The voyages of a Philosopher King in exile

I can't stand formula, really. I forced myself to complete the book to see how much it could break away from formula. Chinese culture isn't exotic from my perspective, so that aspect of world-building failed to distract me from the formulaic patterns. It grated upon me that some conditions in the world or character decisions didn't really make sense, but were clearly there so the characters would be able to fall into the desired pattern. I suppose reflects my own bias with regard to writing, that the environment and characters should maintain an integrity even if it makes plotting more difficult, which makes the struggles of the characters feel more real rather than being stuck in a set piece.