Name: Hope Brockway's review of Reflection by Elizabeth Lim
Item: Reflection
Rating: 5
Author: Hope Brockway

Elizabeth Lim

What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld? When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily. With the help of Shang's great lion guardian ShiShi, Mulan must traverse Diyu to find Shang's spirit, face harrowing obstacles, and leave by sunrise--or become King Yama's prisoner forever. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it's too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him--and be lost in the Underworld--forever?

A Twisted Tale

Reflection

Hope Brockway

Christine

I got bored and couldn't finish it, just felt too repetitive and to plain. Started off ok but just struggled to get into it 

Megan caddick

I got bored and couldn't finish it, just felt too repetitive and to plain. Started off ok but just struggled to get into it 



I've owned this book for a while, but finally picked it up after rewatching both Mulan movies on Disney Plus. I read this book in one day. The pacing was perfect, and it was so easy to fall into this book, I was upset when it was finished! I love the changed perspective on one of my favorite Disney movies, and I'll definitely be picking up other books by Lim! 

Ashlee

Mallory Abley

** spoiler alert **
           Ending was super sweet and I love the perspective of everything being revealed on Mulan's terms rather than being discovered.

Ofelia

E' un retelling per lo meno, dato che la storia è completamente differente. 
Ma cielo se è scritta in maniera banale e per un pubblico di giovanissimi... è stato duro da finire.

Léa

Nuuuuul

Je vais développer un peu, histoire que les gens comprennent pourquoi ce livre est nul. 
Première, l'idée de réécrire un conte Disney en version un peu sombre, j'aime beaucoup, sur le papier, pas en pratique. J'ai été déçue par la réécriture très très simpliste. Le côté sombre de la chose, je pense qu'il a été oublié, clairement même un enfant de 4 ans ferait mieux à ce niveau là. 
Alors, par contre, oui, cette review va être virulente, très virulente même. Ça m'agace profondément quand quelque chose a du potentiel et que ce potentiel est inexploité, voir, en l'occurrence, gâché. 
(view spoiler)[
Toute l'histoire dans "l'au delà", c'était d'un ennui mortel. Beaucoup de passages n'étaient absolument pas clairs, les explications étaient floues et rapidement expédiées, à croire que l'auteure elle-même ne savait pas ce qu'elle racontait. 

Pour le personnage de Mulan on est passé d'une sassy bad bitch à une personne provoquant un ennui mortel pour ma personne. 
Donc en clair, le seul conseil que je peux vous donner si vous passez devant ce livre en libraire/bibliothèque : FUYEZ (hide spoiler)]

Mary Burnham

Loved this book. Fairytale retellings are one of my favorite genres ro read and this twist on the story of Mulan is unlike anything I've read before.

Brianna

I started reading the Twisted Tales books as a holdover between Disney World trips. That said, I go into them expecting 2 or 3 stars. It’s official Disney fanfiction after all — all the good parts gotta be toned down, right?

This one surprised me.

The level of angst, character development, and heart in this tale was just lovely. My only complaint with it would be the lack of Mushu and, while I got used to it, it was quite jarring.

All in all, I’d even recommend this one to those who don’t fawn over Disney as much as I do. (It’s ridiculous.)

Blayke 

Don't read this book unless you're 12 and you have an obsession with Mulan

Haley Dudeck

A fantastic twist on the Disney tale. I absolutely can't wait to read the rest of Elizabeth Lim's books.

Asrin Juinio

Jennifer

This is a pretty interesting Mulan retelling packed with a lot of plot twists and emotions. While I rarely watch Disney movies (I did watched Mulan many years ago), I can see that Reflection keeps the essence faithfully to the original but also provides quite an interesting perspective that redeems it much more than just a retelling. For example, in Reflection there are much more emotional exploration in the characters. I similarly enjoyed the cultural aspect of the world (e.g. the underworld Diyu and its landscapes). With both the characterisation as well as this backdrop I was able to engage in Mulan's more intimate backstory which is also shaped by the societal expectations of being a woman.

On the flipside, I think the worldbuilding could be better. I found the worldbuilding a bit lacking at first so the introduction of new details in the fictional world toward the latter half of the novel seemed a bit incohesive. I found that this incoherence complicated the plots as it is difficult to follow through what is happening.

Nevertheless, this is a pretty interesting Mulan retelling and I found the characters much more emotionally intimate comparing to its animated counterpart.

Alice

Paige Green

Disclaimer: None, I bought this on my own.

Rating: 5/5 (33.5 on my challenge scale)

Publication Date: March 27th, 2018

Genre: YA Retelling Fantasy

Recommended Age: 14+ (depictions of a Hell, violence, gore, war, demons, afterlife)

Pages: 408

Author Website

Amazon Link

Synopsis: What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld?
When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily. With the help of Shang's great lion guardian ShiShi, Mulan must traverse Diyu to find Shang's spirit, face harrowing obstacles, and leave by sunrise--or become King Yama's prisoner forever. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it's too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him--and be lost in the Underworld--forever?

After the disappointment of Flame in the Mist, I was slightly hesitant to start this book. I was scared that my favorite “princess” would be turned into a dull blob of a girl who’s only interested in sex. But that wasn’t the case at all. This Mulan was MY Mulan. She was fierce and strong and independent. She had fears and worries and concerns. She made tough decisions and sometimes those were the wrong ones. She fought a battle between herself and her reflection that rang as true to me as it did when I was 7 years old watching Mulan for the first time. I loved this book! The characters were very true to their Disney counterparts, I could see this actually happening in a Disney movie, the characters were very well developed and intriguing. The plot was interesting and it evolved well with the story. The pacing was phenomenal and in short this is a binge-worthy book.

The only complaint I had was that I wish we had more of an ending. I would have liked to see how the Emperor accepted her and if Shan-Yu survived this death like he did the one in the original film. I would have liked to see how it differed in this universe, but I also like how it ended because it did leave room for a possible sequel (one can only dream).

Verdict: This is the Mulan you grew up with.

Ashley Moncayo

Out of the 4 I’ve read so far, this one has to be my favorite along with Once Upon a Dream. I just love the completely different and original storyline mixed in with some characters of myth and legend and I couldn’t be happier with how this one turned out. 

What I love about these Twisted Tales is the depth that is added to the characters. It’s exciting to revisit characters and stories from my childhood with added layers. I’m excited to continue reading the rest of the Twisted Tales in this series!

Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies. I have always admired her strength and loyalty. I watched the movie over and over as a kid, copying her Ping hairstyle and wishing I could learn how to sword fight. 

So when I heard about this book, I was a little skeptical. I was going to read it anyway, of course, cause it's MULAN. But I was scared that they wouldn't get Mulan's character right. I was scared that they wouldn't capture the feel of the movie. I was scared that they would ruin the epicness I grew up with. 

Despite all my reservations, this book sucked me in from the opening line. I enjoyed every second of it. The characters were realistic and beautifully written. The setting was fascinating and unpredictable. I loved every moment and wished the book wouldn't end. 

The only thing that disappointed me was the lack of the epic defeat of Shan-Yu that happens at the end of the movie. I mean, the book was 400 pages long, so I understand why that wasn't included. Plus, defeating Yama and then having to face Shan-Yu a few paragraphs later would look really strange. But I still love the idea of Shang and Mulan fighting Shan-Yu side by side and facing one obstacle after another effortlessly. 

In summary, I adored this book and hoped that it wouldn't end.

Adriana Pierce

It was an interesting twist on the classic Disney story. Mulan must travel into the underworld to save her friend and finds herself along the way. A great read.

Hannah Williams

Really good! I’m not sure how accurate it really is with Chinese culture/folklore but I loved reading about the different aspects of the underworld. Also the Mulan and Shang banter was so cute🥺

Krystal Campbell 

I loved the twist on Mulan! It kept true to character without feeling like I was reading the same story. I was so invested in the story and felt that the world building of the underworld was done excellently. I felt like I was living the story with Mulan and friends. With such vivid imagery and the fast paced story with a time crunch it had me on the edge of my seat turning page after page. The only reason it has taken me so long is I’m away for the weekend with family. I can highly recommend this one for any Disney or mulan fans.

Hope Brockway &
Reflection by Elizabeth Lim

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Hope Brockway &
Reflection by Elizabeth Lim