My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Summary from GoodReads
CHINA, 484 A.D.
A Warrior in Disguise
All her life, Mulan has trained for one purpose: to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight. If she prevails, she can reunite a pair of priceless heirloom swords separated decades earlier, and avenge her father, who was paralyzed in his own duel.
Then a messenger from the Emperor arrives, demanding that all families send one soldier to fight the Rouran invaders in the north. Mulan’s father cannot go. Her brother is just a child. So she ties up her hair, takes up her sword, and joins the army as a man.
A War for a Dynasty
Thanks to her martial arts skills, Mulan is chosen for an elite team under the command of the princeling—the royal duke’s son, who is also the handsomest man she’s ever seen. But the princeling has secrets of his own, which explode into Mulan’s life and shake up everything she knows. As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor, and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion . . . before it’s too late.
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REVIEW
I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Let's take a moment and appreciate the fact that the author researched THE HELL OUT of this! As someone who has done research and cross-referenced to ancient history, diving into the huge and vibrant and vast history of China left me satisfied and very enamored with this version of Mulan. I grew up with the Disney movie, then read the real life of the heroine and then proceeded to read every retelling of the story...which weren't as good as I want to admit.
In Magnolia sword, Mulan is registered as male, training for the day she will bring honor to her family, by defeating the son of the rival family and earn two majestic swords. But when war arrives, Mulan will join the army, doing anything to survive and also guard the princeling, cousin to the Emperor.
I like this Mulan; she is pragmatic, realistic and let's admit she has guts and is an amazing fighter. The story in its core satisfies the demanding readers and brings pride, especially to the American-Chinese readers (and yes I have some from Twitter and I am happy for them!)
The fighting scenes were Hollywood worthy, the romance subtle and the family drama seemed to be taken out of a Chinese drama plot. Despite not adding anything new to what you already know, the story is far more detailed, historically correct and immersive than any other Mulan book I have read until now.
About the author:
And by the way, English is her second language.
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