Zhong’s novel is a middle-grade fantasy story featuring a young, rebellious protagonist.
The story starts in the mystical land of Auyasku during ancient times, where a stone marten, a creature similar to a weasel, embarks on a quest to catch the sun. This leads her to the Heavenly Realm, where she unintentionally sets free evil spirits. These demons spread across the world, eventually reaching the Earthly Realm and causing chaos.
Many years later, the story introduces Hatsukoi, a blacksmith’s son from the village of Koto. Hatsukoi is known for his mischievous and cunning nature, always finding a way out of tricky situations. However, when he crosses paths with the greedy governor Tu Fang, he finds himself in real danger. To protect him, Hatsukoi’s father sends him to a monastery, where he adopts the name Takuan and continues his playful antics, while also gaining some useful knowledge.
When Takuan returns to his village, he discovers that his father has been killed and his family has moved on. This prompts him to set off on a new journey. The story of Takuan is told in a light, fairy-tale style, avoiding excessive details or backstory and maintaining a steady narrative pace.
The tale of the stone marten, despite its complexity, is also told swiftly, adding a touch of humor to the narrative with the idea of such a small creature causing such significant turmoil. The book, with its 600-plus pages, covers a lot of ground. The narrative occasionally shifts away from Takuan, sparking curiosity about other characters, such as the timid monk Soliang.
Despite these narrative diversions, the story maintains a lively pace, leaving readers in suspense about what unexpected encounter, be it with an irate honey badger or a cheeky demon, might be waiting just around the corner.
