siena_j_p 's review for:

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

4.25

adventurous 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

---

A quick disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about Treasure Island and cannot comment on the quality of this book as a part of the retelling genre, or how true it is to the spirit of Treasure Island. Standing on its own, though, I thought this was a strong story. It stars Shi Xiang, a young woman who grew up in a small village under the watchful eyes of her mother’s employees. Her only exposure to the world beyond her village is stories, like the story of the Dragon Fleet, the infamous pirate fleet headed by Zheng Yi Sao, who disappeared years ago when the Dragon Fleet fell. Now, in 1826, Xiang wants nothing more than the approval and respect of her mother, who runs a successful teahouse in the village as well as in the city of Canton. In an attempt to prove herself, Xiang travels to Canton with her mother, but when a charming thief named Anh steals Xiang’s pendant, she sets off on an entirely new course and discovers more about her family’s past and her own heart than she ever imagined. Now, if you’re anything like me you’ll probably see the big twist in the book coming from miles away, but I actually think the author banked on that, because there’s a more subtle twist beneath it that lends a lot more subtlety to the story. Yes, Xiang’s relationship with her mother is fraught – a trope I find endlessly frustrating in books about Asian women, especially queer Asian women – but there are far more layers to the story than that, which I think exemplifies one of the keys of avoiding falling into harmful stereotypes when writing: you don’t need to completely avoid stereotypes, especially when they are a meaningful part of a community’s lived experience, but the story and character should have dimensions beyond just that stereotype. Lee does that beautifully here. Also, that fraught relationship isn’t the only kind of parental relationship represented in the book, which is also a huge part of meaningful representation. Which leads me to the highlight of this book: the crew of Anh’s ship. People who’ve read my other reviews will know that found family is one of my favorite tropes, and this book nailed it. All the different characters and their relationships with one another were really sweet, without shying away from the conflict that exists in groups. The writing was exceptionally good in places as well. Warning: do not read the sections about food when you’re hungry. I made that mistake and was craving every single food mentioned. The descriptions of visuals were also quite nice, especially on the island. Overall, just a really well written, diverse, compassionate book.