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The Mortal Techniques #2
Pawn's Gambit
Once a century, the gods hold a contest to determine who will rule from the Jade Throne. Each god chooses a mortal champion, and the fate of heaven and earth depends on the winner.
Once a world-renowned strategist and general, Yuu made one wrong move, and the Steel Prince paid for her mistake with his life. Now on the run, she relies on her wits to evade royal bounty hunters. But what if there is a way to bring back her dead prince?
On a playing board full of heroes, warriors, assassins, and thieves can Yuu survive long enough to even learn the rules of the game, let alone master it?
Pawn's Gambit is a stand alone story set in the award-winning Mortal Techniques universe. It's a wuxia adventure filled with heroes, gods, spirits, and magic.
Once a world-renowned strategist and general, Yuu made one wrong move, and the Steel Prince paid for her mistake with his life. Now on the run, she relies on her wits to evade royal bounty hunters. But what if there is a way to bring back her dead prince?
On a playing board full of heroes, warriors, assassins, and thieves can Yuu survive long enough to even learn the rules of the game, let alone master it?
Pawn's Gambit is a stand alone story set in the award-winning Mortal Techniques universe. It's a wuxia adventure filled with heroes, gods, spirits, and magic.
348 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2021
118 people are currently reading
3859 people want to read
About the author
Rob J. Hayes
45 books1,913 followersWinner of Mark Lawrence's 3rd Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO) with Where Loyalties Lie
Rob J. Hayes has been a student, a banker, a marine research assistant, a chef, and a keyboard monkey more times than he cares to count. But eventually his love of fantasy and reading drew him to the life of a writer. He’s the author of the Amazon Best Selling The Heresy Within, the SPFBO-winning piratical swashbuckler Where Loyalties Lie, and the critically acclaimed Never Die.
Rob J. Hayes has been a student, a banker, a marine research assistant, a chef, and a keyboard monkey more times than he cares to count. But eventually his love of fantasy and reading drew him to the life of a writer. He’s the author of the Amazon Best Selling The Heresy Within, the SPFBO-winning piratical swashbuckler Where Loyalties Lie, and the critically acclaimed Never Die.
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January 13, 2021
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ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
A great Wuxia adventure with an empathizing redemption arc.
I’ll start this review by giving a shout out to Felix Ortiz and Shawn T. King for doing such another terrific job with the cover art and typography. Now, I’ll say it upfront that I’m a huge fan of Never Die by Rob J. Hayes; it’s one of my favorite books. When I heard that there would be a standalone not-sequel to Never Die, I was ecstatic but also terrified that it wouldn’t live up to the quality of Never Die; worst-case scenario, what if Pawn’s Gambit ends up ruining Never Die!? This situation happens quite often. A proposed standalone/series extended to something bigger but never as good as the previous books. Now that I’ve read it, I really shouldn’t have worried. Out of the three series by Hayes—Best Laid Plans duology, The War Eternal, and Mortal Techniques–that I’ve read so far, I can easily say Mortal Techniques is by far my favorite, and Pawn’s Gambit without a doubt just boost that notion.
Once a century, the gods hold a contest to determine who will rule from the Jade Throne. Each god is allowed to choose a mortal champion, and the winner will decide the fate of heaven and Earth. The story in Pawn’s Gambit centers on Yuu, who was famously known as Art of War, and Yuu has been chosen by Natsuko—the goddess of missed opportunities—as her mortal champion to participate in the contest. The contest? A scavenger hunts to collect divine artifacts. The winner will be allowed to challenge Batu, the current God of War that rules the Jade Throne, as the new ruler. So yeah, in a way, Pawn’s Gambit utilized another quest-based concept at its key premise, and although the story takes place a few years after Never Die, this doesn’t mean that this is a repetition of Never Die. One thing that differs in this book compared to Never Die is that Pawn’s Gambit felt more Wuxia-inspired rather than anime-inspired; for example, only one memorable Yokai appeared here, and I wish there was more of them because it was one of the things that made Never Die so amazing to me.
I won’t lie, though, unlike the first book where I immediately felt compelled and invested with Itami Cho and her group of misfits in their impossible task, Pawn’s Gambit took me a while to warm up to the characters. Hayes keeps the story of Pawn’s Gambit going strong since the beginning with engaging—sometimes humorous—dialogues and characters. From the beginning of the book, we know that Yuu regretted her mistake that led to the death of the Steel Prince, and she felt guilty about it; she threw away the Art of War persona because of this. However, there’s more to this, I anticipated its revelation, and once it’s revealed, that was the moment where I became fully invested in Yuu, Natsuko, and their quest. In other words, this is me saying that the first half of the novel was good, but the second half was amazing, and the concluding final chapters were brilliant and incredibly satisfying.
Pawn’s Gambit is a superb addition to the Mortal Techniques series. I loved Never Die more, but I honestly believe that Hayes should keep on writing standalone books within this world; the Mortal Techniques series is becoming something special. Not only do we get to learn more about the mortal techniques here, but Pawn’s Gambit also contains Hayes’s most philosophical and thought-provoking writing so far yet. I’m eagerly waiting for the release of the third installment that’s due out within 2021 as well, and it’s called the Spirit of Vengeance.
P.S: I absolutely loved the chess elements within the narrative. I might have typed Queen’s Gambit plenty of times.
Official release date: 26th January 2021
You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Estefani, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Summer, Zoe.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
A great Wuxia adventure with an empathizing redemption arc.
I’ll start this review by giving a shout out to Felix Ortiz and Shawn T. King for doing such another terrific job with the cover art and typography. Now, I’ll say it upfront that I’m a huge fan of Never Die by Rob J. Hayes; it’s one of my favorite books. When I heard that there would be a standalone not-sequel to Never Die, I was ecstatic but also terrified that it wouldn’t live up to the quality of Never Die; worst-case scenario, what if Pawn’s Gambit ends up ruining Never Die!? This situation happens quite often. A proposed standalone/series extended to something bigger but never as good as the previous books. Now that I’ve read it, I really shouldn’t have worried. Out of the three series by Hayes—Best Laid Plans duology, The War Eternal, and Mortal Techniques–that I’ve read so far, I can easily say Mortal Techniques is by far my favorite, and Pawn’s Gambit without a doubt just boost that notion.
“No war can take place without love. Be it love for a person, love for power, love for money, love for a nation.”
Once a century, the gods hold a contest to determine who will rule from the Jade Throne. Each god is allowed to choose a mortal champion, and the winner will decide the fate of heaven and Earth. The story in Pawn’s Gambit centers on Yuu, who was famously known as Art of War, and Yuu has been chosen by Natsuko—the goddess of missed opportunities—as her mortal champion to participate in the contest. The contest? A scavenger hunts to collect divine artifacts. The winner will be allowed to challenge Batu, the current God of War that rules the Jade Throne, as the new ruler. So yeah, in a way, Pawn’s Gambit utilized another quest-based concept at its key premise, and although the story takes place a few years after Never Die, this doesn’t mean that this is a repetition of Never Die. One thing that differs in this book compared to Never Die is that Pawn’s Gambit felt more Wuxia-inspired rather than anime-inspired; for example, only one memorable Yokai appeared here, and I wish there was more of them because it was one of the things that made Never Die so amazing to me.
“Knowledge without wisdom often leads to a misuse of power.”
I won’t lie, though, unlike the first book where I immediately felt compelled and invested with Itami Cho and her group of misfits in their impossible task, Pawn’s Gambit took me a while to warm up to the characters. Hayes keeps the story of Pawn’s Gambit going strong since the beginning with engaging—sometimes humorous—dialogues and characters. From the beginning of the book, we know that Yuu regretted her mistake that led to the death of the Steel Prince, and she felt guilty about it; she threw away the Art of War persona because of this. However, there’s more to this, I anticipated its revelation, and once it’s revealed, that was the moment where I became fully invested in Yuu, Natsuko, and their quest. In other words, this is me saying that the first half of the novel was good, but the second half was amazing, and the concluding final chapters were brilliant and incredibly satisfying.
“Failure was always due to a lack of focus. With enough attention and preparation, no outcome could not be predicted, and no situation could not be overcome.”
Pawn’s Gambit is a superb addition to the Mortal Techniques series. I loved Never Die more, but I honestly believe that Hayes should keep on writing standalone books within this world; the Mortal Techniques series is becoming something special. Not only do we get to learn more about the mortal techniques here, but Pawn’s Gambit also contains Hayes’s most philosophical and thought-provoking writing so far yet. I’m eagerly waiting for the release of the third installment that’s due out within 2021 as well, and it’s called the Spirit of Vengeance.
“A true hero acts not on impulse, but on rationale and consideration.”
P.S: I absolutely loved the chess elements within the narrative. I might have typed Queen’s Gambit plenty of times.
Official release date: 26th January 2021
You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Estefani, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Summer, Zoe.
January 16, 2021
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Hayes is one of my most trusted self-published authors ever. Never Die is one of my favorite books and I recommended it to many of my friends who also loved it. The War Eternal Trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies ever and the first trilogy that I read as ARCs. You can tell I was super excited when I was presented with the chance to be part of the blog tour for this book. The book comes out on January 26th which also happens to be my birthday and that alone is a good reason to convince you to read the book. (Look at the gorgeous cover courtesy of Felix Ortiz -artist- & Shawn T. King –Typography and design-)
Pawn’s Gambit is part of the Mortal Techniques series which consists of bunch of standalones taking place in the same world. You don’t have to read Never Die to read this one, the only thing that will differ if you did that are some Easter eggs that Hayes put throughout the story but the two books are definitely standalones! This book revolves around Yuu who is also known as the art of war for being a renowned strategist and general in her past, one mistake cost her a lot and she’s now living with the consequences of it. On the other hand, The Gods are having their contest which is held every 100 years to determine the next ruler of the Jade Throne through people they choose to compete against each other and I think you can workout the rest from this info!
Now it is no surprise for me that I enjoyed the prose in this one because I am already a fan of Hayes writing style. I think it balances humor and fantasy and well written characters at the same time. The books are not huge and they are easy to follow which makes them a perfect place also for anyone who wants to read more adult fantasy but is intimidated by the size! There were a ton of quotes that I highlighted and I think it lived up to my expectations from that aspect!
Now the characters were great, I think in all the books I read by the author, characterization was my favorite thing and it is the same case here. I was excited when I saw Yuu gathering a gang and I thought it will be similar to Never Die but then it took a different turn which was also enjoyable. Yuu does grow out through the story and she had her moments were she was frustrating or not as smart as you would expect from her but overall she’s still a well written character, the rest of the characters are pretty much three dimensional too.
The Plot is good and I think the fast pacing is another reason that makes it easy to read. I did felt it slowing a bit in the middle and there was some repetition (With Yuu’s rants) but then it picks up and the ending was cool and there was a small plot I did not see coming!
Summary: Pawn’s Gambit was a very cool read which was engaging and easy to read. I think the writing was smooth and the characters were nicely written. I am just a fan of Hayes and this is another book I enjoyed by him and I will be reading his next work for sure!
“Weapons are not dangerous,” said the goddess as she slid her Monk into place. “Nor is a man with a weapon. A person’s skill and intent are the real danger.”
Hayes is one of my most trusted self-published authors ever. Never Die is one of my favorite books and I recommended it to many of my friends who also loved it. The War Eternal Trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies ever and the first trilogy that I read as ARCs. You can tell I was super excited when I was presented with the chance to be part of the blog tour for this book. The book comes out on January 26th which also happens to be my birthday and that alone is a good reason to convince you to read the book. (Look at the gorgeous cover courtesy of Felix Ortiz -artist- & Shawn T. King –Typography and design-)
Pawn’s Gambit is part of the Mortal Techniques series which consists of bunch of standalones taking place in the same world. You don’t have to read Never Die to read this one, the only thing that will differ if you did that are some Easter eggs that Hayes put throughout the story but the two books are definitely standalones! This book revolves around Yuu who is also known as the art of war for being a renowned strategist and general in her past, one mistake cost her a lot and she’s now living with the consequences of it. On the other hand, The Gods are having their contest which is held every 100 years to determine the next ruler of the Jade Throne through people they choose to compete against each other and I think you can workout the rest from this info!
Now it is no surprise for me that I enjoyed the prose in this one because I am already a fan of Hayes writing style. I think it balances humor and fantasy and well written characters at the same time. The books are not huge and they are easy to follow which makes them a perfect place also for anyone who wants to read more adult fantasy but is intimidated by the size! There were a ton of quotes that I highlighted and I think it lived up to my expectations from that aspect!
“Mistakes are like wrinkles,” Natsuko said as she snapped together the last few pieces of the game and put them away in her pouch. “The older we get, the more we have, and we forget them until we look in a mirror.”
Now the characters were great, I think in all the books I read by the author, characterization was my favorite thing and it is the same case here. I was excited when I saw Yuu gathering a gang and I thought it will be similar to Never Die but then it took a different turn which was also enjoyable. Yuu does grow out through the story and she had her moments were she was frustrating or not as smart as you would expect from her but overall she’s still a well written character, the rest of the characters are pretty much three dimensional too.
The Plot is good and I think the fast pacing is another reason that makes it easy to read. I did felt it slowing a bit in the middle and there was some repetition (With Yuu’s rants) but then it picks up and the ending was cool and there was a small plot I did not see coming!
“The first step toward winning is knowing which game you are playing.”
Summary: Pawn’s Gambit was a very cool read which was engaging and easy to read. I think the writing was smooth and the characters were nicely written. I am just a fan of Hayes and this is another book I enjoyed by him and I will be reading his next work for sure!
January 26, 2021
Anyone who is a frequent visitor to my blog knows that I am a huge fan of Rob J. Hayes. I've reviewed a number of his books and the common theme that always prevails is that I am going to enjoy anything he writes. Rob has the flexibility to write stories that are completely different from the ones before and yet the high quality is always there in my opinion. I'm happy to say that PAWN'S GAMBIT continues that trend and quite honestly, I wasn't really surprised.
The book takes place quite a few years after the events in Never Die. The time has come for the gods to see who will lead them for the next century. This will be determined through a competition. In this case, the competition is a scavenger hunt of sorts to collect a specific number of powerful magical artifacts that are hidden in different areas in the human world. There are a few catches that make the contest an even more difficult one. One of them being that these artifacts can only be collected by a human, sponsored by each god. Oh, and the gods can't assist directly in any way, making the recovery of these artifacts all the more challenging.
The two main characters in PAWN'S GAMBIT are Yuu, also known as The Art of War, and the goddess Natsuko. Throughout the book we follow the two as they progress through the near-impossible competition of capturing each mysterious object. Natsuko's professed aim is to win the hunt at all costs so that the god of war Batu can be removed from the Jade Throne and finally free the world from 100 more years of bloodshed, war, and despair. Is this really her desired outcome, or are there motivations that go beyond what she claims? And what part will Yuu play in all of this if she does happen to be able to collect all of the artifacts?
I really enjoyed this book a lot and part of the reason why is that it is so quickly paced. It doesn't take long for you to be dumped right into the action after a brief setup. The relic hunting aspect of this fantasy story made it a nice departure from Never Die as a fully standalone entry, yet there are enough nods to its predecessor to create a slight bit of nostalgia at times. The action is breakneck in this one and you won't find a lot of quiet reflective passages. That's not to say that there isn't any character development though, as Yuu especially evolves considerably from the beginning of the story to the climax.
I found the relationship between the goddess Natsuko and her champion Yuu to be a truly compelling and complicated one. It's obvious that Yuu doesn't fully trust her almighty benefactor but really has no choice in the matter. Conversely, Natsuko needs Yuu to accomplish her final goal and it's increasingly clear as the story plays out that she chose her for a specific reason. There's a good deal of mystery, which Hayes usually inserts into his books, and that is also what made PAWN'S GAMBIT an even more rewarding read for me.
As with most of Rob's books, he also does a fine job of including a significant amount of super cool magic and the world-building is never an area where Hayes slacks either. All in all, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fantasy story that is rife with dangerous moments, daring escapes, vindictive gods at war with each other, and superb storytelling that only Rob J. Hayes can deliver. It's also a very quick read and the page count is not daunting at all compared to many other books in the genre.
This is another sterling winner of a book from an author who is at the very top of his game right now. The Mortal Techniques series is truly one of the more unique series that I've come across and I can only hope that this isn't the last we've seen from this world. Something tells me it won't be. Be sure to grab yourself a copy of this one when it is released on January 26th.
The book takes place quite a few years after the events in Never Die. The time has come for the gods to see who will lead them for the next century. This will be determined through a competition. In this case, the competition is a scavenger hunt of sorts to collect a specific number of powerful magical artifacts that are hidden in different areas in the human world. There are a few catches that make the contest an even more difficult one. One of them being that these artifacts can only be collected by a human, sponsored by each god. Oh, and the gods can't assist directly in any way, making the recovery of these artifacts all the more challenging.
The two main characters in PAWN'S GAMBIT are Yuu, also known as The Art of War, and the goddess Natsuko. Throughout the book we follow the two as they progress through the near-impossible competition of capturing each mysterious object. Natsuko's professed aim is to win the hunt at all costs so that the god of war Batu can be removed from the Jade Throne and finally free the world from 100 more years of bloodshed, war, and despair. Is this really her desired outcome, or are there motivations that go beyond what she claims? And what part will Yuu play in all of this if she does happen to be able to collect all of the artifacts?
I really enjoyed this book a lot and part of the reason why is that it is so quickly paced. It doesn't take long for you to be dumped right into the action after a brief setup. The relic hunting aspect of this fantasy story made it a nice departure from Never Die as a fully standalone entry, yet there are enough nods to its predecessor to create a slight bit of nostalgia at times. The action is breakneck in this one and you won't find a lot of quiet reflective passages. That's not to say that there isn't any character development though, as Yuu especially evolves considerably from the beginning of the story to the climax.
I found the relationship between the goddess Natsuko and her champion Yuu to be a truly compelling and complicated one. It's obvious that Yuu doesn't fully trust her almighty benefactor but really has no choice in the matter. Conversely, Natsuko needs Yuu to accomplish her final goal and it's increasingly clear as the story plays out that she chose her for a specific reason. There's a good deal of mystery, which Hayes usually inserts into his books, and that is also what made PAWN'S GAMBIT an even more rewarding read for me.
As with most of Rob's books, he also does a fine job of including a significant amount of super cool magic and the world-building is never an area where Hayes slacks either. All in all, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fantasy story that is rife with dangerous moments, daring escapes, vindictive gods at war with each other, and superb storytelling that only Rob J. Hayes can deliver. It's also a very quick read and the page count is not daunting at all compared to many other books in the genre.
This is another sterling winner of a book from an author who is at the very top of his game right now. The Mortal Techniques series is truly one of the more unique series that I've come across and I can only hope that this isn't the last we've seen from this world. Something tells me it won't be. Be sure to grab yourself a copy of this one when it is released on January 26th.
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August 2, 2021UPDATE!!!
02/08/21 - The Pawn's Gambit Audiobook is available NOW!
US: https://www.audible.com/pd/Pawns-Gamb...
UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Pawns-Ga...
Pawn's Gambit is available now!
https://readerlinks.com/l/1644444/pg-...
02/08/21 - The Pawn's Gambit Audiobook is available NOW!
US: https://www.audible.com/pd/Pawns-Gamb...
UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Pawns-Ga...
Pawn's Gambit is available now!
https://readerlinks.com/l/1644444/pg-...
October 24, 2021
I was so skeptical to read this book, because though I liked Never Die I did not like the writing style, but my fear was unfounded because this is nothing like the first book.
“No war can take place without love. Be it love for a person, love for power, love for money, love for a nation. ”
Pawn’s Gambit can be read as a stand-alone, all the books in the series can, the only similarity between this one and the first book is the world, nothing else.
The plot is quite a simple one, the gods compete every hundred years and the winner becomes (tianjun) the king/ queen of the gods, of course they won’t do it themselves, humans have to be their champion.
“Wars were always fought on two fronts. One is the battlefield between soldiers. The other is back at home between the loved ones and their grief. ”
Daiyu Lingsen who goes by Yuu is the protagonist of this book, she is a wanted war strategist. She is down in her bottles and has all but given up on life before she was tricked into being a champion. I love her character development, she went from this guilt ridden depressed woman to someone brave with hope.
Natsuko is the goddess of lost things and missed opportunities, she is actually nice based on god/goddess standard but she has a mean side.
“Knowledge without wisdom often leads to a misuse of power,"
There are other great characters in the books like Ba Ling, Yanmei, Batu and many more.
The writing style is straight forward and engaging, there wasn’t a dull moment in this book. I love the plot progression and the world building. The fight scenes were few but well depicted.
“No war can take place without love. Be it love for a person, love for power, love for money, love for a nation. ”
Pawn’s Gambit can be read as a stand-alone, all the books in the series can, the only similarity between this one and the first book is the world, nothing else.
The plot is quite a simple one, the gods compete every hundred years and the winner becomes (tianjun) the king/ queen of the gods, of course they won’t do it themselves, humans have to be their champion.
“Wars were always fought on two fronts. One is the battlefield between soldiers. The other is back at home between the loved ones and their grief. ”
Daiyu Lingsen who goes by Yuu is the protagonist of this book, she is a wanted war strategist. She is down in her bottles and has all but given up on life before she was tricked into being a champion. I love her character development, she went from this guilt ridden depressed woman to someone brave with hope.
Natsuko is the goddess of lost things and missed opportunities, she is actually nice based on god/goddess standard but she has a mean side.
“Knowledge without wisdom often leads to a misuse of power,"
There are other great characters in the books like Ba Ling, Yanmei, Batu and many more.
The writing style is straight forward and engaging, there wasn’t a dull moment in this book. I love the plot progression and the world building. The fight scenes were few but well depicted.
July 14, 2023
Great book! Yet again, Rob J. Hayes treats us to incredible action scenes, cool new techniques, and a blistering plot that pits mortal heroes against Gods and each other.
It took me a little bit to wrap my head around how I felt about this one. It has the same energy pace that I loved in Never Die. But what I think it lacked was that special relationship between all the characters. It wasn't necessary, I guess, but im a sucker for found family dynamics, so I was missing that here.
Also, I loved the incorporation of strategy directly into Yuu's personality, but it felt a but redundant after a while. As did her views on other characters, seeing people as pawns, etc. Thematically, it fit super well, but I sometimes found it a little overly simplistic.
I also don't love how often "being fat" is used as an insult in this book or even this writing. It's one thing for characters to be obese, but quite another when fatness is thrown around as an acceptable insult that generally means "bad," "lazy," "unworthy," or "useless." Of course, our main characters always stick up for the poor fat characters, but i'm still not crazy about the blatant fatphobio.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the book! I didn't love it in the same way I loved Never Die, but it was a lot of fun to read more about The Art of War and her journey through grief. 4 stars.
It took me a little bit to wrap my head around how I felt about this one. It has the same energy pace that I loved in Never Die. But what I think it lacked was that special relationship between all the characters. It wasn't necessary, I guess, but im a sucker for found family dynamics, so I was missing that here.
Also, I loved the incorporation of strategy directly into Yuu's personality, but it felt a but redundant after a while. As did her views on other characters, seeing people as pawns, etc. Thematically, it fit super well, but I sometimes found it a little overly simplistic.
I also don't love how often "being fat" is used as an insult in this book or even this writing. It's one thing for characters to be obese, but quite another when fatness is thrown around as an acceptable insult that generally means "bad," "lazy," "unworthy," or "useless." Of course, our main characters always stick up for the poor fat characters, but i'm still not crazy about the blatant fatphobio.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the book! I didn't love it in the same way I loved Never Die, but it was a lot of fun to read more about The Art of War and her journey through grief. 4 stars.
January 24, 2022
This actually took me a while to get used to.
Didnt feel enticed by the story and the characters until later on.
But, my god(s) what an ending!
Didnt feel enticed by the story and the characters until later on.
But, my god(s) what an ending!
February 18, 2021
Read full review over at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Pawn’ Gambit is the second standalone story set in the Mortal Techniques world. Its origins will be expounded upon by Rob in an interview with me next week. I was bugging Rob to write more in this world when I first finished Never Die. So when this book was announced, I was super happy because it would be focusing on a minor character from Never Die who was very mysterious and intriguing. I had mentioned “The true backstory & the future of Daiyu Lingsen“ as one of the things that I would love to be explored in a future sequel.
The story is set over five years after the events of Never Die, but again this isn’t something that new readers have to worry about. Yuu (Daiyu Lingsen) is our primary protagonist who is languishing in self-exile as she fears for her life. Her actions while helping the heroes of Never Die, were seen a betrayal by the Steel Prince’s family and hence the self-exile. Yuu as she calls herself now is simply a day-drunk and has truly lost her way. She tries to drink herself to death while playing chess for money and swindling the local populace to fund her drinking habits. What she doesn’t know that an epochal event is about to occur in the lands of Hosa, Ipia, Cochtan & Nash.
Natsuko is the god of missed opportunities & lost things and she’s been waiting for nearly a century to unseat the current Tianjun of the Heavenly Jade Throne. Batu the God of war rules Tianmen (the heavely abode of the gods of Ipia, Nash, Cochtan & Hosa) and all four lands have been engulfed in warfare in the past several decades as was his will. This of course makes the events of Never Die shine under a different light and raises some interesting questions about the true nature of the Shinigami & its actions. But back to the central focus of this story, every hundred years, the Gods have a contest to select a new Tianjun and thirty-five gods (including Natsuko) have taken on the gamble of unseating Batu this time. They have to include something close to their very Godhood and select a champion among the humans for a chance to win this contest.
As the readers can imagine, Natsuko has chosen Yuu and proceeds to let her know of this onerous task. Faced with ignominy or the possibility to have her heart’s desire, Yuu decides to take part in this contest and thus begins Pawn’s Gambit. Before I start this review, I have to clarify, I was an alpha reader for this story and I will do my best to be as objective as possible.
The first thing this story which struck me was that in spite of its epic scale, via gods, a contest and lots of magical shenanigans. The story was very intimate and kept on a personal level thanks to the twin POVs of Yuu and Natsuko. Yuu as a protagonist is a very admirable one, she’s down on her luck in life but comes with a very rich history. We get a detailed look into her backstory which makes for a fascinating tale in itself. There’s also the motif of chess and life as a series of battles that is interspersed richly within the story. Yuu has been dealing with some pretty tragic guilt issues and there’s more stuff in her past which showcases what a tremendous fighter she has been. Natsuko on the other hand is a pretty walled off deuteragonist whose actions while fully visible, her reasoning behind them, is not. This causes us as readers to not trust her fully as does Yuu when she first meets her but then slowly and surely more layers are pealed. Both Yuu and Natsuko learn more about each other and how they can learn to trust each other.
This has been Rob J. Hayes’ strengths; creating a solid character cast beginning with the protagonist (s) and then onwards to the secondary cast and even up to the small role characters. Everybody who we meet, be it Li Bang or the shopkeeper of the famous Tsin Xao’s house of refreshments or my favourite secondary character from Never Die or general Roaring Tiger (pictured above). Rob’s characters strike a chord with their plans, behavior and style. Plus they keep you invested in the story and much more.
This book has less of the action sequences than its predecessor but it definitely has some amazing fight scenes. The magic quotient of this book is definitely on the epic side and readers again will get a feel of the strange creatures and legends that populate these lands. Yuu as she goes about the contest in search of the godly artifacts often finds herself in various situations that range from whimsical to downright dangerous. The pace of the story and its plot twists are such that you are going to want to flip the page to see what happens next.
Coming back to the heart of the story which is Yuu herself. Ultimately this book is very much in line with Greek mythology as you have a hero who is trying to find her path and use her wits literally to win a contest of the Gods. Mixed in with magic, deadly warriors, cunning thieves and devious assassins, I’ll leave you to find out what sort of Greek ending this one has. For me, Yuu’s personal journey was the epic heart of this story. Her personal losses, her recall of all the various mental tricks taught by her grandmother and the birth of the legend of the Art of War. This and more we get to read in this slim epic fantasy standalone.
It's hard to talk about this book and not talk about Never Die. That book was such an adrenaline rush that to compare Pawn’s Gambit to it, will be a cruel endeavor. They both are awesome but in different ways, think of Never Die as spicy fast food while Pawn’s Gambit is a more refined meal that allows for palette expansion. Pawn’s Gambit is very much an epic exploration of one woman’s attempt at redemption. Along the way, she helps stave off an invasion, learns the secret of the monks of Bai-Ping, renews the hope of her countrymen via the brilliance of her alter-ego the Art Of War and in the end, gets to play a round of chess with the deadliest warrior/strategos ever.
This is what made this book such a spectacular read for me. I finished it and since then re-read it twice and only have come to appreciate it and the world of Mortal Techniques even more. I know Rob is currently hard at work on the third Mortal Techniques book and knowing how this one ends, I can’t wait to get my hand on it.
Lastly, I do want to highlight the spectacular cover for this book which follows the artistic style of Never Die. Felix Ortiz and Shawn T. King deserve a big round of applause for this spectacular cover and I can’t wait to see what they come up with in the third Mortal Techniques book.
For drawbacks to this story, readers expecting the fast-paced action of Never Die won’t find it here. This is a bit slower paced read but not like molasses. Some readers might not enjoy the themes that are explored in this story but there’s a specific reason for them. I believe this encapsulates the story precisely:
“And when a war is finally laid to rest, as all wars must be, it is remembered by those it has delivered, and by those It has destroyed.”
CONCLUSION: Pawn’s Gambit is an epic exploration of one woman’s guilt and her attempt at redemption in the eyes of everyone (and herself). It is the story of the Art Of War and Daiyu Lingsen who will easily go down as one of the most brilliant and empathetic minds that we readers will come across in the annals of epic fantasy.
February 11, 2021
You can find my video review of Pawn's Gambit here: https://youtu.be/XBQmCi2plt4
I thoroughly enjoyed 2019’s standalone Never Die, an action-driven novel I described as an anime in novel form when I reviewed it, chock-full as it was of brilliant combat inspired by Japanese myth, legend, folklore, and martial arts. Pawn’s Gambit, surprisingly not the prequel to hit Netflix show Queen’s Gambit, does everything I enjoyed in Never Die, and a whole lot more besides.
Never Die 2: Die a Little Bit is, far and away, a more memorable book than its predecessor; and a better novel, I would argue. Its chief conceit is more engaging by far—a contest for the throne of heaven. Part gauntlet, part treasure hunt, this is a work that isn’t afraid to claim an identity of its own, similar yet very different from its predecessor. Take protagonist Yuu, who is hardly a fighter the likes of Never Die’s Whispering Blade. A strategist of both great renown and infamy, she is a drunk, full of self-pity for the person she used to be before, I quote, “war had made her a murderer, and before peace had made her a criminal.” Yuu is embroiled in the divine contest by Natsuko, goddess of lost opportunities, whose most common appearances include a small child and a tiny, wrinkled grandmother.
It’s the relationship between these two characters from which conflict is generated – Yuu is a most unwilling champion, pushed and prodded into her role by the insistent goddess. Yuu is a little like Batman in that old internet joke—give her enough prep time, and she’ll figure out how to deal with it. Trouble is, the artifact hunt Natsuko sends her on has a set time limit, and our protagonist is forced to improvise. Watching her figure her way through one tight spot after another is a highlight of this novel.
As for the goddess, Natsuko is amusing, a little frightening, constantly cantankerous. But she is wise, too; lines such as the following well exemplify that wisdom:
and
Good lines, even if one of them comes from Art of War, Yuu, herself—but hey, it takes wisdom to recognize it in others.
Is it a rewarding experience, reading this while having read Never Die? I would argue so. I had a murky memory of Yuu’s character herself, but as I read on, I found elements from the first Mortal Techniques novel coming back to me—a welcome return, by the end of this one.
Support characters include a peasant with heroic aspirations, a thief, a yokai or two, and several murderous mortals with Techniques far deadlier than that of our inebriated protagonist. It’s all fun and games until someone named the Ticking Clock comes after you with a flying machine and bloody intent.
Impressive is the way in which Hayes handles the theme of domestic abuse – some of his subtlest work yet. Hints of something amiss are spread throughout, left for you to piece together as you read on, until a point when—snap—it all clicks.
The game of chess is used as a framing device to the novel. The prologue to the book opens with the goddess Natsuko literally picking a pawn in the gods’ contest; the opening proper of the book closes in on Yuu playing a literal game of chess; many of the conflicts in the book can be related to metaphorical chess games, to a greater or lesser extent. As far as framing goes, this is wildly successful and well-deserving of praise.
Unlike its predecessor in the Mortal Techniques, this one also left me eager to read the next title in this collection. Hayes has a talent in teasing out what’s to come; this is most evident in the epilogue, only a few short pages, which hints at a conflict to come in this world, and at a certain character with whom readers of either book (or both) should be well familiar with, to one extent or another.
It’s a very fine release, as I’ve come to expect of Rob J. Hayes. He continues to deliver captivating tales of deeply flawed heroes in a way that deserves recognition and acclaim, as well as my recommendation. Buy it, read it – I trust you’ll enjoy it.
I thoroughly enjoyed 2019’s standalone Never Die, an action-driven novel I described as an anime in novel form when I reviewed it, chock-full as it was of brilliant combat inspired by Japanese myth, legend, folklore, and martial arts. Pawn’s Gambit, surprisingly not the prequel to hit Netflix show Queen’s Gambit, does everything I enjoyed in Never Die, and a whole lot more besides.
Never Die 2: Die a Little Bit is, far and away, a more memorable book than its predecessor; and a better novel, I would argue. Its chief conceit is more engaging by far—a contest for the throne of heaven. Part gauntlet, part treasure hunt, this is a work that isn’t afraid to claim an identity of its own, similar yet very different from its predecessor. Take protagonist Yuu, who is hardly a fighter the likes of Never Die’s Whispering Blade. A strategist of both great renown and infamy, she is a drunk, full of self-pity for the person she used to be before, I quote, “war had made her a murderer, and before peace had made her a criminal.” Yuu is embroiled in the divine contest by Natsuko, goddess of lost opportunities, whose most common appearances include a small child and a tiny, wrinkled grandmother.
It’s the relationship between these two characters from which conflict is generated – Yuu is a most unwilling champion, pushed and prodded into her role by the insistent goddess. Yuu is a little like Batman in that old internet joke—give her enough prep time, and she’ll figure out how to deal with it. Trouble is, the artifact hunt Natsuko sends her on has a set time limit, and our protagonist is forced to improvise. Watching her figure her way through one tight spot after another is a highlight of this novel.
As for the goddess, Natsuko is amusing, a little frightening, constantly cantankerous. But she is wise, too; lines such as the following well exemplify that wisdom:
“Mistakes are like wrinkles…The older we get, the more we have, and we forget them until we look in a mirror.”
and
“There is a propensity to confuse heroism with rash action. They are not the same. A true hero acts not on impulse, but on rationale and consideration.”
Good lines, even if one of them comes from Art of War, Yuu, herself—but hey, it takes wisdom to recognize it in others.
Is it a rewarding experience, reading this while having read Never Die? I would argue so. I had a murky memory of Yuu’s character herself, but as I read on, I found elements from the first Mortal Techniques novel coming back to me—a welcome return, by the end of this one.
Support characters include a peasant with heroic aspirations, a thief, a yokai or two, and several murderous mortals with Techniques far deadlier than that of our inebriated protagonist. It’s all fun and games until someone named the Ticking Clock comes after you with a flying machine and bloody intent.
Impressive is the way in which Hayes handles the theme of domestic abuse – some of his subtlest work yet. Hints of something amiss are spread throughout, left for you to piece together as you read on, until a point when—snap—it all clicks.
The game of chess is used as a framing device to the novel. The prologue to the book opens with the goddess Natsuko literally picking a pawn in the gods’ contest; the opening proper of the book closes in on Yuu playing a literal game of chess; many of the conflicts in the book can be related to metaphorical chess games, to a greater or lesser extent. As far as framing goes, this is wildly successful and well-deserving of praise.
Unlike its predecessor in the Mortal Techniques, this one also left me eager to read the next title in this collection. Hayes has a talent in teasing out what’s to come; this is most evident in the epilogue, only a few short pages, which hints at a conflict to come in this world, and at a certain character with whom readers of either book (or both) should be well familiar with, to one extent or another.
It’s a very fine release, as I’ve come to expect of Rob J. Hayes. He continues to deliver captivating tales of deeply flawed heroes in a way that deserves recognition and acclaim, as well as my recommendation. Buy it, read it – I trust you’ll enjoy it.
September 20, 2022
Another fantastic book from Rob J. Hayes! We have myths and monsters, magic and mortals. And Gods. Many, many gods.
Every 100 years, whichever god rules can be overthrown. How? By getting mortals to play their games, of course. “The Art Of War,” aka Yuu (who we met briefly in Never Die) is one such mortal selected to take part. She becomes the champion of the God of Missed Opportunities & Lost Things, Natsuko.
Not the most powerful or well-known god, but a great schemer.
I LOVE magical artefacts and ancient treasures. Discovering them in a book is one of my favourite tropes, and this book was all about finding said treasures. I loved the creativity and stories surrounding each of the artefacts we encounter - which Yuu has to collect. Find enough of them, and Natsuko will become the new ruler.
Of course, it isn’t quite as straightforward as that. Other champions attempt to steal artefacts. Other champions simply hunt down and kill those still in the running. Oh, and there’s a deadline, too.
All this kept the stakes nice and high, and the story clipped along at a great pace.
There are yokai, too, and some very poignant, emotional moments, as well. Although the cast is smaller than Never Die, the characters are just as bold and colourful, and every one has their purpose to the story. Some of the mortals are more entertaining than the gods!
I particularly loved Li Bang, who I thought would be a small, throwaway character but ended up having one of the biggest hearts. This is in a large way due to the superb audiobook narration by Kim Bretton. She brought so much to these larger than life characters and brought their humanity into focus.
It’s an epic story in the grandest sense of the word, but the story is so intimate, focussing on Yuu and Natsuko, and I really adore these types of stories.
Rob J. Hayes is an absolutely phenomenal writer and I highly recommend this series!
This was part of the "Heroic Age Trilogy" audiobook set, where there are three stories in one. I'll be diving into the final book, Spirits of Vengeance, next. I can’t wait to get stuck in!
Every 100 years, whichever god rules can be overthrown. How? By getting mortals to play their games, of course. “The Art Of War,” aka Yuu (who we met briefly in Never Die) is one such mortal selected to take part. She becomes the champion of the God of Missed Opportunities & Lost Things, Natsuko.
Not the most powerful or well-known god, but a great schemer.
I LOVE magical artefacts and ancient treasures. Discovering them in a book is one of my favourite tropes, and this book was all about finding said treasures. I loved the creativity and stories surrounding each of the artefacts we encounter - which Yuu has to collect. Find enough of them, and Natsuko will become the new ruler.
Of course, it isn’t quite as straightforward as that. Other champions attempt to steal artefacts. Other champions simply hunt down and kill those still in the running. Oh, and there’s a deadline, too.
All this kept the stakes nice and high, and the story clipped along at a great pace.
There are yokai, too, and some very poignant, emotional moments, as well. Although the cast is smaller than Never Die, the characters are just as bold and colourful, and every one has their purpose to the story. Some of the mortals are more entertaining than the gods!
I particularly loved Li Bang, who I thought would be a small, throwaway character but ended up having one of the biggest hearts. This is in a large way due to the superb audiobook narration by Kim Bretton. She brought so much to these larger than life characters and brought their humanity into focus.
It’s an epic story in the grandest sense of the word, but the story is so intimate, focussing on Yuu and Natsuko, and I really adore these types of stories.
Rob J. Hayes is an absolutely phenomenal writer and I highly recommend this series!
This was part of the "Heroic Age Trilogy" audiobook set, where there are three stories in one. I'll be diving into the final book, Spirits of Vengeance, next. I can’t wait to get stuck in!
March 12, 2021
I loved every moment of Pawn's Gambit. The novel was interesting all through and the author didn't disappoint.
March 21, 2021
I received an eARC of this book from the author.
This book is (not) a sequel to Never Die, but was set in the same world and continues with the awesomeness that started in the (not) first book in the (not) series. See my review of the (not) first book.
Whether its a sequel or not, this book had just as many stars for me as the (maybe) first. We do see some of the names pop up from the earlier book, including the main character of this one, the Art of War.
Yuu is, or was, the Art of War, but avoids wearing her trademark mask in order to conceal her identity. She's wanted for the murder of the Steel Prince. She didn't murder him but feels responsible for his death, but at any rate she is trying to exist outside of the shadow of her fame by low stakes gambling. Low stakes in comparison to the level she'd played at before, as the chief war advisor to the Steel Prince.
Seems that the gods aren't done with her just yet, nor are they finished with the Art of War.
Natsuko is the Goddess of Missed Opportunities and Lost Things, and she has chosen Yuu as her Champion in the Heavenly Crucible. Every one hundred years, the Gods hold this contest and the winner will become the tianjun, or Emperor of Gods.
This book continues to explore the blend of Asian mythology and grimdark humor that was introduced in the related but certainly not introductory book in the Mortal Techniques not-series. Whether it's a sequel or not, it maintains the same air of character and worldbuilding flavor that we saw in Never Die, and I am certainly looking forward to the third book in the not-series that is due for release later this year.
This book is (not) a sequel to Never Die, but was set in the same world and continues with the awesomeness that started in the (not) first book in the (not) series. See my review of the (not) first book.
Whether its a sequel or not, this book had just as many stars for me as the (maybe) first. We do see some of the names pop up from the earlier book, including the main character of this one, the Art of War.
Yuu is, or was, the Art of War, but avoids wearing her trademark mask in order to conceal her identity. She's wanted for the murder of the Steel Prince. She didn't murder him but feels responsible for his death, but at any rate she is trying to exist outside of the shadow of her fame by low stakes gambling. Low stakes in comparison to the level she'd played at before, as the chief war advisor to the Steel Prince.
Seems that the gods aren't done with her just yet, nor are they finished with the Art of War.
Natsuko is the Goddess of Missed Opportunities and Lost Things, and she has chosen Yuu as her Champion in the Heavenly Crucible. Every one hundred years, the Gods hold this contest and the winner will become the tianjun, or Emperor of Gods.
"No plan is solid enough to withstand both the cunning of one's enemy and the ineptitude of one's allies."
This book continues to explore the blend of Asian mythology and grimdark humor that was introduced in the related but certainly not introductory book in the Mortal Techniques not-series. Whether it's a sequel or not, it maintains the same air of character and worldbuilding flavor that we saw in Never Die, and I am certainly looking forward to the third book in the not-series that is due for release later this year.
April 29, 2021
Good fun, clever storytelling and just a great read!
Definitely best to read Never Die first to set up the world with its Asian inspired culture and diverse people of heroes and bandits. Qi based techniques and Hollywood worthy sword fights..
Thanks, Rob Hayes, for continuing the Mortal Techniques world and expanding on the Art of War! It’s a fascinating place to read about and I’m really looking forward to book three next year (no pressure of course!)..
Definitely best to read Never Die first to set up the world with its Asian inspired culture and diverse people of heroes and bandits. Qi based techniques and Hollywood worthy sword fights..
Thanks, Rob Hayes, for continuing the Mortal Techniques world and expanding on the Art of War! It’s a fascinating place to read about and I’m really looking forward to book three next year (no pressure of course!)..
March 11, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up! this was awesome! I read Never Die way back in early 2023 and loved it - I’m not sure why I waited so long to come back to these Mortal Techniques books! I’ll definitely be reading more from Hayes, sooner rather than later! Written in the same world, these books stand on their own. If you’re looking for some fast paced, tightly written Asian inspired fantasy books I highly recommend these books!
October 7, 2025
5.0 stars—-
I enjoy this story slightly more than Never Die, as the characters arcs are more satisfying in Pawn’s Gambit.
Spirits of Vengeance is still my favorite novel of the trilogy
I enjoy this story slightly more than Never Die, as the characters arcs are more satisfying in Pawn’s Gambit.
Spirits of Vengeance is still my favorite novel of the trilogy
February 20, 2021
Marvellous fun, and an enjoyable read.
A melange of ordinary folk, heroes and gods, some spirits too, all soaked in an Eastern Oriental culture and mythology.
EDIT: Learnt a new word relevant to this genre; Wuxia! I’m a bit slow...
Well written, an easy read. If I hadn’t had other matters distracting me then I’m sure I could have wolfed it down in a couple of days, it was that absorbing.
The main POV is sympathetic and well drawn. A drunk with a penchant for chess, she’s sucked into a competition between the many gods and spirits linked to this East Asian world, and although a journey to find some artefacts, almost like an old style computer game, is a major part of the storyline this isn’t allowed to dominate over the interesting characters added to the story, some passing and some more permanent, some unpleasant, some likeable. Loved the fancy names some of the more heroic characters gave themselves; ‘Art of War’, ‘Ticking Clock’, ‘Laws of Hope’, etc!
Endings are always tricky for well constructed stories on which the fate of the world may depend. I thought this ending worked well, bit of a twist. I’m sure it’s a coincidence that the title almost clashes with The Queen's Gambit book and TV series. There’s no other link of course, aside from the title but also an important role for chess.
Only my second by this author since the previous standalone Never Die. And this was just as good. And a quite different story albeit both being in an East Asian setting. It seems another standalone in the same world is also in progress - I’m in the queue for it based on these recent books.
I was thankful for the dictionary option on my eReader allowing me to check up the various Chinese/Japanese cultural references, often items of dress or weapons. Far from essential as you didn’t really need to know them, but useful.
Not a deep book exploring the meaning of life, but a lovely interesting story, almost comic book style, in a fantasy world culturally distinct from that by many Western authors. 5*.
A melange of ordinary folk, heroes and gods, some spirits too, all soaked in an Eastern Oriental culture and mythology.
EDIT: Learnt a new word relevant to this genre; Wuxia! I’m a bit slow...
Well written, an easy read. If I hadn’t had other matters distracting me then I’m sure I could have wolfed it down in a couple of days, it was that absorbing.
The main POV is sympathetic and well drawn. A drunk with a penchant for chess, she’s sucked into a competition between the many gods and spirits linked to this East Asian world, and although a journey to find some artefacts, almost like an old style computer game, is a major part of the storyline this isn’t allowed to dominate over the interesting characters added to the story, some passing and some more permanent, some unpleasant, some likeable. Loved the fancy names some of the more heroic characters gave themselves; ‘Art of War’, ‘Ticking Clock’, ‘Laws of Hope’, etc!
Endings are always tricky for well constructed stories on which the fate of the world may depend. I thought this ending worked well, bit of a twist. I’m sure it’s a coincidence that the title almost clashes with The Queen's Gambit book and TV series. There’s no other link of course, aside from the title but also an important role for chess.
Only my second by this author since the previous standalone Never Die. And this was just as good. And a quite different story albeit both being in an East Asian setting. It seems another standalone in the same world is also in progress - I’m in the queue for it based on these recent books.
I was thankful for the dictionary option on my eReader allowing me to check up the various Chinese/Japanese cultural references, often items of dress or weapons. Far from essential as you didn’t really need to know them, but useful.
Not a deep book exploring the meaning of life, but a lovely interesting story, almost comic book style, in a fantasy world culturally distinct from that by many Western authors. 5*.
August 18, 2021
Pawn’s Gambit is the second in the Mortal Techniques series of standalone wuxia-inspired fantasy novels by Rob J. Hayes, and I have to say it’s every bit as good as Never Die, the previous entry in the series.
Set roughly five years after the previous book, this one follows former strategist and general Daiyu Lingson, also known as The Art of War but now going by the name of Yuu, as she tries to escape her past and drown the pain of her memories in as much cheap wine as she can get her hands on. Unfortunately for Yuu, she has been chosen by Natsuko, the Ipian goddess of missed opportunities and lost things, to represent her in a once-in-a-century contest to determine which god will rule heaven for the next hundred years.
The main bulk of the narrative has Yuu being led around the countryside in search of a series of mystical artefacts belonging to the various gods. The idea is that the champion who finds the most artefacts wins, though as becomes apparent in the later stages of the novel, there’s always a catch. Along the way, Yuu enlists the aid of would-be hero Li Bang, a clapped out horse called Lump, and the roguish Zuan li Fang, the self-styled Prince of Thieves, to help her deal with the forces arrayed against her.
As with Never Die, the pacing and storytelling in this book are superlative. If anything, Rob Hayes’ writing has just got better in the last couple of years, and while there’s less direct action in this one it still races along nicely. The principal characters are all suitably well-developed and easy to get along with, and the villains and bad guys are suitably villainous and despicable in their own ways.
As already mentioned, Yuu spends most of the book trying to run away from her past, but by the end of the story she’s forced to not only accept who she used to be, but to also embrace her full potential as The Art of War, to take on that persona one last time in order to prevail in the final confrontation against Batu, the god of war himself. In a sense, this is a tale of self-discovery and redemption, and at every step the reader is shown a tiny, subtle glimpse of the road that Yuu must travel down to reach her final destination.
I genuinely enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more of the Mortal Techniques series as it becomes available. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of wuxia and oriental fantasy in general. You don’t need to have read Never Die to appreciate this book, but if you do give this one a try and enjoy it then I seriously advise you to try the other one as well. You won’t be disappointed.
Set roughly five years after the previous book, this one follows former strategist and general Daiyu Lingson, also known as The Art of War but now going by the name of Yuu, as she tries to escape her past and drown the pain of her memories in as much cheap wine as she can get her hands on. Unfortunately for Yuu, she has been chosen by Natsuko, the Ipian goddess of missed opportunities and lost things, to represent her in a once-in-a-century contest to determine which god will rule heaven for the next hundred years.
The main bulk of the narrative has Yuu being led around the countryside in search of a series of mystical artefacts belonging to the various gods. The idea is that the champion who finds the most artefacts wins, though as becomes apparent in the later stages of the novel, there’s always a catch. Along the way, Yuu enlists the aid of would-be hero Li Bang, a clapped out horse called Lump, and the roguish Zuan li Fang, the self-styled Prince of Thieves, to help her deal with the forces arrayed against her.
As with Never Die, the pacing and storytelling in this book are superlative. If anything, Rob Hayes’ writing has just got better in the last couple of years, and while there’s less direct action in this one it still races along nicely. The principal characters are all suitably well-developed and easy to get along with, and the villains and bad guys are suitably villainous and despicable in their own ways.
As already mentioned, Yuu spends most of the book trying to run away from her past, but by the end of the story she’s forced to not only accept who she used to be, but to also embrace her full potential as The Art of War, to take on that persona one last time in order to prevail in the final confrontation against Batu, the god of war himself. In a sense, this is a tale of self-discovery and redemption, and at every step the reader is shown a tiny, subtle glimpse of the road that Yuu must travel down to reach her final destination.
I genuinely enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more of the Mortal Techniques series as it becomes available. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of wuxia and oriental fantasy in general. You don’t need to have read Never Die to appreciate this book, but if you do give this one a try and enjoy it then I seriously advise you to try the other one as well. You won’t be disappointed.
February 3, 2021
When I heard there was another book in the Mortal Techniques series I had no hesitation putting my order in. The first book in the ‘series’ was brilliant and it fulfilled all the Wuxia needs I didn’t even know I had. I also just finished watching The Queens Gambit and I’m enjoying the mysteries and challenges of chess, the art work on the cover by Felix Ortiz is breathtaking and finally, and the most important, because with every book of his that I read, Rob J. Hayes continues to become one of my favourite authors.
It’s election time for the Gods. The God of War is in charge and has basically said if you don’t beat me this century I’m taking over full time. It is up to the God of Lost Things and Missed Opportunities to find a champion on earth that can complete a scavenger hunt that will crown her the winner and hopefully lead to a more peaceful period for the humans of earth.
Yuu is that champion. At one point in her life she was known as The Art of War, the masked advisor to the Silver Prince, whose ability to out think, out plan and out maneuver an enemy made her the most feared and respected person on the battlefield. Now she lives in hiding, hunted after a failure of epic proportions that disgraced her and the hero she helped usher to greatness. Now Yuu must not only find the lost and hidden objects of the god but avoid the other contestants, after all it might be easier to just kill a champion and take whatever trophies they have collected than do the finding yourself…typical bounty hunter scum.
There is so much love in the book. If it were a video game the special ability meter would be maxed out indefinitely. There are some fantastic fight scenes as contestants, all chosen for their ability to compete with the God of War, literally tear through each other. I loved the few links I spotted to the first book but I also love that this stands alone because it was so easy to jump into and enjoy without the mental stress of trying to remember every character and relationship from the first book.
Bottom line? Buy this series and get ready to enjoy yourself. 9/10
It’s election time for the Gods. The God of War is in charge and has basically said if you don’t beat me this century I’m taking over full time. It is up to the God of Lost Things and Missed Opportunities to find a champion on earth that can complete a scavenger hunt that will crown her the winner and hopefully lead to a more peaceful period for the humans of earth.
Yuu is that champion. At one point in her life she was known as The Art of War, the masked advisor to the Silver Prince, whose ability to out think, out plan and out maneuver an enemy made her the most feared and respected person on the battlefield. Now she lives in hiding, hunted after a failure of epic proportions that disgraced her and the hero she helped usher to greatness. Now Yuu must not only find the lost and hidden objects of the god but avoid the other contestants, after all it might be easier to just kill a champion and take whatever trophies they have collected than do the finding yourself…typical bounty hunter scum.
There is so much love in the book. If it were a video game the special ability meter would be maxed out indefinitely. There are some fantastic fight scenes as contestants, all chosen for their ability to compete with the God of War, literally tear through each other. I loved the few links I spotted to the first book but I also love that this stands alone because it was so easy to jump into and enjoy without the mental stress of trying to remember every character and relationship from the first book.
Bottom line? Buy this series and get ready to enjoy yourself. 9/10
November 18, 2022
Re-read: Still really enjoyed this book, but lowering it to 4 stars. Things didn't flow as well as I remembered, and the "strategist" was not as intelligent as I thought. Still, was very enjoyable.
I actually really loved this book, even more than Never Die. I connected with the main character far quicker, loved the plot and understood the game being played. Plenty of twists, betrayals and plans running around, but this time at least you understood the premise from the start. The ending is fantastic, and the side characters are extremely well done. Even if you don't read Never Die, I would recommend this book.
I actually really loved this book, even more than Never Die. I connected with the main character far quicker, loved the plot and understood the game being played. Plenty of twists, betrayals and plans running around, but this time at least you understood the premise from the start. The ending is fantastic, and the side characters are extremely well done. Even if you don't read Never Die, I would recommend this book.
May 27, 2021
This was perfection! :)
February 16, 2023
Yuu wants nothing more than to forget the mistakes of her past. The Gods have other plans.
Once a renowned strategist and general, five years ago Yuu made a mistake that cost her everything. Now she is on the run, royal bounty hunters snapping at her heels. But what if there was a way to get back what she lost, a way to bring back a murdered prince?
Every century, the gods hold a contest to choose who will rule from the Heavenly Jade Throne. Each god chooses a mortal champion, and the fate of all existence hangs in the balance. On a battlefield full of heroes, warriors, assassins, and thieves can Yuu survive long enough to learn the rules of the game, let alone master it?
Pawn's Gambit is a stand alone story set in the award-winning Mortal Techniques universe. It's a wuxia adventure filled with heroes, gods, spirits, and magic
I must admit that I like the premise behind Rob J. Haye’s Mortal Techniques series and as a reader I found that it works really well; a set of standalone novels that can be read in any order. And while linked in some ways, they are totally independent of each other.
Pawn’s Gambit is the second of the Mortal Techniques and series and centres on Yuu, otherwise known as The Art of War,the strategist that we met in Never Die who is the right hand person of The Steel Prince.
Five years after the events of Never Die, Yuu has now become a wandering rogue who has rescinded all the aspects of her previous life, including the mantle of The Art of War due to the fact that there is now a price on her head for the death of the Steel Prince, but mainly due to the guilt that she feels of what she perceives as her failure. Now she is a washed up drunk who spends most of her time using her superior intellect to devise stratagems to get as much wine as she can from playing chess.
However, the gods have other plans for Yuu, and as the century ends, the reign of Heaven is up for contest. Once every hundred years the gods have devised an ingenious way to determine who will be the next ruler of Heaven and thus set the tone for the next hundred years. At the moment, it is the God of War who sits on the throne, and his rule is characterised by upheaval and unrest, devastation and change. However, the God of Missed opportunities and Lost things, Natsuko has devised a plan. You see the Gods, in their infinite wisdom have concocted a brilliant plan to pick the next ruler; a scavenger hunt where the champions of the Gods travel around the world collecting artifacts of importance to each of the gods and the champion that has the most wins! Simples! Except that nothing is that simple really is it? Not on your nelly, because whilst this is a scavenger hunt, there are no rules. Champions can steal each other’s artefacts and if they so wish, they can also bump off the other contenders and steal their stash.
Playing like an anime version of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Yuu with her irascible godly companion Natsuko set off to claim as many artifacts as they can to win the contest, end the rule of The God of War and eventually hope to put the God of Missed opportunities and Lost Things on the throne of Heaven.
Having read the first one, I expected something similar to the first book in this series, but whilst the pace is fast in this story, it is less frenetic than Never Die and subsequently gives the book more time to develop. Particularly the interplay between the characters, with Yuu and the God Of Missed Opportunities and Lost Things constant bickering proving to be one of the standout aspects of the story.
Not only that, Rob J. Hayes does not miss the opportunity to inject some heart into the narrative, especially when the character of Li Bang is introduced, who initially seems to be a throwaway character but unexpectedly becomes far more important. However, Rob J. Hayes never wastes a character throughout the story, even when Yuu steals a horse and names it Lump, it becomes just as much a treasured character as the rest of the ensemble.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed Never Die, I enjoyed Pawn’s Gambit more due to the fact that whilst it is an epic tale, it is ultimately a more intimate tale with a smaller cast of characters which resulted in it giving the story more time to develop.
Once a renowned strategist and general, five years ago Yuu made a mistake that cost her everything. Now she is on the run, royal bounty hunters snapping at her heels. But what if there was a way to get back what she lost, a way to bring back a murdered prince?
Every century, the gods hold a contest to choose who will rule from the Heavenly Jade Throne. Each god chooses a mortal champion, and the fate of all existence hangs in the balance. On a battlefield full of heroes, warriors, assassins, and thieves can Yuu survive long enough to learn the rules of the game, let alone master it?
Pawn's Gambit is a stand alone story set in the award-winning Mortal Techniques universe. It's a wuxia adventure filled with heroes, gods, spirits, and magic
I must admit that I like the premise behind Rob J. Haye’s Mortal Techniques series and as a reader I found that it works really well; a set of standalone novels that can be read in any order. And while linked in some ways, they are totally independent of each other.
Pawn’s Gambit is the second of the Mortal Techniques and series and centres on Yuu, otherwise known as The Art of War,the strategist that we met in Never Die who is the right hand person of The Steel Prince.
Five years after the events of Never Die, Yuu has now become a wandering rogue who has rescinded all the aspects of her previous life, including the mantle of The Art of War due to the fact that there is now a price on her head for the death of the Steel Prince, but mainly due to the guilt that she feels of what she perceives as her failure. Now she is a washed up drunk who spends most of her time using her superior intellect to devise stratagems to get as much wine as she can from playing chess.
However, the gods have other plans for Yuu, and as the century ends, the reign of Heaven is up for contest. Once every hundred years the gods have devised an ingenious way to determine who will be the next ruler of Heaven and thus set the tone for the next hundred years. At the moment, it is the God of War who sits on the throne, and his rule is characterised by upheaval and unrest, devastation and change. However, the God of Missed opportunities and Lost things, Natsuko has devised a plan. You see the Gods, in their infinite wisdom have concocted a brilliant plan to pick the next ruler; a scavenger hunt where the champions of the Gods travel around the world collecting artifacts of importance to each of the gods and the champion that has the most wins! Simples! Except that nothing is that simple really is it? Not on your nelly, because whilst this is a scavenger hunt, there are no rules. Champions can steal each other’s artefacts and if they so wish, they can also bump off the other contenders and steal their stash.
Playing like an anime version of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Yuu with her irascible godly companion Natsuko set off to claim as many artifacts as they can to win the contest, end the rule of The God of War and eventually hope to put the God of Missed opportunities and Lost Things on the throne of Heaven.
Having read the first one, I expected something similar to the first book in this series, but whilst the pace is fast in this story, it is less frenetic than Never Die and subsequently gives the book more time to develop. Particularly the interplay between the characters, with Yuu and the God Of Missed Opportunities and Lost Things constant bickering proving to be one of the standout aspects of the story.
Not only that, Rob J. Hayes does not miss the opportunity to inject some heart into the narrative, especially when the character of Li Bang is introduced, who initially seems to be a throwaway character but unexpectedly becomes far more important. However, Rob J. Hayes never wastes a character throughout the story, even when Yuu steals a horse and names it Lump, it becomes just as much a treasured character as the rest of the ensemble.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed Never Die, I enjoyed Pawn’s Gambit more due to the fact that whilst it is an epic tale, it is ultimately a more intimate tale with a smaller cast of characters which resulted in it giving the story more time to develop.
April 8, 2023
And when a war is finally laid to rest, as all wars must be, it is remembered by those it has delivered, and by those it has destroyed.
“Pawn’s Gambit” is a self-published, standalone epic fantasy, a part of the Mortal Techniques. While it is a standalone, I do recommend it being read in order as characters introduced in the first book appear and/or are mentioned.
This book follows Daiyu Lingsen, introduced in the first book as the Tactical Advisor to a certain prince. She has been chosen by Natsuko, the goddess of missed opportunities and lost things to be her champion in the competition for the title of tianjun, the Emperor of the Gods. For the last one hundred years Batu, the god of war has reigned on Tianmen's throne and for one hundred years the lands have been ravaged by war but there is an opportunity for a new god to be tianjun and Daiyu may be the key.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first one. I absolutely adored the group from the first book but I struggled with the characters in this one. Honestly, Li Bang was the only character I liked and he was disrespected so many times.(#JusticeforLiBang). Also Yuu was not as smart as she thought she was. But I do admit, every time Einrich was mentioned, I cheered.
January 21, 2021
“I mean, what is a kingdom but a collection of people who don’t need to be ruled by a person who has no idea how.”
In Pawn’s Gambit, a.k.a. Never Die 2: Never Stop Never Dying (Not a sequel to Never Die), Rob Hayes takes us back into the world of his Mortal Techniques series, set a couple of decades past the events of the first book. While there are tangential mentions of characters from the original story, Pawn’s Gambit features all new characters and its own self-contained story that allows the reader to jump in without needing any previous knowledge of this world. So join us, won’t you?
What immediately jumps out about this non-sequel to Never Die—which was largely an action-oriented, team-focused story--Pawn’s Gambit narrowed its focused on two central characters: Yuu, a self-exiled former war strategist who has gone into hiding out of shame for her actions; and Natsuko, a half-crazed Goddess of Lost Things who is attempting to win a once-per-century contest to overthrow the reigning god of war. While there are some memorable characters and exciting set pieces throughout the story that keep the emotions high and blood pumping—which is customary for a Rob Hayes novel—Yuu’s story takes a quieter, intimate approach. Hayes takes his time revealing her backstory and reasons for her emotional distress, and I found it to be the biggest driving force of the story – more so than any of the supercool steampunk monk battles or city sieges. It was a nice change of pace from what I was expecting from a Mortal Techniques story, and it helped enrich the world by focusing on the inner struggles of our main characters and discovering the world through their eyes, as opposed to learning about the environment from a general narrative overview.
“Wars are always fought on two fronts. One is the battlefield between soldiers. The other is back at home between the loved ones and their grief. That was what Yuu saw in Anding. Not a city in its death throes, wallowing in grief. But a city trying to rebuild, to reclaim what it had lost. A city brought together by tragedy, forged into a family by hardship, made strong by the support they showed each other and the determination they rallied around. Hope. That was what Yuu saw in Anding. Hope of a new start.”
The above passage resonated with me as I felt an underlying theme throughout the story was hope – the hope of redemption for washing your sins clean. Everyone has demons in their past of which they are trying to make amends – literally, in some scenarios. (And they are super gross and scary and its awesome.) Sometimes these goals can be achieved through a journey of self-discovery. Other times you need the support of all your life’s experiences to move forward into whatever destiny awaits you, be you a god, human, or something in between. Emotional stuff.
Hayes has once again created a captivating story to add to his growing library of flawed, badass warriors sowing chaos and kicking ass. If that sounds like your mug of grog, Pawn’s Gambit is a sacrifice you’ll want to make.
In Pawn’s Gambit, a.k.a. Never Die 2: Never Stop Never Dying (Not a sequel to Never Die), Rob Hayes takes us back into the world of his Mortal Techniques series, set a couple of decades past the events of the first book. While there are tangential mentions of characters from the original story, Pawn’s Gambit features all new characters and its own self-contained story that allows the reader to jump in without needing any previous knowledge of this world. So join us, won’t you?
What immediately jumps out about this non-sequel to Never Die—which was largely an action-oriented, team-focused story--Pawn’s Gambit narrowed its focused on two central characters: Yuu, a self-exiled former war strategist who has gone into hiding out of shame for her actions; and Natsuko, a half-crazed Goddess of Lost Things who is attempting to win a once-per-century contest to overthrow the reigning god of war. While there are some memorable characters and exciting set pieces throughout the story that keep the emotions high and blood pumping—which is customary for a Rob Hayes novel—Yuu’s story takes a quieter, intimate approach. Hayes takes his time revealing her backstory and reasons for her emotional distress, and I found it to be the biggest driving force of the story – more so than any of the supercool steampunk monk battles or city sieges. It was a nice change of pace from what I was expecting from a Mortal Techniques story, and it helped enrich the world by focusing on the inner struggles of our main characters and discovering the world through their eyes, as opposed to learning about the environment from a general narrative overview.
“Wars are always fought on two fronts. One is the battlefield between soldiers. The other is back at home between the loved ones and their grief. That was what Yuu saw in Anding. Not a city in its death throes, wallowing in grief. But a city trying to rebuild, to reclaim what it had lost. A city brought together by tragedy, forged into a family by hardship, made strong by the support they showed each other and the determination they rallied around. Hope. That was what Yuu saw in Anding. Hope of a new start.”
The above passage resonated with me as I felt an underlying theme throughout the story was hope – the hope of redemption for washing your sins clean. Everyone has demons in their past of which they are trying to make amends – literally, in some scenarios. (And they are super gross and scary and its awesome.) Sometimes these goals can be achieved through a journey of self-discovery. Other times you need the support of all your life’s experiences to move forward into whatever destiny awaits you, be you a god, human, or something in between. Emotional stuff.
Hayes has once again created a captivating story to add to his growing library of flawed, badass warriors sowing chaos and kicking ass. If that sounds like your mug of grog, Pawn’s Gambit is a sacrifice you’ll want to make.
March 29, 2022
The first half of this book was much slower and less engaging than Never Die, but it more than made up for it with an electrifying second half. The last third, in particular, paid off so much characterization and set up. I didn't want to pick up a sequel for Never Die immediately; that felt like a contained story. But even though I know the third Mortal Technique book will be another pseudo-sequel, I'm very excited to read it.
The one thing I would change about this series is that everyone is CONSTANTLY referred to by their hero name, and it's silly as hell. This is entirely subjective, but I just imagine actual human beings only referring to other human beings as The Art of War, The Ticking Clock, The Laws of Hope (the worst offender, by far), The Roaring Tiger, The Falling Moon...I understand it's a style thing, but for my personal tastes, I think it would be much better if they were only occasionally called those names. Like how Sun Jian was sometimes called The Tiger of Jiang Dong and Sun Ce was sometimes called The Little Conquerer. (I know Three Kingdoms was a big influence on Rob Hayes for this series).
I gave this book five stars because I enjoyed it a lot, but I do have one major criticism of the story itself. Without getting into spoilers, the main character of this book is dealing with the fallout from the previous book (it is still a stand-alone though, all relevant info is relayed quickly) and I absolutely DO NOT buy the consequences from the MC's actions in Never Die leading to where they are and what issues they're dealing with in Pawn's Gambit. I kept trying to just ignore this, but it was brought up so many times, and was critical to the middle sections of this book. No matter how hard I tried, this bothered me. I do not believe the characters in the world would treat this character the way they do. It's nonsensical to me and because of that, the middle section of this book suffered a tad.
All in all, another quick and engaging read for this series. I'll probably hop over to one of Hayes' other series in the meantime and see how they hold up to Mortal Techniques.
The one thing I would change about this series is that everyone is CONSTANTLY referred to by their hero name, and it's silly as hell. This is entirely subjective, but I just imagine actual human beings only referring to other human beings as The Art of War, The Ticking Clock, The Laws of Hope (the worst offender, by far), The Roaring Tiger, The Falling Moon...I understand it's a style thing, but for my personal tastes, I think it would be much better if they were only occasionally called those names. Like how Sun Jian was sometimes called The Tiger of Jiang Dong and Sun Ce was sometimes called The Little Conquerer. (I know Three Kingdoms was a big influence on Rob Hayes for this series).
I gave this book five stars because I enjoyed it a lot, but I do have one major criticism of the story itself. Without getting into spoilers, the main character of this book is dealing with the fallout from the previous book (it is still a stand-alone though, all relevant info is relayed quickly) and I absolutely DO NOT buy the consequences from the MC's actions in Never Die leading to where they are and what issues they're dealing with in Pawn's Gambit. I kept trying to just ignore this, but it was brought up so many times, and was critical to the middle sections of this book. No matter how hard I tried, this bothered me. I do not believe the characters in the world would treat this character the way they do. It's nonsensical to me and because of that, the middle section of this book suffered a tad.
All in all, another quick and engaging read for this series. I'll probably hop over to one of Hayes' other series in the meantime and see how they hold up to Mortal Techniques.
May 6, 2021
4* for Rob's second book in his wonderful Mortal Techniques universe.
I really love the world Rob has built in his Mortal Technique universe, its full of cool country factions, Asian inspired magical combat techniques and a pantheon of conniving gods. If you haven't read Rob's amazing first book Never Die I recommend you start there first before you read this one as there are a few overlaps and interesting thread continuations.
This book follows Yuu a woman who has given up on life and living in various backwater towns playing chess for booze (sounds OK? haha) She then gets thrown into a contest of the God's themselves with the prize being control of heaven to the winner.
As with Never Die she meets various wonderful characters along the way from loyal warriors who don't yet have a cool name to heroic legends with super cool names like "Laws of Hope" and "Ticking Clock" all with their own agendas and all which just add so much coolness to Rob's world he is building here.
If you haven't read Never Die I highly recommend you pick it up if you like Asian inspired super cool fantasy battles and martial contests. Once finished that Pawn's Gambit is a very nice sequel and I am very much looking forward to book 3 which is due out this September - "Spirits of Vengence"
I really love the world Rob has built in his Mortal Technique universe, its full of cool country factions, Asian inspired magical combat techniques and a pantheon of conniving gods. If you haven't read Rob's amazing first book Never Die I recommend you start there first before you read this one as there are a few overlaps and interesting thread continuations.
This book follows Yuu a woman who has given up on life and living in various backwater towns playing chess for booze (sounds OK? haha) She then gets thrown into a contest of the God's themselves with the prize being control of heaven to the winner.
As with Never Die she meets various wonderful characters along the way from loyal warriors who don't yet have a cool name to heroic legends with super cool names like "Laws of Hope" and "Ticking Clock" all with their own agendas and all which just add so much coolness to Rob's world he is building here.
If you haven't read Never Die I highly recommend you pick it up if you like Asian inspired super cool fantasy battles and martial contests. Once finished that Pawn's Gambit is a very nice sequel and I am very much looking forward to book 3 which is due out this September - "Spirits of Vengence"
July 18, 2024
1.5 Stars
I give up on this authors' books.
🖤
So one day right, Chicken Licken is minding his own business going about his day and BAM! an Acorn falls on his head. C. L gets it into his head that the sky is falling down and has to tell the King...and so begins our story:
Enter Yuu's Chicken Licken adventure.
Annnnnnd scence!!!!
Playing a game of chess. Hello, here's a god. Ms. Missed Opportunities and Lost things.
📍Proposal: Let's play Squid game (jokes). But for real. The gods are all in a game, we need to kick the war god out cos he's way too good at being a war god -I feel like there's a joke there somewhere but no one was laughing 😔 -Be my champion? Become the Art of War again?
Hold on🤔. Sun Tzu is that you?
📍Counter Proposal: I miss the Steel Prince. I killed him. Bring him back?
Me: 🤔That's not what happened. I read Never Die
*this book is a standalone and can be read without knowing what happens in the first book*
📍Counter counter proposal: Cackling...even more cackling. Yeah sure. I'll give you what you lost back.
💡 You know, for someone that was all "Words were like rules. They mattered far more than people realised. Their meaning could be abstract or exact...", Yuu was suspiciously dim in not picking up on Natsuko obvious vague wording on that promise. I'm no Sherlock but even i could see through that.
But🤷🏾♂️, thanks to that, our adventure begins.
🖤🖤
Scene 2:
On the way Chicken Licken meets Henny Penny. Good Morning Chicken Licken said Henny Penny, where are you off to in such a hurry? Chicken Licken says: I'm on my way to tell the King that the sky is falling down. Then i'd better come with you said Henny Penny. So Chicken Licken and Henny Penny set off to tell the King that the sky is falling down
Where's the artefact Natsuko? Wait, I need to cackle. *cackle, cackle cackle*
Introducing🥁🥁🥁 Li Bang🎉🥳 Possy no 1 or is this Henny Penny?
Anyway........
*fight fight fight*
I am the Art of War and strategy is my game. 
*sure* *sure* Not like anyone who is super smart can't you know, think up strategies but sure.
Acquired: first artefact✔️
🖤🖤🖤
Scene 3:
On the way Chicken Licken & Henny Penny meet Cocky Lucky. Good Morning Chicken Licken said Cocky Lucky, where are you off to in such a hurry? Chicken Licken says: We're on our way to tell the King that the sky is falling down. Then i'd better come with you said Cocky Lucky. So Chicken Licken, Henny Penny & Cocky Lucky set off to tell the King that the sky is falling down
Time for the Art of War to strategise:
*inconsequential talk about monks being crooks. Religion is a scam y'all.* How positively enlightening.
💡 Is it a fantasy book if religion doesn't show up?
Yuu our brilliant strategist thinks up a plan: Ummm. hi Fang. Steal the artefact for me? You being a thief and all?
Let's have sex.
*fight fight fight*
Natsuko cackles
Oh no double crossed by Fang, a thief. we're shocked. Absolutely, positively shocked we are😱😱😱.
🖤
Interlude
💡Random: You would think military commanders would know how to ummm, you know plan a strategy to win a war, being in charge of an army and all but have no fear the Art of War is here.
*strategy strategy strategy*
WE WON!!!!
🖤🖤
Scene 4:
On the way Chicken Licken, Henny Penny & Cocky Lucky meet Ducky Lucky Good Morning Chicken Licken said Ducky Lucky... Ahh fuck it. I'm tired
*Exactly like Chicken Licken Story, the repetitiveness continues all the up until the final test*
Anyway's there's a whole bunch of fighting - which is cool I guess, seeing as that's really the bulk of the book - cackling, moaning about wanting the steel prince back, moaning about not wanting to be the Art of War, stories about where all the lost things come from, strategizing which honestly, any ingenious person could overcome but putting in someone called the Art of War sounds cooler I guess.
All in all, as much as I like torturing myself in the name of trying new authors, I am completely convinced that Hayes is not a writer whose books I'm ever going to enjoy - and at this point, I'm starting to seem like a hater. I find his plots lacking, his prose especially in the context of Chinese wuxia extremely inadequate; honestly felt like someone was running nails in my brain every time someone said "arsehole" or "fuck" or "bitch" but then again, maybe it's entirely plausible that people within that context would talk like that 🤷🏾♂️, his characters uninteresting, the repetition in this book insanely bad and if someone says the word "Cackle" to me right now, I might bash the person's head in.
Why did no one warn me? 😭😭😭😭😭
This book was so not it ❌
Nice cover though.
January 18, 2021
Pawn's Gambit by Rob J. Hayes is one of my most anticipated releases for 2021, and it lived up to the hype. Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing the Wuxia epic Never Die, it was my first introduction to Rob as a writer, and I got to say that his books are fast becoming some of my favorites.
"Beauty is emotion, good or ill. Pain or happiness or fear or love. Beauty is in the experience."
From my review, "Never Die is centered around Ein...and has been sent on a quest from God. ..For Ein's mission to succeed, the mysterious and powerful Emperor of Ten Kings must fall. To succeed in his quest, Ein must walk barefoot across the cities, mountains, and rivers of the countryside and never don footwear. Ein must select champions to fight the Emporer for him, and these champions must die first so that their souls are tethered to Ein." Never Die was the first installment in the Mortal Techniques world. Pawn's Gambit takes place many years after Never Die and is not a sequel, although there is some fun scattered Easter eggs for the readers of Never Die to enjoy.
Instead, Pawn's Gambit is a stylized Wuxia epic with some steampunk and game theory thrown in that takes place in the same world of Never Die. It has the same rules and techniques, which we learn more about, but it is about redemption and finding peace.
"Yuu shrugged. "Throw her a tea party or something, sure. Whatever works."
Pawn's Gambit's plot centers around the protagonist Yuu, also known as The Art of War. Yuu is a former famous military strategist, who wears a white mask at all times, and is known for pulling out military wins in the direst of situations. Her ability to see all the angles of a fight are legendary. Though these wins often come at the high costs of human lives lost. Her grandmother, the previous incarnation of Art of War, trained Yuu in all the aspects of war and strategy. However, unlike Yuu's grandmother, Yuu cannot separate herself from the battles. She feels the pain of the deaths that she helped cause, even if she won the war. They weigh heavy on her heart.
"Failure was always due to a lack of focus. With enough attention and preparation, no outcome could not be predicted, and no situation could not be overcome."
Five years ago, Yuu made a choice that cost her the thing she held most dear but won the battle. The repercussions of that choice caused her to drop the mask and leave batteling forever. She no longer wanted to be The Art of War. Now five years later, we find Yuu sitting in a bar, getting drunk as she does every night, fleecing men for coin in battles of chess. It is below someone who was once The Art Of War, but at this point, all she wants to do is forget and drink till she feels the pain of the loss no more.
Meanwhile, in another realm, the Gods are having a battle of their own. Every 100 years, the gods have a contest to see who will sit upon the throne for the next 100 years. The God who is currently sitting on the throne, Batu, is the God of War. He has brought nothing but devastation and horror to the land of men for the last 100 years. He cannot help it; it is his nature. But it is time for a change.
"The first step toward winning is knowing which game you are playing."
The contest is this: Each God participating must give up a thing they hold most dear. The objects are placed throughout the land, and champions, chosen by the benefactor God, must go out and find those objects. Whoever has the most items wins. It is a grand scavenger hunt. Natsuko, the Goddess of missed opportunities, has chosen her champion, Yuu. Yuu is not thrilled with this.
Yuu is an interesting character. She is one of those types of characters that isn't likable, but she could care less about being liked. She has a core of inner strength that you can see even when readers start the story, and we see Yuu at her very lowest point. But this story is her redemption arc, and what that redemption actually is, is up to the reader. Hayes doesn't concretely define what redemption looks like for Yuu. I think that makes her a stronger and more interesting character. She has layers and different parts to her. Is she the strategist, the friend, the woman, the human? I am not sure, but I know that the various facets of Yuu are tested thoroughly throughout this story.
The dialog for the story is funny and very human. Hayes can bring out a situation's nuance and doesn't need to pound the reader with heavy-handed dialogue. This made me relate all the more to Yuu and the supporting characters she finds along the way to help her. These characters, seen on the superb Felix Ortiz and Shawn T. King cover, help her in different ways. The journey is not the same as Never Die, but there are similar teamwork elements that carry through.
Pawn's Gambit is a worthy addition to the Mortal Techniques series and a follow-up to Never Die. It is really good, and I am so excited that I got to immerse myself in this Wuxia inspired world with great characters, exciting fight scenes, and heartfelt dialog once again. This story asks some big questions and challenges what redemption is.
You should come and take this journey with Yuu; you will not regret it.
March 7, 2023
Not quite as good as Never Die but still a damn good time. I love the way these stories are told and I love how cinematic the action scenes are. I guessed the cost of the final battle, but it was still satisfying to see the outcome play out.
January 11, 2022
4.75 ⭐️
Absolutely adore the way Rob J Hayes writes!
I APPROVE!!
Also, can we take a minute and appreciate the cover?
Every single cover in the Mortal Techniques novels is amazing!
I honestly Im grateful and amazed that authors can succesfully write such fun and rich worlds, adventures and stories in short formats!
three things that I loved about Pawn's Gambit:
1. Yuu was an amazing MC, while we dont get to deep into her history I was completly intrigued by who she was and how she grew up. How such a lost woman could find her path through a game of the gods and be filled with meaning again.
2 The secondary characger were really interesting, bringing their own magic and spice tp the story. I was really intrigued by many of them specially by the Ticking Clock. everything just kept adding to the lore and magic of this world. I honeslty want to keep reading the other novels just to see if some of the stories coincide or other characters appear.
3. the gods and the worldbuilding in general were really intriguing and felt very inmersive. It left me wanting for more.
Overall: I suggest you pick this one up if you havent. If you are looking for something akin to a ghibli studio movie + action + cheeky gods ... look no further and dive into the Mortal Techniques world.
Will I be reading the other novels? you bet your ass i will!
Absolutely adore the way Rob J Hayes writes!
I APPROVE!!
Also, can we take a minute and appreciate the cover?
Every single cover in the Mortal Techniques novels is amazing!
I honestly Im grateful and amazed that authors can succesfully write such fun and rich worlds, adventures and stories in short formats!
three things that I loved about Pawn's Gambit:
1. Yuu was an amazing MC, while we dont get to deep into her history I was completly intrigued by who she was and how she grew up. How such a lost woman could find her path through a game of the gods and be filled with meaning again.
2 The secondary characger were really interesting, bringing their own magic and spice tp the story. I was really intrigued by many of them specially by the Ticking Clock. everything just kept adding to the lore and magic of this world. I honeslty want to keep reading the other novels just to see if some of the stories coincide or other characters appear.
3. the gods and the worldbuilding in general were really intriguing and felt very inmersive. It left me wanting for more.
Overall: I suggest you pick this one up if you havent. If you are looking for something akin to a ghibli studio movie + action + cheeky gods ... look no further and dive into the Mortal Techniques world.
Will I be reading the other novels? you bet your ass i will!
April 14, 2021
The God’s gather every hundred years to choose who will sit upon the throne for the next century. Daiyu is the Natsuka’s choice.
I’m just going to say this upfront- Daiyu has moved up into the ranks as one of my favourite women characters in fantasy.
*
A disillusioned strategist, Daiyu is rolling in guilt for the choices she had to make to overthrow the Emperor. Choices that sacrificed the honor of the one person she admired and cared about- the Steel Prince. Now wanted for his murder, Daiyu, spends her time drowning her feelings in alcohol and keeping a low profile.
That is until Natsuka, The Goddess of Lost Things, appears and gives her a purpose- a scavenger hunt hosted by the Gods. Victory will benefit them both; Natsuka will oust the god of war from the throne, and Daiyu, can have the one thing that she has lost and wants most in the world.
Daiyu’s character the Art of War was a huge highlight for me in Never Die. Not only did she have the coolest magic but she had a connection to the Steel Prince that made me very interested in learning her story. Never Die was a fast-paced, and very fun book but Pawn’s Gambit has given me the balance and heart that was missing for me, in Never Die.
Daiyu story is everything I wanted. Not only do we learn her background and how she became the Art of War. We also gain an understanding of her relationship with the Steel Prince and why she is still so tied-up in his loss, five years later. More than that, this story is a journey of healing for Daiyu. A coming to terms with her past, her present, and finding her center again. It’s a journey that can be painful, but the hard truths she has to face about herself and the awareness that comes, make it worth every page.
And if I scared you off with that, don’t worry, this isn’t just a story of self-reflection. We also get to see Daiyu, in action doing what the Art of War does best; out-thinking her opponents.
The crisp writing allows you to sit back and enjoy the story-which has that bit of a fun scavenger hunt vibe as the characters track down and collect each God’s item in a race to be the first back to the meeting point.
The world is full of cool ass magic, neat battles between overpowered characters, and some great scenes with creepy creatures (Yokai and other spirits/demons) straight out of lore. I said it in my review for Never Die but I loved that there is this a whole air of mysticism to the world that let’s you believe that interaction with Gods could happen. It’s so much fun.
The quirky cast is small but memorable, lightening up the mood when needed.
Lump stole the spotlight in all the scenes, and I loved the interplay between Natsuka, and well… everyone.
Fun, exciting, and full of heart, Pawn’s Gambit is a stand-out story in this series.
Other notes-
I am left wondering if it mattered in the long run, how many artefacts were collected yourself compared to being gained through the death of another collector. (I also was interrupted about fifty-times during the last few chapters so I might have missed it)
Minor complaint- it’s been long enough and a whole lot of books read since Never Die, and though this definitely works as a stand-alone, I did wish for a few more hints about the Steel Prince’s fate a little sooner.
I also now have a new,” would be interested to know more about” character, and that’s Yanmei, the teacher and protector of the children with techniques. I loved all the moments between her and Yu.
Daiyu is not a warrior and I appreciated the challenge of keeping her story full of enough action to satisfy in a story that revolves around a treasure hunt where the rules allow you to kill-off your opponents and the other players have all chosen some of the best fighters in the realm.
4.5
I’m just going to say this upfront- Daiyu has moved up into the ranks as one of my favourite women characters in fantasy.
*
A disillusioned strategist, Daiyu is rolling in guilt for the choices she had to make to overthrow the Emperor. Choices that sacrificed the honor of the one person she admired and cared about- the Steel Prince. Now wanted for his murder, Daiyu, spends her time drowning her feelings in alcohol and keeping a low profile.
That is until Natsuka, The Goddess of Lost Things, appears and gives her a purpose- a scavenger hunt hosted by the Gods. Victory will benefit them both; Natsuka will oust the god of war from the throne, and Daiyu, can have the one thing that she has lost and wants most in the world.
Daiyu’s character the Art of War was a huge highlight for me in Never Die. Not only did she have the coolest magic but she had a connection to the Steel Prince that made me very interested in learning her story. Never Die was a fast-paced, and very fun book but Pawn’s Gambit has given me the balance and heart that was missing for me, in Never Die.
Daiyu story is everything I wanted. Not only do we learn her background and how she became the Art of War. We also gain an understanding of her relationship with the Steel Prince and why she is still so tied-up in his loss, five years later. More than that, this story is a journey of healing for Daiyu. A coming to terms with her past, her present, and finding her center again. It’s a journey that can be painful, but the hard truths she has to face about herself and the awareness that comes, make it worth every page.
And if I scared you off with that, don’t worry, this isn’t just a story of self-reflection. We also get to see Daiyu, in action doing what the Art of War does best; out-thinking her opponents.
The crisp writing allows you to sit back and enjoy the story-which has that bit of a fun scavenger hunt vibe as the characters track down and collect each God’s item in a race to be the first back to the meeting point.
The world is full of cool ass magic, neat battles between overpowered characters, and some great scenes with creepy creatures (Yokai and other spirits/demons) straight out of lore. I said it in my review for Never Die but I loved that there is this a whole air of mysticism to the world that let’s you believe that interaction with Gods could happen. It’s so much fun.
The quirky cast is small but memorable, lightening up the mood when needed.
Lump stole the spotlight in all the scenes, and I loved the interplay between Natsuka, and well… everyone.
Fun, exciting, and full of heart, Pawn’s Gambit is a stand-out story in this series.
Other notes-
I am left wondering if it mattered in the long run, how many artefacts were collected yourself compared to being gained through the death of another collector. (I also was interrupted about fifty-times during the last few chapters so I might have missed it)
Minor complaint- it’s been long enough and a whole lot of books read since Never Die, and though this definitely works as a stand-alone, I did wish for a few more hints about the Steel Prince’s fate a little sooner.
I also now have a new,” would be interested to know more about” character, and that’s Yanmei, the teacher and protector of the children with techniques. I loved all the moments between her and Yu.
Daiyu is not a warrior and I appreciated the challenge of keeping her story full of enough action to satisfy in a story that revolves around a treasure hunt where the rules allow you to kill-off your opponents and the other players have all chosen some of the best fighters in the realm.
4.5
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