for dao being the primary drive rather than simple power.
For finding meaning, true meaning, is the way toward enlightenment- and that is what cultivation is. The enlightenment of the soul that improves the body as well
A thousand Li stands as one of the best examples of a pure cultivation story within the genre. It both exceeds expectations for the genre by having a character who is not “suddenly the most powerful” but also maintains the tropes in interesting ways. The powerful noble he beat earlier in the series returns for some profound commentary on the world - the search for dao being the primary drive rather than simple power.
For finding meaning, true meaning, is the way toward enlightenment- and that is what cultivation is. The enlightenment of the soul that improves the body as well
December 31, 2021
Not the best in the series but pretty good
I hated the hero with visceral intensity.
The story continues solid and well-paced, even though the main character has become an insufferable and resentful prick incapable of seeing beyond his prejudices and superfluous judgments.
I hate people that are so good at disguising their lack of character as humble virtue that they start to believe their facade.
Still, the story is good, well written, and the supporting characters are so well thought that they end up casting enough shadow on the hero, so he becomes a significant annoyance instead of ruining the story.
I hated the hero with visceral intensity.
The story continues solid and well-paced, even though the main character has become an insufferable and resentful prick incapable of seeing beyond his prejudices and superfluous judgments.
I hate people that are so good at disguising their lack of character as humble virtue that they start to believe their facade.
Still, the story is good, well written, and the supporting characters are so well thought that they end up casting enough shadow on the hero, so he becomes a significant annoyance instead of ruining the story.
April 20, 2022
A good story with fairly interesting characters. There was no fall off in the story between books. If you liked the 1st and 2nd book, you should like this one also. I am still interested and will read the 4th book also. Author has a slight tendency to have the Main character to do stupid things, but he usually learns from them and doesn't repeat them. I hate when authors have the Main continually do stupid stuff as a device solely to kick the story down the road. If the Main is stupid and fails ever learn. I don't care about them and stop reading the book.
April 4, 2020
Back on track
A better book then the second. A more cohesive story with with clear goals by the protagonist compared to the second book where it felt as though the book simply had a narrator, and not a main character. Not as good as the first. The first benefit from an overarching antagonists with related challenges. This third book felt like a series of disconnected challenges.
A better book then the second. A more cohesive story with with clear goals by the protagonist compared to the second book where it felt as though the book simply had a narrator, and not a main character. Not as good as the first. The first benefit from an overarching antagonists with related challenges. This third book felt like a series of disconnected challenges.
April 5, 2020
The Next Chapter
One of the reasons I enjoy Tao Wong as an author is the character arcs for the protagonist allow for character development. Today’s indie authors often make the mistake of making their hero’s to be all knowing and perfect. One of the reasons I enjoy A Thousand Li is we get to be part of the journey. We see the failures, step by step growth, and partial successes of the main characters. Well done.
One of the reasons I enjoy Tao Wong as an author is the character arcs for the protagonist allow for character development. Today’s indie authors often make the mistake of making their hero’s to be all knowing and perfect. One of the reasons I enjoy A Thousand Li is we get to be part of the journey. We see the failures, step by step growth, and partial successes of the main characters. Well done.
April 23, 2020
The story itself was ok, it was just too drawn out for my tastes. I found myself struggling to stawy awake many times during it's reading, even though the story carried along relatively smoothly, it just had too much trivial details to make it a fun read. Those who enjoy extra information, lots of details, and plenty of sidelines won't have this problem, I'm sure.
It does bring this piece of the story to a satisfactory ending, so there is that, but for me, it was just too slow doing so.
It does bring this piece of the story to a satisfactory ending, so there is that, but for me, it was just too slow doing so.
April 29, 2020
Great new series.
I find that I always look for your book to come out. Love your style and all the thought you put in to your books and series as a whole. That being said this book as always was great. There is one thing that I find different. The speed with which your main character has grown in both marital arts and cultivation has been a lot slower than in your other books. I look forward to the next book. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication.
Rob
I find that I always look for your book to come out. Love your style and all the thought you put in to your books and series as a whole. That being said this book as always was great. There is one thing that I find different. The speed with which your main character has grown in both marital arts and cultivation has been a lot slower than in your other books. I look forward to the next book. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication.
Rob
August 15, 2020
I learned a lot of what not to do from this book. Jesus *facepalm, I really gotta let this go. Starting this series after Red Rising was like applying a calming balm to my shot nerves. But, the author needs to meditate on actions and consequences. And he should study exactly how to capitalize on what the plot requires and character growth. Something went horribly wrong here. Jesus Christ, what's a waste of time.
June 23, 2024
The stakes are slightly higher but the something about the plot or the character makes it hard for me to take it seriously , either way a good book to use as white noise.
November 15, 2023
3.5 stars
Okay, this series is not bad, and if you're a fan of cultivation, I think this is a pretty solid series. That said, I think I find the whole genre to be interesting, but not riveting. Part of it is the slow pacing of this series. Perhaps that's part of the point, because cultivation is something that practitioners would take a lifetime to achieve. Yes, they end up with increased lifetimes, assuming they don't die along the way. But it's a process that takes dedication, hard work, and a lot of patience. Which means things don't progress quickly, and sometimes move backwards.
I believe that A Thousand Li refers to the Chinese measurement for mile, but it basically means a long distance. This makes sense to me considering how the first three books have gone. Wu-Ling's journey is progressing, but it's not progressing quickly. Along the way, he's making friends/allies, but he's also making enemies or at least learning how to deal with those who may not have his best interests at heart (okay, some of them die). He goes back and forth between listening and not listening to the advice of others, which include his friends as well as some of the elders. You're left wondering what the other person is leaving out.
This one was called the First War, which means that Wu-Ling and his friends end up getting drawn into one of the endless wars between factions. War books are never my favorite, and in this case, I actually wish more time was spent on his Cultivation process, but instead we had to deal with military dudes having only one goal in mind, and anyone getting in their way should be eliminated by any means necessary.
I did not dislike this book, but it also didn't suddenly make me want to read the rest of the books in this series. I may pick it back up in the future, but there are many other series vying for my attention. So we shall see.
Okay, this series is not bad, and if you're a fan of cultivation, I think this is a pretty solid series. That said, I think I find the whole genre to be interesting, but not riveting. Part of it is the slow pacing of this series. Perhaps that's part of the point, because cultivation is something that practitioners would take a lifetime to achieve. Yes, they end up with increased lifetimes, assuming they don't die along the way. But it's a process that takes dedication, hard work, and a lot of patience. Which means things don't progress quickly, and sometimes move backwards.
I believe that A Thousand Li refers to the Chinese measurement for mile, but it basically means a long distance. This makes sense to me considering how the first three books have gone. Wu-Ling's journey is progressing, but it's not progressing quickly. Along the way, he's making friends/allies, but he's also making enemies or at least learning how to deal with those who may not have his best interests at heart (okay, some of them die). He goes back and forth between listening and not listening to the advice of others, which include his friends as well as some of the elders. You're left wondering what the other person is leaving out.
This one was called the First War, which means that Wu-Ling and his friends end up getting drawn into one of the endless wars between factions. War books are never my favorite, and in this case, I actually wish more time was spent on his Cultivation process, but instead we had to deal with military dudes having only one goal in mind, and anyone getting in their way should be eliminated by any means necessary.
I did not dislike this book, but it also didn't suddenly make me want to read the rest of the books in this series. I may pick it back up in the future, but there are many other series vying for my attention. So we shall see.
September 11, 2025
The First War continues Wu Ying’s journey as the world around him descends into open conflict. The story shifts focus from simple cultivation progress to the brutal reality of war, where sect politics, armies, and kingdoms collide. Wu Ying is faced with difficult choices — between his path to immortality and his ties to family, friends, and his village — all while witnessing firsthand the cost of war.
What I really appreciated in this book was Wu Ying’s growth as a person. This installment is less about gaining raw strength and more about his moral development — how he handles loss, responsibility, and the tension between the immortal path and the mortal world. The battle scenes are written with a grounded realism: there’s no easy glory here, only exhaustion, sacrifice, and the sense that victories come at terrible cost.
I loved how Tao Wong balances the intimate, personal struggles of Wu Ying with the larger sweep of the war. It makes this book feel both epic and human at the same time. Definitely one of my favorites in the series so far.
What I really appreciated in this book was Wu Ying’s growth as a person. This installment is less about gaining raw strength and more about his moral development — how he handles loss, responsibility, and the tension between the immortal path and the mortal world. The battle scenes are written with a grounded realism: there’s no easy glory here, only exhaustion, sacrifice, and the sense that victories come at terrible cost.
I loved how Tao Wong balances the intimate, personal struggles of Wu Ying with the larger sweep of the war. It makes this book feel both epic and human at the same time. Definitely one of my favorites in the series so far.
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