The Night Ends with Fire

3 out of 5 starsAn interesting Mulan retelling with all the important events but none of the fun.Meilin lives a difficult life with her opium-addicted father and an impending marriage to a violent man. When her father ignores the imperial draft, Meilin disguises herself as a man and takes his place in the army. During her time in the army, she makes friends, develops deeper relationships with two different princes, and discovers secrets about herself. She also starts having visions of a sea dragon spirit with unknown motives. However, this path might not lead her where she hopes, and one cage could replace another.This book left me feeling underwhelmed. I did not go into with big expectations, which is probably for the best because I would be disappointed. I thought the characters were interesting, and I was sort of into the plot, but it felt like the book dragged. So much time was spent in the army camp training for war and I lost interest quickly. There were moments that grabbed my attention and I got pulled into the book, but they were few and far between. Even with all of that, I pushed my way through this book. Overall, I thought it was fine. Nothing stood out to me as exceptional, and I am not interested in carrying on with the next part.While I found this book underwhelming, I think there is an audience for it. Those who enjoy the story of Mulan will likely enjoy this book. The writing is not bad and the characters are interesting, however, this book is just not to my tastes.

Such a simple read ! Loved the take on Mulan.Would be a great book for youth readers.

Not quite the Mulan I was expecting. But bigger, deeper, and more epic. Desperately want the next one. Now. Also, my gut tells me I’m Team Lei here. Maybe that’ll give me indigestion, lol, who knows….

I don't read retellings often. But this one kept coming up on my recommended list. I wanted a break from some of my usually genres and really liked the description.Beautifully written, Hai Meilin's story will grab your heart on the first few pages. Having watched the Disney movie as a child, I've always found the story captivating.The author tells a story that goes so much deeper than the childhood movie ever dared. Song produces all the major figures I knew from my childhood, with far more depth. This book does not drag on, it moved like a rushing river. The urgency is palpable.As to its authenticity to the legend, I cannot attest. The authors note at then end gives a window into how the book compares to the legend. Having said that, do not skip ahead and read it first. Wait until the end and let her thoughts sink in.I and eager to see how the second book unfold.

If you love Mulan, you're going to love this book. It's gorgeous by itself. Get it with any collection