Background
The main thematic element of the novel concerns the complex, troubled relationships between the great multitude of characters from various kingdoms and sects, and the inherent bond that underlies the struggles of each. The novel examines the cause and effect that forms and breaks these bonds on five uniquely corresponding levels: self, family, society, ethnic group, and country (dominion). The novel's historical setting is in the Northern Song Dynasty, and includes the non-Han Chinese empires of Liao, Dali, Western Xia and Tubo.
Read more about this topic: Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils
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