A 2023 Pick for Vulture | The Washington Post | Publishers Weekly | Men's Health | IGN | Polygon | Goodreads | Amazon | Nerd Daily | WeAreBookish | Paste | Books, Bones & Buffy | The Escapist | Paste Magazine | SciFixFantasy | Distractify | Gizmodo | Ms. Magazine | Booklist | Popsugar | Book Riot | Autostraddle | The Mary Sue & others
In the jianghu, you must break the law to make your own.
"S.L. Huang’s new epic fantasy is a battle cry of a book. . . . A glorious, wuxia-inspired saga of femme and queer resistance in the face of oppression."—BookPage, starred review
"Adrenaline-filled, twisty fantasy about justified anger."—Booklist, Editors' Choice: Adult Books, 2023
"In this addictive queer, feminist epic fantasy, Huang (Burning Roses) brilliantly retells the 14th-century Chinese classic Water Margin for a 21st-century audience. . . . The author’s background as a Hollywood stunt performer enriches the kinetic action sequences, which are both easy to follow and thrilling to read. This wuxia eat-the-rich tale is a knockout."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Huang's new epic fantasy moves at a breakneck, adrenaline-filled pace that makes it difficult to put down, and the convincing, broad cast of characters powers the plot forward amidst cunning turns of strategy and shocking, dark twists. . . . Fans of Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao (2021) and She Who Became the Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan (2021) will eat up this new adventure about justified anger and fierce female warriors."—Booklist, starred review
"Delightfully queer and furiously feminist eat-the-rich historical fantasy about a band of marginalized thieves with magical powers who set out to protect the disenfranchised from imperial forces. It’s rollicking good fun with a blade-sharp edge."—Publishers Weekly, Best Books of 2023
"Non-stop action that will thrill you with its feminist heart. This tale’s legendary gathering is the birth of true heroes: those with the imagination to understand how the world could be different for the downtrodden, and the courage to make it so. What skill it takes to turn a cornerstone of the canon upside down and yet have it feel so convincingly classic! S. L. Huang doesn’t put a foot wrong in this magisterial epic.”—Shelley Parker-Chan, Sunday Times bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun
"Huang writes action that feels both kinetic and spiritual. And her community of rebel bandits strikes up a fascinating debate about how to save a country from itself. Tearing myself away from this addictive book was one of the hardest things I’ve done lately."—The Washington Post, Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels of the Year
"This queer retelling of a Chinese classic is a fantastic and entertaining blend of action, humor, profanity, social justice, delightfully larger-than-life characters, and so many magnificent fight scenes!"—Kate Elliott, bestselling author of Unconquerable Sun
"At once a boisterous martial-arts epic, an intricate heist story, and an all too timely tale of resistance against tyrannical institutions, The Water Outlaws is also unusually engrossing. . . . In addition to being a Hugo Award winner, polymath Huang is a Hollywood stunt performer and armorer, able to write scenes of intricate combat with effortless clarity and breathless pacing. This novel reads like a movie in the best way."—Vulture
"Rogues with hearts of gold, the motley rebels of Liangshan will warm your heart as quickly as they'll cause it to race, thump and break. Huang's writing is a god's tooth in its own right, sparking these heroes alive. Lu Junyi is a personal favorite, and her relationship with Lin Chong is a bond that binds not just two women together, but a whole revolution. If, like me, you grew up on the martial arts movies of the 80s, and are enamored by queer genderbent monks or rebels loud and quiet both—grab this book!"
—Suyi Davies Okungbowa, author of Son of the Storm
"Huang writes action that feels both kinetic and spiritual. And her community of rebel bandits strikes up a fascinating debate about how to save a country from itself. Tearing myself away from this addictive book was one of the hardest things I’ve done lately."—The Washingon Post, Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels of the Year
"Reimagining the famed Chinese novel Water Margin, this epic wuxia fantasy will blow you away. . . . Huang's dynamic prose and animated action will keep you hooked 'til the very last page."—IGN
“SL Huang is a literary genius, and this book proves it. Breathtakingly researched, tightly plotted, and cunningly written, this book is full of delicious vengeance and sharp humor. I laughed, I raged, I was swept off my feet and I loved every minute of it!”—Jesse Q. Sutanto, New York Times bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties
"Spectacular. A whip-smart rollercoaster of a book with action scenes that knocked the wind out of me."—Sarah Gailey, author of Just Like Home
“An addictive action-adventure novel and one of the most straightforwardly utopian books in ages. . . . Huang’s sensitive exploration of the conflict between law and justice is as exciting as the most spectacular airborne kick."—The Washington Post
"An utter delight and rip-roaring treat for anyone who grew up on wuxia films, Shaw brothers movies, and loves fantasy. Clever, cunning, tightly plotted with brilliant martial arts fight scenes that had me grinning. S. L. Huang delivers all of what I enjoy about the genre: loads of action, no shyness of profanity, fantastic levels of research, and characters who leap off the page in their largeness. This reimagining of The Water Margin is freaking awesome!"—R.R. Virdi, author of The First Binding
"This incredible fantasy is full of epic action scenes, devastating betrayals, and queer love. The character arcs are incredible, and the narrative is written with superb skill."—Book Riot
"Feminist, fantastical and queer AF, this action-packed martial arts adventure will knock your socks off."—Ms. Magazine
"An enthralling feminist story. . . . If you’re looking for a story with badass women achieving impossible things, look no further. Huang draws on their extensive expertise as a stunt performer and firearms expert. The action scenes are incredible and the fights crackle with realism. It’s cinematic, but the real magic is in the quiet comradery of these characters. . . . The Water Outlaws is a must-read for fantasy lovers. The characters are superb, the fights are dynamic, and the tactics are precise. It’s unapologetically queer and is punctuated with plenty of humor."—The Portalist
"Reimagining the famed Chinese novel Water Margin, this epic wuxia fantasy will blow you away. . . . Huang's dynamic prose and animated action will keep you hooked 'til the very last page."—IGN
"Huang has written a gloriously cinematic novel, one that delights in martial arts tropes...The Water Outlaws is a hell of a lot of fun."—Locus
"This queer epic fantasy retelling inspired by the story of the 14th-century Chinese classic Water Margin is perfect for everyone who loved Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun. A feminist, action-packed tale of bandits and found family that’s bursting with martial arts tropes and rich mythology."—Paste
"A fantastic novel of resistance. It breathes new life into a classic saga with scintillating action. The Water Outlaws teaches us to refuse to be defined by people who don't care about us."—John Wiswell
Praise for S. L. Huang
“S. L. Huang is amazing."—Patrick Rothfuss
“Calculated to mash my every emotional button.”—Amal El-Mohtar, The New York Times Book Review
“S. L. Huang delivers one of the best additions to the fairy tale genre in recent years. Burning Roses presents a compelling tale that favors change, the chance to forgive, and—universally—the desire to be forgiven.”—The Chicago Review of Books
“Huang dazzles in this dark, diverse fairy tale remix. . . . Fantasy fans won't want to miss this.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Old tales are given new life in S.L. Huang’s invigorating, crossover blend of Chinese and European folk stories. The combination of fairy tale, rich storytelling, and older queer women full of scars is everything I ever wanted in a book.”—Neon Yang
"Paced at a flat out sprint."—Kate Elliott
07/01/2023
As an expert arms instructor for the Imperial Guard, Lin Chong served the Empire of Song, devoted to training the soldiers in all sorts of weapons, and kept herself away from politics and hierarchies. However, when she denies an Imperial Marshal, Lin Chong is arrested, tattooed as a criminal, and sent away to an "accidental" death. Her escape takes her into a nest of outlaws, the Bandits of Liangshan, many of whom are women looking for a life beyond the usual gender and class inequities. While the group proclaims to mete out justice, Lin Chong is unsure of either their true motives or their deadly methods. As the Marshal pursues Lin Chong, he also looks to create a way for his soldiers to claim the powers of a god—and it may be that only a band of those with dubious goals can outwit and overcome the empire's sinister deeds. Strong worldbuilding, fast action, and exciting, detailed battle scenes from multiple points of view create a fully immersive story. VERDICT Huang (Critical Point) skillfully recreates an old Chinese tale into a gender-bent and queer novel, to showcase how the fringes of society can rise up against unjust rules and actions.—Kristi Chadwick
