A review by reka111
Feather and Flame by Livia Blackburne

adventurous emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

3.5

There’s a balance here of yin and yang, a dance between aggression and gentleness that creates real strength in any warrior. Attack, and fall back. Thrust and parry. It’s beautiful, really

I don't want to talk much about this book because I don't know what to say. Part of me suffered a lot with it, and another liked it, in short, I have quite opposite feelings about it. Either way, Mulan is one of my favorite Disney fairy tales, so there was no question I'd read this, and ultimately I'm glad I did, because it was also a new adventure that's for sure.

I think Mulan's character was a true reflection of what we saw in the movie; she was a brave, persistent, compassionate and warrior-spirited protagonist who was concerned about preserving friendship and peace. I think Shang has changed a bit, but I could still relate to him, I'm sorry he didn't appear so much, because I wanted to learn more about him in this new world. Liwen was a very sympathetic, supportive character, exactly the kind of friend Mula needed. Zhognlin was a terribly interesting character, the kind I would read an entire book about; her mystery, her power, every moment of her added a lot to the book.

The plot was smooth and I think it was right for the level of the movie, but the beginning was something terribly slow and boring for me, I just couldn't relate to it in any way, it couldn't hold my attention. The time jump confused me a bit at the beginning and I honestly couldn't tell for chapters how much time had passed. The composition was nice, but nothing ordinary. I liked the historical and cultural references, they added a lot. The ending was neatly closed, with sweet peace after a tense moment.
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