Quick Synopsis – Long Wu Ying never expected to become a real cultivator, never dreamed of having the chance to train and develop wondrous martial arts skills and magic of his own. Fate, however, has different plans for him. Conscripted into the army and taken from everything he knows, Wu Ying’s chance observation of an incoming ambush prevents a bloody rout—and brings him to the attention of the powerful Verdant Green Waters sect, an elite school of cultivation. Invited to join the sect as a novice, Wu Ying is thrown into a world he is utterly unprepared for, one filled with demonic beasts, haughty nobles, and, most of all, the very real possibility of reaching immortality—if he’s brave enough to seize it.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Tubthumping by Chumbawamba

Publication Date – March 10, 2026

Bookshop Link – The First Step by Tao Wong (I receive a small commission if you use my link to purchase)

Content Notes – There is blood, gore, a lot of descriptions of sweat, classism, and bullying.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Review – This is the first cultivation novel I’ve read. I did enjoy the overall story line, but I found some parts to be repetitive. This story is mostly told from the point of view of Wu Ying and follows him as he is conscripted into the army. I feel like the author does a really good job of presenting what a cultivation novel is, the main problem I had was the it was repeated over and over and over. Cultivation novels tend to focus on one character who levels up by mastering one’s mind, body, and spirit. In this book characters focus on their chi and moving it through their body to open their different meridians. Once this is introduced as how the characters get stronger, it gets repeated several times. I get introducing the concept and reinforcing it, but it felt like I was being beat over the head.

Wu as a character started off a little underdeveloped for me. He mostly just wanted to go along to get along. As the novel progresses, Wu becomes more focused on developing his cultivation and it becomes clearer that he doesn’t like the way people from the Noble social class are treated differently. Even though Wu has gained a spot in a renowned martial sect, he is still treated as less then because he is a peasant. I also liked that Wu leveled up through work and wasn’t just naturally a genius. By the end of the novel, I was rooting for Wu and like how much his character developed. I didn’t love that most of the plot just happens to him and Wu isn’t really an active character in his own development.

Overall, this was a fun read, but wasn’t my favorite. I don’t think I’ll continue with the series. I think if you like progression/cultivation novels, you’ll like this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkely Ace Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy. All opinions are my own.