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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
informative
inspiring
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:
No
Clash of Steel is a sapphic Treasure Island retelling taking place in 1826 south-east asia.
Xiang has grown up in a small village up river hoping to one day take over her mother’s tea house. Her mother has other plans. She wants Xiang to marry a nice young man who can take care of her and take over the family business.
In a bid to prove herself Xiang joins Anh, a beautiful young thief Xiang can’t help but feel connected to, on a quest to find the legendary treasure of the fabled Dragon Fleet.
Anh sails with her mother, the captain of a trading ship, and a rag tag group of sailors who make up their found family.
Aboard the ship Xiang finds all of the encouragement and acceptance she craves from her mother while learning the ropes (literally, ‘cause they’re sailing) and gaining confidence in her ability to survive away from the cradle of her village and tutor. But her mother is not going to let her go so easily…
I absolutely loved this book which is wild because I typically do not go for historical narratives but Lee does a fantastic job integrating actual historical events and her own culture into a fresh and engaging story. To go with this the author also provides an author’s note, language notes, a pronunciation guide, historical notes, and suggested reading for you to learn more all on top of having a BEAUTIFUL map and illustrations on the inside covers.
Fantastic plot, adorable relationship, great character growth, yes I predicted the plot twist but really there was no other option.
I highly recommend the audiobook as well!
Xiang has grown up in a small village up river hoping to one day take over her mother’s tea house. Her mother has other plans. She wants Xiang to marry a nice young man who can take care of her and take over the family business.
In a bid to prove herself Xiang joins Anh, a beautiful young thief Xiang can’t help but feel connected to, on a quest to find the legendary treasure of the fabled Dragon Fleet.
Anh sails with her mother, the captain of a trading ship, and a rag tag group of sailors who make up their found family.
Aboard the ship Xiang finds all of the encouragement and acceptance she craves from her mother while learning the ropes (literally, ‘cause they’re sailing) and gaining confidence in her ability to survive away from the cradle of her village and tutor. But her mother is not going to let her go so easily…
I absolutely loved this book which is wild because I typically do not go for historical narratives but Lee does a fantastic job integrating actual historical events and her own culture into a fresh and engaging story. To go with this the author also provides an author’s note, language notes, a pronunciation guide, historical notes, and suggested reading for you to learn more all on top of having a BEAUTIFUL map and illustrations on the inside covers.
Fantastic plot, adorable relationship, great character growth, yes I predicted the plot twist but really there was no other option.
I highly recommend the audiobook as well!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Blood, Murder
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism
3.5. Like some reviews mentioned, the book started off really slow. It didn’t get interesting until Xiang met Anh, and going off on the prologue, I thought the story would have had a dual POV. I felt Anh was the more interesting character at times.
Still, I always enjoy pirate/high seas stories and the chosen family trope.
Still, I always enjoy pirate/high seas stories and the chosen family trope.
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:
Yes
kicsit aggódtam, hogy milyen lesz ismét hangoskönyv formában befogadni a történetet, mivel múltkor voltak problémák ezzel kapcsolatban. szerencsére pozitív élmény volt, nagyon tetszett a mesélő hangja. a történet végig izgalmas volt, ahogy Xian utazgatott, megszökött. gondoltam, hogy az anyja az a bizonyos kalóz, akit rettegtek, de azt nem gondoltam volna, hogy ennyire könnyen megszabadulna a lányától, bár gondolhattam volna, mivel nem foglalkozott vele. az "apja" nem sok vizet zavart, míg a tanítója, az igazi apja halála szomorú volt, de lehet a formátum miatt, nem tudtam annyira kapcsolódni. ez igaz a többi szereplőre is, bár alapvetően szerettem őket, nem nőttek hozzám. a lányok szerelme sem volt eléggé megalapozva, bár aranyosak voltak.
összességében tetszett, de nem lett kedvenc
összességében tetszett, de nem lett kedvenc
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
medium-paced
An enjoyable adventure
I really enjoyed this, more than I expected to. I've not read Treasure Island so I can't comment on how it reworks the text in depth but if you're looking for a pirate adventure story this is perfect for you (and it's sapphic which is always a bonus).
I found this very easy reading and it got me out of a reading slump. I didn't grab me at first, but the second half was very gripping. I loved the pirates, and I loved the vibes.
My main small criticism is that I would have just liked a bit more depth both in the characters and the world building. The world while sufficient enough to be enjoyable could have been developed more to make it really gripping and emphasise the stakes. The characters while likable were not very memorable and some more development would have been nice especially in the first half where the pacing was a bit slower. This would have also made the romance feel a bit more authentic as it did feel a bit rushed and surface level.
While I had some issues this overall was a really enjoyable read and I would recommend if you're looking for an adventure that isn't too intense.
I really enjoyed this, more than I expected to. I've not read Treasure Island so I can't comment on how it reworks the text in depth but if you're looking for a pirate adventure story this is perfect for you (and it's sapphic which is always a bonus).
I found this very easy reading and it got me out of a reading slump. I didn't grab me at first, but the second half was very gripping. I loved the pirates, and I loved the vibes.
My main small criticism is that I would have just liked a bit more depth both in the characters and the world building. The world while sufficient enough to be enjoyable could have been developed more to make it really gripping and emphasise the stakes. The characters while likable were not very memorable and some more development would have been nice especially in the first half where the pacing was a bit slower. This would have also made the romance feel a bit more authentic as it did feel a bit rushed and surface level.
While I had some issues this overall was a really enjoyable read and I would recommend if you're looking for an adventure that isn't too intense.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes