The First Step

Praise for Tao Wong’s A Thousand Li series:“Tao Wong is a magician. A Thousand Li is an expertly wrought foundation for one the most epic English-language cultivation book series of all time. This book is infused with magic and wonder and some of the most kick ass, heart-pounding action sequences I’ve ever read.“—Matt Dinniman, New York Times bestselling author of Dungeon Crawler Carl“A Thousand Li more than lives up to its name—a grand journey from the humblest of beginnings to a heavenly ascent. Tao Wong skillfully blends xianxia action, political intrigue, quiet poetry and fascinating historical details into a superlative cultivation epic.”—Travis Baldree, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Legends & Lattes“A Thousand Li is one of the best English-language cultivation series out there, written with obvious love for the genre. If you’ve heard about cultivation but don’t know where to begin, this is a great place to start.”—Will Wight, New York Times bestselling author of the Cradle series“A Thousand Li: The First Step is engaging and immensely satisfying, a classic underdog story rich with martial arts, strange monsters, and the sort of power progression that has you reading on the edge of your seat.”—Andrea Stewart, author of the The Bone Shard Daughter and The Gods Below“Fast-paced, intriguing, and highly addictive. Adventure—and immortality—awaits!“—Andy Peloquin, author of the Darkblade and Heirs of Destiny series“Leap into what’s going to be your first, and new, xianxia obsession. Tao Wong masterfully leads readers into an adventure full of martial arts, supernatural abilities, and immortals, drawing from a rich Chinese tradition he proves he’s no stranger to writing in. Whether it’s your first time or not, Taos tale confidently ticks all the boxes of what makes a great xianxia novel. The spirit of early Shaw brothers to the modern Black Myth: Wukong, all shine through in A Thousand Li. So, what are you waiting for, take The First Step.“—R.R. Virdi, USA Today bestselling author of The First Binding”The First Step launches classic xianxia progression fantasy into the mainstream in a display as thrilling as Chinese fireworks! This is the fantasy adventure you didn’t even know you wanted, but you do. You REALLY do!“—Dyrk Ashton, author of The Paternus Trilogy“The worldbuilding and magic system impress.“—Publishers Weekly

Tao Wong is the author of the A Thousand Li progression fantasy series and the System Apocalypse LitRPG series, among others. When he’s not writing and working, he’s practicing martial arts, reading, and dreaming up new worlds. He lives in Toronto, Canada.