Yellow Sky Revolt

The Three Kingdoms Chronicles #1

by Baptiste Pinson Wu

China, 184 CE

An empire will shatter.

Dark clouds loom over the Han dynasty. The Yellow Turbans, simple folks turned rebels, threaten the power in place with their sheer numbers and burning anger. Among them, Liao Hua, a young peasant boy, becomes the symbol of the uprising's vengeful spirit.

But what should have been a short revolt turns into a bloody war for survival. As untrained farmers face the full might of the empire, Liao Hua forges himself a will of iron and vows to do whatever it takes to become the greatest warrior of his time. However, when his path crosses that of the bearded warrior, he understands ambition won't be enough to come out on top.

An age of chaos is beginning. Men will fall, warlords rise, and warriors clash, but only the strongest will leave their names to be praised for the centuries.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Historical Fantasy, Fiction

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

BookTube channel with my awesome brother, Ed - The Brothers Gwynne
My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynne

My 100th historical fiction read!

This is a spellbinding, enthralling read with compelling characters, a vivid setting and smooth prose. An immersive start to a series with a sensational cast of standout characters.

I heard about this through watching an fantastic review by Library of Allenxandria. He said if anyone enjoyed the history of Three Kingdoms, or the game Dynasty Warriors, then this would be a book for them. Well... I went and got this on my kindle straight away, and I loved it!

This is a chronicler's tale, with an old warrior telling the stories of the past, starting with his childhood, much as you may see in The Last Kingdom, The Name of the Wind, Gates of Fire etc... When done well, it is brilliant. And so far, it is being executed brilliantly in The Three Kingdoms Chronicles.

There is so much depth in this book, especially considering that it is under 400 pages. Considering the amount that happens, it is extraordinary that Baptiste Pinson Wu makes sure it does not feel rushed. There is a great balance between build-up, the quiet moments, and then the action and climactic action sequences, of which there are quite a few.

You absolutely do not need to know anything about this historical period, but if you do then you will pick up on some rich Easter eggs that add an extra bit of flavour. But, if you do not, then it will not be to the detriment of your reading experience.

One of my favourite reads of 2023.

Cannot wait to carry on!

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/Xx3Rl43hpkQ

As someone who loves The Three Kingdoms, this was such a brilliant novel. I love the characters who are complex and dynamic. Of course I was especially excited to see the cameos of the characters I already love.

I typically read fantasy rather than historical fiction, but this is the kind of book that is so good that it defies the genre label. I have a love for Asian inspired fantasy and while this is not magical, there is a romantic mythicism within this story that has a similar tone. I would recommend this to fans of She Who Became the Sun and the Dandelion Dynasty series, which both take inspiration from historical China.

This is the first book in the a series and I am highly anticipating the second book which will fit into the events that start the 2010 TV show. I believe that fans of The Three Kingdoms narrative will get the most of this series but I believe it would still hold up for readers new to this classic story.

I would highly recommend this novel to a wide range of readers, but especially those who have a love for the classic story of the Three Kingdoms and are looking for a fresh new take.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author.

I review books on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheShadesofOrange

[Read By Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Preface: I will never review a book with this particular circumstance ever again. I will not be brief. Without a doubt, I am biased with this book. What circumstance, you ask? Well, Baptiste Pinson Wu happened to write a novel set during the Three Kingdoms era, following minor character Liao Hua as he retroactively narrates his life story, starting with his illustrious boyhood as a Yellow Turban as the beginning of a ten book series...which sounds pretty similar to what I've been working on for years, which is a TK ten book series following Liao Hua as he retroactively narrates his life story, starting with his illustrious boyhood...

Okay, you see why I am biased. To be clear, I'm biased positively -though it needs not be said, this is obviously just coincidence, if a shocking one. Honestly, I'm just happy someone else decided to finish all the dang research and actually get the book done. I wanted to write it myself because I was confident in how good of an idea it was - Three Kingdoms is one of the coolest eras of history, relatively unknown to western audiences, with a text format nonexistent except for the original dry Romance of the Three Kingdoms (which I unabashedly love, but is not very accessible to the average audience), Liao Hua is the perfect main character - rogue backstory, survives to the very end of the Three Kingdoms era, is a devout follower of the most famous figure of this era, and his youth is vague enough that you can do almost anything with him - he's the Forest Gump of third century China.

So I was absolutely beside myself when I learned about Yellow Sky Revolt, and preordered it instantly. I heard that Wu was inspired by the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell and modelled Liao Hua after Uhtred (son of Uhtred), which, to make coincidences even grander, is the exact character I was also basing my Liao Hua on. Get out of my brain, Baptiste! (Okay, one final coincidence- I swear most of the book is different from mine, but we both also have extremely minor character Cheng Yuanzhi play a father figure to young Liao Hua. Okay, "Baptiste is a dirty rotten mind thief" section of this review is over). All is to say, this book was working at a five star, absolute banger level from page one. There was almost no way I wasn't going to at least really like it. It feels like it was written for me. However, it is a debut novel and it definitely has some things it could improve. So I will try to be balanced: There are things that totally worked for me that I can see not working for someone else, but on the flip side, I've spent so long thinking about this book (and beyond that: this era, which I have been enamored with for 23 years) that there are things I think may be the less interesting way to go, but that's only due to my closeness to the material.

Regardless, the highlight is this - This book is good, and it deserves more attention. The research is extremely well done, and it felt very much like Three Kingdoms Era China to me, which is the highest compliment I can give it.

So, YSR starts with a frame narrative - think of a mixture between Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles, in which the main character Derfal is telling his life journey to someone who wants to know "the real story" (in this case, it's Chen Shou - the man we have to thank that we largely know any of this), combined with Uhtred's sense of worldweariness and snark that the world he was fighting for has been lost and he's the last one left that remembers it (okay so this is Derfal too, but trust me, Liao feels more like Uhtred). Liao Hua thinks way back to 184 AD, when he was 7 years old and the Yellow Turban Rebellion began, which was the spark that would lead to a hundred years of civil war.

Here is the first thing that I'm unsure where my feelings truly lie - it's just barely possible for Liao Hua to have been in his early teens during this time, which would give him the ability to make more active choices during these formative years. As it stands, the entire novel takes place when Hua is very young, and because of that, it's a LOT of older characters telling him what's happening, telling him where to go, telling him what to do, telling him what's going to happen...there's a lot of telling. For what it's worth, knowing the history and where this book ends, I think he will be much more active in upcoming books. But it could definitely hamper someone's reading experience, depending on the person (but I shall point out that the excellent Assassin's Apprentice has Fitz as a six year old for most of it, so anything is possible). Hua, named Dun at this point in his life, lives in a small village near Wan as his "Uncle Cheng" (CHENG YUANZHI GET HYPED Y'ALL HE APPEARS ON ONE PAGE OF ROTK BUT HIS NAME IS COOL OKAY) begins to get him interested in The Way, which is a rebellious sect led by Zhang Jue.

One thing Wu excels at is the little stuff. The way the common folk view these big events or interact with the government, the way poverty impacts a community, religious faith, and interactions with the officials all felt like I was reading ROTK but more casual-like. He's also really good at character voice - I had a consistent view of Hua throughout, both as the narrator and as child Dun. I think the prose does veer a bit into phrasing that feels too modern sometimes though, particularly with insults. I can't recall the exact words, but there were several turns of phrases while insulting someone where the language used was jarring. But overall, the prose is straightforward and flows well, and for a debut novel, I was impressed.

This book is separated into two halves. The first half deals with Hua on the march with the Yellow Turbans, and the second half shifts almost completely, and I won't spoil the situation exactly, but its a bold strategy that is used to bring in several important TK characters as youths, before they go on to influence events. I had mixed feelings on this choice. On the one hand, I loved all the cameos and one in particular is going to have such a great payoff in like, book 8 or something. I also think having Forest Gump-I mean Liao Hua- meet all these important people early will make for a better story later on. On the other hand, it felt like the balance here was a little tilted in favor of people who were already familiar with TK. This section is littered with cameos that are almost intended to be like, "hey, remember Xu Chu? HE'S FAT" and I don't know how well this works as the second half of a debut novel, because the book has no real climax.

In fact, Wu had a clear destination in mind to end the book with, and there was a lot of relevant stuff happening far away from Hua before that could happen, so the end of this book has several pages of "and then this guy we've never met before did this thing to this other guy we've never met, which resulted in this third guy doing a thing..." and I don't know the right solve for this, except to somehow make Hua more directly involved or find out on a slower time frame, so I get that there's a lot of info-dumping that needs to happen. But it felt clunky. And I admit I have no understanding of how a newbie to TK would react to all the names in this book. Like, I don't think Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, and Huangfu Song needed to be named at all. I think all three are cool, and I loved hearing about them, even for a moment. But they are name-dropped and then dismissed, never to return (most likely). I'm sure Wu is putting them in to be as accurate as possible and to please fans, but the analytical side of me wonders what the balance is between only introducing characters who have a narrative purpose and doing winks to a (probably large) chunk of your audience. He does try to signpost when a character will be important later, but I think this could be handled a bit smoother. Or, hell, maybe Lu Zhi is Wu's favorite TK character and he was determined to fit him in somewhere, and I absolutely understand that.

One last negative I have to mention is the lack of female characters. There are maybe four female named characters in this book, and three of them are very one-note, and the last one is slightly less one-note. This is a hard problem, but not an insurmountable one. I spent a lot of time myself figuring out how to integrate female characters into the narrative more prominently, and I hope Wu does too. Hua has plenty of time to meet compelling ladies. This didn't affect my reading experience at all, but I do know it would affect others', so I have to mention it.

This might be the longest review I've ever done, and I could definitely keep going, talking about each aspect of this book. I'm just so excited it exists, and so happy to have read it. This first book mostly steers clear of the really big Three Kingdoms figures- besides a couple. Cao Cao is around in all his glory, as are the three brothers and Sun Jian. I really like how Wu is able to spin certain characters from their 'normal' depictions. Xiahou Dun in particular. I'm very hyped to continue to read and praise this series as Wu releases each of the following novels. However if Yu Jin and Zhang Liao don't get large roles, I'm going to get upset.

To finish up, an awesome debut historical fiction set in an era you should absolutely know more about, so buy this book and then read it and then say, "wow, Three Kingdoms is cool" to which I will say, "you're damn right it is."

9/10

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was absolutely one of the most pleasant surprises of the year for me so far. Military historical fiction is not my preferred genre at all and I know absolutely nothing about Three Kingdoms Era China, yet all that didn’t stop me from absolutely devouring this book. Yellow Sky Revolt is an utterly compelling, character-driven historical fiction told through a frame narrative that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

So, we are all familiar with the saying “history is written by the victors”, right? Well, not here. The author has chosen Liao Hua, one of the more underappreciated figures in Ancient Chinese history, as the main protagonist of the story and starts telling history from the loser’s perspective.

I am always a fan of a good chronicler’s tale set-up, and Wu absolutely nailed that frame narrative here! When we first meet Liao Hua, he is an old man being held in captivity, but then he agrees to start sharing his life story and we are launched all the way back to his childhood. The author does a brilliant job of maintaining the innocence and naivety of Hua’s younger self, while also infusing a lot of the wisdom and moments of retrospection of the older Hua into the narration.
The disillusionment that young Hua experiences as he is faced with the brutality and sheer horrors of war was so authentically written and that made him a very sympathetic and relatable character. This is not a hero’s tale, and I absolutely loved that.

Now, the first half of the book is heavily focused on the Yellow Turban Uprising and I will have to admit that it was a lot to take in for me personally, though it did help that the tale is so grounded in its intimate storytelling. And once we hit part two of the novel, I was very happy to discover one of my favourite tropes in all of fiction: a training school scenario. I will probably be in the minority in vastly preferring the second half of the novel over the first half, but all the friendships, rivalries and wise mentorship moments during the training school sequence were honestly just right up my alley.

The character work in this novel, for both the main cast and all the numerous secondary and tertiary characters, was simply astounding and I found it fascinating to explore all their complex relationships. Again, I am not familiar with the stories/legends around some of these historical figures, but after watching some interviews with the author I was only more in awe of his bold and unique storytelling decisions. Wu is simply a masterful storyteller!

I also really liked that even though this is decidedly not a historical fantasy, there was still an air of mysticism that made my fantasy-loving heart very happy. The author just entranced me with his captivating storytelling and I was completely transported back to Ancient China for a while.
And speaking of captivating, as someone who normally skims through battle scenes, I have to give props to the author for keeping me totally glued to the page with his incredibly compelling action sequences.

Overall, I am really impressed by this book and I am very intrigued to find out where Hua’s story goes next.
If you are looking for a refreshing and accessible historical fiction about Three Kingdoms Era China with dynamic characters, brutally realistic yet exhilarating battle sequences, and utterly engaging storytelling, then you have to check out Yellow Sky Revolt. I highly recommend it.

[Tori Tecken · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No one might ever read my words, but I have to hope that someday, no matter how far in the future, someone will read the life story of Liao Hua, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and know that brave men fought for a just world.”


4/5 stars

A marvelous historical fiction debut! Baptiste's passion for this rich era of Chinese history shows in his attention to detail, and the first book promises a series that will continue to build on the strengths that are shown here.

Baptiste chooses Liao Hua as his protagonist, a young boy who survived the entire span of the wars of the Three Kingdoms but often gets underappreciated in other accounts. The use of a young protagonist is utilized beautifully in this book, showing the horrors and unpredictability of war through the eyes of a young boy who wants to become a soldier.

I personally find young protagonists refreshing in stories like this, because we so often get a more "on the ground" account with details that heroic accounts often gloss over. Baptiste's writing style in this book is extremely accessible to read, putting it at the top of my list as a recommendation for people who may be less familiar with this historical era.

That being said, the names and places in the book that are familiar to readers are shown from a new perspective, and seeing the larger than life characters of Guan Yu and Cao Cao through the eyes of a young Liao Hua is an experience that breathes an extra layer of mythical heroism into the warriors who shaped China's early history.

My only critiques of this would be that there were some short sections of the book that wandered into more of a telling voice, and there were a few word choices that felt a bit jarring. Those are critiques that are far-reaching, in fairness, because overall I had a really positive and pleasurable read with this book. I will also reiterate that this is a very strong debut novel and I am looking forward to seeing Baptiste's career as a historical fiction writer exponentially grow over the course of this series.

I will definitely be picking up book two and am looking forward to continuing Liao Hua's journey.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book. This is a historical military fiction book set in 184 CE China. The premise is set up with an old man - held prisoner - who recounts his story during the Yellow Turban Uprising and Revolution. It begins when he was just a boy and we follow him throughout the revolution. This is different than other historical fiction pieces (even though the author states that he didn't intend it to be different) because it tells the story of ancient China - a tale from the East, which we don't often get in historical fiction (it's not Europe, England, Rome, etc.) AND it tells the tale of the "losers" of the war. There is a saying that says history is written by the victors - well in this case it's exact opposite and we get history from the losers perspective and I absolutely loved that take. This was such an interesting book to read, battle scenes written very well, compassion in our characters, just overall really well done. Fantastic story telling! Like I said, I loved everything about this and can't wait to read the rest of the series. Check out my interview with the author here: https://youtube.com/live/HJLikqCCBAs?....

[Christopher Navo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong debut, historical fiction novel. Looking forward to reading Book 2.

[Wolfmantula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow me on X: Twitter.com/wolfmantula
For more reviews, go to: https://wolfmantula.com/recent-posts/

MY ⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: Kindle eBook

Undead Samurai was the first novel I read by Pinson Wu, and that was such a treat to read, that it made me make sure to add more of his stuff to my ever growing TBR. Yellow Sky Revolt is a little more grounded in realism, but this was still fantastic, if you are wanting asian historical fiction that’ll put you into the same feelings that Shogun does, this is a great place to start. Wu uses the chronicler style of story-telling for Liao who is telling how he became to be the symbol of an uprising. This has slowly become one of my favorite styles, because of Name of the Wind by Rothfuss and Empire of Silence by Ruocchio.

With that being said, this is nothing like those stories at all, since this is based in ancient China. One thing is for sure though, I can’t tell you enough about how great Wu’s writing is, this is the kind of stuff that just flows off the page effortlessly. Which in turn makes the world building even more fantastic with how immersive it is, Wu makes you feel as if you are there with Liao. I love the fact that there was no true “hero” of the story, just compelling morally grey characters who are defending “their side.” What makes this such a great read is just how fierce and unflinchingly detailed this story is.

“Somehow, the word "war" gave me an entirely different feeling than "battle." I found it dangerous, far from the ideal of heroism and courage I could picture finding in battles. It's funny how two very similar words in their meaning can create contrasting impressions.”

Liao went through a lot in his childhood, loss of family & friends to making new alliances and friendships along the way. Wu did a fantastic job with the development of Liao since the story starts off telling of his early childhood as a 6 year old to him at 13 when it finishes, some of the most informative years for a child. The beauty of this is that along with Liao, there are many other characters that we meet throughout, that Wu also does a great job of either making you like or hate, or if you hated, grew to like later on which is just masterful writing.

I’m definitely excited to continue with this series because Baptiste was able to capture the essence of the time, have a great story, with great characters. A very unforgettable experience that I can’t wait to see what is in store for the rest of Liao’s future.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Sumit · Rating 3 out of 5]

"𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨, 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡. 𝙄𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝, 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣.”



“𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙢𝙚.”

🔱The book - 1st in The Three Kingdoms Chronicles - set in the Three Kingdoms period of China, tells the story of Liao Hua, the military general of the Shu Han state who dictated the story as his memoirs.

184 CE. China. As the Han empire began to disintegrate, the local peasant-turned-rebels, called the Yellow Turbans raised against the empire. Among them, Liao Hua, a young peasant boy became a symbol of their uprising. But in the face of the full might of the empire, this short revolt soon turns out to be a war of survival that brings him under the patronage of Cao Cao who is going to be a famous warlord in Chinese history. Under him, Liao Hua forges himself a will of iron and vows to do whatever it takes to become the greatest warrior of his time.

🔱This is the author's debut novel and I'm quite impressed by his writing craft. The plot is tightly packed, the pacing never slows down, and the vivid description of the time period was awesome. I must say he had done his research passionately as it is reflected in the book.

🔱The story is divided into 2 parts -1st covers the Yellow Turban revolt and the 2nd covers Liao's training under Cao Cao's patronage. I feel that instead of releasing them in a single book, releasing them as two separate novellas would have been a better decision.

🔱All the characters are very well written and the dynamics between them are explored perfectly. But since there were so many characters and it was confusing to remember their Chinese names, which all look the same to me, I feel a characters list would've been very helpful.

🔱Liao's character development from being a novice to a skilled warrior has been meticulously shown. But since he is merely a boy witnessing the events of the rebellion and its aftermath, so don't expect to read gruesome fighting/ epic battle sequences.

Overall, Yellow Sky Revolt was an average read for me and there was nothing extraordinary in the climax to hook me for the next book. But since the Three Kingdom period is my favorite time in Chinese history I would certainly give the series another try. If you're into historical fiction and Chinese history then do read this one.

𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐✨(3.5/5)

[Ky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Three Kingdoms era of history. Be it when I was a kid playing through Dynasty Warriors 4 or now as an adult when I finally made my way through the entirety of the unabridged Moss Roberts translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms over many months in 2022-2023. I would be lying if I said I retained every moment within that magnificently long book that blends history and fantasy, but I still know much of it and certainly the majority of the stories of the most famous figures, such as Cao Cao, Lu Bu, and Zhuge Liang. I will return to the Romance throughout my life to read and re-read, jot down notes, and find new moments to obsess over. In the meantime, I was intrigued to find other people's takes on this period. I have watched many films and parts of shows but struggled to find any books that tackled the period and did its own thing until lo and behold I found Yellow Sky Revolt.

I am a massive fan of Bernard Cornwell, and if anyone reading this also enjoys Cornwell, read this book. That's not even an opinion, just a statement. If you like Cornwell you will like this book. But that is not to say this is just pure emulation as there are certainly unique aspects to Baptiste's writing as well.

The setting is very well done, both to an accuracy to the source material part as well as his own originality within the writing. When we went to famous locations in this book from the Romance I could envision them in my head as I did when reading the Romance yet also with new details popping up in my mind due to Baptiste's own added flair. The Romance, as the name says, can be romantic, though certainly not all the time, there are mentions of cannibalism and unsavory things, but it is still a hyper-reality. This attempts to strip that back some yet also keep the fanciful things that can work in a non-fantasy setting. Going to the maze-lake mountain passes of the Yellow Turban Rebellion's base add more details on the lesser quality of living, the starvation, but also on the very human aspect of poor peasants wanting better and believing in a rebellion. This also has the benefit of taking many characters from the Romance who were honestly just footnotes and giving them a new life. Many figures who within the Romance are just introduced a page before their death or are mentioned once and never seen again. But this gives those before small characters... character. It especially humanizes figures within the Yellow Turbans who before were seen as just peons for the heroes of the Three Kingdoms to overcome. And even further expands upon important names by making them more than an archetype or "the son of that guy".

The action is also good, I can picture the battles in my head, and I know I keep saying this, but it blends realism with the romance perfectly. It keeps the important before-battle duels yet also keeps those people human and still relying on armies and tactics. So we keep many great moments from the Romance that are fictional... Buuuut we also cast aside some great moments that are. Which I am not opposed to, but as a fan of the period it did make me a littttttle sad. Nothing to be mad at! And it works with what the story is trying to do. Especially with making Cao Cao a more believable figure than this mastermind Machiavellian who cares for nothing. I suspect we will see Cao Cao grow into that role rather than having him always be as such.

The second half of the novel is quite unexpected. I won't say why, but Baptiste does invent a scenario for a lot of secondary characters in the Romance to meet and grow along each other. And while I was skeptical at first, I enjoyed the setting and ideas of it! If even it is a bit unbelievable and feels a little fanfiction-y putting together a lot of characters into a situation they weren't in... Which... I suppose this and even the Romance itself is heh.

Aside from my nerd Romance observations (which aren't even truly negatives, and are, just as I said, observations), the novel does not have many issues! I enjoyed most of the dialogue though a few times I found words like fart used one too many times, (though admittedly even Cornwell suffers from this sometimes, and a lot of those using the words like farts are literal children). I will also say that our main character as a 7 year old spoke sometimes like a 30 year old with a very adult vocabulary and view of the world. Though I can write this off as the framing of the story, much like Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles, has an older version of the character writing down these past events. I also think for newcomers there are a LOT of names thrown at you to remember, especially in the second half, but to be honest, as a fan of the setting... This is just a fact of the Romance. The story cannot function without these boatloads of characters. And the actual Romance does it at a pace 10 times as much as this book (if not more), so if anything this is a trimmed down cast of characters even if it still feels like a lot.

All in all it is a very good book. I recommend if you love the period or even if you are brand new to it and want to experience it. The story is written in a way that while you could benefit from knowing the source material but it is also not needed and functions on its own and gives you the information you need to know. I'm looking forward to reading the later books in the series!

[Graff Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yellow Sky Revolt by Baptiste Pinson Wu

Adventurous, challenging, hopeful,
informative, inspiring, reflective, sad, and tense.

Medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25 🌟

I cannot say that I've read a lot of historical fiction based in Chinese history. I can say that I have read a fair number of Chinese fantasy stories...and really enjoy this mixture in the genre. But, in other cultures...historical fiction is one of my favourites. Also, learning the history of the Three Kingdoms...is an added bonus.

Your book, is unique (in my view)...also, because your main character, Liao Hua...is a really young boy (I believe he was five at the beginning of this tale).

The vantage point of this young boy...gives us a very unique perspective. I love the way he looks at this world. Not sure, but maybe you've used your own children and their imaginations and fantasies...to help write this young child's view of his family, friends and most possibly...his enemies (maybe not, just a thought).

In some corners of the publishing world...they may deem this Middle Grade (because of the age of the protagonist), but that should NEVER be done...for in my view, it demeans the struggles of this character. He's had to grow up quickly, for his whole world has been caught up in war...and the loss of many of the people he loves. Yes, that can/does happen in MG books, but your audience is narrowed because of this catagorization. For me, the story is going to be massive (I just heard it is going to span TEN books...makes me very happy), so we get the introduction to him and his world, then it being taken away from him, then his climb to fame/power (which is still a hope, and not realized).

The span of this story (within this book) is in the early part of the revolt, but is setting the stage for your protagonist. I cannot wait to read the subsequent stories that you write within this brutal world.

One last thing that I thought was really cool to read, is the infatuation of young boys, with unattainable older women...and their "puppy love" for them. In some ways, I too, have had this with certain of my teachers in Junior High. They taught me to be a smart person, but their being, taught me to want to impress and have them look at my success as something to be praised. Obviously, this is fantasy (with a small f, but still...the driving force in our imaginations). This young man...also has these feelings for a certain someone...and that felt SO real.

Now that I'm in my mid to late 50s (happily married for going on twenty-five years), seeing this in this character made me chuckle. I see you. I know what is going on in that little brain of yours. Great touch in storytelling. Thank you.

As you can see, I really enjoyed this book...and will pick up the sequel very soon (possibly BEFORE the end of December 2023, and if not, then early 2024).

[Fazila · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - 4.5 stars!!

A fantastic introduction to a brand new series. I have always thought historical fiction similar to these would be quite intimidating and almost always thought they were not accessible for someone like me. Not only did this book prove me wrong on both fronts, Baptiste also executed the story so well that I now need to know more about this piece of history. Any book that can have that kind of influence on me is just great. I am so looking forward to continuing on this journey with Liao Hua.


Check out the full review on my website. CLICK HERE

SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL : YOUTUBE

FOLLOW ME ON : TWITTER INSTAGRAM

[Petey Karalis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of the Three Kingdoms or the Yellow Turban Rebellion, but I'm so interested to keep reading this series. This was written so well and was engaging and informative.

[James Riach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so the fact that this book and now series even exists is worthy of giving it 5 stars. I love historical fiction. It might be my favourite genre. To get what is essentially Uhtred or Sharpe set in Three kingdoms China with Liao Hua the MC, I could not ask for more.

Long have I thought Liao Hua deserved a character model in Dynasty Warriors and long have I been disappointed. When Total War: Three Kingdoms was announced again I hoped for a unique model and again I was let down. I was so annoyed by him getting his lack of recognition that I ended up writing university papers on this guy just so that for me at least, he had validation. Then, about a month ago, I find this book exists and immediately purchase a physical version and the ebook (as I couldn’t wait for the delivery I just needed to read it now).

There are only two negatives I can about it, one being the author’s use of English very occasionally reads a little quirky and off but that’s because it’s not his first language. You can forgive anyone who speaks like four languages when they get something wrong every now and then. Even native speakers do it. The second is that the maturity Liao Hua shows as a 7/8/9 year old is a little difficult to believe at times. There are reality checks that he suffers however that bring me straight back in.

The great stuff in this however is that Baptiste has captured each and every character how I believed they should have been. Except Gongsun Zan, that man will always be so much cooler in my head than any portrayal I’ve seen. What I hope for in the future is that these books get just a bit longer. Even just one extra chapter spent on both the Yellow Turbans army and in Cao Cao’s school would’ve felt perfect. Also here’s hoping that my absolute favourite characters Xu Shu gets some decent rep. 🤞🏼

My enjoyment of this time period however easily outweighs any negatives and they are purely from a personal preference standpoint really.

Baptiste Pinson Wu has given the world an incredible gift by bringing Liao Hua to the forefront of the Three Kingdoms world and best believe I will be reading the rest of this series as each one comes out. If only there was a way to catch up on the extra chapters he released in his newsletter.

Keep the great series going Baptiste! The first entry is wonderful!

[The Fantasy Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah!!! Can't wait for book 2! Review to come soon.

Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

[Robert Fugate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t my favorite read of all time, but I had a decently good time with what was here. I feel like this book was a little short for everything included. I wish there was more detail given to moments, specifically times like the school many of the characters went to. I did still enjoy it overall, and will continue on in the series.

The character work in this book was solid, but not amazing. I would like to have seen more moments between Liao Dun/Chun and the other characters. The times where there were detailed interactions were amazing, so I just wish there were more of those moments. I also really enjoyed the character of Cao Cao, and the almost father figure he was to the kids. I think Wu can do great character work, and I’d like to see more of it.

Getting to see ancient China was definitely a cool part of this book. I really liked seeing how it was organized, and how the different armies worked in the time period. I’m very excited to see more battles, and different factions as we go through the story.

I think this book was definitely a set up to the coming books in the series, so I’m definitely excited to read those. I don’t know much about this era of China, but this book definitely made me want to know more!

[Redd Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Yellow Sky Revolt (Three Kingdoms Chronicles #1) by Baptiste Pinson Wu
Offered to write a review for the author after purchasing the book myself.

*Spoilers Ahead*

Yellow Sky Revolt is an action packed adventure following the life of Liao Hua, a historical warrior during Three Kingdoms China whom we know little about. Being historical fiction there are events and characters that must appear and Baptiste Pinson Wu does a brilliant job of weaving history and fiction together to create an exhilarating romp through ancient China, regardless of reader familiarity.


Plot Summary

This is a rundown of Liao Hua (Dun/Chun), I’ve missed out a number of characters.

Yellow Sky Revolt follows Liao Hua during the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the beginning of the Tyranny of Dong Zhuo. The prologue sets the scene, Liao Hua is an old man and has seen his Kingdom, Shu-Han, fall to the might of Wei near the end of this turbulent period of Chinese history. He has been summoned to the Wei capital and asked by the victorious general Zhong Hui if he would write down the history of Shu-Han. Chen Shou is assigned as Hua’s scribe, a young man, idealistic and born into comfort, a comfort built by Liao Hua and his many, many dead friends and heroes. Hua is bitter at Liu Bei’s son, Liu Chan “that piss poor example of a son,”having lost the war. He is bitter at Chen Shou for being young and soft handed, unused to the hardship his predecessors, Liao Hua’s friends, had to suffer to build Shu-Han. He is bitter he has to ride in a carriage rather than on a horse, even at 83. But he agreed to tell his story, rather than slit his own throat, and so he begins with his childhood and becoming involved in the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Liao Hua, named Liao Dun as a child (I will discuss naming and other cultural factors later on), is a boy of 6. His father is a farmer, a mild mannered and, in Dun’s eyes, weak man and his sister is a baby. Dun’s hero is his Uncle Cheng, an Adept of the Way - a healer and travelling warrior - spreading the word of the Great Peace founded by Zhang Jue. Cheng Yuanzhi visits Dun’s village of Fa Jia Po every few months and Dun looks forward to it every time. A boy obsessed with fighting and battles and martial prowess while the adults around him try, and fail, to temper his martial instincts.

Liao Dun travels with his Uncle Cheng to the massive city of Xiangyang on the pretext of selling the family’s crop there will fetch a higher price. While there they witness the execution of a fellow Adept of Cheng Yuanzhi’s, He Luo, who screams, “Death to the blue sky,’ before the executioner botches the job. When He Luo’s head is held up the crowd respond with silence, not adulation, and the Yellow Turban uprising is all but guaranteed. Dun, being a child, pisses himself and faints later waking on the back of his empty cart. Cheng returns with fresh clothes dyed yellow and with a long length of yellow fabric which Dun ties round his waist. The pair travel back to Fa Jia Po and Dun promises not to tell his father of the execution until Cheng has left town.

Dun shares the story of He Luo’s death and while his father is angry at Cheng the story spreads and gains a life of its own. Soon the whole commandery knows of the injustice. Months go by before Cheng returns and when he does the rebellion has begun. He is being chased by Han soldiers of the local militia and tells the villagers of Fa Jia Po to get rid of their yellow “belts” and to hit him and tie him up to make it look like they are loyal to the Emperor. The soldiers arrive, arrest Cheng, and leave but Dun and others think this an injustice. They retie their belts, find what few weapons they have, mainly farming tools, and plan an ambush on the soldiers to free Cheng. The plan works with minimal losses and Cheng is at first angry but thanks them all the same. He tells them the yellow cloths aren’t belts but turbans, meant to be tied around the head. The villagers can’t return to Fa Jia Po and Cheng offers to lead them to the city of Wan to join up with the Grand Adept Zhang Mancheng who is leading the revolt across the nearby commanderys and provinces. And so, at age 8, Liao Dun marches to war…


Worldbuilding

Ancient China is a historical period rife with potential and little known in the west, save through games like Dynasty Warriors and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Baptiste Pinson Wu has given life to the Three Kingdom’s period by including a wealth of foreign and ancient culture to craft the world of 2nd century China.

To start with, names, surnames are first, given names second. But we also have childhood and adulthood names. Liao Dun becomes Liao Hua once he reaches adulthood, which is not in this first of a, hopefully, many book series. Within the nobility, moneyed, and courtly classes there are courtesy names. Cao Cao’s is Mengde. It is rude for someone his age or younger to use his given name, Cao, rather than his courtesy name, Mengde. A man older than Cao Cao may get away with using his given name but it depends. Furthermore, it would also be rude to call an adult, Cao Cao, by his childhood name, Cao Anmin, though this has not yet come up in the story. Those familiar will be glad to have this included and those unfamiliar do not worry Baptiste Pinson Wu has pulled off the naming conventions very well. It is clear who is who and the reader will be able to follow along without issue as BPW has limited the use of courtesy names only to prominent characters.

BPW has chosen to include Chinese measurements too, so cun, li, shi, and others appear. Usually these are applied in the lightest way, word changes, cun instead of inch, li instead of mile (which is 1/3 of a mile), and shi instead of hour (which is actually 2 hours). These changes help the worldbuilding and storytelling while posing no issue for the reader’s understanding.

Other terms are included, such as zuoyi, liangguan, dao, and jian but again are utilised in a way that doesn’t impact understanding while adding to the worldbuilding. When the reader needs a little extra information BPW will include it, for instance for a zuoyi which is a military salute were one’s fist sits inside an open hand around chest level. These things are explained and the exposition flows as you experience the world through Liao Hua’s memory of his life. Later in the story we are treated to the most important of arts, poetry, and its companion, calligraphy even being shown how different styles of calligraphy will be important in later books. These are all impactful to the story, character development, and plot and helps craft a rich and vibrant view of ancient China.

Being a historic period there are events that have to happen, happened a certain way, people who existed, and some who didn’t. BPW has included some of the romanticised events, and characters, from Luo Guanzhong’s legendary Romance of the Three Kingdoms rather than the more factual Records of the Three Kingdoms. Though both have errors. Historically speaking Romance has been absorbed into Chinese culture to the point where veering from the novelised events is often frowned upon. Those familiar with Dynasty Warriors will be familiar with Romance as well and find great enjoyment in Yellow Sky Revolt. It is also clear BPW has done a wealth of research on the history and culture of China and taken the pains to get things as accurate as possible while maintaining creative flexibility. BPW has weaved together his fiction, with Romance, and Records with impressive elegance. I especially enjoyed Liao Hua’s first encounter with Guan Yu and the subsequent encounter at the end that weaved his own ideas with Luo Guanzhong’s.


Characters

From the moment I met Liao Hua I liked him. He’s a grumpy old man detesting the youth that lost the Kingdom he helped build and called home. Furious that the young man, Chen Shou (the writer of Records of the Three Kingdoms) is happy there is peace rather than angry his now former-Emperor’s dream is dead. Hua was much the same as a child, fiery and eager for excitement. We follow Liao Dun on his journey from a 6 year old son of a farmer to an 8 year old Yellow Turban in revolt against an Empire and all the way up to thirteen as a messenger for Cao Cao and more during the Loyal Rebels attempt at removing the tyrant Dong Zhuo from power. For a child Dun is not passive and while events unfold around him it certainly feels like Dun plays a part in moving the story along and the older he gets the more he drives events.

Uncle Cheng Yuanzhi and Uncle Deng Mao, uncle being an honorific and not necessarily to do with blood, are affable, healers and warriors of the Way of Great Peace. It is easy to understand why a fiery child such as Dun who longs for battle and fighting would look up to this pair of skilled warriors who are free to roam the land doing what they are called to. Both care for the boy and teach him basic fighting, horse riding, and more mostly out of necessity. The land is dangerous and chaos is coming.

Zhang Jue is a master of illusion. Hiding his own calamitous health from almost all his followers, excluding his brothers and the high ranking Adepts. His way of healing is also a mirage. There is no magic, though it is claimed there is, but understand it is about confession. A person’s ill health is often caused by a build up of guilt and admittance of this guilt can cure the individual. Uncle Cheng admits this late in the rebellion and Dun is amazed and hurt by the revelation. But he undergoes the healing with Uncle Deng and attests to it’s power first hand. A grand leader, an expert in people, Zhang Jue builds the Yellow Turbans, during his one on-page appearance, to a religious frenzy all with help of Liao Dun.

After the Yellow Turbans are crushed we are treated to a who’s who of Three Kingdoms heroes and villains. Dong Zhuo, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, and many officers in Cao Cao’s forces which will be well known to fans of Dynasty Warriors and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Many follow an expected portrayal with slight warping from the story being told from the point of view of an old man remembering his childhood. This difference helps set Yellow Sky Revolt as a distinct work while also flowing with the point of view of the book. I found Xiahou Dun to be the biggest difference to how he is usually portrayed.

Cao Cao, as always, lives up to his moniker - the Hero of Chaos. A cunning and perceptive man capable of war, leadership, poetry, and strategy. Careful and at times machiavellian he sees the world for what it is and holds considerable ambition for himself and by extension those around him expecting only the best from those he deems trustworthy enough to serve him. Though an off line of dialogue about not being able to house another orphan of war because “my wife will kill me,’ struck me as un-Cao Cao-esk. The wife in question, Lady Ding, did poison Cao’s concubine who birthed his eldest son, and heir, Cao Ang, so perhaps the fear is justified, while Lady Ding has been unable to birth any children.

Xiahou Dun is a strict task master, firm with the rules and law, free with the cane, and straightforward to the point of boring in Liao Dun’s eyes. An expert at military logistics and prickly around honour. Cao Cao sends Liao Dun to Xiahou Dun’s household instead of his own. Liao Dun becomes Liao Chun by Xiahou Dun’s request and Cao Cao’s order. Chun is poor at serving around the Xiahou household and the general’s wife sends him to work in the stables where the boy excels under the tutelage of old Xin Ping. A lazy, knowledgeable, one handed stable hand who teaches Chun a great deal about caring for horses. At every point Chun is learning the skills he needs to survive in war torn land and at every point it is enjoyable to read.


Writing

The story is written from the first person perspective which meshes well with the setup of Liao Hua telling Chen Shou about his life. The prologue sets the expectation for style brilliantly. Because the reader knows Liao Hua is in his eighties and is telling someone else the story it allows for little oddities in the writing, such words like ‘equitation’, ‘homonymous’ or ‘disapprobation’ appearing in childhood chapters. Or times when the telling outweighs the showing, which isn’t often nor does it slow the pace but it does happen. The style itself is rather plain and to the point, which is fine and fits the character, a man who was illiterate until his teens and prefers the saddle and sword to the cushion and brush. Although, personally, I prefer to read Guy Gavriel Kay-esk stained glass window prose to Brandon Sanderson’s clear pane approach.

The book spans 7 years and some of those years pass by in mere pages while others unfold over hundreds. BPW has accomplished a difficult task in maintaining a fast paced story without the exposition of skipped years impacting the ebb and flow.

There is only one sentence that left me disappointed and it is one that seems to be haunting my reading. ‘“She’s ready,” I replied. And ready she was.’ (P365 of the paperback). Why oh why does this turn of phrase keep appearing in books I’m reading. First it was Chuck Wendig’s terrible Star Wars Aftermath then it was R.S. Penney’s Bounty Hunter (review here) and now in Yellow Sky Revolt. It is an awful sentence and I really wish writers would kill it. There is no need to show me something through dialogue and repeat it through telling. No need. See, I don’t need that separate ‘no need,’ and while some will argue it adds emphasis the style ‘something happens. And happen it did’ is weak.

There are cool turns of phrase and clever metaphors dotted through the story such as, ‘Never use a hare to do a tiger’s job,’ and ‘Long as a day without water.’ These little flourishes do aid the writing, characterisation, and world building when they crop up and it is a testament to BPW that he understands who, when, and where he is writing. And this skill to weave fiction and history together is really where the book shines. Liao Hua is made to connect with all the major players without it feeling forced. The plot is character driven while also being well grounded in the history and it’s an impressive feat of writing.


4.5/5

Well written, well researched, and all round excellent introduction to what promises to be a fantastic series. A cast of characters that has you feeling and rooting for them to succeed even when you know they are doomed. Must read for fans of Dynasty Warriors and hearty recommendation to anyone looking to explore a truly incredible period of Chinese history. Also for fans of action packed adventures.

[Jamedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full text review: https://jamreads.com/reviews/yellow-s...
Interview with the author: https://jamreads.com/interviews/some-...

Yellow Sky Revolt is the first book in The Three Kingdoms Chronicles, and the debut from Baptiste Pinson Wu. A great historical fiction novel, centered around the character of Liao Hua, a young boy who survived the whole span of the wars of the Three Kingdoms, being used as a resource to show the unpredictability and horrors of war.

Starting our story with the Yellow Turban Rebellion, we are going to be following Liao Hua desventures and how he progresses at the same time while growing, using the youth of our main character as a way to show the horror of war from the distance. After the failure of this Rebellion, Hua gets picked among the prisoners by Cao Cao, and sent to get formation on different skills, orientated to the military work.

It is interesting to see how this Rebellion develops and how despite the supposed weakness of the Han dynasty, it gets smashed without apparent effort, against the expectations of the revolted people. The lack of preparation and formation, and how they act impulsively also help to their fall. From the eyes of Hua, we can also experiment the hope and how it disappears once he gets captured.

In the second arc, we get to see the formation of Hua and his development as a competent soldier, gaining the confidence of Cao Cao, but not without problems. We are also shown different boys that are also being educated, and some of them that will become friends with Hua. All of them get interrupted once a new conflict arises, leading to a new war in the Three Kingdoms.

The world-building in this book is probably its better aspect, showing how much the author appreciates history, and how he loves this concrete period. The characters are interesting, and the youth of Hua is perfectly used as a way to show the naivety of these people that arose in a revolt, and how the hope gets easily smashed by a more prepared army.

Personally, I only had a small problem with this book, regarding pace, and it is mostly related to the length of chapters, as I feel they could have been split into shorter chapters and still keep the flow on it, but it is a minor gripe. It feels like an introductory book, and honestly, in that regard, it does a great job for people that know less about the concrete period.

In summary, Yellow Sky Revolt is a great debut and promises of having an exciting saga covering one of the most turbulent periods of the Chinese story. Can't wait to see how it evolves in the next books!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.25 / 5 ⭐

Historical fiction isn't a genre I've delved into much, if at all. But this was an altogether enjoyable start. I've lately been on an Asian inspired literary journey, so this fit in well.

I had no knowledge of this time period or the legends surrounding it, so everything here was new to me. I'm looking forward to getting to the sequels at some point. Baptiste seems to be working at a fast pace to get these written.

I was a bit hesitant about this series since it's a Chinese historical fiction written by a native Francophone in English. But my fears about the writing were unwarranted. There were a few instances here and there where Baptiste used a less common word in a way, I'm not used to seeing it used, but it was never distracting or glaring. As far as the Chinese side of things, I can't speak to that. He did have several Chinese beta readers and such, which is the way to go.

Content Warnings (not exhaustive):
-Graphic: violence, war
-Moderate: rape (not "on screen"), torture
-Minor: crude language

[Ben Ledbetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different read for me being in the historical fantasy genre but I really enjoyed it. I decided to read it since I have read the Army of One trilogy and loved Wu's writing style and I can say that this book was just as enjoyable as the others I have read by him. I'm also a sucker for a book that's a story told (like Name of the Wind style) and this perfectly captures that for me. I'm not sure if I pronounced half the names correctly but that didn't take away from anything for me. The story was just so good I couldn't put it down. I will be continuing this series!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. It was well written and I enjoyed the story telling perspective from the view of an old man retelling his life's story which interweaves with Chinese military history.

The only thing that brought my enjoyment down a notch is my own ignorance of this historical time period. I think that readers who are more familiar with Chinese history are enjoying this book a bit more than I did. But that is on me, not the book. Highly recommend!

[Simon Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yellow Sky Revolt is an excellent historical fiction debut novel with a thus far unusual setting, China and in particular the Three Kingdoms wars, an era and events I was unfamiliar with. With unusual and and unfamiliar names and places this almost felt like a fantasy read to me, but the attention to detail and obvious research that had gone into this book kept it grounded.
We follow Liao Hua throughout and see events transpire through his eyes. The older I get the less I find young people relatable, so you can tell how well the author did as I really like Liao. There are great action scenes, well told and believable and great characters in particular Guan Yu, who are well fleshed out with motivations and agendas of their own. This didn't read like a debut novel at as it was so assured. Pacing in the second half of the book was a little irregular and it's a definitely setting the scene for things to come! Roll on book two!

[karla_bookishlife · Rating 4 out of 5]

An independent exploration of 187BCE China. A superb historical novel that will pull you straight into the era. Such astonishing detail and it all comes in under 400 pages. Not an easy feat. A great read and a must for anyone interested in books set in China or general historical fiction.

[Qwazim0d0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great debut historical fantasy novel. Totally beginner friendly for people that are not familiar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

[Noah Isaacs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on sffinsiders.com

An amazing story from the get go, Yellow Sky Revolt sucked me in from the very beginning, taking me on a tour of China as it was many centuries ago, inviting me to see how this rebellion played out on the big stage, while also enjoying Baptiste’s creativity and prose. In short, this was a fantastic book, and is pretty firmly set in my top reads for the year, and I expect it won’t be topped as my favorite historical fiction for 2025. Some of you might be asking “so what, it’s only January.” And to that I say “yeah, ok.” But seriously, through about 10 reads of the year, this has to be one of my favorites, and it’s got my eyes looking not just for books 2 and beyond, but for more of Baptiste’s works and also for smash indie-hits in historical fiction as well.

Now, time for the actual review.

We start off with our main character, who changes names enough times that I will refer to him only as Eagle-eye, in the present, which is many decades before much of the story takes place. He is riding to see the new dynasty of China (though it was not called China back then), alongside a man tasked to get an account of his life. A man that knows little of the world and less of war. Here, Eagle-eye regales him with his life, all the way from the beginning, at roughly 7 or 8 years old. Throughout the story, we see bits and pieces of the storytelling between Eagle-eye and the scribe taking place, but much of the story is told as though taking place in the past, during Eagle-eye’s youth.

This is, loosely, a dual timeline, which I love. You all know that. I say it every review. I somehow tend to read many books with dual timelines. Strange. But I’ll take it nonetheless.

It begins with Eagle-eye (who was yet to earn that moniker, actually) at his farming village with his father and younger sister. The father was an uninspiring man, in Eagle-eye’s approximation. Nothing like his uncle, who was a veteran of many battles and heroics. Now THAT was a man worth following, worth aspiring. Why would Eagle-eye want to be a farmer when he could be a hero of battles? He said as much, to the discontent of his father and the disappointment of his uncle. There is much good that can come of a simple farmer’s life, the uncle says, it brings stability and life, whereas a hero brings only death and ruin. That doesn’t matter to Eagle-eye, so when he goes off with his uncle to a nearby city to watch a member of his uncle’s order be killed, he vows that one day he’d help his uncle’s faction, one trying to undermine the current government.

That day comes sometime later, when the uncle returns to the village, is captured, and the villagers hatch a plan to free him and join the Yellow Turbans, the revolution of his uncle’s faction. They succeed in their freeing of the uncle, and so begins the revolution. Traveling across the countryside has many hardships, all displayed expertly by Baptiste’s prose and storytelling, until they reach HQ of the rebellion. Along the way, battles are fought and won, people are saved, die, and lost, including many close to Eagle-eye.

Eventually, at HQ, they’re tasked with defending a certain part of China, and in doing so they are tricked, slaughtered, and many, including Eagle-eye, are captured. One man kills his uncle, and Eagle-eye is hell bent on revenge, though how he will do it is anyone’s guess. Thus begins his life as a prisoner, until a lord takes pity on him and brings him to his estate. This part of Eagle-eye’s life is that of a would-be scholar, and he spends much time learning, gaining new enemies off the battlefield.

As we continue, we begin to learn of politics, of the lord, the estate, the dynasty in power. And Eagle-eye gets a chance to see his uncle’s killer, his arch nemesis, killed. Does that happen? I’m not sure, READ THE BOOK. Anyways, this book was awesome, and I felt for Eagle-eye at every turn and twist. He was a fantastic character, and I’m so excited to see what happens on his journey then onward.

The side characters were equally compelling, with their own unique desires and motivations. Some of them I hated, some I loved, some of them were gladly given their comeuppance, which I appreciated wholly. Baptiste’s prose was a joy to read, and to be in this world was so much fun from cover to cover. The scenery was described beautifully, the dialogue masterful and fitting, and the story itself compelling and also so interesting to learn of this from a creative perspective. Now I have researched the inspiration of this rebellion on my own time, and it’s just as cool, just as intriguing, and just as bloody.

My only small point about it is the ending, while good, and wraps up one of the threads, is a little flat. There is a lot of build up, and rather than a climax, it’s more a plateau. I enjoyed it, truthfully, but I was wanting a little bit more. Will I get it in the next book? Most definitely. And that’s good enough for me.

Yellow Sky Revolt is a masterful retelling of an ancient rebellion, full of its own unique twists, characters, and subplots, that I could not get enough of. If you’re looking for a historical fiction book with fantastic prose, look no further, for you’ve found it with Yellow Sky Revolt by Baptiste Pinson Wu.

[Cindy Vallar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liao Hua, a defeated general, dictates his story to keep alive the memory of his fallen comrades and to recount the upheaval in imperial China after the Han dynasty falls. The present is 263 CE, yet like all stories, his begins in the past . . . a past when he tilled the earth but dreamt of being a soldier like his uncle Cheng.

Six-year-old Liao accompanies Cheng on a trip to Xiangyang in 183 CE where they witness an unjust beheading. In a time when ripening unrest ripples through the countryside, Liao realizes his uncle may face a similar death. The militia arrests Cheng, but the villagers retaliate; soon, others join the revolt. Known as the Yellow Turbans, this army of peasants fight for freedom and justice against corruption and greed. They lack martial weapons and training, but win battles until the emperor unleashes his hardened warriors. Taken prisoner, Liao is noticed by one victor. If Liao swears loyalty to him and does his bidding without question, Colonel Cao Cao will educate and train Liao to be a warrior. But the way is filled with painful and bitter lessons that leave indelible scars.

Yellow Sky Revolt is the first book of ten in The Three Kingdoms Chronicles and covers the first seven years of Liao’s journey. It is told in first person, with interludes of the present interwoven with the past. Wu vividly re-creates time and place, bringing to life the characters and history. Rife with emotions, the recounting hooks readers much like Cheng’s stories captivate Liao. This is a tale of endings and beginnings, of love and vengeance, of actions and consequences, of rivalry and trust. Readers connect with Liao and witness how he begins to mature from a child to the man he will become.


(This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...)

[Darian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chinese Odyssey
Yellow Sky Revolt is a great start to what promises to be a grand and sweeping saga. Recounted from the memories of a nearly century-old man, it retraces his early life as a young boy whose life is changed forever by a rebellion which sweeps Ancient China.

Rather than rehash the story for new readers, I will list the pros and cons of this story below:

Pros

*Fascinating era and place (Han Dynasty-era China and start of the Three Kingdoms period, 184 - 280)

*Excellent character development - Every character is imbued with a distinct personality. Seeing a young Liao Hua gradually mature and develop new relationships with his peers and mentors made me care more for the people that populate this world (at least before it is engulfed in civil war again!). I even came to sympathize with individuals who were initially dislikable (looking at you, Cao Ang!).

(Example of character growth in relationships: The changing relationship between Liao Hua and Cao Ang)

*Well-paced - Yellow Sky Revolt never felt like a chore to read. It also didn't feel rushed. The narrative moved at a pace that allowed a connection between the reader and Liao Hua as these momentous events unfolded.

Cons

*An example of anachronistic language - There were moments (few in number) where modern-sounding words and terms were used which jarred with my immersion. In particular, Liao's way of addressing his father as Dad seemed too casual for an East Asian culture. Perhaps it is communicating Liao Hua's peasant background or lack of social tact?

*Very few typos - The story was tightly edited. However, there were moments where words were oddly placed. (One typo appears in Dong Zhou's exit from camp).

Summary
Overall, Baptiste has crafted a solid foundation for what promises to be an incredible series. This comes highly recommended for fans of Historical Fiction, especially those who desired East Asian stories with a Western treatment!

[Brook Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dun/Chun is a young boy with big dreams of becoming a soldier. Though his father is a simple farmer, Chun’s Uncle Cheng becomes his idol and role model. In a revolt of religious outcasts, Chun begins his path to adulthood, only to discover the reality that what some call miraculous and vibrant is short-lived and leads to tragedy and death. When his fate brings him into enemy hands, Chun’s life suddenly takes an unexpected, yet lucky turn, placing him not only within the boundaries of rare opportunity but in the shadow of one of China’s greatest heroes: the enigmatic Cao-Cao.

I was deeply impressed with this coming-of-age novel. Truth be told, to a westerner like myself, Chinese history hasn’t been something I have studied. Though fascinated by recent archaeological finds of clay armies, horses, and the promise of rich holdings in an ancient emperor’s tomb; that in itself is more or less my sole lesson pertaining to Chinese history. Pinson-Wu’s obvious in-depth research and boundless love for late 2nd century AD China is obvious and his enthusiasm shines forth in his writing. And he has achieved the proverbial “hook”, luring me in for a closer look.

Sometimes I find an author’s notes to be as eye-opening and revealing as the work itself, and such was the case with this story. Pinson-Wu briefly presents where he garnered fact vs. fiction, and I’m pleased to say that his storytelling proved to this reader the importance of historical fiction—a partially fictitious story that serves to develop further interest in the reader to pursue a subject in history more fully. Thank you, Pinson-Wu for doing that for me. I’m intrigued, so write on!

[Armanis Ar-Feinial · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclaimer: I thought this was fantasy when it was recommended to me so this may have affected my enjoyment.

This book isn't fantasy, or if there were elements of fantasy I didn't pick up on them. This is a historical fiction book set in China, and as far as a historical fiction book goes, it did good enough to set the stage as to what to expect more or less.

But I had severe issues with the pacing. This book could have been at least 10% shorter as not all the things that the character decided to tell the readers was relevant completely. There was some scenes for example that were necessary to build character. That was great, but there were more scenes of that nature than I thought was necessary, and by extension, irrelevant.

The chapters were long, which I don't necessarily mind but they could have been broken up a bit and the story still would have made sense. The book needed more of a natural stopping point where readers could stop, take a break to dissect what they read.

Now, enough of the negative things.
The characters were compelling to follow and the motivations realistic. The world felt 3 dimensional and you could more or less set yourself in it. The text even uses foreign words on occasion to ease you into the character's head. This was a nice touch that I wish modern books did more of.

Is this something I'm planning on continuing? Probably not. It's not bad. it's just not for me.