Chen, Da. Wandering warrior.

CHEN, Da. Wandering warrior. Random House. 322p. c2003. 0-440-23771-8. $5.99. JS

To quote from the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, January 2003: My main contact with Chinese kung fu legends has been watching the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Many of the elements I discovered in that film, such as flying figures, magical swords and daggers, and loyalty between master and pupil, exist in Wandering Warrior too. The story takes place in China at an ancient time when the Chinese are being oppressed by the evil Mogo people, who do not share the Chinese beliefs or traditions. Young Luka is the main character, the son of a Chinese woman and the Mogo emperor. Luka is in hiding, concealing his identity, protected by a Buddhist monk, Atami, who believes Luka will someday fulfill an ancient prophecy and become the emperor of China. Atami teaches Luka the discipline of martial arts and trains him spiritually and physically.

There are more than 300 pages of fast-paced, nonstop adventure: fights, imprisonments, escapes from prison, friendships, betrayals. Mythical beasts--dragon-like creatures--play a role, too. Da Chen seems comfortable with the pace and themes of the epic-like adventure, but he also occasionally inserts modernisms such as "hang in there," and "does it have anything to do with the Your Holiness crap?" I think the earthiness of some of the language, combined with the grandeur of the saga, will appeal to many YAs, especially boys who know something about kung fu and other martial arts. Claire Rosser, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescent and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.