Nine Dragons · Chronicle of Red Faces

Author: Zhan An
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Reading Zhan An's novels always gives me a sense: strolling along the snow-white, sandy shores of Greece, stepping on ivory steps of jade palace. His writing is exquisite and delicate, with a mature and grand style. From The Traveler to The Chronicle of Crimson Youth to The Legend of Qingheng, every mark is solid. Zhan An became a mainstay author of the Jiu Zhou world entirely through his talent. When Jiu Zhou was still just an idea on a forum, no one paid attention to Zhan An's presence. While people were still debating the size of Jiu Zhou, he had already been writing quietly. That grand yet ethereal world instantly became tangible in his hands. You could discern the gradual change of distant mountain colors, hear the distant sound of horse bells growing closer, and see her smiling before you, her fine hair dancing in the wind. Amidst this chaotic and turbulent world, Zhan An always discovered something unique. In the grand historical creation movement, his characters roamed among green mountains and clear waters, quietly listening to the songs of mountain girls and pursuing the origins of ancient legends. Yet, amidst this composure, the sorrow and bloodshed of ordinary people seeped through. It turned out that the broad and silent man, like a neighborly brother, also possessed the courage to stand alone before the tide of iron cavalry of the kings. The Chronicle of Crimson Youth is a story set against the backdrop of the great unification of Jiu Zhou, but the emperor is still not the protagonist, and war is not the theme. People, under the cruel fate, persistently pursue beauty and freedom. No matter how many changes and upheavals they endure, even if every footprint is stained with blood, looking back, it is still proof of an ordinary person's existence. The strength of Zhan An's writing lies in his portrayal of the human heart. The unspoken emotions of the girl, the unshakable past of the warrior, the sorrow and struggle in the face of adversity—written in a fictional world, yet feel incredibly real. Without cool and stylish appearances or stunning entrances, but the boldness and brilliance emerge from his calm and gentle brushstrokes. Perhaps because of his love for travel, the world in Zhan An's writing is filled with wonder and magnificence—the blue gem-like Seven Seas, the silver-gleaming, ice-bellied Zhanli, the drums in the mountains and the boatmen on the rapids. Combining the beauty he witnessed in his travels with his unrestrained imagination transforms it into a captivating and inescapable magical world. And Zhan An himself is the traveler wandering in this world—he is not alone, accompanied by the lively and vivid characters he has created, who travel with him through this boundless world. Reading Zhan An's novels always gives me a sense: strolling along the snow-white, sandy shores of Greece, stepping on ivory steps of jade palace. His writing is exquisite and delicate, with a mature and grand style. From The Traveler to The Chronicle of Crimson Youth to The Legend of Qingheng, every mark is solid. Zhan An became a mainstay author of the Jiu Zhou world entirely through his talent. When Jiu Zhou was still just an idea on a forum, no one paid attention to Zhan An's presence. While people were still debating the size of Jiu Zhou, he had already been writing quietly. That grand yet ethereal world instantly became tangible in his hands. You could discern the gradual change of distant mountain colors, hear the distant sound of horse bells growing closer, and see her smiling before you, her fine hair dancing in the wind. Amidst this chaotic and turbulent world, Zhan An always discovered something unique. In the grand historical creation movement, his characters roamed among green mountains and clear waters, quietly listening to the songs of mountain girls and pursuing the origins of ancient legends. Yet, amidst this composure, the sorrow and struggle of ordinary people seeped through. It turned out that the broad and silent man, like a neighborly brother, also possessed the courage to stand alone before the tide of iron cavalry of the kings. The Chronicle of Crimson Youth is a story set against the backdrop of the great unification of Jiu Zhou, but the emperor is still not the protagonist, and war is not the theme. People, under the cruel fate, persistently pursue beauty and freedom. No matter how many changes and upheavals they endure, even if every footprint is stained with blood, looking back, it is still proof of an ordinary person's existence. The strength of Zhan An's writing lies in his portrayal of the human heart. The unspoken emotions of the girl, the unshakable past of the warrior, the sorrow and struggle in the face of adversity—written in a fictional world, yet feel incredibly real. Without cool and stylish appearances or stunning entrances, but the boldness and brilliance emerge from his calm and gentle brushstrokes. Perhaps because of his love for travel, the world in Zhan An's writing is filled with wonder and magnificence—the blue gem-like Seven Seas, the silver-gleaming, ice-bellied Zhanli, the drums in the mountains and the boatmen on the rapids. Combining the beauty he witnessed in his travels with his unrestrained imagination transforms it into a captivating and inescapable magical world. And Zhan An himself is the traveler wandering in this world—he is not alone, accompanied by the lively and vivid characters he has created, who travel with him through this boundless world.