The third volume of a projected seven in Stone’s 17th-century kung-fu epic adds even more characters to an already-unwieldy cast but does move the plot forward an inch or so amid much journeying back and forth, continuing revelations about the parentage of the five young monks, violent encounters and astounding feats of martial arts. The focus here is on Seh, whose Snake style manifests itself in a secretive nature and great sensitivity to the “chi” of others. With fellow monks Fu and Malao, Seh witnesses the widespread destruction and other injustices sanctioned by the new Emperor, then travels to the city of Kaifeng where rebellion is brewing. Shot through with developing intrigues, sudden reversals and amusing, sometimes modern-sounding banter (“You think?”), this will go down as easily as a B-grade martial-arts flick—but despite frequent references to past events, it will be more comprehensible to readers of the preceding episodes. (Fantasy. 10-12)
