Name: The Night Ends with Fire
ISBN: 9781399725255

K. X. Song

RAISED TO OBEY. DESTINED TO REBEL. The Poppy War meets Six Crimson Cranes in this gripping crossover fantasy, inspired by Mulan and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin's father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Instead, he plans to sell Meilin into marriage to fund his opium addiction. But when she discovers her husband-to-be is violent and ill-tempered, she realises she needs to take matters into her own hands. The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father's place. As the very future of the Three Kingdoms hangs in the balance, Meilin will need to decide who to trust - Prince Sky, her commander, who inspires her respect and love; the sea dragon spirit, which has the power to grant her an impossible magic; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew - about her kingdom, her loyalty and her own heart.

The Dragon Spirit Duology: Book 1

The Night Ends with Fire

I needed to prove that I, as a woman, could be better than the rest of them. That I too could belong. That I too could be free.

“Ma,” I said to the skies, “I don’t want to just survive. I want to be the best.” I wanted others to respect me—to fear me. To know my name and know it with awe.

“Do you think they’ll let you live?” she’d asked me, on our last night together. “They would never let a woman get away with something like this.” “Something like what?” “They would never let a woman hold on to power.”

And if I ever write “Tonight the moonlight is strong,” I am trying to say that I miss you.

Syrina

I smiled at the papers, the way one smiles at the gallows.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down

Even a phoenix in a cage is mocked by sparrows

I wrinkled my nose. "Tm not afraid of it" 

"You don't wish me to speak of it" Sky pointed out, the stickler he was.

The truth was, I could not bear to think of my future, as uncertain as it was. If it was wretched, I did not wish to know. And if it was sweet, how much more painful to have it stolen from me?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In a crazy way, I think this book felt so representative of where I am in my love of reading. I received the FairyLoot edition which is absolutely breathtaking. I keep looking at the book in awe, that a book can be that beautiful and yet we still mass produce very bland boring books. I’m a strong believer that the same things that appeal to children, appeal to adults. We are made to inherently love beauty and pictures and colors. I loved the familiarity of the Mulan retelling, but the spicy love triangle involved as well. I did wish the dragon was a little more of a character (because I love a sassy dragon more than anything). I also wish Sparrow wouldn’t have cracked during interrogation and was just ignoring her towards the end, not willfully disdainful of her, so the treachery at the end would have hurt more. (Am I crazy for wishing for more pain? Probably). I’m excited to see how this author develops this series and how she develops as a writer with future projects. I think her storyline is great, but character development can be improved. Overall, super surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I would recommend for anyone that likes the Mulan movie!

The Night Ends with Fire The Dragon Spirit Duology: Book 1

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