The fifth book: #5 The Water Margin (Outlaws of the Marsh)
Time for a pre-Christmas update, now work has ended and I won't have a commute to read during.
Outlaws of the Marsh, as the translation I'm reading calls teh book, still has the feeling of a collection of tales, gathered and written so they link together - as far as I've read, the band of outlaws is forming, with different people joining in order, each with their story. It's not Arabian Nights-style individual tales, but I do get the feeling some things were merged.
Another notable feature is the repetition of themes. It's expected in stories of this size, but there are some clear overlaps. The phrase "About this we will say no more" is used often, useful, I suppose, but not something that is needed in a tale like this (just don't mention it again). There are plenty of examples of drugged wine and people who can fight through their drunkenness. It's not as egregious as in earlier books, as if literature is outgrowing, but that makes the cases where it does happen stand out more.
Still an entertaining work so far, and I must admit I'm curious what the 'end game' is.