Sign-In
Cart
Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi - 封神演義): The First Complete English Translation
Paperback
Series: The Ming-Qing Masterworks, Book 1
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Sep 8 2026
Pages: 826
Weight: 2.39
Height: 1.64 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Heaven trembles. Dynasties crumble. Immortals descend.
In one of China's grandest mythic epics, the mortal world becomes the chessboard of gods.
***
About the Book
At the twilight of the Shang dynasty, tyranny, magic, and destiny collide. The cruel King Zhou plunges the empire into chaos until the wise strategist Jiang Ziya - guided by the will of Heaven - rises to restore cosmic order and invest the gods who will rule the celestial hierarchy for ages to come.
Across one hundred chapters, warriors, demons, and deities fight battles that shape both Heaven and Earth. The novel unfolds as a sweeping tapestry of war, prophecy, loyalty, and transformation - combining historical legend with supernatural wonder.
It is a mythic bridge between The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West - an immortal tale of ambition, enlightenment, and divine justice.
***
About This Edition
This is the first complete English translation of Investiture of the Gods - rendered with precision and poetic resonance through a trilingual process by Valentin Saric, working across Classical Chinese, Croatian, and English to capture the novel's rhythm, humor, and timeless allegory.
Saric's translation preserves the grandeur of Ming-dynasty prose while ensuring natural readability in modern English. It invites both new readers and scholars of myth, religion, and literature to experience this cornerstone of Chinese civilization in full for the first time.
***
Themes & Legacy
- The rise of the Zhou dynasty and the fall of Shang's corruption
- The creation of China's divine pantheon - the gods, immortals, and spirits
- The conflict between duty and destiny, humanity and Heaven
- The eternal cycle of cosmic justice
***
For readers who love
Journey to the West - Romance of the Three Kingdoms - The Iliad - The Mahabharata - The Silmarillion
A cosmic saga where mortals become gods and gods reveal their mortality - finally told in full English for the first time.
Also from
Saric, Valentin
Tales of the Tang Dynasty (說唐): The First Complete English Translation of a Classic Chinese Novel
Guanzhong, Luo
Paperback
The Cases of Magistrate Shi - Volume One: The Scholar's Petition (English Edition)
Anonymous
Paperback
50 Phrases in 50 Languages: Boldly Learning Languages from Croatian to Thai
Saric, Valentin
Paperback
From Black Light to Vacuum Rebirth: Theories of Everything crafted by AI-Human Synergy
Saric, Valentin
Paperback
The Sobering Stone / 醉醒石, Zuì Xǐng Shí (First English Edition)
Donglugukuangsheng, Donglugukuangsheng
Paperback
Strange Tales / 括異志 (Kuo Yi Zhi): First English Edition
Zhang, Shizheng
Paperback
Prince Dan of Yan: The First Assassin's Tale / 燕丹子 (English Edition)
Anonymous
Paperback
The Song of the Five Phoenixes / 五鳳吟 (First Complete English Translation)
Yunyangchichidaoren, Yunyangchichidaoren
Paperback
Eight Pieces of Brocade (八段錦): Tales of Passion from the Master Who Awakens the World (English Edition)
Xingshijushi, Xingshijushi
Paperback
Tales of Romance and Wonder - The Complete Yan Yi Bian of Wang Shizhen / 艷異編 (English Edition)
Wang, Shizhen
Paperback
Also in
Fantasy
The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, Book 1) (Indie Exclusive Edition)
Gillig, Rachel
Paperback
The Princess Bride Deluxe Limited Edition: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Goldman, William
Paperback
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
Kuang, R. F.
Paperback
Japanese Gothic: A Folk Horror Novel of Japanese Mythology, Murder, and Family Duty Across Two Timelines
Baker, Kylie Lee
Hardcover
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan CI Fu (Novel) Vol. 8 (Special Edition)
Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Paperback
Assistant to the Villain: A Cozy Fantasy Romantic Comedy from a Tiktok Sensation
Maehrer, Hannah Nicole
Paperback