English Sample Available (E-Translation)

Total 2 volumes

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Raised within the Zheyun Sect, an order devoted to the art of incense-making, Lin Yuan is the one exception to his master’s serene and disciplined world. The day Lin Yuan discovers that he has an identical twin brother is also the day that brother tries to assassinate him—and dies by Lin Yuan's hand.

With his final breath, Li Si makes an impossible request: Lin Yuan must assume his identity, uncover the truth behind their separation, and avenge them both. With what little time remains, Li Si teaches Lin Yuan how to impersonate him.

Disguised as his dead brother, Lin Yuan infiltrates the powerful organization Li Si served. Just when he has convinced its members that he is one of their own, he is entrusted with a perilous new mission:

"Li Si, for the cause of our sect, you must learn to impersonate Lin Yuan."

Now Lin Yuan must play a dead man pretending to be himself, while navigating a labyrinth of conspiracy, the secret incense formula, and the hidden histories. He is hunted as a traitor by the sect he once called home and subjected to constant suspicion within the enemy camp. Caught between two opposing forces, he gradually loses his grasp on where Li Si ends and Lin Yuan begins. Moving along the fragile boundary between truth and deception, he must repeatedly confront the question of who he really is and search beneath layer after layer of disguise for his true self and the place where he belongs.

Inspired by the Tang dynasty and spanning a fantastical Eurasian continent, Ashes of Mountains and Seas is an epic tale of identity, conspiracy, and destiny. Through the lens of making incense, the novel reflects the author’s fascination with Silk Road history and the cultures that flourished along its routes.

Blending an irresistible high-concept premise with expansive world-building, Ashes of Mountains and Seas construct a world inhabited by gods, demigods, and immortals through a distinctly Chinese imagination. It will appeal to readers drawn to intricate conspiracies, morally complex characters, and immersive historical fantasy on an epic scale.