I need a new book.

[Mo-Nercy]

Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. Translated by Moss Roberts.

A bit different here. It's history and epic rolled into one. It tells a real rags-to-riches story of Liu Xuande who comes from nothing to try save the Han Empire. It's got all the elements of an epic drama but also manages to set it out in rather easy-to-read prose. This is probably due to the translation process. It's a real page turner and though it lacks orcs, it DOES have mountains (often inhabited by monks), magic spells, prayers, a helluva lot of fighting and pirates. As for dragons.. dude, the main character is a guy named Sleeping Dragon. xD

It's quite a read. And quite hard to find.

A better alternative is probably C.H. Brewitt-Taylor's translation which is a bit harder to read but also available for download online. It's a try-before-you-buy thing really. I prefer Roberts' myself but if you're in it for the story then I guess it might not matter how it's told. I can't track down the link ATM. I'll get back to you on this.

EDIT: Found it xD