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writerlibrarian 's review for:
Silver Phoenix
by Cindy Pon
This novel has good things and not so good things. Quite a strong first novel but with the flaws that comes with it.
One of the really, really good thing: the world building is wonderful. I loved Xia, I loved the Immortals lands, the landscapes. I especially loved that both Ai Ling and Chen Yong knew these mythological, magical and sometimes evils beings, places from books. I even thought for a while that they came to life from Ai Ling's mind. Which would have been a nice twist.
Most of the characters are trying to find there footing but are likable even the really evil ones.
One of the really no so good things is the way the danger for Ai Ling comes almost exclusively from men and is all but some form of sexual assault. I know the period the author set up the novel implies that women were propriety but it became even more a thing I have problems with when the origin of all the assault was found.
A mix bag for me. Loved some parts a lot and I mean a lot. Others I just loathed. For a YA book, targeted for young women I do have problems with it has an adult. A teenager might not have those problems.
YMMV
One of the really, really good thing: the world building is wonderful. I loved Xia, I loved the Immortals lands, the landscapes. I especially loved that both Ai Ling and Chen Yong knew these mythological, magical and sometimes evils beings, places from books. I even thought for a while that they came to life from Ai Ling's mind. Which would have been a nice twist.
Most of the characters are trying to find there footing but are likable even the really evil ones.
One of the really no so good things is the way the danger for Ai Ling comes almost exclusively from men and is all but some form of sexual assault. I know the period the author set up the novel implies that women were propriety but it became even more a thing I have problems with when the origin of all the assault was found.
A mix bag for me. Loved some parts a lot and I mean a lot. Others I just loathed. For a YA book, targeted for young women I do have problems with it has an adult. A teenager might not have those problems.
YMMV