[edit]
Read this if you enjoy:
✨ Retellings/Reimaginings
✨ Fantasy (Historical Fantasy)
✨ Chinese Mythology
✨ Dragons and Phoenixes
✨ Forbidden magic
✨ Edgy, headstrong female main characters
✨ Feminist (hmm?) reimaginations

This was a somewhat enjoyable read. There were aspects I loved but also elements that I did not quite appreciate or understand. While I loved how feminist this reinvention (this has strayed too far from the original Disney story to be a "retelling") of Mulan is, I thought the constant repetition about patriarchal oppression throughout the whole book rather monotonous. It was quite a stale portrayal of the terrors of patriarchy as the FMC kept repeating the same few lines over and over again. The same ideas about how women could never hold onto power was repeatedly explored and was essentially the central focus of this book. Though I appreciated this important theme, the constant drilling became kind of tiring and uninspired.

And at certain points, Meilin felt like such a pick-me. She gave "I am not like the other girls" kinda vibe. It is admirable and heroic of her to want to see herself wield as much power as a man could. However, this is not because she thinks women should be treated equally. She thinks SHE should be treated equally because she is "not like the other women". She is unlike her step-mother, a stereotypical woman who acquiesces to the whims of her father. She is unlike other girls because of her innate talent, her supernatural powers that makes her special. Fundamentally, our FMC thinks she should be treated with respect and hold power just like men do because she is DIFFERENT from other girls. This messaging for me, while sublime, is rather problematic. I think authors need to seriously consider nuance when it comes such themes on gender equality.

I think one of the most significant aspects of Disney's Mulan is the whirlwind romance between Mulan and the Prince. This book, however, features a love triangle. I don't have any qualms about the love triangle trope but I thought that the romance was rather mid...I didn't hate it, nor did I adore it. In general, the romance was abrupt, rushed, and not really fleshed out. HOWEVER, I do think the author is saving the romantic plotline for the sequel.

I didn't like how this book makes the reader expect a long-awaited change where women can be treated like equals but yet deprive us of this resolution so that a sequel can be published. I was so disappointed to find out that after 400 pages, the world was still equally patriarchal and oppressive. I see this as somewhat of a "cliff hanger" that compels reader to read the sequel and I don't know how to feel about this...?

Similarly, every single character just felt so flat for me. These people didn't change or develop at all. Honestly, am I the only one sick and tired of the edgy, stubborn, "the whole world is against me", and rage-filled FMC? Like can we please move on from this trope. It is getting boring and juvenile. The two rival princes were boring and functioned like plot devices to fuel the equally stale romantic plot line.

Okay, time for some positivity. I thought the magical system was pretty interesting. Though it plays on the classic (and overused) yin and yang, and qi in Chinese medical beliefs, the way they channelled and wielded magical power captivated me. I especially liked the instances when they were transported to some other realm and we got to know more about the supernatural beings (the four cardinal creatures in Chinese mythology). The harnessing of power from mythical beings really reminded of the magical system in The Poppy War. I do have one question though, where are the other 2 cardinal beings apart from the Dragon and Phoenix?? Why weren't they featured?? Are they gonna debut in book 2? I hope so!!

Additionally, other aspects of the world-building were commendable too. While I was not necessarily immersed in it, the author did a good job examining the horrors of war. The reimagining of the history and politics of the Three Kingdoms were well explored and explained.

Overall, I rate this book 3 stars (despite the above mentioned qualms) because I did find myself intrigued and entertained by the story. I read this book in 2 sittings and I was really blazing through the pages. Ultimately, I still think this was a commendable effort at reimagining the tale of Mulan. With some edits and changes, I think this could have been an easy 5 stars. Nonetheless, I am invested in Meilin's story now, I need to see her WIN!! I will be reading the sequel for sure

Wow, okay. This was a fantastic read. I was drawn in by the Mulan retelling aspect. As a lover of the disney version (and that being the only Mulan story I know) I was a little apprehensive about what I was getting myself into - But wow this story was beautiful.

We had mythological elements with links to the four auspicious beats, though we only talk about 2 main ones in this story, as well as intense political rivalries, betrayal, dark magic and more. I was hooked until the end.

I loved Meilin's character and how the author showed each character flaws, especially our main girls greed. I am looking forward to the second book because there has to be a second book right? It can't end there?

An interesting retelling of the traditional mythology of Mulan alongside drawing from other Asian mythology (the sacred animal spirits), The Night Ends With Fire is a novel that combines mythology and the supernatural with the more serious topic of gender roles/misogyny with the main character Meilin struggling with her place in society as both a woman and someone capable of using magic, and the isolation of not being able to be her true self due to these circumstances but also the other characters being complex and with their own motivations that clash with Meilin's desires and deep held secrets.

Song's book is one I feel offers both escapism to a fantasy world yet grounds the reader with contemporary issues that still affect women today and thus Meilin resonates pretty well despite the setting being decidedly exotic. However I do feel and times that it broaches a little too much into the plot of Disney's Mulan when it really did not need to, ditto the strange naming process, it would to me at least have made more sense had the first names of some characters simply been a romanised version as opposed to a translation?

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Staughton for the ARC.

The Night Ends with Fire is an Adult Mulan retelling. When Meilin is engaged to an abusive man, she makes the drastic decision to hide her gender and enlist in the army in her father's place. All the while, she's seeing visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.

My biggest issue with this was how, despite the built in tension of hiding her gender, every was too easy? Conflicts were easy to solve, the main character just had to decide she would. There were plenty of moments I should have felt tense or worried, but it never happened because at every opportunity for struggle, the answer was immediately presented.

My other major issue is with the target audience. The book is classed as Adult. I really struggle to wrap my head around that. All the major characters are late teens or early twenties and the major themes of the book are self discovery - a perfect fit for YA. I assume there's a marketing reason for it but i think anyone looking for an Adult read will find this very disappointing.

I was highly anticipating this after seeing the cover reveal at YALC but by the end I really struggled to care. I will not be reading book 2.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodderscape for the eARC to review.

I LOVED this book! It was a fantastic adventure and I loved the retelling of Mulan concept. Meilin was a compelling protagonist and I found myself really rooting for her throughout the novel. I am interested in reading more by this author, especially in this universe, as the characters in this were amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. I recommend this to any fantasy fans who also like Mulan!

Loosely based on Mulan we follow Meilin as she’s pretending to be a boy so she can escape an arranged marriage and instead flees to join the army leaving her fate behind.
Soon she finds herself torn between who she can trust, threats from another nation and powerful spirits with their own agenda.

Ultimately I feel underwhelmed and disappointed by this book.

I was hoping for an action packed, high stakes, magic infused adventure and whilst I do feel at times I received that it overall fell flat.
The first 50% of this book I was truly loving it and a specific scene involving a spirit and fire i was thinking I had found one of my favourite book in recent months, unfortunately after that I started to feel the spark fade.

Once she’s found herself in different company I started to feel like a very weird love triangle/ enemies to lovers was beginning which just didn’t feel like it worked well.

What I liked:

The characters; At times most the characters did feel quite dull and not very developed but throughout the book I did quite enjoy the development, personalities and exchanges of Meilin and Ren.

The setting; I enjoyed the setting, lots of this book takes place at a campsite where the army has set up base during their travels into war.

What I didn’t like:

Magic; I did enjoy this aspect in the beginning but I started to feel fairly underwhelming, which is disappointing as we had such a strong premise with the Jade stones that gave our character her connection with the sea dragon who itself was a unique entity that the character was unsure if she could trust or not.

(Mild spoilers)
Plot progression; the second half of the book felt very unnatural to what was being set up. It isn’t entirely unrealistic but It didn’t feel right. The introduction of Lei is what started the decline for my enjoyment.
Up until this point I was loving how Meilin was hiding her identity and struggling to understand the sea dragon properly, I was eagerly awaiting her and the dragon to develop their bond, practice magic and to see what impact it would have on Meilin as it seemed the spirit might eventually take over her body and mind… the second half of the book pretty much took most of that away. Whilst I understand as she had her senses to magic blocked it still felt like the dragon and spirit realm was forgotten aspect of the story and instead the book started to feel like a strange political intrigue book.

I will continue the sequel as I’m interested in the what happens after that ending.
I recommend it for anyone who likes the sound of the synopsis as overall I still enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Hodderscape for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

Although I loved the sound of this, I just didn't enjoy the execution. I found Meilin to be enjoyable at first but I grew rapidly more frustrated with her, especially when the love triangle began. I love the film Mulan and I thought this would be similar, I know it'll probably appeal to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

Oh, I loved this Mulan retelling. Meilin is a stellar main character, from her complicated family relationships to her desire for more in her life. We really see her grow into herself, and it feels like there's even a potential for more expansion on her going forward. ]

The world-building is very clear and accessible while still being intricate and interesting. It's really nice change from other overexplained, yet underdeveloped stories I've read. I feel like I understand the generals of the world, but there's still more to explore.

Sky is not my favorite, but I am finding Lei a fascinating enigma that I'd like to learn more about.

I'm so excited for the next book because I feel like there has been a really solid foundation created here with so much potential for more. Song has a really fantasic fantasy debut here, and I can't wait to continue!

Five stars from me.

Lemme tell you guys something first.

Honestly, I liked the villain in this book way more. Even though he was super annoying at first, he really stood out. I think he was better at taking care of Ren—more flexible, you know? There was more chemistry. But Ren Liu? That Liu, our ML? Meh. Imho, he was cool only in the beginning. And not to forget, from the start, it was clear Liu wasn’t the rebellious type. And what about Ren? She was more of a rebel type than not. I mean, she wouldn’t have become a man and gone to war if she wasn’t. And what did Liu do after all of Ren’s sacrifices? Nothing. He’s just too obedient.

Anyway, onto the review. This book is awesome! It’s great in so many ways. The world-building is amazing, and the characters are on point. Even the side characters are solid. The plot? So good. The twists are seriously top-notch! This book is just fantastic! Emotion? It is rich with emotions!

Tldr, this book has the same vibe as Kuang's TPW. Fighting for your country and standing up against discrimination.

The Night Ends With Fire by K.X. Song is the first book of a new fantasy series.
 
This story is a Mulan retelling with dragons, and I really liked this Asian inspired fantasy world.
 
The protagonist Meilin has to care for her father who refuses to enter into the imperial draft and to avoid any further issues he wants to marry her off. But Meilin is such a fierce and stronger character, and she rather goes her own way and pretends to be a man to be able to enlist. Meilin is hardworking, dedicated and very good at training and she catches the attention of Prince Sky.
 
She is torn between trusting Sky and a sea dragon spirit and that was so interesting and intriguing. But because of that there is always this wary of Sky and that made it hard to believe in a romance. In addition, sometimes the story felt to almost resemble Mulan and I wish the focus would have been more on the character development. I feel like this book had a lot of potential and it could have been so much more.
 
Overall, if you like Mulan inspired stories you might like this one. 3 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

4.5 stars.

I picked this up purely on the hype I had seen around it's release and I was not disappointed.

The Night Ends With Fire was so much more than just a dark retelling of Mulan. Yes, it has so many recognisable elements from the original story (including main character Meilun using the name Mulan is a pseudonym at one point!) but this adds in twists, turns, action, horror and romance all to a perspective of the place that a woman has in society in this world.

This is seemingly Part 1 of a series - I can't wait for Part 2!

"You already lost," he said, teeth gritted. "No," I told him. "I don't give up until I win."

Meilin's kingdom is at war but her opium-addicted father refuses to enlist. When he tries to marry her off to an old, violent man, she disguises herself as a man and enlists in his place. Initially, Meilin struggles to keep up with her combat training, but soon, she's bettering her peers and has begun a friendship with her commander, Prince Sky.

At the same time, Meilin realises the jade necklace she inherited from her long-dead mother, is a type of amulet that connects her to the power of a sea dragon. But the creature has its own agenda, and when Meilin is captured by a prince from her nation's enemy, she'll need all the help she can get to protect her life, and heart.

I had high hopes for this low-spice romantasy retelling of Mulan but was ultimately disappointed. The concept is really great but I struggled to connect with Meilin, even as someone who loves strong female characters. She constantly berates herself for being selfish and for trying to forge a life for herself (which is not selfish at all). What is selfish is her refusal to cut ties with the sea dragon who clearly is in it for himself only. And she makes such illogical choices throughout the book!

The love triangle aspect is weak, with neither of the male characters appealing to me. The romance is boring and not because it's not spicy (I'm not too bothered if the action is closed-door), but because there is no real chemistry, at all.

The dialogue is inane and I didn't care for any of the side characters.

I had to force myself to finish this one.

A good retelling, inspired by the legends of Mulan. Looking at a society that is dictated by men at every turn and a girl who just wants her freedom. I loved how it looked at people who were not very moral. I don’t think I could even call them grey at times. Most of the characters would stop at nothing to get what they wanted, including Meilin though all she really wanted was to be free.

Being a story about a woman disguising herself as a man, I just want to warn any trans readers, that there are multiple times in the book where Meilin is revealed as a woman based on the way her body looks. I know that can be triggering, so I wanted to include this in the review.

I loved the way the book tied in the stories about the vermillion phoenix and the silver dragon. I’ve read a couple of interpretations of the myth and I’m always excited to see what each author will do with them. I have to wonder if we’ll see any of the other two creatures in the next book.

Looking forward to reading more!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Ends With Fire by K. X. Song is a Mulan retelling with a very interesting twist at the end.

It follows a story of Hai Meilin, who decided to dress as a man and join the army out of her own selfish desire to escape being wedded off purely for her fathers gain. Along the way, she discovers that greed for power is a strong motivator to everyone, not just men.

I loved seeing a flawed female character, that fights for her own future above all else.
Can't wait to see where her story takes her in the next book.

Inspired by the legend of Mulan, The Night Ends with Fire follows Meilin, a young woman who, wanting to escape an arranged marriage to an abusive man, decides to disguise herself as a boy to join the army. As the Three Kingdoms descend into the chaos of war, Meilin must fight to survive and hide her identity from her fellow soldiers (as well as the prince who commands her legion), all while hiding the fact that she possesses a jade necklace containing a spirit seal that allows her to commune with a sea dragon and grants her a power forbidden in her kingdom.

I enjoyed following Meilin’s development over the months: her training in the army, her relationship with Sky, the exploration of the spirit realm and the influence the dragon begins to exert over her—is her ambition really hers or is the dragon trying to control her? I also liked the later introduction of a certain enemy prince; and I’m not going to lie, I hope he’s the chosen one in the love triangle.

What made me get stuck in some parts was Meilin herself. I love following an ambitious female protagonist but many of her decisions and the fact that she doesn’t listen to others or even entertain the idea of ​​not always being right made me want to pull my hair out on more than one occasion. It was truly frustrating that her stubbornness made her realize things too late.

Overall, I enjoyed this first installment in a new fantasy duology. I had my issues with Meilin, but really enjoyed the world and the magic system. I’ll read the sequel and final book once it comes out.

This was a really enjoyable, but average read for me. I loved everything about it: from the story to the characters to the setting. However, it wasn't anything special for me. I felt like I read this story before, it didn't add anything new for me. All in all this was still a good read, though, and definitely one that I could recommend!

This book started off really strong for me and I thought it was one I was going to love. Unfortunately I lost some interest as I went through the book as I felt it was a little slow. However I can appreciate that this part of a series and is probably setting up a lot of things for future books. I enjoyed the general plot and am intrigued by where the series as a whole is going so I am looking forward to the next book.
I loved the ideas of a Mulan retelling and I enjoyed the feminist narrative. The main character Melin is a complicated one who could be a bit infuriating at times but overall I enjoyed her story.

Books with a female main character dressed in men's clothes, kicking some male asses and saving the empire - I love them! This was a quick-paced story with the right amount of scheming, fights, magic and romance. Finished this in three sittings.
I was also happy to realize at the end that this was only the first book in a series.

KX Song delivers a riff on the story of Mulan. The first third feels like a faithful retelling of the Disney movie, although set in a fantasy world that is not quite China. She does manage to put her own spin on the story but coming in the shadow of Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun which covered very similar ground, this feels like a very pale imitation. Song is likely to satisfy YA readers though who are much more the target market (even though the book has not been marketed that way).

Thank you for providing me with an ARC copy of this book!

I really enjoyed reading the night ends with fire. I loved the way that this book read, full of action, great characters, and a compelling story. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to those who enjoy historical fantasy and retellings. The characters were great in this, I especially enjoyed the variety in the characters and their development, some becoming good and others turning bad in ways that weren’t always predictable. Meilin’s character was also excellent and the way the author chose to develop the character drawing on elements of Mulan but with a new twist was really effective. Excellent book! Loved this!