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A review by ashley_mrose530
The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
4.5
This was a really fantastic book. I'm still digesting that ending because... wow.
I loved the magic system here. It was fascinating and intricate. I liked that it was clear that not everyone had this spirit power and even of those who did, only a few could do the things that Meilin could without the jade key. And her power was so cool. Being able to control people and the element of water? It was amazing to watch her utilize both powers at different times.
I also liked that her power was connected to her greed which was basically her desire for freedom and to do as she wished. Desire is a form of greed and I liked that even though her desire was for freedom, something that is very natural and even admirable to strive for in today's society, it was still put up against this thing that has such a bad connotation. It really made you think about wants and desires and even basic needs in a new light.
I loved that we didn't really know who to root for or trust throughout the whole book as well. I like Meilin and I sympathized with her desire to be free but it was so closely tied to her greed and therefore her power that I wasn't sure what would happen when or if she ever actually got it. And then there were the other characters. I didn't know if she should trust the dragon or Sky or any of them really. They were all a part of this society that was made to force women down and most of the time you could tell that they would probably uphold that.
But then Sky was actually coming around and including her after he found out she was a woman and not a man, which gave me hope that the others might as well. And I had that hope all the way up until the very end of the book when the author just absolutely crushed it. It makes complete sense for Meilin to not want to go back to the life of a woman though and I knew that. It also makes sense for the society to refuse to change even though she literally saved them all. In this sense, I should have seen that ending coming, but I had so much hope in a happy ending that I was blind to the actual most likely outcome and it devastated me.
Anyway, I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would be interested in an Mulan retelling and I can't wait to see what happens in the next one.
I loved the magic system here. It was fascinating and intricate. I liked that it was clear that not everyone had this spirit power and even of those who did, only a few could do the things that Meilin could without the jade key. And her power was so cool. Being able to control people and the element of water? It was amazing to watch her utilize both powers at different times.
I also liked that her power was connected to her greed which was basically her desire for freedom and to do as she wished. Desire is a form of greed and I liked that even though her desire was for freedom, something that is very natural and even admirable to strive for in today's society, it was still put up against this thing that has such a bad connotation. It really made you think about wants and desires and even basic needs in a new light.
I loved that we didn't really know who to root for or trust throughout the whole book as well. I like Meilin and I sympathized with her desire to be free but it was so closely tied to her greed and therefore her power that I wasn't sure what would happen when or if she ever actually got it. And then there were the other characters. I didn't know if she should trust the dragon or Sky or any of them really. They were all a part of this society that was made to force women down and most of the time you could tell that they would probably uphold that.
Anyway, I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would be interested in an Mulan retelling and I can't wait to see what happens in the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction