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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I was excited for this as there aren't many English-written retellings of Asian myths and because it includes a myth from my ethnic group, which is not found anywhere, really (not written anyway). I enjoyed almost all of the stories though some were confusing in their context and timeline/period. I couldn't tell sometimes if it was supposed to be in the future or past. Some stories took a while to get to the point where I could understand how it related to a myth. I wasn't familiar with any of the Indian myths but they were definitely the more intriguing ones. Overall, the anthology was a good balance of mildly interesting to engaging short stories.
Great set of take on fables! So interesting to see all the fresh new additions to age old tales!
As an Asian-American and avid reader, it's hard not to notice the lack of representation for Asian mythology (and Asian culture in general, but this book focuses on mythology) in Western media. I really wanted so much more from this collection, even knowing it's unfair to expect it to measure up to Rick Riordan's or Tamora Pierce's work, though of course it's a first step. Weirdly, attempts at what I assume are making the legends more relatable and personal - primarily through modern "twists" and settings, and often filtered through a heterosexual romance - bothered me, especially reevaluating each story in the context of its inspiration. (Honestly, I probably would've been happier if the authors had stuck to retelling the original myths; there are so many versions, after all, and you can modernize them without distorting the details.)
Possible spoilers below, in my brief reviews of the individual stories:
Forbidden Fruit: 3 stars. Short, but beautifully written enough that I found myself disappointed that the rest of the stories didn't match it in tone.
Olivia's Table: 4 stars. Everything I could want in an Asian-American story about family (including ancestors to be honored!), food, and growing up. Also, I think this was the only story with LGBTQ representation.
Steel Skin: 3 stars. I spent most of this story confused, and I'm just generally not a fan of AI rebellion/takeover stories; it also seemed like a stretch from the original folktale.
Still Star-Crossed: 3 stars. The premise was interesting, if distinctly creepy, though I felt the execution was a little lacking.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads: 4 stars. If this was a full-length novel, I would read it; I love the relationship between the sisters, the specific incarnation of magic, honestly everything about this setup.
The Land of the Morning Calm: 4 stars. I had a pretty significant Sword Art Online phase, and I just generally love anime (and books) about video game immersion. Sunny and her family really come to life, as does their love for each other.
The Smile: 3.5 stars. Well-written, and addresses issues of class and power; too short to have made a very strong impression.
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers: 2 stars. The main character and her friends just seem petty; I really didn't like the abrupt heteronormative rivals-to-lovers twist; I only skimmed the passages retelling the original myth because they were so long and drawn-out.
Nothing into All: 4 stars. Strong sense of setting; the tradition of folktale is well-preserved even in the face of minor modernization.
Spear Carrier: 1 star. The protagonist annoyed me from the beginning, and I'm not sure if the story was extra long or just felt that way. The main theme is an intriguing one, but it didn't really come through until I read the follow-up.
Code of Honor: 1 star. Honestly, this is pretty much your typical supernatural YA story, loner new-girl with secret powers versus preppy popular girls, except that the supernatural part is based on creatures from Asian myths. Also, the overt tie-in to the author's other books feels more than a little self-indulgent.
Bullet, Butterfly: 2 stars. I actually know this story; the butterflies gave it away. The new setting is interesting, but the transitions are too abrupt. Also, I'm not sure the author understands how Chinese full names work, because the characters were referred to consistently by their surnames in both the story and the explanation.
Daughter of the Sun: 2.5 stars. Feminism, as so lauded in the follow-up, is actually for guys too - taking away his choice to return to his family because you can't stand being alone (read: misunderstood) any longer is therefore not actually feminist, even if it demonstrates the heroine's empowerment. Consent issues aside, though, the story is well written.
The Crimson Cloak: 3.5 stars. The constant interjections of "Dear Reader" get old really fast, but this is basically the Asian equivalent of modern retellings that give Persephone agency in the choice to stay in the Underworld, though that one change is shoved down the reader's throat several times.
Eyes like Candlelight: 4 stars. Folktale in its purest form, or close to it; conventional setup and progression, which I found comforting and familiar.
Possible spoilers below, in my brief reviews of the individual stories:
Forbidden Fruit: 3 stars. Short, but beautifully written enough that I found myself disappointed that the rest of the stories didn't match it in tone.
Olivia's Table: 4 stars. Everything I could want in an Asian-American story about family (including ancestors to be honored!), food, and growing up. Also, I think this was the only story with LGBTQ representation.
Steel Skin: 3 stars. I spent most of this story confused, and I'm just generally not a fan of AI rebellion/takeover stories; it also seemed like a stretch from the original folktale.
Still Star-Crossed: 3 stars. The premise was interesting, if distinctly creepy, though I felt the execution was a little lacking.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads: 4 stars. If this was a full-length novel, I would read it; I love the relationship between the sisters, the specific incarnation of magic, honestly everything about this setup.
The Land of the Morning Calm: 4 stars. I had a pretty significant Sword Art Online phase, and I just generally love anime (and books) about video game immersion. Sunny and her family really come to life, as does their love for each other.
The Smile: 3.5 stars. Well-written, and addresses issues of class and power; too short to have made a very strong impression.
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers: 2 stars. The main character and her friends just seem petty; I really didn't like the abrupt heteronormative rivals-to-lovers twist; I only skimmed the passages retelling the original myth because they were so long and drawn-out.
Nothing into All: 4 stars. Strong sense of setting; the tradition of folktale is well-preserved even in the face of minor modernization.
Spear Carrier: 1 star. The protagonist annoyed me from the beginning, and I'm not sure if the story was extra long or just felt that way. The main theme is an intriguing one, but it didn't really come through until I read the follow-up.
Code of Honor: 1 star. Honestly, this is pretty much your typical supernatural YA story, loner new-girl with secret powers versus preppy popular girls, except that the supernatural part is based on creatures from Asian myths. Also, the overt tie-in to the author's other books feels more than a little self-indulgent.
Bullet, Butterfly: 2 stars. I actually know this story; the butterflies gave it away. The new setting is interesting, but the transitions are too abrupt. Also, I'm not sure the author understands how Chinese full names work, because the characters were referred to consistently by their surnames in both the story and the explanation.
Daughter of the Sun: 2.5 stars. Feminism, as so lauded in the follow-up, is actually for guys too - taking away his choice to return to his family because you can't stand being alone (read: misunderstood) any longer is therefore not actually feminist, even if it demonstrates the heroine's empowerment. Consent issues aside, though, the story is well written.
The Crimson Cloak: 3.5 stars. The constant interjections of "Dear Reader" get old really fast, but this is basically the Asian equivalent of modern retellings that give Persephone agency in the choice to stay in the Underworld, though that one change is shoved down the reader's throat several times.
Eyes like Candlelight: 4 stars. Folktale in its purest form, or close to it; conventional setup and progression, which I found comforting and familiar.
mythology from South and East Asia.
Me: you're kidding right?
one of them by roshani chokshi, one with androids AND mythology, one based on two of the most interesting tales I've ever heard.
Me: please tell me you are kidding?
very much exists. title's also very pretty
Me: You have ruined me
Me: you're kidding right?
one of them by roshani chokshi, one with androids AND mythology, one based on two of the most interesting tales I've ever heard.
Me: please tell me you are kidding?
very much exists. title's also very pretty
Me: You have ruined me
This was a fun way to dip a toe into some of the various Asian mythologies. I love mythology, but some of the Asian ones can be hard to dive into because they are less prevalent in Western culture and in some instances don't have many English translation options. I loved that this was a good starting point that had the retelling and then a short blurb about the origin story.
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Favorite stories included The Smile, Daughter of the Sun, and Eyes Like Candlelight. Didn't care for Steel Skin or Bullet, Butterfly.
I was promised a short story collection of Asian mythology. What I got was androids, robots, whiny teen drama and a lot of stuff I didn’t ask for. I saw this book on someone’s tbr one day. After reading Norse mythology by Neil Gaiman and buying Greek mythology by Stephen Fry I wanted more. What better way to get more by getting a short story collection with Asian tales? I’m always complaining that we as a western society don’t get enough information from Asia!
The short stories are all written by different authors. You get a great variation of divers authors all giving their own spin on an Asian myth. Some involve mountains others are centered around family drama, and some deal with the loss of a dear one and what it means for a person. After the stories end there is a little section for the author to write a sort of reasoning. They explain what the original story is about and what their reasons were for making it their own.
I want to start with the good parts of the book. The theming and some of the ideas these authors were trying to say were good. There was this story about a girl having to make food for the ghosts that pass over every year and it was by far my favorite. The tales dealing with grief and losing someone were really well done. What I liked even more were the little notes with explanations from the authors.
Having said that I have to confess that for most of the second half of this book I only read the little bits were the authors explains what they were trying to do. For most of these stories some of the explanations what the original story was based on was totally lost to me. I couldn’t make the connection and I felt downright lied to at some point. Having read most of the book I just have to say what a huge letdown this was.
Getting promised a collection of great Asian mythology only to receive bad writing and teen drama is a missed opportunity.
The short stories are all written by different authors. You get a great variation of divers authors all giving their own spin on an Asian myth. Some involve mountains others are centered around family drama, and some deal with the loss of a dear one and what it means for a person. After the stories end there is a little section for the author to write a sort of reasoning. They explain what the original story is about and what their reasons were for making it their own.
I want to start with the good parts of the book. The theming and some of the ideas these authors were trying to say were good. There was this story about a girl having to make food for the ghosts that pass over every year and it was by far my favorite. The tales dealing with grief and losing someone were really well done. What I liked even more were the little notes with explanations from the authors.
Having said that I have to confess that for most of the second half of this book I only read the little bits were the authors explains what they were trying to do. For most of these stories some of the explanations what the original story was based on was totally lost to me. I couldn’t make the connection and I felt downright lied to at some point. Having read most of the book I just have to say what a huge letdown this was.
Getting promised a collection of great Asian mythology only to receive bad writing and teen drama is a missed opportunity.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
One of my favorite anthologies, if not the favorite. I adore pretty much all mythology, so I knew I would enjoy this. Some stories were better than others, but there are all excellent and several were truly outstanding. I really enjoyed each author's note at the end of their story to provide a little insight into the myth they retold. I'd love for there to be another volume, filled with more adaptations of different myths.