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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to the publisher for sharing an arc with me.
This was an okay read for me. I was excited for the Mulan-like retelling, but the charcatwra never fully landed for me. Mielin leaves home to join the army and make a difference in the trajectory of her life. Her father was not the best to her and we're told throughout the novel that she was being selfish for not staying in a woman's place and finding fulfillment in service to man and country. She also spent her journey to carve out a space for herself, seeking more and more power, but it all felt somewhat surface-level. I really would have loved to have gotten further into her psyche to get to the kitty gritty of why she thinks of herself as selfish, and maybe get some action to back up that claim.
On another note, there are powerful beings in this world whose aim is to use human to restore and destroy a great power source. If you enjoy stories where the MC must go on a journey for hidden power, and make unexpected discoveries along the way, then this novel.migjt be up your alley.
This was an okay read for me. I was excited for the Mulan-like retelling, but the charcatwra never fully landed for me. Mielin leaves home to join the army and make a difference in the trajectory of her life. Her father was not the best to her and we're told throughout the novel that she was being selfish for not staying in a woman's place and finding fulfillment in service to man and country. She also spent her journey to carve out a space for herself, seeking more and more power, but it all felt somewhat surface-level. I really would have loved to have gotten further into her psyche to get to the kitty gritty of why she thinks of herself as selfish, and maybe get some action to back up that claim.
On another note, there are powerful beings in this world whose aim is to use human to restore and destroy a great power source. If you enjoy stories where the MC must go on a journey for hidden power, and make unexpected discoveries along the way, then this novel.migjt be up your alley.
adventurous
dark
tense
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“This night ended with fire, but so did my emotional stability.”
This book said:
This book said:
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A wonderful and captivating retelling of Mulan, and honestly, in my opinion, it surpasses the original story in so many ways. The blend of fantasy, action, and heartfelt emotion made this such a compelling read. The main character’s strength, resilience, and inner turmoil were beautifully written, and the pacing kept me hooked from start to finish. This would make an incredible action film — it has all the ingredients: epic battles, meaningful stakes, and a fierce protagonist you can root for. I’m already looking forward to diving into the second book and seeing where the story goes next!
A wonderful and captivating retelling of Mulan, and honestly, in my opinion, it surpasses the original story in so many ways. The blend of fantasy, action, and heartfelt emotion made this such a compelling read. The main character’s strength, resilience, and inner turmoil were beautifully written, and the pacing kept me hooked from start to finish. This would make an incredible action film — it has all the ingredients: epic battles, meaningful stakes, and a fierce protagonist you can root for. I’m already looking forward to diving into the second book and seeing where the story goes next!
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
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
in explanation for my dnf, i’m going to copy-paste something i jotted down in my notes app while reading the second chapter:
Mei— 12 when her mother died, 18 now. 18-12 = 6
Mei— 12 when her mother died, 18 now. 18-12 = 6
Rouha— 5 when Mei is 18, therefore would have been -1 when Mei was 12. Rouha wouldn’t just have been too young to remember their mother dying, she wouldn’t have existed yet!!!!!
i won’t be able to enjoy this book while knowing that this, frankly, quite obvious error exists :/
i won’t be able to enjoy this book while knowing that this, frankly, quite obvious error exists :/
Obsessed with this story and the vastly different take on the Mulan story. This one felt so realistic with true emotions and mental battles.