Hello, marlinowl.

This story had impressed me beyond infinity. Your concept of afterlife is very...mysterious. Fascinatingly mysterious. Your vocabulary is so rich, the metaphors so original, the descriptive writing so beautiful. I couldn't keep myself away for more than a second when reading this. Your poetic language is so gripping, and I feel like every word you've written is a golden temptation that I couldn't resist from stealing.

Well. I'm speaking like a bard here. Just saying if you haven't already noticed. This indicates that your flowery writing is so effective in arousing emotions the reader isn't prepared for- I'm writing this review out of full emotion and emotion only, without my consciousness. Because, seriously. I cried in the last part of chapter 5. You're a wonderful FF writer whom I look up to and hope to become someday. Little are the chances you'll ever see this review, but I hope you haven't forgotten about how Shen deserves one more completed and beautifully-written story in the archive.

Many may have already told you this, but I'll try to tell you again, one last time, from 2016: please update. :D

I really love the way you've written the characters, this really feels like the movies themselves!

cool.

I'm really glad you gave a multi-chaptered story a try, marlinowl, because this is one of the best stories I've read on this site in some time. Your vocabulary is quite broad, and you've got a talent for choosing the right words to make the writing poetic in quality without seeming grandiose. The descriptions of Shen's mysterious setting and surroundings were also very good. Usually when people devote as many words as you to descriptions, they tend to get boring or repetitive, but yours kept my attention well enough that I was through three chapters of this story before I knew what had hit me. Even the chapter length was good enough to warrant mention in a review, all being digestible but not frustratingly short. This is a story great at drawing people in, and those are always the best of their kind.

Referring to the third chapter specifically, I also enjoy how you write your fight scenes. You're able to keep them fast-paced without being incomprehensible, which is where a lot of people mess up, so nice work with the fighting in this chapter. I also enjoyed the flashbacks to Shen's childhood with Master Flying Rhino. Gave both of them some great character, especially with how they were woven into the rest of the narrative.

I'm left a little bit short in the way of recommending improvements, as many of my problems with this work are opinionated and don't warrant urgent changes. One of the things that bothered me the most were the large, italicized segments of prose that frequently appear at the beginnings and endings of your chapters. Some of them are short, some long, but they all have a style of writing where the vocabulary goes from engaging to fiendishly confusing in short order. This could be my idiot brain talking, but they completely lost me, and because they don't seem to have any serious relevance to the engaging narrative I praised above, I wound up glossing over the ones in the first chapter, and entirely skipping the ones in the second and third chapters. Writing them isn't doing any harm to the story that I can find, but it can be the bane of a writer when readers skip content to get to "the good part", so I thought I should warn you that it happened.

I also felt I should mention the period you've been using to separate your scenes. This is smallest thing I've ever criticized in a review, but I seems like a strange choice to use the smallest character on your keyboard when showing where scenes are separated, rather than xXx or something similarly noticeable. Up to you, though.

Finally, I looked at your table of contents and found that the number of chapters you've written has already outpaced your original estimate of 3-4. This is great (more awesome story for us), but I'm also looking at the author's note in the first chapter, where it says that you had wanted to simply keep going until you ran out of ideas, which implies that you didn't really have a plan for it. That's fine if you're writing a collection of one-shots tied together under the chapter system, but this isn't one of those. If you ever get back into writing it, I'd advise that you try to plan the rest out in advance first. It'll keep you from getting stuck again. What you have already is good enough to be worthwhile, but it would be even better if it wasn't cursed to enter dead-fic territory.

One more thing before I go: because this story was so good, I decided that I was going to do something more than just review it, so I headed over to the TvTropes website to see if I could get your name added to the recommendation list for Kung Fu Panda fan fiction. Turns out, someone else already added it, so I just wanted to let you know that your work was good enough to get it recognized by the community.

Thanks for the engaging read. See you next time.

Oh wow, this is very well-written, descriptive and all-around suspenseful. I'm enjoying very much this spiritual journal with Shen, though sometimes I feel a little winded with the long descriptions.

I gotta say, the beginning of this fifth chapter where we get to Boss Wolf really made me cringe. I figured his death was quick (assuming he actually died, but that could just be fanboyish hopes showing), but having him describe it in painful detail how slow it was...Brrrr. Dark.

It's great to see how you added their suplementary backstories (something I felt should've been touched in the movie even if for a moment), and it's touching to see Boss Wolf still forgive Shen after what he did (A one-two punch such as killing him and then killing his pack can't be easy to forgive). Truly shows how close they were during their youth.

I see this hasn't been updated in more than a year, so I'm truly hoping to see this continued soon. It's too good to just let it die here.

Please update! I love the story and want to know what comes next! :D

You did a great job on the fight scene, i could picture it perfectlty. At first i thought that Thundering Rhino was fighting him because he wanted revenge but when i found that he was only teaching him it was even more awsome.

First of all, I really enjoyed the first 2 chapters. Then when Shen met Master Thundering Rhino, it became unpractical. Yes, Shen didn't have his weaponry but he wouldn't have given up so easily. I think you characterized Shen being pitiful in that chapter. Shen would have been prepared to fight not talk. He would have dodged Thundering Rhino's attacks easily. He could've flown like in the movie or used his train as a distraction.

First of all, you have a wonderful vocabulary and know how to use it. I've learned nine new words from this story alone, and since I collect them, thank you very much for bringing them to my attention.

Second, but still equal to the first, your skill at characterization is mesmerizing and and so is your canonical knowledge (it irritates me a bit when people don't make the effort of finding things out before sitting down, or standing up, as the case may be, to make a story.) I could effortlessly hear the characters voices as they should be, and considering how seldomly I run into a well written Shen, that is most gratifying.

I am very interested to see where you take this and how it will end, especially considering those who Shen might run into later.

Cheers ;)

Hello! I read your fanfiction some time ago but only realized today that I haven't reviewed it yet — it's a shame, because I like it, and I hope it'll be updated someday. ;

(Before starting, I know by your profile that you are a Grammar Nazi, but please be indulgent : english is not my mother tongue and despite my efforts, this review may contain some *cough*alotof*cough* language mistakes. ; Be strong!)

So! First of all, I like your story : redemption has always been an interesting theme in my opinion, and the more the concerned character makes it difficult, the more interesting it gets. And Shen sure is a difficult one. Thank you for not making him all nice and depressed and "bouh-ouh-ouh what have I done" : I think you keep him in-character, and it's rare enough to be appreciated.

Oh, as I'm talking about characters : my inner fangirl jumped for joy at the first chapter (OOGWAY. AND SHEN. TALKING TOGETHER. IN-CHARACTER.) Shen's exchange with Master Thundering Rhino was good too, it was touching. I also like that Shen never verbalizes the fact that he's dead (he certainly has realized it, though — and sorry if I didn't notice he actually said it, I don't think so but still, it'd be embarrassing O.O).

And last but not least : WOLF BOSS IS HERE TOO. (Sorry, it had to be capslocked.) I thought it could be him who hit Shen in the dark, but I was glad it was really him! I love this line : "What part of 'you threw a dagger in my neck' did you not understand?"

Yet I don't really agree with some part of your characterization (it may be subjective but I still want to give you my opinion on it, since Wolf Boss is my favorite character ;). I think he forgives Shen too easily, not for the dagger but for the wolves Shen killed. They were his pack members and it was evident Wolf Boss cared for them ; not only Shen betrayed him, he also took as a target the men under his responsability. So... yeah, Shen seems to be forgiven too quickly. ; I'd rather imagine Wolf Boss to -want- to forgive him (I do agree with you about his attachment to Shen).

Well, as I already said I like your fanfiction. I don't know if you plan on writing the next chapter, soon or not, but I hope so!

Have a good day :3

It's time you hear it from me. You made me tear up.

It's strange, because I'd actually read this chapter a while ago. But this time around, I came off of finally reading chapter 4 (which you might get another review for later), so I had the entire context of Shen's time in the Tower from his perspective. Because of that, I was able to pay attention more to Boss Wolf's telling of the story rather than the story he told itself.

"'All those years we had together – there was nothing I wouldn't do with you, Lord Shen. Oh, I swear you were the absolute best of me.' Boss Wolf looks up with eyes that glisten with tears and memory."

For some reason, maybe subconscious memory (and probably because of the earlier waring in the narration that his voice was splintering), this time around I was able to predict the Boss Wolf being tearful here and imagine his voice breaking before I read the text that indicated he had tears in his eyes. But once that was confirmed, I was able to picture him getting more and more emotional with the next bit...

"We'd chase time itself to the four corners of the world to touch the stars if we could, and we even made a map, remember? To run away and never look back at what we'd leave behind. Every night since that day happened when I gained a king and lost my friend, I always looked at you and thought of that map. Of what we used to be, and what could have been in place of our pointless exile. And I wondered if you ever did the same."

My goodness.

And then, in the last scene, I finally paid attention to the fact that he was whispering. With that in mind, his final conclusion on the matter of friendship and forgiveness didn't seem like a stoic address meant to teach Shen, but more like a humbled admission which seems even to plead with someone who he wants so badly to have listen. In that light, I imagined the Wolf Boss, this time, being just on the edge of ready to break down in the midst of his hope that Shen will listen, his fear that Shen will not, and his personal revelation that he has no more reason to feel vindictive.

Which might not even be how you want the reader to grasp that... But I figured you'd be interested to know how your writing affected a reader anyhow.

By the way, since I did read this near to the time it was first published, I'm curious, why'd you switch the sentence about Shen's running away to pretend Wolf Boss' words hadn't managed to touch him from its original metaphor of... was it, his words cutting into Shen deeper than any blade?

I think the effect is that this one sounds more hopeful, while the first version strays dangerously close to sounding devastating. But I understood it to be a powerful statement of how deeply affected Shen was, which was also kinda hopeful.

So I'm honestly not sure which version of that I like more. But I'm curious to know why you changed it, if you did and I'm not making something up...

School has been rather unforgiving these few weeks; it is a privilege to be allowed on the computer, let alone visit the Web.

You thrive in descriptive essays, don't you?

The way you break down Wolf Boss's story into bits and pieces was very refreshing. It is easy to track his tale as the chapter progresses, unlike some stories where a character's narrative is presented in bulk, a huge paragraph that consumes the webpage.

Also, another thing that you've managed to sustain was Wolf Boss's liking for descriptive phrases. Backtracking a little, in the last chapter (which I failed to notice the last time I reviewed), the line "Boss Wolf's face scrunches in concentration. "Some tortoise. Really old. Kind of wrinkly." He scratches his head and looks back at Shen. "Smelt like tea."" got me cracking up.

I love how the guilt is constantly tugging at Shen's conscience as he listens; it shows that – beneath all the acts of insanity and selfishness – he still has some moral sense. Of course, once obscured by anger, he would sink as low as to kill his own friend. That was one of the few things he did that I was taken aback by.

A really interesting idea you had was that Shen's precision had been compromised by the circumstances; I myself concluded that Wolf Boss died instantly, or almost instantly after he got impaled by Shen's blades.

And just when I thought Shen's pride had waned, it strikes back, viciously.

Now with Wolf Boss's description of the fight from his point of view, it allowed me to review the previous chapter with a fresh perspective.

The mysterious Oogway (is it safe to assume now?) reappears once again. It was a cute scene – Wolf Boss cooking. That's something bad guys don't do every day. And then, you did not mention where Oogway went after that. Is there some kind of exit? Or did the tortoise disappear into thin air?

The part where Wolf Boss reminisced about their childhood days was profound; it provides a stark contrast with the monster Shen is in the present day. Innocence and friendship were just some of the things they'd lost to the war.

His increasing paranoia displayed a note of distrust towards Wolf Boss, and it makes me wonder if their friendship is the same as before.

Wolf Boss had been truly sincere in that final scene. The mention about the pact only elevated his sincerity. It is nice to see things like these, a moment of friendship, and it tore my heart apart.

"Friends forgive each other, and you're always and forever forgiven. Truly, completely forgiven."

It is the epitome of honesty.

The key is back. And so is the mystery. Assuming it is the same key.

In the next chapter, hopefully we'll get to see Shen's reaction and learn more about that key.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Just wanted to tell you I'm loving your story so far! I eagerly await your next update. :-)

Well, my last review didn't really do much justice to the fic. I'm horrible at reviewing in general. But for the record, I mean that I felt little pity for Shen in the film. I know how hurt he was, but his actions overshadowed that. You have kept him in-character while still exposing that pain and making him believably changing from it- I don't know how to put it, I'm horrible with words. You have easily manage to garner more sympathy for him in just a few chapters than I had expected to feel, and that...jeez, every last thing you have written in this has broken my heart. The struggling and fear of Shen, the unsettling mystifying setting, the atmosphere, the beautiful writing, the style, the spot-on characterization...good god. I'm still reeling from the emotional impact this has given me. I haven't had such a reaction to a story in a long time. The description of Wolf's death and the entirety of the fifth chapter in general was completely gut-wrenching for me, and the ending of it was just- it gave me chills, it was so moving. The whole story has been.

You have a serious, enviable gift and I strongly admire it. I really do hope you will be able to finish this, I truly do. It's been incredible so far and I'm completely hooked. Like I said, I haven't had such a strong emotional reaction in so long from a story, and never from a fanfic. I'm blown away.

No exaggeration: this is the best thing to happen to KFP fanfiction. In the movie I really liked Shen's character, he was an incredible villain, but I'm not a big fangirl of him- in fact I feel very little pity for him- so I'm not biased just because this is a fanfic focusing on the guy. Everything about this has been so incredible so far, and I hope to god you'll keep updating this. Not enough praise for this already and we're five chapters in.