A review by sarahhoward
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee

adventurous inspiring medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

By far my favorite of the remixed classics that I've read. The rich descriptions of cities, places, and food brought both the setting and the time period to life. I found myself deeply engaged in the first half of the book, despite the bulk of the action happening much later. As a long-time lover of sea stories, I loved the chance to step into a maritime context (1820's South China Sea) that I'm still unfamiliar with. I also appreciated the author's notes about language and cultural background at the end.

I could really feel the love the author had for this story and its themes. Xiang and her personal struggles with living up to her mother's expectations (and wanting something different out of life entirely) explored a different facet of the coming-of-age narrative the original novel puts forth - just like Jim from Treasure Planet, another retelling I adore. Treasure Island simply stays winning.

(And as a fun little bit of meta, the audiobook narrator, Emily Woo Zeller, is the same person who read the audiobook for Red As the Sky, Deep As the Sea. Zheng Yi Sao cinematic universe lmao.) 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings