Luka, a young boy last in line of the Lu Dynasty, has been identified by his bloodline, and the five moles on the soles of each of his feet, as the future emperor of China. But the country he is slated to inherit has been occupied by the cruel Mogos, whose leader Genghi happens to be Luka's father. Genghi captured and raped Luka's mother when she was in love with a Shaolin monk, Atami, who, at the start of the book is protecting him. Confused? No need to be. This may be Da Chen's debut as a novelist, but he combines a simple, effective prose style with a tight believable plot. He tracks Luka's training as a wandering Kung Fu warrior to his bloodthirsty duel with a classical sea monster (called Clob) with verve and a sense of respect for his subject. The basic tenets of Buddhism and the life of monks are woven into a web of historical perspicacity peppered with incident as he deftly skirts the line between pure fantasy and down-to-earth adventure.

The religious fervour of Luka's instructors in the sacred martial arts who are his protectors is balanced by their worldly travails. Atami is forced to beg for food, he is thrown in prison as is Luka and common street thieves enter the piece. Also the very temporal rivalry between Luka and fellow monk Yi-shen in the monastery prevents the book being dominated by the monsters and the fantastic. The monks are a danger to Genghi but his military and economic might pale into insignificance in the face of the synthesis of Yin-Gong and Xi-ling to form the ultimate martial art.

Along the way, Chen has enormous fun. There is a tribe called the Washandra, for example, whose members wash only three times in their lives and their smell puts them at a disadvantage in a hunt. Genghi, who feeds it every month exclusively on the blood of virgins, controls also the murderous sea-monster Clob. Predictably a beautiful girl Luka has already met and fallen in love with is the intended victim at the denouement.

Overall, this may not be an original idea but Da Chen's touch is a sure one. He has written an engaging variation on a popular theme and the dramatic ending hints at more than one sequel as the rest of the lost treasures of the monks (in addition to Luka's knife) need to be brought together to defeat the evil enemy. Watch this space.

Paul McGuire is a freelance author, writer and reviewer. He is also Deputy Principal of Sha Tin Junior School.