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lidotchka's review against another edition
2.0
★★☆☆☆ - It was boring and what the hell is this description of Diyu?
Small disclamer: I am not an expert of 地狱 [Diyu] or Chinese mythology. I just have some knowledge about it because it's been 5 years since I'm studying Chinese and I had to take Chinese mythology classes when I was in China. However, I'll say it again: I am NOT an expert. Chinese mythology isn't my area of expertise (my area of expertise is actually the Chinese Cultural Revolution). So feel free to correct me.
Now, the review.
There are two reasons why I chose to read this book. The first one is because [b:Reflection|35960069|Reflection|Elizabeth Lim|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510875244l/35960069._SX50_.jpg|57518076] is apparently the best book of the Twisted Tales series. The second is because I was very curious and excited by a book, written by an Asian author, showcasing Chinese mythology (which is, let's admit it, not very present in Western literature).
I had already read another book of the Twisted Tales series ([b:A Whole New World|24397040|A Whole New World|Liz Braswell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433796054l/24397040._SX50_.jpg|43981601]) and it wasn't it.
But I guess my hopes were definitely too high concerning [b:Reflection|35960069|Reflection|Elizabeth Lim|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510875244l/35960069._SX50_.jpg|57518076] because I was so disappointed. Let's start with something that annoyed me very much:
The depiction of 地狱 [Diyu]
Diyu is the equivalent of Hell. Its concept is a bit complicated to explain maybe, so I'll do my best to simplify it.
There are different versions of the legend of Diyu: some legends describe it as a Hell with 3 to 4 levels, some with 10 levels and some with 18 levels. The Diyu with 18 levels became popular during the Tang Dynasty and that's the one I studied in class and actually knows things about (so you got it, I'm gonna talk about this one).
Even if the number of levels in Diyu varies depending on the time and place, the concept is pretty much the same: every level of Diyu corresponds to a sin/crime and is ruled by a king. When you die, you enter Diyu and are sent to the level which corresponds to the sin/crime you did during your life. The king ruling this level will judge you and decide on a sentence. For example, there is a level in Diyu where the children who were mean to their parents are sent. The sentence in this level is usually to freeze the child. When you had paid for the bad things you did during your life and accomplished your sentence, 孟婆 [MengPo] will come to you and give a potion you'll have to drink to forget your previous life. You will then be sent back on Earth to start a new life.
Now you might wonder what's my problem with [b:Reflection|35960069|Reflection|Elizabeth Lim|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510875244l/35960069._SX50_.jpg|57518076]'s Diyu?
[a:Elizabeth Lim|6926374|Elizabeth Lim|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1508017352p2/6926374.jpg] decided to create a Diyu with 100 levels. I have no problem with authors modifying mythology so it fits their stories better and makes sense. The problem here is that it doesn't make sense at all. As I explained before, in mythology, each level in Diyu corresponds to a sin/crime. So here, I thought it would be the same and the author actually bothered finding 100 sins and crimes. And oh my God I was f*cking wrong. Diyu is just a mess.
When Mulan arrives in Diyu to rescue Shang, she ends up in the lowest level (level 0) where she meets MengPo (which actually exists in Chinese mythology, that's a good point). She has to go back to the highest level (level 100) because that's the exit of Diyu. The problem is, she randomly jumps from levels to levels and skips a lot of them because there are """shortcuts""".
My question here is what's the point of creating a Diyu with 100 levels if you want your main character to skip almost all these levels and only visit 4 of them?. It doesn't make sense to me. Just use the version of the legend of Diyu where there are 3 to 4 levels and make your character go through each of them.
Congratulations if you read everything I wrote about Diyu. Now I'll stop with Chinese mythology, and move on to my next point:
This book is so boring
It was very hard for me to finish it. First, I was pissed because of Diyu, and second, THE WRITING IS SO BAD. This book is 380 pages. The first 200 pages are super boring. Then Mulan tells Shang she's a woman and we have a few interesting pages. Almost at the end of the book, there's supposed to be an epic fight, which is absolutely not epic and very boring. I skipped a few pages because I didn't care about all the super long descriptions that add absolutely nothing to the story. On a book with almost 400 pages, we have around 50 pages that are actually cool and interesting. The writing makes the rest look extremely dull in my opinion.
That's why I only gave a 2-star review to this book. There was a lot of potential with the Chinese mythology part. What pisses me is that this book is such a waste of potential. It could have been so great and epic. But it ended up being boring. I can't give it one star because I finished it, but believe me, it was bad.
Small disclamer: I am not an expert of 地狱 [Diyu] or Chinese mythology. I just have some knowledge about it because it's been 5 years since I'm studying Chinese and I had to take Chinese mythology classes when I was in China. However, I'll say it again: I am NOT an expert. Chinese mythology isn't my area of expertise (my area of expertise is actually the Chinese Cultural Revolution). So feel free to correct me.
Now, the review.
There are two reasons why I chose to read this book. The first one is because [b:Reflection|35960069|Reflection|Elizabeth Lim|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510875244l/35960069._SX50_.jpg|57518076] is apparently the best book of the Twisted Tales series. The second is because I was very curious and excited by a book, written by an Asian author, showcasing Chinese mythology (which is, let's admit it, not very present in Western literature).
I had already read another book of the Twisted Tales series ([b:A Whole New World|24397040|A Whole New World|Liz Braswell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433796054l/24397040._SX50_.jpg|43981601]) and it wasn't it.
But I guess my hopes were definitely too high concerning [b:Reflection|35960069|Reflection|Elizabeth Lim|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510875244l/35960069._SX50_.jpg|57518076] because I was so disappointed. Let's start with something that annoyed me very much:
The depiction of 地狱 [Diyu]
Diyu is the equivalent of Hell. Its concept is a bit complicated to explain maybe, so I'll do my best to simplify it.
There are different versions of the legend of Diyu: some legends describe it as a Hell with 3 to 4 levels, some with 10 levels and some with 18 levels. The Diyu with 18 levels became popular during the Tang Dynasty and that's the one I studied in class and actually knows things about (so you got it, I'm gonna talk about this one).
Even if the number of levels in Diyu varies depending on the time and place, the concept is pretty much the same: every level of Diyu corresponds to a sin/crime and is ruled by a king. When you die, you enter Diyu and are sent to the level which corresponds to the sin/crime you did during your life. The king ruling this level will judge you and decide on a sentence. For example, there is a level in Diyu where the children who were mean to their parents are sent. The sentence in this level is usually to freeze the child. When you had paid for the bad things you did during your life and accomplished your sentence, 孟婆 [MengPo] will come to you and give a potion you'll have to drink to forget your previous life. You will then be sent back on Earth to start a new life.
Now you might wonder what's my problem with [b:Reflection|35960069|Reflection|Elizabeth Lim|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510875244l/35960069._SX50_.jpg|57518076]'s Diyu?
[a:Elizabeth Lim|6926374|Elizabeth Lim|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1508017352p2/6926374.jpg] decided to create a Diyu with 100 levels. I have no problem with authors modifying mythology so it fits their stories better and makes sense. The problem here is that it doesn't make sense at all. As I explained before, in mythology, each level in Diyu corresponds to a sin/crime. So here, I thought it would be the same and the author actually bothered finding 100 sins and crimes. And oh my God I was f*cking wrong. Diyu is just a mess.
When Mulan arrives in Diyu to rescue Shang, she ends up in the lowest level (level 0) where she meets MengPo (which actually exists in Chinese mythology, that's a good point). She has to go back to the highest level (level 100) because that's the exit of Diyu. The problem is, she randomly jumps from levels to levels and skips a lot of them because there are """shortcuts""".
Spoiler
When she's at level 0, she has to escape from MengPo, she crosses a forest with Shang and randomly arrives at level 70-something. THE GIRL JUST SKIPPED 70 LEVELS FOR NO F*CKING REASONS. Then she ends up on the Mountain of Knives (which really exists in the Tang Dynasty Diyu, good job). However, this Mountain of Knives is technically where merchants who used to sell things at a higher price and dishonestly earn their living are sent. They have to climb this mountain and end up bleeding to death. Mulan is not a merchant. What is she doing there, we don't know. And technically you can't travel from levels to levels in Diyu, that's not how it works. Anyway, after this Mountain of Knives, her ancestors guide her to level 97 and after a very boring fight, she ends up in level 99 and level 100.My question here is what's the point of creating a Diyu with 100 levels if you want your main character to skip almost all these levels and only visit 4 of them?. It doesn't make sense to me. Just use the version of the legend of Diyu where there are 3 to 4 levels and make your character go through each of them.
Congratulations if you read everything I wrote about Diyu. Now I'll stop with Chinese mythology, and move on to my next point:
This book is so boring
It was very hard for me to finish it. First, I was pissed because of Diyu, and second, THE WRITING IS SO BAD. This book is 380 pages. The first 200 pages are super boring. Then Mulan tells Shang she's a woman
Spoiler
and he abandons her in DiyuThat's why I only gave a 2-star review to this book. There was a lot of potential with the Chinese mythology part. What pisses me is that this book is such a waste of potential. It could have been so great and epic. But it ended up being boring. I can't give it one star because I finished it, but believe me, it was bad.
guineapiggirl's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
Perfect for fans of Mulan
color_girl's review against another edition
4.0
This is in my top 3 of the twisted tales series. The twist was less of a twist and more of an alternate ending, but the story was captivating and very enjoyable. Highly recommend!
wcw219's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
4.0
maniikoi's review against another edition
5.0
For those who have seen the movie Mulan or read the Disney books, you will be familiar with the battle on the mountain where Mulan fires the cannon to start an avalanche. This books starts off there.
Instead of Mulan being the one injured, Shang takes the blow to save her and is grievously wounded. His spirit it sent to Diyu (the underworld) and after Mulan encounters the spirit of Shang's father, Mulan embarks on a journey with Shang's guardian to bring his spirit back tk the land of the living.
This was such a good twist to the original Mulan story. I couldnt put this book down! I highly recommend it to fans of Mulan.
Instead of Mulan being the one injured, Shang takes the blow to save her and is grievously wounded. His spirit it sent to Diyu (the underworld) and after Mulan encounters the spirit of Shang's father, Mulan embarks on a journey with Shang's guardian to bring his spirit back tk the land of the living.
This was such a good twist to the original Mulan story. I couldnt put this book down! I highly recommend it to fans of Mulan.
shelleydavis's review against another edition
2.0
This wasn't my favorite of the twisted tales. I give it 2.5 stars.
lew3999's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I thought it was a fun twist on the mulan story.
theblueskye's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5