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goodreadswithgammy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
What an enchanting, exquisitely written, and intellectually stimulating historical fantasy, weaving mythology, magic and romance into a captivating retelling of the timeless Mulan narrative!! The exceptional world building, rich character development, morally complex figures, inclusion of mythical creatures and a spirit realm, pulsating tension, thrilling action sequences, poignant romance, mesmerizing magic, empowered female protagonist, harrowing wartime scenarios, gripping betrayals, unexpected plot twists, all set within an atmospheric backdrop, collectively render this narrative a truly spectacular and immersive reading experience. From the breathtakingly stunning cover to the irresistibly intriguing story, I was instantly captivated and found myself devouring the book with unbridled enthusiasm. I can confidently declare that this book has secured its place among my top favorites for the year 2024!!! ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
The Night Ends with Fire follows the journey of Meilin, a young woman determined to forge her own path, even if it means defying everyone she loves. Amidst the chaos of war in the Three Kingdoms, Meilin father, trapped by addiction, plans to sell her for her dowry. Faced with an arranged marriage to a violent man, Meilin disguises herself as a boy and enlists in the army in her father's place. As she rises through the ranks, forming bonds with comrades and navigating complex relationships, Meilin must confront visions of a sea dragon spirit offering power and freedom, but at a perilous cost. With the fate of the Three Kingdoms at stake, Meilin grapples with trust, torn between loyalty to Prince Sky, the enigmatic sea dragon spirit, and an enemy prince who challenges everything she thought she knew about herself and her kingdom.
When I reached the last page of this book, I couldn't contain my frustration and yelled "NO!"at my husband, as the ending left me I disbelief. However, after delving into some research, I discovered that it's jut6 the first part of a duology. While I am relieved that the story isn't over, the anticipation for the next installment is almost unbearable. Now, I find myself eagerly counting down the days until I can continue the adventure. Consider this your warning-once you're hooked, the wait for the next book becomes an agonizing test of patience!
In conclusion, this book had me completely captivated from the first page to the last. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a fantasy read Its enthralling storyline and richly developed characters deserve infinite stars of praise!! ♾️💫💫💫💫💫
What an enchanting, exquisitely written, and intellectually stimulating historical fantasy, weaving mythology, magic and romance into a captivating retelling of the timeless Mulan narrative!! The exceptional world building, rich character development, morally complex figures, inclusion of mythical creatures and a spirit realm, pulsating tension, thrilling action sequences, poignant romance, mesmerizing magic, empowered female protagonist, harrowing wartime scenarios, gripping betrayals, unexpected plot twists, all set within an atmospheric backdrop, collectively render this narrative a truly spectacular and immersive reading experience. From the breathtakingly stunning cover to the irresistibly intriguing story, I was instantly captivated and found myself devouring the book with unbridled enthusiasm. I can confidently declare that this book has secured its place among my top favorites for the year 2024!!! ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
The Night Ends with Fire follows the journey of Meilin, a young woman determined to forge her own path, even if it means defying everyone she loves. Amidst the chaos of war in the Three Kingdoms, Meilin father, trapped by addiction, plans to sell her for her dowry. Faced with an arranged marriage to a violent man, Meilin disguises herself as a boy and enlists in the army in her father's place. As she rises through the ranks, forming bonds with comrades and navigating complex relationships, Meilin must confront visions of a sea dragon spirit offering power and freedom, but at a perilous cost. With the fate of the Three Kingdoms at stake, Meilin grapples with trust, torn between loyalty to Prince Sky, the enigmatic sea dragon spirit, and an enemy prince who challenges everything she thought she knew about herself and her kingdom.
When I reached the last page of this book, I couldn't contain my frustration and yelled "NO!"at my husband, as the ending left me I disbelief. However, after delving into some research, I discovered that it's jut6 the first part of a duology. While I am relieved that the story isn't over, the anticipation for the next installment is almost unbearable. Now, I find myself eagerly counting down the days until I can continue the adventure. Consider this your warning-once you're hooked, the wait for the next book becomes an agonizing test of patience!
In conclusion, this book had me completely captivated from the first page to the last. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a fantasy read Its enthralling storyline and richly developed characters deserve infinite stars of praise!! ♾️💫💫💫💫💫
baffledbiscuit's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booklover191's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
bookishspicy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
5.0
“I wanted others to respect me – to fear me. To know my name and know it with awe.”
⚜
When I found out about this Mulan retelling, I was so excited to read it. This book surpassed all my expectations, and I loved all the twists and changes compared to the Disney movie.
In this book, Meilin, leaves for war pretending to be a man however unlike Mulan who left to take her father's place, she leaves to escape being sold by her father to an abusive man. Her mother had died from suicide and her father, who had never quite recovered from her death, was an abusive man addicted to opium.
The magic in this book is unique and powerful. Qinglong and Zhurque (also known as the azure dragon and Vermilion bird in Chinese mythology) were used as the sources of magic for Meilin and Sima. “Just as the phoenix feeds off vengeance, the sea dragon feeds off greed.”. I loved how Qinglong had his own wants, trying to achieve them through Meilin. I really liked the aspect of the spirit realm where she would see and speak to Qinglong, as well as see others who were also connected to the spirit realm.
I love that it was never easy for Meilin to wield her magic, there were always struggles she faced. Using too much and she would lose her sight for a period of time and iron could be used against her to suppress her magic entirely. Not only did Meilin have to hide her identity of being a woman but she also had to hide her magic from everyone as it was viewed by most as black magic.
Unlike Mulan who only had one prince love interest, Meilin had two. Sky (aka the Shang of the story) who is kind, confident, whose duty is to his people. Lei, the enemy prince of Ximing, is darker, more secretive, and his ambitions were not always clear. As much as I liked Sky, I am definitely team Lei.
That ending!! I need the second book now, and the first one has not even been released yet. I have a lot of waiting to do.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC of this amazing book.
priesty23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
4 stars
The Night Ends With Fire is the first instalment of a duology. It is very much a Disney Mulan retelling with a twist. In the author's note K. X. Song describes her motivation for this book to be questions surrounding:
"What would happen to Mulan if she were no longer content? What if upon experiencing independence and freedom as a man, she no longer wished to confine herself to the restrictive boundaries of her society? Would society accept her as she was, or, by transgressing the norm, would they punish her for aspiring for more?"
With the above in mind, I think the author does a fantastic job. This book contains magic, adventure, feminism, betrayal, and hope. I found it very easy to read, there were a lot of action scenes and comradery, but there is also a lot of questions around trust - can Meilin trust anyone as a woman dressed as a man? Who is a friend and who is a foe? This story is great at making these questions hard to answer and is one of the many reasons I ended up being engrossed in this story.
This might be a Mulan retelling but it is far from a Disney story; it is dark and brutal at times with some heart breaking scenes thrown in for good measure. I found myself frustrated and heartbroken, but I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens in the next book and how our main character develops further.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Night Ends With Fire is the first instalment of a duology. It is very much a Disney Mulan retelling with a twist. In the author's note K. X. Song describes her motivation for this book to be questions surrounding:
"What would happen to Mulan if she were no longer content? What if upon experiencing independence and freedom as a man, she no longer wished to confine herself to the restrictive boundaries of her society? Would society accept her as she was, or, by transgressing the norm, would they punish her for aspiring for more?"
With the above in mind, I think the author does a fantastic job. This book contains magic, adventure, feminism, betrayal, and hope. I found it very easy to read, there were a lot of action scenes and comradery, but there is also a lot of questions around trust - can Meilin trust anyone as a woman dressed as a man? Who is a friend and who is a foe? This story is great at making these questions hard to answer and is one of the many reasons I ended up being engrossed in this story.
This might be a Mulan retelling but it is far from a Disney story; it is dark and brutal at times with some heart breaking scenes thrown in for good measure. I found myself frustrated and heartbroken, but I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens in the next book and how our main character develops further.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
bookishshafaq's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? No
3.0
notcheryne's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Every now and then I’ll pick up a fantasy book and every time I’m reminded that I need it more often!!! This one’s a Mulan retelling woven with mythological magic, warring territories, and distinct characters that’ll easily paint this 400+ pg story
It’s a stunningly thicc book but the story moves quick with its short chapters!! There’s ambition, war strategies, secrets, historical magic, dragons, a phoenix!!! As a romance girlie, I was hoping for moooore romance but I guess when am I not asking for more of that.
rmyd42's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
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? Yes
4.5
I *ate* this book. I breathed this book. I can't stop thinking about The Night Ends With Fire. If there isn't a sequel, my howls of indignation will be heard across the land.
noreimerreason's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
K.X. Song has created a Mulan retelling for the ages with her cinematic writing. Fundamentally a story about ambition and it's costs, I was left racing through the pages hoping that a happy ending was right around the corner. Meilin's sheer wanting will resonate with anyone who's ever wanted more from their life.
mspilesofpaper's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc.
The Night Ends with Fire is the first part of a duology, which is a Mulan retelling at its core with the difference that the Mulan in this story is motivated by greed and isn't content with her allotted slot in life.
Please be aware that the following review includes spoilers.
PLOT OVERVIEW
Set in Tianjia, tensions escalate among the three kingdoms of Anlai, Ximing and Leyuan. Through the eyes of Hai Meilin from Anlai (our Mulan), we witness that her father is not an honourable man who will listen to the Imperial's call for arms but a greedy, abusive opium junkie with a gambling addiction. The family is destitute and requires Meilin to marry into a wealthy household as the dowry would offer financial stability for the family. Upon discovering her abusive fiancé and her desire to have "just a little more time", Meilin enlists in her father's steed - as his son Hai Ren who is born out of wedlock - despite her step-mother's worries that they will never allow a woman to hold onto power.
Upon leaving the family, her step-mother gives Meilin a jade amulet, which had belonged to her late mother. Unbeknownst to both women, the necklace contains a cardinal spirit: the dragon Qinglong. Concealing her identity as a woman and a spirit medium becomes crucial, as exposure could mean certain death, given the societal prohibition against women in warfare and the practice of black magic. Being assigned to the Seventh Company, led by the Seventh Prince of Anlai, Liu Sky, Meilin learns to fight and to be courageous. However, she discovers relatively soon that she is not the only spirit medium in the world; a vengeful man named Sima carries the seal of the phoenix: Zhuque. Where Qinglong feeds on greed, Zhuque feeds on vengeance. When the seal is stolen and broken, setting off a chain of events, Meilin embarks on a quest to find the remaining pieces to thwart Sima's plans.
CHARACTERS
There are three main characters, Meilin, Sky and Lei, who are accompanied by several side characters of different importance.
Meilin is, at her core, a greedy and power-hungry person who desires more than what society expects from a woman. I don't think that Song meant to portray her as a good and enjoyable character because, to me, she feels like a morally grey character who is selfish and driven by their own ambition and desire for more. Yes, she is a compelling main character as she grapples with her identity and confronts societal expectations in Anlai, but she is not a good character. Unfortunately, her greed makes her partly blind and stupid to anything around her (other characters, the environment, ...), which is always the reason for her getting hurt or getting into trouble.
The Night Ends with Fire is the first part of a duology, which is a Mulan retelling at its core with the difference that the Mulan in this story is motivated by greed and isn't content with her allotted slot in life.
Please be aware that the following review includes spoilers.
PLOT OVERVIEW
Set in Tianjia, tensions escalate among the three kingdoms of Anlai, Ximing and Leyuan. Through the eyes of Hai Meilin from Anlai (our Mulan), we witness that her father is not an honourable man who will listen to the Imperial's call for arms but a greedy, abusive opium junkie with a gambling addiction. The family is destitute and requires Meilin to marry into a wealthy household as the dowry would offer financial stability for the family. Upon discovering her abusive fiancé and her desire to have "just a little more time", Meilin enlists in her father's steed - as his son Hai Ren who is born out of wedlock - despite her step-mother's worries that they will never allow a woman to hold onto power.
Upon leaving the family, her step-mother gives Meilin a jade amulet, which had belonged to her late mother. Unbeknownst to both women, the necklace contains a cardinal spirit: the dragon Qinglong. Concealing her identity as a woman and a spirit medium becomes crucial, as exposure could mean certain death, given the societal prohibition against women in warfare and the practice of black magic. Being assigned to the Seventh Company, led by the Seventh Prince of Anlai, Liu Sky, Meilin learns to fight and to be courageous. However, she discovers relatively soon that she is not the only spirit medium in the world; a vengeful man named Sima carries the seal of the phoenix: Zhuque. Where Qinglong feeds on greed, Zhuque feeds on vengeance. When the seal is stolen and broken, setting off a chain of events, Meilin embarks on a quest to find the remaining pieces to thwart Sima's plans.
CHARACTERS
There are three main characters, Meilin, Sky and Lei, who are accompanied by several side characters of different importance.
Meilin is, at her core, a greedy and power-hungry person who desires more than what society expects from a woman. I don't think that Song meant to portray her as a good and enjoyable character because, to me, she feels like a morally grey character who is selfish and driven by their own ambition and desire for more. Yes, she is a compelling main character as she grapples with her identity and confronts societal expectations in Anlai, but she is not a good character. Unfortunately, her greed makes her partly blind and stupid to anything around her (other characters, the environment, ...), which is always the reason for her getting hurt or getting into trouble.
I needed to prove that I, as a woman, could be better than the rest of them. That I too could belong. That I too could be free.
Liu Sky is, on the other hand, the least power-hungry person in the story. While he is a kind and gentle character, who cares deeply for his people, his short temper and his sense of honour and duty are his main flaws. The only time where he moves away from following the law is when he discovers Meilin's gender. Instead of executing her for treason, which would have been expected of him, he tries to send her home to protect her as he cares deeply about her. I think, if Meilin hadn't been promised to another man, and if the war wouldn't happen, he would have asked for her hand in marriage relatively quickly (as they met at the beginning of the book where he saves her). In another life, he would have been a good husband for her as she deals with a lot of trauma from her childhood and early adulthood (loss of her mother, abusive father, ...) as he's a gentle character.
If only my men riding out to war tomorrow could be half as fast and clever as you.
Cao Ming Lei, on the other hand, is Sky's total opposite. Where Sky is kind and gentle, Lei is enigmatic, indifferent, sly and ambitious, but also deeply vain. A rather morally grey character who also suffers from trauma (loss of his mother, abusive older brother, strained relationship with his father). While Sky says that he wouldn't use Meilin as a weapon, Lei doesn't hide it. He tortures her for his own gain and uses her as a tool to achieve his own goals, which are still unknown by the end of the book. While I don't doubt that he desires her, he feels like someone who would sacrifice Meilin if it meant that he would win in the end. Rather possessive as well but you have to protect your assets to win a war, I suppose.
His eyes crinkled again. He was very handsome when he smiled, I thought; he was very handsome all the time. But that just made it easier for him to deceive.
WORLDBUILDING AND MAGIC
The story is set in Tianjia, which is a fantasy version of China in a way. Unlike the Disney version, the war in The Night Ends with Fire is caused by infighting between the three kingdoms. I felt that worldbuilding is the weakest part of the book as it's mostly created through reports or annals at the beginning of each chapter.
The strongest worldbuilding aspect is the magic. Song has created a whole new dynamic through the inclusion of forbidden magic and the Cardinal Spirits with their seals. Cardinal Spirits are the four spirits representing and controlling the time of day, seasons, elements and directions. These are:
⋙ Xuanwu - north, tortoise
⋙ Zhuque - south, phoenix - fire
⋙ Qinglong - east, dragon - water
⋙ Baihu - west, tiger
While only Qinglong and Zhuque play a role in the first instalment, there is a poem about all four seals, which gives me hope that we will meet the characters who will carry the spirit seals for Xuanwu and Baihu in the second instalment. As Qinglong is already associated with water (despite its element being wood in Qi Gong if I'm not mistaken), I think that Xuanwu will either be earth and Baihu will be metal or Song will go the traditional Western view of elements and will use earth and air for them.
One buried.
One drowned.
One stolen.
But none so pitiful as one forgotten.
Due to its traditional link with water, I think Xuanwu might be the one behind "one drowned" and Baihu being "one forgotten".
I want to point out, as it is a Mulan retelling that uses elements of the Disney version as well, that Qinglong is not Mushu. Yes, he's a dragon but where Mushu is there for comedic relief, Qinglong has his own agenda. He's sinister, cryptic and greedy. He uses Meilin as much as she uses him.
Never trust a dragon.
TL;DR
An epic fantasy book, blending elements of myth, history, and fantasy into a mesmerizing tapestry of adventure and intrigue. As readers embark on Meilin's odyssey, they are transported to a world teeming with magic, danger, and untold possibilities, ensuring that the flames of anticipation burn brightly for the next instalment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: War, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault