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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I’ve never actually watched the Cdramas based on the original legend of the white snake but I was always excited to know more about the story, and it was natural that I gravitated towards this retelling. And this felt so easy to read that I didn’t even realize that I finished it so quickly.
The writing just flowed beautifully and I felt carried away by the prose. It’s also a very simple tale of love - familial, platonic, romantic and more - made heartbreaking and angsty by the little twists of fate, destiny playing with the hearts of our beloved characters. The romance between our leads might come across a tad bit instalovey but it’s also a fated connection, so it’s not too unbelievable. I also adored the way the author depicted friendships in this book, full of trust and genuine affection for each other.
The characters are also very easy to love - Xian the dutiful prince who just wants to save his mother, Zhen the snake spirit who wants to experience a human existence and also save his adopted sister, Qing who will do anything to protect Zhen, and Feng the ever dutiful bodyguard who is equal parts exasperated and fond of his prince’s antics. They all make for a great story, making me smile and blush and cry at various times.
I thoroughly enjoyed this queer retelling of a famous legend and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.
The writing just flowed beautifully and I felt carried away by the prose. It’s also a very simple tale of love - familial, platonic, romantic and more - made heartbreaking and angsty by the little twists of fate, destiny playing with the hearts of our beloved characters. The romance between our leads might come across a tad bit instalovey but it’s also a fated connection, so it’s not too unbelievable. I also adored the way the author depicted friendships in this book, full of trust and genuine affection for each other.
The characters are also very easy to love - Xian the dutiful prince who just wants to save his mother, Zhen the snake spirit who wants to experience a human existence and also save his adopted sister, Qing who will do anything to protect Zhen, and Feng the ever dutiful bodyguard who is equal parts exasperated and fond of his prince’s antics. They all make for a great story, making me smile and blush and cry at various times.
I thoroughly enjoyed this queer retelling of a famous legend and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.
2024 reads: 289/250
i received a digital advanced review copy and a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
when prince xian was a boy, a white snake bit his mother, causing a slow, painful death he’s still hoping to save her from. now, he sets out to find a spirit pearl, the only thing that will save his mother. he meets zhen, a white snake that consumed a spirit pearl years ago, allowing him the power to transform into a human. the two are immediately drawn to one another, but zhen soon realizes that he’s the white snake xian is hunting, and their relationship gets trickier.
i adored fake dates and mooncakes last year, so i was really excited for sher’s fantasy debut! this had so many elements i love to see in fantasy books: angst (i definitely shed a few tears), a retold legend, romance, and even a dual pov! i can see myself rereading this within the next year and recommending it to anyone and everyone i can.
i received a digital advanced review copy and a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
when prince xian was a boy, a white snake bit his mother, causing a slow, painful death he’s still hoping to save her from. now, he sets out to find a spirit pearl, the only thing that will save his mother. he meets zhen, a white snake that consumed a spirit pearl years ago, allowing him the power to transform into a human. the two are immediately drawn to one another, but zhen soon realizes that he’s the white snake xian is hunting, and their relationship gets trickier.
i adored fake dates and mooncakes last year, so i was really excited for sher’s fantasy debut! this had so many elements i love to see in fantasy books: angst (i definitely shed a few tears), a retold legend, romance, and even a dual pov! i can see myself rereading this within the next year and recommending it to anyone and everyone i can.
Both main characters I find “too good”, and the language of writing is very modern and “spoken language”, it really distracts and detracts from the fantasy setting. So much telling, not enough showing. I also read the final two chapters and it was the ending I had expected. I think this confirms Sher Lee is not for me, as I did not enjoy her first book either. But such gorgeous covers!! And adorable ideas. Probably just for an audience too immature for me to enjoy.
This book was wonderful. I enjoyed Sher Lee’s debut novel, but this was even better. I think she excelled in writing fantasy.
The Legend of the White Snake takes a traditional Chinese folktale and brings it to light in this magical, and romantic, retelling.
Prince Xian and Zhen, a snake spirit, go through a lot together in this fascinating story, both as companions and enemies. I do not want to give much away, but there are some twists and turns here that took me completely off guard, and oh I always appreciate that.
I definitely recommend the Legend of the White Snake to all fantasy lovers out there, and specially if you read Danmei because the mentions of cultivations and the celestial realm made me like this book even more.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and especially Sher Lee for providing me with an eARC of this book.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
No
Really enjoyed this book. I started reading Chinese cultivation novels almost a year ago. This YA version would have been a much easier intro to the genre. I read the audio book and the narrator was perfect. I loved hearing the Mandarin words pronounced the correct way rather than trying to sound them out myself with a guide. There are still some things that would be difficult to understand if you aren't familiar with the culture and genre. But overall, I thought it was done incredibly well. I loved Xian, Zhen, and Qing! I was invested in their stories
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The book misses 5 stars because the writing is undeveloped. Sher Lee has a lot of talent and I loved the history and culture she wove into the fabric of the story.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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:
N/A
Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook arc
Legend of the White Snake is a fast paced, well written tale full of loveable characters, betrayal and a whole lot of angst. It was a thrill filled ride with a few twists that took me by surprise.
Xian, Feng, Zhen & Qing are fantastic characters, with wonderful personalities and the banter between the two sets of friends really cements their long-standing relationships and make their friendships all the more believable.
The fight scenes were detailed enough to picture clearly but too heavy on the graphic, gory description.
There were definite sad parts too and difficult choices.
I'm interested to read more by this author
Legend of the White Snake is a fast paced, well written tale full of loveable characters, betrayal and a whole lot of angst. It was a thrill filled ride with a few twists that took me by surprise.
Xian, Feng, Zhen & Qing are fantastic characters, with wonderful personalities and the banter between the two sets of friends really cements their long-standing relationships and make their friendships all the more believable.
The fight scenes were detailed enough to picture clearly but too heavy on the graphic, gory description.
There were definite sad parts too and difficult choices.
I'm interested to read more by this author
adventurous
emotional
fast-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Torture, Classism
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Seemingly doomed from the start, Legend of the White Snake is a book about love and empathy. We love a cute meet cute where one doesn't realize the other is royalty. What follows is a precious book about love in unexpected places. It's about someone who just pulls our heart no matter how difficult or seemingly impossible it can be. The heart wants what the heart wants. It was fun to see human interactions from the perspective of Zhen! But what drew me to the story is Zhen's mindset.
Seemingly doomed from the start, Legend of the White Snake is a book about love and empathy. We love a cute meet cute where one doesn't realize the other is royalty. What follows is a precious book about love in unexpected places. It's about someone who just pulls our heart no matter how difficult or seemingly impossible it can be. The heart wants what the heart wants. It was fun to see human interactions from the perspective of Zhen! But what drew me to the story is Zhen's mindset.