Legends of Dynasty, THREE KINGDOMS Omnibus 3

* Save 50% by grabbing volumes 11 to 15 in this exclusive omnibus edition!

Vol. 11: Three armies. Thousands of ships. Millions of soldiers. Decades of war come to a head when Liu Bei and Sun Quan form a tentative alliance to do battle against Cao Cao at the Red Cliffs. The all-or-nothing outcome means that the victor will have the upper hand in the struggle for the throne. But it also means that a single miscalculation can have devastating consequences.

The battle of the Red Cliffs is the centerpiece of Three Kingdoms, and it represents the culmination of events that define the first half of the story. From the chaotic aftermath of the war against the Yellow Scarves that opens the story, the focus of Three Kingdoms has gradually narrowed to the point where three men determine the course of events: Cao Cao, the brilliant but ruthless prime minister who gained power through cunning and maintains power through cruelty; Liu Bei, a man of royal blood and humble beginnings who pledges, along with his two sworn brothers, to restore peace to the land; Sun Quan, who unexpectedly inherits his father's mantle and must live up to his family's legendary name.  

Vol. 12: Cao Cao's last obstacle at Red Cliffs is Guan Yu - and mercy. Remembering past kindness, Guan Yu spares Cao Cao and returns to Liu Bei in disgrace, prepared to lose his head. Zhuge Liang stages the execution only to stay the blade, wagering that loyalty will one day repay the debt. In the aftermath of the Battle of the Red Cliffs, alliances are frayed, loyalties strained, and promises put to the test. One man must rebuild his forces from the ground up, while two uneasy allies argue over who has the right to claim the spoils of war. He who wins the throne must be effective at diplomacy as well as war. But do Cao Cao, Sun Quan, or Liu Bei have what it takes?

Vol. 13: From the time, Liu Bei swore to defend his nation, he has learned to rely on a handful of people to help him survive. But as his power grows, so do the number of people who surround him - some by choice and some by arrangement. Liu Bei is wary of new allies, but he will soon learn that sometimes people are a whole lot more valuable than they seem. ShangXiang has been used repeatedly as a bargaining chip because she is a woman, and Pang Tong has been dismissed repeatedly by those supposedly wise men who refuse to trust a man as unsightly as he. It is no coincidence, then, that they have both come into life of Liu Bei - who has always made a point of putting people before himself, both as a leader and as person.

Vol. 14: Liu Bei continues to grow stronger, yet he refuses to listen to his advisors when they urge him to set aside morality and do what needs to be done to save the nation. But the path to power does not follow a high road, and soon Liu Bei will confront betrayal that will tear more than one life apart. Both Cao Cao and Sun Quan are examples of impatient men. Liu Bei, however, is an overly reluctant man. His habit of being cautious confounds his most loyal allies, and his unwillingness to resort to even temporary cruelty confounds the plans of his generals and civil servants alike. It was not until Zhuge Liang came along that someone was able to accommodate Liu Bei's frustrating tendency to resist doing what was deemed necessary to advance his cause.

Vol. 15: Six years ago, Liu Bei was told of a plan that would allow him to one day win control of China and restore greatness to his beloved homeland. Now he is within reach of his goal, but he will discover that the closer he gets, the longer his list of adversaries, for nothing binds people together quite like a common enemy. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." The proverb advances the idea that when two people or entities share a common enemy, they can put aside their differences to achieve a common goal. These words are especially meaningful in the context of the story of the three kingdoms.