The Art of Destiny

A Novel (The War Arts Saga, Book 2)

By: Wesley Chu

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

A hero once believed to be the chosen one must find a new path with the help of a band of unlikely allies in the sequel to The Art of Prophecy, an epic fantasy ode to martial arts and magic from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Wesley Chu.

Once there was a prophecy that a chosen one would rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, an immortal god-king.

But the prophecy was wrong.

Now Jian, the former chosen hero, is just an ordinary young man trying to find his own way. But he may yet have an extraordinary destiny, because he joins forces with Taishi, his grumpy grandmaster, who instructs him in the ways of her family’s powerful war art. Jian still has a long way to go before he can become her heir, so she recruits a band of elderly grandmasters out of retirement to whip him into shape and help with this one last job.

And there are others who are also seeking their own destiny, like Qisami, an assassin on a secret mission to protect a powerful noblewoman from her enemies. But as Qisami goes undercover to complete her mission, she takes on a new identity that gives her something she never had before: friendship, found family, and new purpose.

Sali also thought her fate was laid before her. She was supposed to be looking for the next Eternal Khan and now finds her clan exiled from everything she’s ever known. As she leads the survivors in search of a new home, Sali discovers that she’s something she never thought she could be: a leader and a revolutionary.

Because sometimes destiny is grander than any prophecy can foresee. And the greatest destiny of all is the one you choose for yourself.

©2023 Wesley Chu (P)2023 Random House Audio

Another amazing entry to the series

Really good series, enjoyed the last book and this one also ticks all the same boxes for me, great story!!!

Just a great story

This book was perfectly articulated. I absolutely loved the switch of the voices, the characters, the sarcasm, the seriousness. An overall great book just like the first one.

Great continuation

Please read The Art of Prophecy before tackling The Art of Destiny. You will embark on a fantastic story written by Wesley Chu. The adventure / hijinks / action found in book 2 is expanded on. The Art of Destiny fleshes out the characters, adding more depth to them while increasing the stakes to the entire world. Folks die. To tell a grand story like this, folks have to die. All of it adds to the volume to a story you can’t stop reading. Natalie Naudus was great with the narration. Can’t wait for the next book. DRmz 10-24-23

Fun Story, love the characters, ready for #3

Wish the next book was ready as I’m really excited to see how the cliffhanger concludes.. All the characters are ready for War or battle or freedom. Several characters I want to see get flattened!!!
Perfect pairing with book one.

Loved it can't wait for more!

This book was a ton of fun. More larger than life characters in the form of more eccentric war arts masters, and plots within plots. Excited to see where the story lines continue and intersect in the future. A great story with a heart warming ending imo and lots of setup for the next volume. Definitely excited to continue the series.

Natalie Naudus continues her stellar performance loved her ability to bring such personality to the shadow kills and greatly enjoyed her war monk voices. The snobbish nobles were also a lot of fun.

I don’t want to say perfect but…

I love this series, the older characters feel like they have lived life and the younger ones have so much promise. I can’t wait for book 3 and however many more their are after that

Dynamic, funny, intriguing

Excellent and possibly even better than the first, which I also loved.
I appreciate the fantasy elements intertwined with religious practice, historical inspiration, and human qualities of the world Chu has created. He’s creative in weaving the characters story lines into an exciting labyrinth, while deepening my investment into each perspective.
Natalie also does an exceptional job in narrating. Her voices are always spot on, not a single error.

My only regret is that now I have to wait for the third book!

Very enjoyable

I’m really enjoying this series. I grew up watching the TVB wuxia dramas and I can see this playing out in my mind as one of those favorites, but with an Americanized audience in mind. Can’t wait for the next one. Found this series from B. Sanderson YT channel.

Fantastic journey

The continuation of a great book and a fantastic story The art of destiny truly is a fantastic journey, and everything just keeps you on the edge of your seat. The performance by Natalie was superb, and she really did bring the characters to life. I would highly recommend this to anybody. I can't wait for the next book.

A great part 2

The Art of Destiny is great sequel. It expands on the lore and overall threat of the books. The three main plot lines are all good, adding to the character development. Do you self a favor and listen to the book.