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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
I didn’t love this but I didn’t hate it. I think I was just expecting more. The motivations of the FMC were the total opposite of our traditional Mulan story, which is fine, but it was drilled into the story to the point where I was like okkkkaaayyyyyy we get it. But I do think there is a difference in being ambitious and straight up selfish. We were meant to believe the FMC was the most selfish person on the planet but then almost everything she did was for others. I will probably read the next book but if there’s a love triangle I will rip my eyes out
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, War
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship
Minor: Slavery, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
What if Mulan retelling but everyone is sort of a villain and there flaws are the only thing ever talked about?
It’s a fun ride but if you think about it for even a little it’s a second draft of a story at best. The plot was fun but the over emphasis on everything wrong with every character was exhausting and kind of annoying. The guys are nice to her… sometimes, and misogynistic the rest of the time. The FMC is strong… except she never thinks she’s worthy and only ever talks about how terrible she is of a person. For a book about a retelling of a feminist story, written by a woman there is an awful lot of anti feminism in this.
Another thing that annoyed me was the inconsistency in the names. Sometimes a character would have a Chinese name and other characters would have a translation of a Chinese name. It wasn’t consistent who got named this way (royalty vs solider) and some characters had both Chinese names and English names that the author switched back and forth between. I understand why non English speaking authors translate names like this, to be palatable to white audiences but be consistent.
Overall it wasn’t terrible for the genre but considering the source material it could have been better. I’m also confused as to why this isn’t YA. I thought it was YA going in and it definitely reads YA so was surprised it apparently is not.
It’s a fun ride but if you think about it for even a little it’s a second draft of a story at best. The plot was fun but the over emphasis on everything wrong with every character was exhausting and kind of annoying. The guys are nice to her… sometimes, and misogynistic the rest of the time. The FMC is strong… except she never thinks she’s worthy and only ever talks about how terrible she is of a person. For a book about a retelling of a feminist story, written by a woman there is an awful lot of anti feminism in this.
Another thing that annoyed me was the inconsistency in the names. Sometimes a character would have a Chinese name and other characters would have a translation of a Chinese name. It wasn’t consistent who got named this way (royalty vs solider) and some characters had both Chinese names and English names that the author switched back and forth between. I understand why non English speaking authors translate names like this, to be palatable to white audiences but be consistent.
Overall it wasn’t terrible for the genre but considering the source material it could have been better. I’m also confused as to why this isn’t YA. I thought it was YA going in and it definitely reads YA so was surprised it apparently is not.
I’m so sad 😭
I was really hoping to love this book because I love Mulan and the FL edition is stunning!! Maybe I went into this with expectations that were too high, but I’m just not vibing with it :’)
The characters all seem flat, especially the MFC which is not a good sign for
me. We’ve only just met the dragon character too, and I’m already annoyed with it in a way I don’t think you’re supposed to be 😂
I’m just not interested, even at 100 pages in which is 1/4 of this story! BUT I do like the darker Mulan premise, and the heavier focus on women’s rights <3
I was really hoping to love this book because I love Mulan and the FL edition is stunning!! Maybe I went into this with expectations that were too high, but I’m just not vibing with it :’)
The characters all seem flat, especially the MFC which is not a good sign for
me. We’ve only just met the dragon character too, and I’m already annoyed with it in a way I don’t think you’re supposed to be 😂
I’m just not interested, even at 100 pages in which is 1/4 of this story! BUT I do like the darker Mulan premise, and the heavier focus on women’s rights <3
adventurous
dark
tense
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
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-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