The Art of Prophecy (The War Arts Saga #1)

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So many stories begin the same way: With a prophecy. A chosen one. And the inevitable quest to slay a villain, save the kingdom, & fulfill a grand destiny.
 
But this is not that kind of story. 
 
It does begin with a prophecy: A child will rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, a cruel immortal god-king, & save the kingdom. 

And that prophecy did anoint a hero, Jian, raised since birth in luxury & splendour, & celebrated before he has won a single battle. 

But that’s when the story hits its first twist: The prophecy is wrong. What follows is a story more wondrous than any prophecy could foresee, & with many unexpected heroes: Taishi, an older woman who is the greatest grandmaster of magical martial arts in the kingdom but who thought her adventuring days were all behind her; Sali, a straitlaced warrior who learns the rules may no longer apply when the leader to whom she pledged her life is gone; & Qisami, a chaotic assassin who takes a little too much pleasure in the kill. And Jian himself, who has to find a way to become what he no longer believes he can be—a hero after all.

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Wesley Chu wrote 13 novels, including The Art of Prophecy, Time Salvager, The Rise of Io, & The Walking Dead: Typhoon. He won the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, & his debut, The Lives of Tao, won the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Alex Award. An accomplished martial artist & a former member of the Screen Actors Guild, Chu has acted in film & television, & worked as a model & stuntman