The Lion and the Five Deadly Serpents (Just Cause Universe Book 8)

The premise of this book is fun, a kind of standard martial arts film scenario reborn as a superhero story. I enjoyed getting to know Lionheart, since I hadn't read any of the other books in this series, and found the cameos of other superheroes on his team interesting and entertaining. When the story came to Hong Kong and the real heart of the tale begins, however, I really began to enjoy it. The author described the main center of action, a martial arts school that his soon-to-be late teacher owns with his family, in such a way that I felt I could see every cherry blossom petal that blew in the breeze. I loved the way he lays out the fight scenes in the story, as well, and the way he shows that even though his superpowered protagonist is stronger than an average human, a martial arts master may still be able to defeat him. I've watched a lot of Bruce Lee movies in my time, so I guess I'm a good demographic for this story, so I'd recommend it for other fans of this genre, as well as those who are interested in seeing a superhero tale in which martial arts (both for the superpowered and regular humans) are the focus.

I am a Just Cause fan. I was not a fan the hero Lionheart, Until now. When introduced in Day of the Destroyer, Lionheart is the least interesting member of Just Cause. But now years later we are given more Back ground and character development to make him a favorite.In "The Lion and the Five Deadly Serpents" he goes to pay his last respects to his former martial arts master and is pulled into a war with the triad who murdered him. The characters are believable and the action exciting. Lionheart redeemed.

The characters are archetypal, so relatable. The story is right out of a Hong Kong kung fu film, so entertaining.But the writing is heavy and over detailed, killing tension and pacing. I struggled to keep focused, getting bored during each half page paragraph. At two thirds the words, it would be a riveting four star action adventure. As is, I can't recommend it to anyone who isn't already a fan of the series.

This is a fast-paced, action-filled book that flies by, yet still has enough heart to make you truly scared for the characters and hoping for a happy ending. Do they get one? No spoilers--you'll have to read it for yourself!

Ian Healy keeps it interesting and exciting! I don;t know how he does it. These characters feel like friends and I feel like I am part of their lives. Continuing excitement and adventure. A must read.

Healy's other Just Cause books are better. This one misses the mark.

Great, as usual.

Timeline note: The Lion and the Five Deadly Serpents takes place in 1980, 20 some years before the first book, Just Cause.When I bought the book, the author described it as his tribute to 80s kung fu films, and it definitely felt like it. Our hero, Lionheart, reminds me a bit of Jack Burton, a bit of Danny Rand. Lionheart, as an American superhero, is out of his element in Hong Kong, and yet he’s there to visit his former kung fu teacher, who’s dying. He’s an outsider, but he’s got some insider knowledge. I liked how this book navigated the unfortunate trope of a white man going to the Orient to be better at kung fu than those who’ve studied it all their lives. Fortunately, I never felt that Lionheart, or more importantly the author, ever fell into or exploited that trope.The plot is tons of fun. Between the honorable martial arts school, the evil triad, the superpowered kung fu artists, the culture clash, and the romance, I was thoroughly entertained. The author has fun with archetypes while undercutting a few tropes. The way it all progresses is nicely done, if a bit predictable.Favorite line(s) of the book: Perhaps it was the superhero in him, seeking a means to justice, to protect those who needed it. Perhaps it was his own personal sense of honor and duty. Or perhaps he was just looking to beat up a bunch of gangsters.Minor Spoilers AheadThis is only the second book of the Just Cause series I’ve read, but already I love the depth of history it has. The number of characters and how they’ve interacted is fantastic. At the beginning of this novel we get to see Lionheart interact with Faith, aka Pony Girl. This is five or so years before the birth of Sally from book 1. Faith reappears in the epilogue, about four years later, to tell Lionheart about the immanent death of their mutual friend, and if you’ve read book 1, you know how that funeral turns out.Also, there’s Bao. I certainly hope to see more of Bao in some of the other novels.