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readingunderadesk 's review for:
Legend of the White Snake
by Sher Lee
Ever since I saw the cover I knew I wanted to read this, and was able amidst the rest of things going on in life did pick it up it was a sort of sweet spot intersection I needed among other subjects I've been reading. Legend of the White Snake is a retelling of well, the legend of the white snake, considered one of China's greatest folk tales, but with the twist that the snake spirit here is a young man instead of a woman, and as there are various versions/retelling as you do with old stories, it's neat to see a sort of more modern-written take (though the setting is the same/similar as the tales). It's not YA but it does feel more YA-leaning and that's fine actually, it made it a quick read that I enjoyed throughout, and watching Xian fall for this beautiful (snake) boy, even if quickly, was a delight, and the conflicts, while very high stakes, still had some feeling of everything will be all right in the end, which is just what I wanted at this time.
The story is rife with Chinese tradition, culture, and ritual, which seems like a great intro to a lot of people and a nice familiarity to those already familiar with culture itself, and a lovely little addition (or intro) into xianxia fantasy stories with that hit of danmei flavor.
I think the story was made more with Qing as Zhen's sister-friend and Feng as Xian's bodyguard-friend, like sure, a friend is a potential weakness but also someone to tease you about falling for the prince! Oops! Friends and found family are so important, especially in a rigid royalty-type structure and also when you're just a little snake guy navigating the human world.
This is one of the very rare times I reached out to the author on Instagram like Mona-Lisa Saperstein, "widget pleeeease!" and I'll be continuing to purchase Sher Lee's books until I have some reason not to. Thank you to Lee, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books for granting access to the eARC in exchange for review!
The story is rife with Chinese tradition, culture, and ritual, which seems like a great intro to a lot of people and a nice familiarity to those already familiar with culture itself, and a lovely little addition (or intro) into xianxia fantasy stories with that hit of danmei flavor.
I think the story was made more with Qing as Zhen's sister-friend and Feng as Xian's bodyguard-friend, like sure, a friend is a potential weakness but also someone to tease you about falling for the prince! Oops! Friends and found family are so important, especially in a rigid royalty-type structure and also when you're just a little snake guy navigating the human world.
This is one of the very rare times I reached out to the author on Instagram like Mona-Lisa Saperstein, "widget pleeeease!" and I'll be continuing to purchase Sher Lee's books until I have some reason not to. Thank you to Lee, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books for granting access to the eARC in exchange for review!