Friday Friyay: 'The Water Outlaws' by S.L. Huang

Happy Friday! We're hopefully finally seeing the end of the oppressive heat and are heading into a week of rain and thunderstorms. I can't wait, because my productivity drops immensely when it's humid and hot. I'm also looking forward to my read this weekend, which is The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang. I had a rather disappointing read with The Treatment by Sarah Moorhead. It was a typical case of "not as advertised" for me and I really had to battle through it. I don't think The Water Outlaws is going to be like that, although I'm trying to keep my expectations reasonable.

In the jianghu, you break the law to make it your own.

Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor, training the Emperor's soldiers in sword and truncheon, battle axe and spear, lance and crossbow. Unlike bolder friends who flirt with challenging the unequal hierarchies and values of Imperial society, she believes in keeping her head down and doing her job.

Until a powerful man with a vendetta rips that carefully-built life away.

Disgraced, tattooed as a criminal, and on the run from an Imperial Marshall who will stop at nothing to see her dead, Lin Chong is recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan. Mountain outlaws on the margins of society, the Liangshan Bandits proclaim a belief in justice—for women, for the downtrodden, for progressive thinkers a corrupt Empire would imprison or destroy. They’re also murderers, thieves, smugglers, and cutthroats.

Apart, they love like demons and fight like tigers. Together, they could bring down an empire.

Book Beginnings is at home on Rose City Reader, hosted by Gilion Dumas, and Friday 56 at Freda's Voice, hosted by Freda. I'll also be joining the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. All quotes are taken from an ARC and may be different in the published book.

BB:

'Every morning just after dawn, Lin Chong taught a fight class for women.' 1%

Yesss, here for it! I've been meaning to sign up to a self defense class or martial arts class for ages, just because I think it would be useful to gain some skills in that department, but I've never gone around it. The Water Outlaws has just reminded me to get back to doing that! Also, the book starts with a content note, which I appreciated.

F56:

'Everything inside Lu Junyi had gone numb, a terrible cold stealing over her. Everyone in this room had their fate sealed, including her; she knew it with the certainty of death.' 56%

From the Dramatis Personae at the beginning, which I skimmed even though I appreciate it in a book, I know Lu Junyi is a friend of Lin, but I have no idea what situation she's gotten herself in to her. I love the talk about fate, however. I've been a sucker lately for books full of people knowing the inevitable is coming and still trying to fight it.

BBH: 

This week's question comes from Billy:

Have you ever been enticed to read more by an author by a book?

Absolutely. In fact, that is one of the major marks of a successful book for me, if I want to read more by the author. I had some books, like The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne, The Beauty by Aliya Whiteley, and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, which immediately cemented the author as a go-to for me. I'll also always mention it in my reviews if I'd read more by the author, because even if a book didn't entirely hit the spot for me, the author may still have given me all the signs that they can be trusted to spin a good tale.

And that's it for me this week! Have you read The Water Outlaws? And what authors have inspired loyalty in you?