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kaitiecakes's review against another edition
3.0
Mulan was never my favorite Disney “princess” so I think that’s why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I would have liked to. It was still a good book it just also reminded me of Hercules, which also wasn’t my favorite. But I won’t be reading it again
kmeidell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
clowdywings's review against another edition
4.0
This was a surprising premise! This closely follows the scene in Disney's animated Mulan where Mulan/Ping is facing off the Huns with a single cannon. There was a twist to this though, that led the the alternate story.
I feel like this was following Chinese stories, which was super cool. It just felt a little random and stiffly constrained to the plot triangle. I wish I know which stories the author based this off of or used so I could read them too.
The characters really matched Disney's which I thought was a pleasant surprise. The character development was done quite well considering the story's events.
The writing was aimed at a younger person and was off in some spots. But it was actually really compelling because of the story.
Overall, it was really good for canon fanfic. It holds a compelling adventure with the beloved Mulan and Shang. It's not on my favorites list but I enjoyed a different story featuring these two.
I feel like this was following Chinese stories, which was super cool. It just felt a little random and stiffly constrained to the plot triangle. I wish I know which stories the author based this off of or used so I could read them too.
The characters really matched Disney's which I thought was a pleasant surprise. The character development was done quite well considering the story's events.
The writing was aimed at a younger person and was off in some spots. But it was actually really compelling because of the story.
Overall, it was really good for canon fanfic. It holds a compelling adventure with the beloved Mulan and Shang. It's not on my favorites list but I enjoyed a different story featuring these two.
daumari's review against another edition
5.0
Oh gosh, watching the 2020 Disney remake is what finally took this off my TBR pile and I'll tell y'all, save yourselves the $30 and read this instead. It's an #ownvoices read that feels authentic to the characters and themes of the original 1998 film, but with added Chinese mythology.
Reflection starts off with the Huns bearing down on the troops in the Tung-Shao Pass, but instead of Mulan getting injured, Shang takes the hit. He's dying, but China needs him so Mulan and the Li family guardian go to Diyu, the Chinese underworld to find his spirit and bring him back. I really liked a point where Mulan had to find Fa ancestors and whoops that's definitely a way to call into question Ping's identity.
Similarities to the 2020 remake:
-a lady enchanter
-Mulan considering who her "true" self is
Things Reflection does better:
-lady enchanter is a worthwhile opponent who goes on to do whatever she wants to do
-soldier camaraderie on screen, can differentiate characters
-actual Chinese mythology and values, as written by an author of Chinese descent
-references to the source material that don't feel shoehorned.
-Mulan ties her hair back when she needs to
-Mulan's strength is her cleverness, not magical qi.
I don't know if I would've rated this as high had I read it before the movie, but I still liked it plenty!
Reflection starts off with the Huns bearing down on the troops in the Tung-Shao Pass, but instead of Mulan getting injured, Shang takes the hit. He's dying, but China needs him so Mulan and the Li family guardian go to Diyu, the Chinese underworld to find his spirit and bring him back. I really liked a point where Mulan had to find Fa ancestors and whoops that's definitely a way to call into question Ping's identity.
Similarities to the 2020 remake:
-a lady enchanter
-Mulan considering who her "true" self is
Things Reflection does better:
-lady enchanter is a worthwhile opponent who goes on to do whatever she wants to do
-soldier camaraderie on screen, can differentiate characters
-actual Chinese mythology and values, as written by an author of Chinese descent
-references to the source material that don't feel shoehorned.
-Mulan ties her hair back when she needs to
-Mulan's strength is her cleverness, not magical qi.
I don't know if I would've rated this as high had I read it before the movie, but I still liked it plenty!
shelbymarie516's review against another edition
4.0
These are the remakes and live actions we want. Give us the twists! This had elements like Ghost Bride which I really enjoyed.
historicalfemme's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
loki_io_23's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
danheng's review against another edition
this book is not for me 😞 its more plot driven, focusing on mulan's adventure in the underworld. im a HUGE fan of mythology but the way the writer describes diyu is so... shallow. i wish it would've delved deeper into mulan character and her relationship with shang. i love mulan sm but the mulan in this story is so bland and boring and i struggled to relate to her. i'm so disappointed bcs i had high expectations :(
courtneyyyyz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0