---
product_id: 1274210
title: "The Lives of Tao Paperback – Illustrated, April 30, 2013"
brand: "wesley chuargh! oxford"
price: "€ 22.81"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1274210-the-lives-of-tao-paperback-illustrated-april-30-2013
store_origin: HR
region: Croatia
---

# The Lives of Tao Paperback – Illustrated, April 30, 2013

**Brand:** wesley chuargh! oxford
**Price:** € 22.81
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Lives of Tao Paperback – Illustrated, April 30, 2013 by wesley chuargh! oxford
- **How much does it cost?** € 22.81 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1274210-the-lives-of-tao-paperback-illustrated-april-30-2013)

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## Description

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## Images

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    No need to YOLO when you can live many times!
  

*by K***N on Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2013*

I'll bet that Wes Chu's life motto isn't YOLO ("You Only Live Once"). In The Lives of Tao, the title character is a very old, somewhat snarky alien who has been stranded on earth for generations. Tao and his fellow aliens crash landed here many years ago and they can only survive in host bodies. When the host dies, they must move on and Tao has moved on many, many times.The book opens with a bang, literally, as Tao and his host are in a spy-vs-spy caper that goes wrong. Bullets are flying and Edward, Tao's host, makes the ultimate sacrifice in a dive off the John Hancock building. Edward's body doesn't survive, but Tao lives on.Tao doesn't have time to be too picky in selecting a new host and he settles into the body of Roen, an overweight, not overly ambitious IT technician. Now Roen has a voice in his head and a world of trouble headed his way.The Lives of Tao is a fun romp. Combining the action of a James Bond movie with a secret history of the world worthy of it's own subdivision of the X-files, Tao and a cast of aliens and humans work to whip Roen into the shape he'll need in his new role as soldier/secret agent/spy. Because, you see, there are two factions of aliens and they're at war.In a way, The Lives of Tao, is kind of the ultimate self-improvement book. Roen has to get fit or die. There's a lot he has to learn. Tao may live forever, but Roen's survival is always in doubt. In a way Wes Chu might have done too good a job in casting Roen as a hapless every man, I found the other characters, especially Tao, more compelling. But Roen improves as the book goes on and I found myself rooting for him.The hidden history that gets revealed in The Lives of Tao is clever and sometimes teasingly referenced. The book doesn't get bogged down in heavy details, it blasts along as an adventure, the kind of thing that would make a fun summer movie, the kind that leaves the door open to host of sequels. I have no idea if The Lives of Tao will ever be seen on a movie screen (it should!) but that sequel book is already in the works.There's no need to YOLO. You can have more fun and action than can fit in one life. The Lives of Tao is a complete story with heroes and villains, life and love and non-stop action. But Wes Chu has more to tell us about The Lives of Tao and that's a good thing.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Don't compare this to Chuck! It's so much better.
  

*by L***A on Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2014*

I have to admit that at first when I read the synopsis for this story, I didn’t think much of it. It sounded almost exactly like the TV show Chuck, but with aliens. But then I saw that this book was nominated for a Campbell award, not to mention that the first two books were on the kindle daily deal. And once I started the Lives of Tao, I never looked back.Meet Roen Tan. He’s an out of shape IT guy who hates his job along with the thought that he isn’t doing anything with his life. He is regretful of the decisions he’s made, but believes he has no way of making up for them and improving his life. His nights are spent at clubs, getting drunk and hitting only women, only to be ditched after he willing pays for their drinks; leaving him alone to sulk in his sad life, but when he starts hearing a voice in his head, his life changes forever.Meet Tao. He is an alien a part of a species known only as the Quasing; he and his people crashed landed on earth billions of years ago when dinosaurs roamed the land. Eventually they learned they could inhabit said creatures, for they could not live on this planet without a host. The Quasing only have one goal and that is to build a spaceship in order to go back home. The only problem is that the creatures on earth weren’t advanced mentally or physically to make their dream a reality. So when humans began to evolve, the Quasing began to make allies with them and guide them so that one day they could create the technology needed return home.However, some of the Quasing had different views on how to go about guiding the human race. One half ,known as the Genjix, believed that tragedy results in innovation and eventually after the humans recovered from each disaster caused by the Genjix, then they’d have a way home. As for the other half, the Prophus, they believe the humans needed to be built up, rather than broken down; the humans needed guidance to advance. This disagreement in methods for reaching their goal resulted in the start of an all-out war between the two factions, with the humans as the pawns. One day after Tao’s former host, Edward Blair, takes his own life, Tao comes across Roen and together they train Roen in order to prepare him for the fight against the Genjix, one of which the Prophus are losing.The Lives of Tao has many attributes that makes it a great novel. I honestly found the book to be funny. The witty banter between Roen and Tao is, in my opinion, is the highlight of this book. The two characters have perfect chemistry and complement each other. At many points in the book I found myself laughing at their arguments or one of Tao’s jibes to Roen. Then there are the actions scenes which make the book shine. It might have something to do with the author being a martial artist that makes him do such a great job with fight scenes. They are detailed and clear, but not so much that you get lost in the fight and lose sight if what is happening. Some authors can’t manage it. They try to give you every single detail and it makes the novel confusing.The characters are another aspect of this book. I truly enjoyed Roen’s transformation in the book from coward to hero. I found it fitting that it didn’t happen overnight. Roen’s change was gradual and it felt real Some I loved too much to let go, others were truly deserving of the hate I felt for them, but that’s what I love about the villains. I loved to hate them. And they make the story so much better by putting the characters in tough situations, forcing them to make life changing decisions which add suspense to the book.Final Verdict: I can see why this book is Campbell nominated. The story of Chuck cannot truly compare to Roen's tragic tale. I laughed, cried, and whooped every step of the way. After finishing this book it's safe to say I am eager for the next one. I highly recommended thus book to anyone whose looking for a funny, action packed novel.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Good fun to read
  

*by D***. on Reviewed in Germany on December 29, 2016*

I found it to be a mixture of old and new elements, somewhat funny and witty dialogs at times.If one likes such plots, one should give it a try.

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*Product available on Desertcart Croatia*
*Store origin: HR*
*Last updated: 2026-03-19*