An Introduction to Wuxia Novels

We cannot talk about wuxia novels without mentioning Jin Yong. He wasn’t the first wuxia author, but he was most certainly its most famous one. Many of his works remain popular to this day and count among the best wuxia novels. A Hero Born is the first book in seminal Legends of the Condor Heroes, Yong’s most enduring work. It tells the story of two men who, had circumstances been different, would have been sworn brothers but are now enemies.

The Three Kingdoms, or Romance of the Three Kingdoms as it’s sometimes referred to, isn’t truly a wuxia novel. It’s a historical novel that was written during the 14th century and is considered one of China’s Four Great Classic novels. The book covers, as you can surmise from the title, the period leading up to and during the Three Kingdoms era in China. The reason it sometimes gets lumped under the wuxia category is because it dramatizes and romanticizes the historical figures who played key roles during this time. Readers who like the larger-than-life scale and characterizations found in wuxia will want to look at this one. For more books about China, here are some recommendations.

Er Gen is one of the most popular xianxia writers today. While he’s better known for his later works, I Shall Seal the Heavens and A Will Eternal, I’ve selected his first work to include on this list. There’s something very appealing about an average person who must adapt to his situation and work his way to the top. The cultivation world is not a place that favors people with mediocre talent, so it’s satisfying to see characters overcome that limitation.

If you’ve read Korean webnovels or Japanese light novels, Against the Gods has a familiar premise with a twist. A young man dies while protecting a precious item from some enemies. He reawakens in a new body in another world. Don’t worry. He still has the item he died for. And like many Japanese light novels, he collects a harem of women in this new world. While the harem aspects are a polarizing element (to put it lightly), many modern cultivation novels feature it so I wanted to include one well-known example.

Wuxia novels usually take place in an alternate ancient China. But what about modern society? How would martial heroes tackle corporations and government agencies? You can’t convince me that the physical abilities and cultivation powers of classic wuxia heroes wouldn’t be sought after and commodified. Lin’s offers one vision of that possibility.

Given the fantastical elements found in the wuxia genre, it has influenced several of today’s fantasy authors. Many readers know Zen Cho for her historical fantasy novels, but this novella puts a fun spin on the classic wuxia story. It presents outsiders, thieves, and sects in a nicely queer package.

If Zen Cho’s novella features classic wuxia tropes, The Empress of Salt and Fortune takes a different tract where it combines classic wuxia influences and presents a story about political intrigue and oppression through the memories of a handmaiden as she recalls the woman who brought down an imperial dynasty.

If you loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you should give this novella a try. It features a biracial young woman who learns martial arts and the young English boy who crosses her path. Just a word of warning: be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster, but if you’re looking for wuxia novels to read after watching The Untamed, you’re probably fine with emotional devastation. This is also a prequel to a full-length romance novel between the two main characters, so don’t let the unresolved ending catch you off-guard.

Jeannie Lin has written many novels set during the Tang Dynasty, but they’re standalone and don’t need to be read in order. The classic wuxia protagonist is an outcast whose personal code of honor guides them to act with righteousness. The Sword Dancer takes that archetype and puts a woman in that role. And the hero, naturally, is the man sent to capture her.

These days, most wuxia manga, or to be more precise manhua as Chinese comics are known, are published as webtoons. We typically associate webtoons with Korean comics, but that’s no longer accurate. The term actually covers most digital comics no matter the country of origin. Many wuxia webtoons are also adaptations of novels. Dragon Prince Yuan is no different. The titular character is on a mission to settle a score. An enemy country invaded his kingdom, injured his family, and poisoned him. Since the poison also prevents him from cultivating, his grudge is well-justified. This is a great series if you like main characters who are constantly underestimated and seeing the ways they defy expectations.