Mirror. Broken Army

Author: Cang Yue
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features:
：This is a magnificent picture book. Upon first encountering the setting of Cang Yue's "Mirror" series, one feels as if they are immersed in a kaleidoscope—a world perhaps not vast in scale, yet rich in color and endlessly, a painting that can only be woven with the breadth of knowledge as the warp and the meticulousness of a female author as the weft. Jiang Nan's review of "Mirror: Breaking the Army" makes one forget what color to describe it. If one must, it is: as desolate and solemn as the Gobi Desert in Zhejiang Province. And the splendor atop that desert seems comparable only to the vibrant red thorn flowers. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—who holds the colorful ribbons dancing in the sky? When the moon rises from the horizon of the sea and sky with a gentler and more majestic demeanor, it is certain to move both you and me. In truth, the moon is inherently clear, which is why it can hold the colorful ribbons and dance in the sky.
：The world of Yunhuang is ever-changing and fleeting, brilliant and magnificent. Every time I finish reading, I silently hope for the next one to come out sooner.
：This is something I rarely see in other novels—the boundaries between right and wrong are not absolute. The affairs of the human world are merely like fireworks, brilliant yet fleeting. Yet, I still linger on Yunhuang, whether it is bloody or magnificent. The people of Kongling Valley are moving and stirring, just like Yunhuan, who possesses a strong desire to let out a loud roar after being suppressed for so long. The root of this lies within themselves, and the trigger is your words. "Born before me, I was born after you." I eagerly await it.
：The fantastical world depicted by Cang Yue often features handsome and beautiful characters as if they have stepped out of a manga. Thus, her martial world feels more like an unbelievable dream—mysterious, eerie, lingering, and delicate. The inherent subtlety and sensitivity of women add a touch of tenderness to Cang Yue's martial arts stories. Her "love" encompasses family, friendship, and romance, as well as national and familial grievances, life and death, all hidden deep within the complex hearts of her characters. They are contradictory, melancholic, ordinary yet real, and thought-provoking.
："Breaking the Army" is the seventh star of the Big Dipper. Legend has it that every three hundred years, it undergoes a fierce explosion, its brightness surpassing that of the full moon. To retrieve the Ruyi Pearl lost after the crash of the Garula, Yunhuan and his merman puppet, Xiang, travel to the Northern Sand Country. Yunhuan encounters his childhood friend from the Hotu tribe, who has now become his enemy. Meanwhile, the Hotu tribe's sorcerer secretly casts a curse on Yunhuan's Red Camel, causing him to be attacked by bird spirits and sand demons. He nearly falls prey to the eerie sand demons but is saved in time by his master, the sword sage of Konglang, Mu Yin.