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A review by princesspandoraslibrary
The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Sometimes when I finish a book, I immediately know what rating I'll give it. That was not the case with this book. I've spent some additional time thinking about it and I've landed on 3.5 stars, which for me is 'better than good but not *great*'. I do think it's important to remember what you're getting yourself into when you choose a book, and this is one of those cases where some may not like the obvious places where the plot follows that of Disney's Mulan movie, but again, this is advertised as a Mulan-inspired book. As such, I could, at times, make an educated guess as to where the plot was going in a general sense. This didn't bother me- I picked up the book knowing that this would be the case.
As for the FMC herself, I liked her. Again, this is a case of knowing what you're getting yourself into. Meilin is marketed as a morally-grey FMC and I think she lived up to that description. I liked the inner turmoil she had with the dragon and her desire to be free from the typical life of a woman during this era of Chinese history. You aren't going to get the same Mulan as you got in the Disney film, so I would not recommend picking up this book if you want a HEA romance with Disney's Mulan as the FMC.
As far as the dragon goes, this is yet another instance where it's important to understand that the dragon is not at all written to mirror Disney's Mushu. He doesn't provide any comedic relief and he's not the lovable sidekick we got in the movie.
I will also note that I am not in at all an expert in Chinese culture or the language, so I cannot comment on the accuracy of the book in that sense.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the sequel. I didn't get put through the emotional wringer with this book, but I wasn't bored. And, for those like myself that may need some additional help with pronunciation of names in this book, the audiobook is a helpful tool for that.
As for the FMC herself, I liked her. Again, this is a case of knowing what you're getting yourself into. Meilin is marketed as a morally-grey FMC and I think she lived up to that description. I liked the inner turmoil she had with the dragon and her desire to be free from the typical life of a woman during this era of Chinese history. You aren't going to get the same Mulan as you got in the Disney film, so I would not recommend picking up this book if you want a HEA romance with Disney's Mulan as the FMC.
As far as the dragon goes, this is yet another instance where it's important to understand that the dragon is not at all written to mirror Disney's Mushu. He doesn't provide any comedic relief and he's not the lovable sidekick we got in the movie.
I will also note that I am not in at all an expert in Chinese culture or the language, so I cannot comment on the accuracy of the book in that sense.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the sequel. I didn't get put through the emotional wringer with this book, but I wasn't bored. And, for those like myself that may need some additional help with pronunciation of names in this book, the audiobook is a helpful tool for that.