You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
If you're a fan of disney, even if in a distant, secret, 'I'm-not-going-to-admit-it kind of way, you've probably heard of Mulan. Frankly, she's my favourite Disney Princess, but that doesn't really matter.
Anyways, you might understand why I was a bit hesitant to start this retelling , as it might spoil my favourite heroine for me, in plain words. But I shouldn't have worried one bit. This was heartwarming and heart touching, to say the very least. The movie and the story are a fairly different from each other, though they're still similar in the vital parts, which means that you shouldn't go in expecting that you know all what happens. It's quite lovely.
The tale is told from Mulan's personal point of view, with fillings in of everything you need to know, and it was rather comfortable; being without the usual amount of guesswork.
Mulan is unlike any other girl in China (born in the year of the monkey, month of the dog, time of the tiger, and this is not making much sense, I know, but her birth has a lot of consequence, I assure you! ), with a treasure of a best friend in the name of Li Po. Go read about him, you'll wish he's available for order on Amazon. Or something.
Li Po plays a major role in Mulan's life, and I'm prettyy glad to say that they do stay friends only - because their friendship was too beautiful to ne marred by something like uncalled for romance- but lovely bit of chaste romance does come for Mulan from another quarter, making this wonderous tale love-triangle-free. Which I am most endlessly grateful for.
Now, to business.
Plot: Wonderful, does not go on leisurely strolls off the road, and neither does it get lost along the way or finds itself going in a circle. So no worries there.
Setting: This, ofcourse, is China, and I do envy Chinese people a little for their richer-than-gold culture and history.The book provides such a lovely portrayal of Chinese culture, giving me a new appreciation for it. We've started studying a bit about China at school -specifically it's history- and I know more is coming along the way, so this will be quite helpful to both my memory and imagination.
Characters: I loved them all. Except for Prince Guang. He can go get lost somewhere.
Content: I'm not at all aware of any profanity, so of it's there, it's very scarce (I don't usually notice profanity unless I'm forced to by it's repetition). As to the other type of content, the,ahem, sexual one, there is nothing beyond a small kiss. So we are perfectly safe.
I'll admit I think the movie beats the book, but only by a few hair breadths -I am a fan of Animation, after all - due to these :
1) The insta-love, but it was quite reasonable, and did not have you wondering for a moment what they could see in each other . It was barely even there. And Mulan is quite sensible, with an apparent brain in her upper story.
2)The too, too quick ending. And poor Li Po.Why?Why?
All in all, this was a true treasure (this is one of my favourite phrases, it seems ) of a tale, and well worth the time, money and thought spent on it. Go Read It.
🌟To Catch A Falling Star🌟
This version of the Mulan story chooses to focus less on Mulan disguising herself as a soldier and her exploits while doing so than on her childhood and upbringing and what would have and could have made her choose to disguise herself as a boy to save her father. It also puts more of a love story into it although that feels a bit shoveled in considering that not only does Mulan say several times in the book that she does not ever want to get married but we do not even meet the main love interest until about three-fifths of the way through the book and then suddenly Mulan falls in love almost immediately.
The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of The Ballad of Mulan by Cameron Dokey -- This series is full of perfect YA fairytale retellings! If you want a Mulan more like the live action Disney, this is not your book! But its lovely just the same! Happy Reading!
Genre: romance, retold folktales
Summary: Mulan is the only child of a couple that married for love. Mulan's mother died giving birth to her, and Mulan's father is the greatest general of China. Her father is heartbroken upon the death of his wife, so he leaves Mulan to be raised by a nurse while he continues to campaign against the Huns. Mulan grows up learning how to shoot a bow and arrow, ride a horse and read and write. She also know how to embroider and do ladylike things. She is a contradiction. Anyways, Mulan's father gets sent home in disgrace because he made the emperor mad. Years later, another war is brewing. The emperor calls for one man from each family. Mulan's father is called, but only as a common foot-soldier. Mulan goes in his place to preserve his honor. She is put in the elite archer squad of the young Prince Jian, the emperor's favorite son. Mulan defeats the Huns, helps the Prince discover his hearts true wish and lives happily ever after.
Response: I typically always enjoy a retold story. Mulan is a good story because she is so much more active than the other princesses. I wish the pivotal battle scene at the end of the book was told a bit more gracefully. It seemed choppy and sparse compared to the rest of the book. The battle was very similar to the one in the The Blue Sword . Overall, it was a fun book.
Summary: Mulan is the only child of a couple that married for love. Mulan's mother died giving birth to her, and Mulan's father is the greatest general of China. Her father is heartbroken upon the death of his wife, so he leaves Mulan to be raised by a nurse while he continues to campaign against the Huns. Mulan grows up learning how to shoot a bow and arrow, ride a horse and read and write. She also know how to embroider and do ladylike things. She is a contradiction. Anyways, Mulan's father gets sent home in disgrace because he made the emperor mad. Years later, another war is brewing. The emperor calls for one man from each family. Mulan's father is called, but only as a common foot-soldier. Mulan goes in his place to preserve his honor. She is put in the elite archer squad of the young Prince Jian, the emperor's favorite son. Mulan defeats the Huns, helps the Prince discover his hearts true wish and lives happily ever after.
Response: I typically always enjoy a retold story. Mulan is a good story because she is so much more active than the other princesses. I wish the pivotal battle scene at the end of the book was told a bit more gracefully. It seemed choppy and sparse compared to the rest of the book. The battle was very similar to the one in the The Blue Sword . Overall, it was a fun book.
I have to say, I was pleasently suprised with this book. Though the typical story of Mulan, it was very well written. One thing I apreciated, many authors seem to think that if they make a girl disguise herself as a boy they need to go over every detail of the disguise, this book doesn't. In fact, she wears her own clothes and barely bothers to cut her hair. I found myself really apreciating that. The other thing the author does, unlike most author's of her genre, is in the fact that she didn't dwell over Mulan falling in love. Perhaps one of the most annoying things about these sort of books, is that the heroine falls in love and then promptly spends the next five pages or so talking about it and how it happened. Well, who really cares? Though giving you the impression that Mulan is now 'in love', Dokey doesn't go into detail.
It was a 'good book', though not particularly inspiring in one way or another. In fact, its probably a good thing its not to long because it quickly would have become rather boring. The scences that *should* have been climatic died way to fast, many of the important characters in Mulan's life you never got to know, plus, the plot line was totally see-through. Everything ended up 'happily-ever-after' in the end...personally I think it would have been a whole lot more exciting if Prince Guangu had tried to kill Jian or something...I mean how likely is it that not only is she accepted for being a girl dressed as a boy...she's honored??? Come on! Disney version is more believable :P
It was a 'good book', though not particularly inspiring in one way or another. In fact, its probably a good thing its not to long because it quickly would have become rather boring. The scences that *should* have been climatic died way to fast, many of the important characters in Mulan's life you never got to know, plus, the plot line was totally see-through. Everything ended up 'happily-ever-after' in the end...personally I think it would have been a whole lot more exciting if Prince Guangu had tried to kill Jian or something...I mean how likely is it that not only is she accepted for being a girl dressed as a boy...she's honored??? Come on! Disney version is more believable :P
A light and quick read, retelling Mulan's story.
There are various interesting differences between the story I knew and this version, notable among them the fact that Mulan grew up without her parents and had friends who helped her through her adventure.
Apart from the extra flowery dialogue at some parts I really enjoyed reading this book and will probably try a few more of the series' books.
There are various interesting differences between the story I knew and this version, notable among them the fact that Mulan grew up without her parents and had friends who helped her through her adventure.
Apart from the extra flowery dialogue at some parts I really enjoyed reading this book and will probably try a few more of the series' books.
I love the story of Mulan...both the original ballad and the Disney movie. I am always surprised that there aren't more novelizations or retellings of the legend, to me it seems rich with possibility....a historical background, adventure, political turmoil, an absolute BAMF as a main character. So being one of the only novels I've found expanding upon the story that was not stamped with a Disney logo, I was SUPER excited. As someone whose always loved retelling of fairytales I've also always wanted to read this series...so in short, I had high hopes...which were disappointed.
The first half of the book was pretty good. I liked Li Po and the description of her home life even if it seemed a little slow. However, as the book went on and we still had not arrived at army camp and she was getting a new stepmother and her father came home and that whole subplot was going on, I was beginning to get worried. The last part of the book was incredibly rushed. She found true love, saved China and lost her best friend in the space of what seemed like a few days. She fought only one battle, had no training, had three conversations with the love of her life....huh? I had whiplash by the end because one moment she was giggling with her stepmother over her spinsterhood and then she was getting married only fifty pages later!
It was a nice attempt but it just fell flat on many fronts, most specifically character and plot development. It just never came alive for me. I really wanted to like this one. :(
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
1 of 50 book year
The first half of the book was pretty good. I liked Li Po and the description of her home life even if it seemed a little slow. However, as the book went on and we still had not arrived at army camp and she was getting a new stepmother and her father came home and that whole subplot was going on, I was beginning to get worried. The last part of the book was incredibly rushed. She found true love, saved China and lost her best friend in the space of what seemed like a few days. She fought only one battle, had no training, had three conversations with the love of her life....huh? I had whiplash by the end because one moment she was giggling with her stepmother over her spinsterhood and then she was getting married only fifty pages later!
It was a nice attempt but it just fell flat on many fronts, most specifically character and plot development. It just never came alive for me. I really wanted to like this one. :(
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
1 of 50 book year
2.5 stars. Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan". Enjoyable enough to read.
It really focuses on Mulan and her family. I liked that a lot. Her relationships with her father, step-mother, best friend, etc. are believable and sweet. I especially liked how close her father and her became by the end of the book. And I truly appreciated the step-mother being nice and caring; not a witch.
It is pretty much all Mulan's childhood and growth into a young woman until her family receives the summons for a man from their family to go to war against the Huns. Then Mulan runs off to take her father's place; a truly generous gesture.Shen Jian and he professes love for her and they end up happily ever after. Pretty much like that. It is extremely rushed at the end and the story is there and then *poof* over. It needed more page time.
Had it been a 300 page book, the beginning would have been amazing. I still loved getting to know Mulan as a character before she ran off. Getting to see her in her own environment, as a child and growing up into a young woman, and learning who she is and how she ended up the awesome way she did was very welcome. But that was 3\4 of the book of a 200 page book. The ending was much too rushed.
And the romance?
Oh my gosh. Jian is boring. Mulan thinks that she loves him "because their hearts beat together." Not buying that. Mulan and Jian never get to know one another and the little time they do spend together, Jian thinks Mulan is a boy. Then she's suddenly a girl and
Jian: "Insta-love! I don't know you and I thought you were a boy until about two minutes ago but, hey baby, you saved my life and all of China, so you have got to be a great choice! Let's get married!"
Mulan: I actually kinda knew you as the person that you are right now and "loved" you before for no apparent reasoning and I didn't even know you, so this is great! Kiss me,Shen Jian!"
Romance was weak and could definitely have used some work. But the overall story\storytelling is good and it is worth a read.
I like Cameron Dokey's writing best out of all the authors that have written for the "Once Upon A Time" series. Flowing and lyrical. Love the prologues and epilogues she writes.
It really focuses on Mulan and her family. I liked that a lot. Her relationships with her father, step-mother, best friend, etc. are believable and sweet. I especially liked how close her father and her became by the end of the book. And I truly appreciated the step-mother being nice and caring; not a witch.
It is pretty much all Mulan's childhood and growth into a young woman until her family receives the summons for a man from their family to go to war against the Huns. Then Mulan runs off to take her father's place; a truly generous gesture.
Spoiler
And then the Huns attack and she kills the Hun leader and has a broken collar bone and arm and is revealed to be a woman to the Chinese Army and she professes love toHad it been a 300 page book, the beginning would have been amazing. I still loved getting to know Mulan as a character before she ran off. Getting to see her in her own environment, as a child and growing up into a young woman, and learning who she is and how she ended up the awesome way she did was very welcome. But that was 3\4 of the book of a 200 page book. The ending was much too rushed.
And the romance?
Oh my gosh. Jian is boring. Mulan thinks that she loves him "because their hearts beat together." Not buying that. Mulan and Jian never get to know one another and the little time they do spend together, Jian thinks Mulan is a boy. Then she's suddenly a girl and
Jian: "Insta-love! I don't know you and I thought you were a boy until about two minutes ago but, hey baby, you saved my life and all of China, so you have got to be a great choice! Let's get married!"
Mulan: I actually kinda knew you as the person that you are right now and "loved" you before for no apparent reasoning and I didn't even know you, so this is great! Kiss me,
Romance was weak and could definitely have used some work. But the overall story\storytelling is good and it is worth a read.
I like Cameron Dokey's writing best out of all the authors that have written for the "Once Upon A Time" series. Flowing and lyrical. Love the prologues and epilogues she writes.
Loved the Mulan character, so much better than Disney! She was portrayed as thoughtful and strong and loving. I read this because of my 10 year old's recommendation. She's now got added many more of Ms. Dokey's books to her list.