A Hero Born

The Definitive Edition

By: Jin Yong

Narrated by: Carolyn Oldershaw, Daniel York Loh

The epic Chinese classic and phenomenon published in the US for the first time!

Featured in iO9's 2019 Fall Preview.

A fantastical generational saga and kung fu epic, A Hero Born is the classic novel of its time, stretching from the Song Empire (China AD 1200) to the appearance of a warlord whose name will endure for eternity: Genghis Khan. Filled with an extraordinary cast of characters, A Hero Born is a tale of fantasy and wonder, love and passion, treachery and war, betrayal and brotherhood.

And then a hero is born....

After his father, a Song patriot, was murdered, Guo Jing and his mother fled to the plains and joined Genghis Khan and his people. Loyal, humble, and driven, he learned all he could from the warlord and his army in hopes of one day joining them in their cause. But what Guo Jing doesn’t know is that he’s destined to battle an opponent that will challenge him in every way imaginable and with a connection to his past that no one envisioned.

With the help and guidance of his shifus, the Seven Heroes of the South, Guo Jing returns to China to face his foe and carry out his destiny. But in a land divided by treachery and war, betrayal and ambition, he’ll have to put his courage and knowledge to the test to survive.

"Actor/filmmaker Daniel York Loh draws from his British/East Asian background to bring a unique cross-cultural graphic novel voice and energy in this Chinese version of a super hero saga." (BookTrib)

©1957, 2018 Text copyright by Jin Yong (Louis Cha); Translation copyright Anna Holmwood (P)2019 Headline Publishing Group Ltd.

Great classic.

I’ve seen multiple theatrical versions of this in movies and series. The book goes into more details which the film versions skip. However, I felt the reading could improve a bit. I have listened to other audio books which were more exciting and captivating. This reader is monotonous and rather that captivate, the audiobook becomes a lullaby.

Action packed with twists and turns

This is a fantastic story and has wonderful characters. I love that no character is perfect. They each have special qualities that make them stand out, but all have room to grow and many do. I love the plot took turns that I could not always predict. If the characters were a little more updated this would make a great TV series. Hopefully that will happen.

Excellent performance, solid novel

Loved the narration, impressive with different voices. Story was fun but not as expected.

Finally!

Finally, an English translation of the series. I’ve watched mandarin YouTube series with subtitles. But nothing compares to reading. I love how Genghis Khan is tied into the story and how the whole plot flows just like a graceful display of “lightness Kung fu”.

And I cannot wait for the next book.

Riveting

Action packed story you can’t put down. Excellent narrator that makes u feel you r in a film.

Amazing novel!

I’ve been waiting for this novel to be translated for a long time. It was worth all the wait! Superbly written!

Superb epic

As an Asian kid growing up in North America, I remember my parents always watching Kung fu epics but I could never understand the attraction. Now as an adult, I get it. I’m so thankful for this translation as it takes me back to my childhood with my parents.

Western audiences may not understand all the flying around and jumping on roofs. But just watch a few old videos and you’ll get it. And the Chinese names may seem weird but that is how names go. If you translate a Chinese name you do in fact get names like Sky Fury and Iron Heart.

Daniel Loh is the perfect narrator. (One of the other reviewers said it was a British lady, but she is the translator and just did the intro. Clearly that reviewer didn’t listen to what she was saying.) Anyways Daniel Loh’s pronunciation constantly switching from English to Chinese is fantastic.

This series is lots of fun. Highly recommend.

Where has the last week gone????

I wouldn't normally read a series in this genre, but first two books were on sale and had great reviews so I took a chance. Wow! I haven't gotten a thing done in days as I work my way through the four book series! So well written and narrated that I can picture every scene in my mind. I love the heroes and loathe the villains. I stay up far past bedtime wanting just a little bit more! Some of the plot lines are drawn out too much but I am glued to the epic wanting to know what happens next. Only 12 hours left of the four books and I don't want it to end!

Worthwhile

I have now read this book 4 times. The characters and the martial arts are alive on the pages.

Epic Kung-Fu Series in the Style of Crouch Tiger

Legend of the Condor Heroes is an epic kung-fu fantasy series in the style of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. You will encounter characters that can fly on tree branches, break stone with their bare hands, and use their inner chi to heal wounds. The main characters are Guo Jing, a simple minded yet kind hearted young man (sort of like Naruto), and Lotus Huang, a very smart and witty young girl (like Hermione from the Harry Potter books).

In this series, you will travel with the young couple all over China and the Mongolian steppe. The world is rich and the kung-fu styles are abundant. The story has aspects of love, revenge, loyalty, patriotism, and cultivation. It starts off a little slow with the introduction of Guo Jing's parents, but eventually picks up when the MC comes of age.

Overall, I really enjoyed this Wuxia/Cultivation series. What I like is that it has a good story and doesn't focus mainly on cultivation. I can't wait for the next series: The Return of the Condor Heroes!