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ivi_reads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
A gripping tale inspired by the legend of Mulan with a touch of Fourth Wing, this story follows a fierce female warrior who disguises herself as a man and becomes entangled in war and intrigue. As she navigates the dangers around her, she must balance her hidden femininity with her male persona. At its core, the book explores themes of independence, loyalty, power, and a sizzling love triangle that adds even more intensity to the plot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, Medical content, and Murder
straybutterfly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
ashley_mrose530's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.5
This was a really fantastic book. I'm still digesting that ending because... wow.
I loved the magic system here. It was fascinating and intricate. I liked that it was clear that not everyone had this spirit power and even of those who did, only a few could do the things that Meilin could without the jade key. And her power was so cool. Being able to control people and the element of water? It was amazing to watch her utilize both powers at different times.
I also liked that her power was connected to her greed which was basically her desire for freedom and to do as she wished. Desire is a form of greed and I liked that even though her desire was for freedom, something that is very natural and even admirable to strive for in today's society, it was still put up against this thing that has such a bad connotation. It really made you think about wants and desires and even basic needs in a new light.
I loved that we didn't really know who to root for or trust throughout the whole book as well. I like Meilin and I sympathized with her desire to be free but it was so closely tied to her greed and therefore her power that I wasn't sure what would happen when or if she ever actually got it. And then there were the other characters. I didn't know if she should trust the dragon or Sky or any of them really. They were all a part of this society that was made to force women down and most of the time you could tell that they would probably uphold that.
But then Sky was actually coming around and including her after he found out she was a woman and not a man, which gave me hope that the others might as well. And I had that hope all the way up until the very end of the book when the author just absolutely crushed it. It makes complete sense for Meilin to not want to go back to the life of a woman though and I knew that. It also makes sense for the society to refuse to change even though she literally saved them all. In this sense, I should have seen that ending coming, but I had so much hope in a happy ending that I was blind to the actual most likely outcome and it devastated me.
Anyway, I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would be interested in an Mulan retelling and I can't wait to see what happens in the next one.
I loved the magic system here. It was fascinating and intricate. I liked that it was clear that not everyone had this spirit power and even of those who did, only a few could do the things that Meilin could without the jade key. And her power was so cool. Being able to control people and the element of water? It was amazing to watch her utilize both powers at different times.
I also liked that her power was connected to her greed which was basically her desire for freedom and to do as she wished. Desire is a form of greed and I liked that even though her desire was for freedom, something that is very natural and even admirable to strive for in today's society, it was still put up against this thing that has such a bad connotation. It really made you think about wants and desires and even basic needs in a new light.
I loved that we didn't really know who to root for or trust throughout the whole book as well. I like Meilin and I sympathized with her desire to be free but it was so closely tied to her greed and therefore her power that I wasn't sure what would happen when or if she ever actually got it. And then there were the other characters. I didn't know if she should trust the dragon or Sky or any of them really. They were all a part of this society that was made to force women down and most of the time you could tell that they would probably uphold that.
Anyway, I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would be interested in an Mulan retelling and I can't wait to see what happens in the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction
stormeno's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
If I were to sum up all my thoughts on this book in one line, it’d be "Not Bad, But Not Good".
If I were to give a detailed review…Well, The Night Ends with Fire is certainly not what I’d expected. Instead of a “sweeping fantasy adventure” of a Mulan retelling that’s also infused with magic and romance (as the blurb says), it turned out to be more of a darker, juvenile Mulan fanfiction.
So, why do I call it a juvenile Mulan fanfic? Because there’s little to no originality to the story. With retellings, you’d expected something different — an original enough tale that stands on its own while enhancing our experience of the source material. It’s what some of the most brilliant, quality fanfiction out there does. But, The Night Ends with Fire ? It’s practically the same as the 1998 Disney animated movie with its identical scenes and plot points.
Also, the irregular usage of Chinese words and names was just…no. I understand wanting to make the story more authentic through the setting, language and all, but could we just not have this mega weird mix between pinyin and English-translated names? I cannot fathom how any Chinese in ancient China would name their children Meilin, Rouha and then, Plum. Plus, Liu Sky and Liu Winter?? And let’s not forget: Big Knife. BIG KNIFE? I wanted to cry reading these names.
That’s not all, though, because we have the token sprinkle of Chinese words — some of which are equivalent to ‘chai tea’. For instance, why have ‘shaokao rou’ (barbecued meat) or ‘shaokao meat’ when you can have “shaokao barbecued meat” 😭?
Moreover, protagonist Meilin is one complicated mess and I don’t mean it in a good way. She’s greedy and willing to fight, filled with ambitions above her gender and station. While this sounds like the makings of an awesome BAMF, it’s eclipsed by the fact that she’s Not Like Other Girls and is wishy-washy to the max. The other characters aren’t all that better too because they’re as flat as a sheet of unblemished paper. There’s no real meaningful relationship between all of them and this includes Meilin and her love interests.
It gets even more painful because the story is moved forward by the impulsiveness and naivety, which is often interchangeable with stupidity, of the characters. Meilin gets upset over her enemies ‘betraying’ her despite logically knowing they would. Sky invites Meilin to council meetings she has no business being invited to because she has no rank. And, even Lei, the enemy prince, thinks it’s a great idea to fight with the captive Meilin at a rock garden near the pavilion where someone he doesn’t want her to meet is sitting. Like, hello? Does no one really have common sense here??
Nevertheless, this book isn’t all bad. I appreciated how hard Meilin had to work to earn results, even if they weren’t the best or desired ones. I also liked that Meilin’s stepmother was a supporter and not a hater. The Night Ends with Fire was an easy read overall, plus this ending is closure enough for me.
If I were to sum up all my thoughts on this book in one line, it’d be "Not Bad, But Not Good".
If I were to give a detailed review…Well, The Night Ends with Fire is certainly not what I’d expected. Instead of a “sweeping fantasy adventure” of a Mulan retelling that’s also infused with magic and romance (as the blurb says), it turned out to be more of a darker, juvenile Mulan fanfiction.
So, why do I call it a juvenile Mulan fanfic? Because there’s little to no originality to the story. With retellings, you’d expected something different — an original enough tale that stands on its own while enhancing our experience of the source material. It’s what some of the most brilliant, quality fanfiction out there does. But, The Night Ends with Fire ? It’s practically the same as the 1998 Disney animated movie with its identical scenes and plot points.
Also, the irregular usage of Chinese words and names was just…no. I understand wanting to make the story more authentic through the setting, language and all, but could we just not have this mega weird mix between pinyin and English-translated names? I cannot fathom how any Chinese in ancient China would name their children Meilin, Rouha and then, Plum. Plus, Liu Sky and Liu Winter?? And let’s not forget: Big Knife. BIG KNIFE? I wanted to cry reading these names.
That’s not all, though, because we have the token sprinkle of Chinese words — some of which are equivalent to ‘chai tea’. For instance, why have ‘shaokao rou’ (barbecued meat) or ‘shaokao meat’ when you can have “shaokao barbecued meat” 😭?
Moreover, protagonist Meilin is one complicated mess and I don’t mean it in a good way. She’s greedy and willing to fight, filled with ambitions above her gender and station. While this sounds like the makings of an awesome BAMF, it’s eclipsed by the fact that she’s Not Like Other Girls and is wishy-washy to the max. The other characters aren’t all that better too because they’re as flat as a sheet of unblemished paper. There’s no real meaningful relationship between all of them and this includes Meilin and her love interests.
It gets even more painful because the story is moved forward by the impulsiveness and naivety, which is often interchangeable with stupidity, of the characters. Meilin gets upset over her enemies ‘betraying’ her despite logically knowing they would. Sky invites Meilin to council meetings she has no business being invited to because she has no rank. And, even Lei, the enemy prince, thinks it’s a great idea to fight with the captive Meilin at a rock garden near the pavilion where someone he doesn’t want her to meet is sitting. Like, hello? Does no one really have common sense here??
Nevertheless, this book isn’t all bad. I appreciated how hard Meilin had to work to earn results, even if they weren’t the best or desired ones. I also liked that Meilin’s stepmother was a supporter and not a hater. The Night Ends with Fire was an easy read overall, plus this ending is closure enough for me.
Many thanks to Hodderscape and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song is available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Gore, Rape, and Blood
Minor: Child death, Racism, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
kayceeisbookish's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
That ending!!!!! Ugh!! SCREAMING 😱 Loved this book so much. This book was so hyped, and it did not disappoint 👏
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
imaginaryalchemist's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked up this title as an ARC. The cover caught my eye, it is gorgeous.
The Night Ends With Fire proved to be a quick read. It is fairly fast-paced, with plenty of action scenes. I do wish the magic and martial arts had been fleshed out more. Meilin frequently mentions her kung fu abilities but I feel they weren't fully showcased.
Some of dialogue and the way the characters spoke didn't feel fitting to the time period. For example, in one scene Meilin criticizes a comrade for getting "smashed," which didn't feel like something that would be said in a historical imperial Chinese setting. The mix of traditional Chinese names and names like "Winter" and "Autumn" also took me out of the setting. The world building in general felt a little weak.
I also wished the characters had more personality to them. I would have loved to see Meilin banter and bond with her comrades more. The budding romance between her and Sky wasn't fully believable to me, they had decent chemistry but I didn't feel that their relationship had been given enough time or attention.
Overall, I wish everything was more fleshed out. I enjoyed the story that was there, and I liked how it blended Mulan and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I liked how Meilin was a deeply flawed protagonist who could easily be pulled down a dark path. I just feel like it could have used a little more time in the oven, so to speak.
I hope my review doesn't come across as harsh, I know this is the author's adult debut, and I didn't dislike the novel. I feel she could become a polished writer with more time and experience. I will check out the sequel whenever it releases, I do want to see where it goes from here.
The Night Ends With Fire proved to be a quick read. It is fairly fast-paced, with plenty of action scenes. I do wish the magic and martial arts had been fleshed out more. Meilin frequently mentions her kung fu abilities but I feel they weren't fully showcased.
Some of dialogue and the way the characters spoke didn't feel fitting to the time period. For example, in one scene Meilin criticizes a comrade for getting "smashed," which didn't feel like something that would be said in a historical imperial Chinese setting. The mix of traditional Chinese names and names like "Winter" and "Autumn" also took me out of the setting. The world building in general felt a little weak.
I also wished the characters had more personality to them. I would have loved to see Meilin banter and bond with her comrades more. The budding romance between her and Sky wasn't fully believable to me, they had decent chemistry but I didn't feel that their relationship had been given enough time or attention.
Overall, I wish everything was more fleshed out. I enjoyed the story that was there, and I liked how it blended Mulan and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I liked how Meilin was a deeply flawed protagonist who could easily be pulled down a dark path. I just feel like it could have used a little more time in the oven, so to speak.
I hope my review doesn't come across as harsh, I know this is the author's adult debut, and I didn't dislike the novel. I feel she could become a polished writer with more time and experience. I will check out the sequel whenever it releases, I do want to see where it goes from here.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness, Blood, Alcohol, and Classism
MC's family suffers immensely from her father's drug and gambling addictions. He is also abusive, physically and mentally. The story deals heavily with misogyny as the MC fights against the roles society tries to force on her. Suicide is mentioned frequently -
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