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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Like maybe 4.5 ⭐️
Listen this was SO CLOSE TO PERFECTION. I just felt like some moments we could have been left with the tension for a little bit longer. People forgave too quickly, and got lucky too fast.
Also sorry but they could never make me like you Sky.
Listen this was SO CLOSE TO PERFECTION. I just felt like some moments we could have been left with the tension for a little bit longer. People forgave too quickly, and got lucky too fast.
Also sorry but they could never make me like you Sky.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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
maybe i’m stupid… i thought lei was like. gay and then whenever he hit on meilin i was like what game is he playing and then they almost had sex and i was like wow he’s really deep undercover. i get to the end of the book and im like no wait hes actually into her. anyway i hope they don’t get together and that meilin and sky do and then lei and winter do and then meilin and lei have to be inlaws. that’s the funniest outcome to me
reread (31.05.2025):
Happy to say this still holds up after rereading it for the second time! Everything I enjoyed on my first read through I still enjoyed the second time around.
Meilin is still a badass, Lei is still on my mind 24/7 365, making me grin and giggle like a school girl, and Sky is… Sky.
I think I enjoyed this more as a reread since I got to pick up on more of the foreshadowing and pay attention to all the different plot points teased for the next book. I’ll be interested to see how it all comes together in the final book and manifesting Meilin x Lei endgame!!
first read through (30.09.2024):
this is a powerful, evocative story about finding one’s place in the world. there’s a strong message of feminism that is told through the eyes of meilin, somebody forced to dress as a boy and go to war in exchange for freedom and a better life for her family. it is a mulan retelling, but it resembles more of the hua mulan folktale/poem than the disney film. it delves on the themes of gender inequality and it will have you reflecting on it by the end of the novel. seriously, one day literature students will be picking this book up and analyzing it.
yes, there are similarities to the disney film, but song breathes new life into this retelling by infusing war with black magic and two morally gray MMCs. i would even say everyone is morally gray, including the FMC, which makes for a very gritty but realistic read. the stakes are high, people die, and there’s tons of blade to throat action
Happy to say this still holds up after rereading it for the second time! Everything I enjoyed on my first read through I still enjoyed the second time around.
Meilin is still a badass, Lei is still on my mind 24/7 365, making me grin and giggle like a school girl, and Sky is… Sky.
I think I enjoyed this more as a reread since I got to pick up on more of the foreshadowing and pay attention to all the different plot points teased for the next book. I’ll be interested to see how it all comes together in the final book and manifesting Meilin x Lei endgame!!
first read through (30.09.2024):
this is a powerful, evocative story about finding one’s place in the world. there’s a strong message of feminism that is told through the eyes of meilin, somebody forced to dress as a boy and go to war in exchange for freedom and a better life for her family. it is a mulan retelling, but it resembles more of the hua mulan folktale/poem than the disney film. it delves on the themes of gender inequality and it will have you reflecting on it by the end of the novel. seriously, one day literature students will be picking this book up and analyzing it.
yes, there are similarities to the disney film, but song breathes new life into this retelling by infusing war with black magic and two morally gray MMCs. i would even say everyone is morally gray, including the FMC, which makes for a very gritty but realistic read. the stakes are high, people die, and there’s tons of blade to throat action