Mulan retelling? Spirit dragons? Elemental powers? I was so excited about this story, but in the end I was just frustrated by it.

Initially, as we're introduced to Meilin's character and backstory, I was invested. I appreciated her determination to break society's expectations of her as a woman and the role she was supposed to conform to. I loved how she raged against it, and set out to live life on her own terms, and in the process, better herself and gain equality, respect and power. I loved the idea of spirit mediums and the sinister undercurrent of madness that plagued Meilin. It made for a really interesting premise.

Then, the majority of the book becomes a repetitive loop of being told everything (and not always clearly), rather than shown it, and reading about Meilin getting hurt, being healed, getting hurt again, being healed again, on and on. I also didn't find her particularly likable, and I LOVE rage-fuelled, flawed, powerful FMCs. I did enjoy Lei's character and as 1/3 of the love triangle that is clearly going to play a much bigger part in the next book, I'd definitely be team Lei. Sky was absolutely useless, And the end was so frustrating!

I'd still be interested in picking up future works by the author. This particular one just wasn't for me. 2.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the arc!

Thank you, NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5

Oh, what a joy this book has been. There's nothing I love more in fiction these days than an ambitiously flawed woman. And Meilin definitely delivered on that front.

She's selfish, greedy, stubborn, aggressive, and constantly second-guesses herself and those around her - and yet she pushes herself to the limits for those she holds dear. She makes countless mistakes, and she's punished for it, repeatedly, to the point where you keep asking HOW she can still keep going. It's incredible how real she is, and how much love was poured into her character, despite her obvious lack of social skills and overall charisma.

Sky was the second stand-out, but mostly because of the easy dynamic he and Meilin had. At this point, I am unsure if he will be the endgame option (dang it love triangle), but I truly wish he would be. I'd love her to preserve this beautiful bond they have - the hard-earned mutual respect, the trust, the quiet peace, the banter - but I fear what her greed might be pushing her into.

Now... Lei. Fuck that guy (I say jokingly but not really), I can see him have some Rhys-like arc with his whole tragic backstory and 'most beautiful man I've ever seen' description, plus the killer physical attraction. And I am NOT here for it. I don't care how sad he is, his bipolar disorder is untreated and very dangerous. He needs medication and SO much therapy. That eye scene will haunt me for months.

Meilin might have gone to war to regain some of her freedom and have control over her life and destiny for once.  I'd go to war to make sure HE doesn't end up as the male lead.

But let's face it, I think the author could make it believable. At this point, I feel like I trust her enough.

Every page kept me hooked and made me excited to find out more and more about where the story was going. Even now, having finished the book, I am questioning how Meilin will get out of her current situation, because everything seems very grim.

All in all, The Night Ends with Fire made me feel many things and I am very excited about what's next.

If you love mulan you will love this book
This one gave me the same vibes and I devoured this in one day

The characters I loved them and the angst was just truly perfection

By now, I’ve read quite a few retellings of Mulan. In fact, I literally read one a week ago, so I was a bit surprised that this book was another one (to be fair, I didn’t read the blurb). I still decided to read this - if it’s truly good, it’s not going to matter that the storyline is about the same. And I like Mulan, so why not?
I didn’t regret my decision. It was actually really good.

Of all the retellings, this may be the one closest to the story of Mulan, even though it’s completely different. Again and again, I saw similarities, but you don’t need to worry that it’s just Disney wrapped in a nice cover. While I did see some of the characters in new faces, they are all still their own, same for certain plot points.
It was wonderful.

The writing was very nice – it immediately brought me into the story and it was very easy for me to stay in there. Nice language, but not overly flowery. There could’ve been a bit more world building, but as the world itself is not the focus in this book, that was fine with me.

I really liked the characters – Meilin is strong and determined, but she is also incredibly selfish sometimes. She doesn’t care about the country that suppressed her and other women – she only cares about herself and her friends. And that’s refreshingly realistic. I also liked how she basically doesn't care about all the people she kills. She does think about it a couple of times, contemplates whether she is a bad person, but in the end, she doesn't get nightmares about it, she doesn't break down about being evil. She's a soldier in a war and she knows it. She's prepared to fight and she is ruthless. Very Mulan-like, if I can say that, and I really appreciated this attitude.
Both Sky and Lei are very interesting. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that both of them were quite the grey area. They had their kind and good moments, but both of them did many things that made me hate them a little bit. Again, quite realistic. Who is perfect after all? And this is war. Sometimes a commander has to do things he might regret. Sometimes you have to be cruel to ensure your survival.

The actual fantasy-part with the spirits was very well done. I loved how, again, the spirits seemed to be neither entirely good, nor perfectly evil. It’s obvious that they have their own agenda and I can’t wait to see what will happen with that!
On that note, there are some other things I’m also curious about. The ending is not really a cliffhanger, but it leaves multiple questions open. Apart from the obvious, I really want to know more about Meilin’s family and I’m very curious what will happen to the other side characters. And how will the main plot advance?

One thing I wasn’t entirely happy with, was Meilin’s kung-fu-abilities. There is an explanation why a noble woman would have been trained, but in my opinion, it was a bit weak. Also, she didn’t need this ability at that point. She had to learn sword fighting and so on with the army anyway, so why not add kung fu to that? It makes sense to me that she had already trained her qi for years, but that’s something that I could imagine for a noble woman to do, at least in secret. But… kung fu? I don’t know. Seemed a bit random and unnecessary to me.

I’m really looking forward to the next book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mulan fans get yourselves ready for the re-imagining we’ve all been waiting for! It was so magical to be able to relive my favourite movie through this creative retelling from K. X. Song, which takes us on a much darker, and more complex journey than the Disney-fied version of the story. Meilin is skilled in the art of Kung Fu, excels at strategy, and incredibly ambitious. She defies the constraints placed on women, unwilling to be quiet, to be owned, or to accept the fate decided for her. It’s inspirational to watch her journey, her battles with the dragon spirit, and her growth as a character. Her path isn’t a smooth one, and Meilin faces a lot of hurt and injustice, but she’s resilient and powerful, determined to achieve her goals and save her people. As a total romantic, I do think Meilin deserved more from this side of her story, and more from those who have feelings for her. Is the romance realistic? I think it probably is, but my heart wants what it wants! I’d move mountains for this trailblazer and so should her paramour. All in all this is a fantastic book, carefully crafted to offer a complex story that’s well worth a read!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

It's been a while since I read a fantasy novel that focused more on the plot and the fantasy elements than on the romantic aspects. This book was a welcomed breath of fresh air and has renewed my love of fantasy. Don't get me wrong, this novel did include romance, but it wasn't brought up in every chapter. I loved that it was a single POV, as it allowed me to form a deeper connection with Meilin as she fights for her freedom.

This is a Mulan retelling, and as a fan of the Disney movie, I loved reading a version that was a little darker and more suited to me as an adult. I found the story captivating, and it piqued my curiosity about the original story. 

This exceeded my expectations, as I was expecting a lighthearted, more mature version of the Mulan I grew up with, and I got so much more. This story obviously covered the subject of women's rights and how they are very much viewed and treated as property rather than human beings, and it showcased that men feared how dangerous women could become if they were allowed to hold on to power ( as they should).

Meilin fights against the natural order as she proves to herself and others that she is just as capable as any man while training and fighting in the army, and we also watch as her mind set and her priorities change as she fights to keep the freedom she has finally gotten a taste for. I really loved how Meilin was portrayed throughout this book, as she wasn't a cute and innocent woman with some potential to be a decent warrior; she was a woman with her own opinions regarding how she should live her life; she worked on her fighting skills and honed her techniques even though it was against the norm; she fought for her place and worked towards her own ambitions in the army; and she also came to know who she was as she battled with her inner demons. Meilin came to realise how ruthless and greedy she was, and while it scared her, it was interesting watching her slowly embrace this side that society wants her to pretend doesn't exist.

I can't wait for the next book, as the ending has me screaming! Regardless of how hard she tries and how much she has accomplished, a woman will never be seen as an equal. If you love the following, then I highly recommend reading this book.

- Political Intrigue
- Mulan Retelling
- Chinese Mythology
- Love Triangle
- Dark Magic
- Betrayal (this part STILL blows my mind)
- Bad Ass FMC
- Revenge

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Spectacular! I need the next book right now.

What an amazing, action-packed fantasy that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. The pacing of this was absolutely perfect and I was completely swept away by K. X. Song and their incredibly lush writing style.

The Night Ends With Fire has a beautiful blend of the grim dark fantasy elements of The Poppy War trilogy with the stunning imagery and romance from the Celestial Kingdom duology. I don’t often like to make comparisons between books in the same genre, especially when it seems like putting authors in a box but I think if you liked either of these series then you will adore this.

Meilin is a remarkable main character; flawed, morally grey and demanding more for herself in a world that forces submission. I really enjoyed watching her character arc throughout and felt such a deep connection to her. I will always love a slightly messy love triangle which allowed a glimpse into a different side to Meilin and I cannot wait to see where this goes!

I would highly recommend this to lovers of fantasy with an Asian mythology flare.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton/ Hodderscape for granting me a Netgalley digital copy of The Night Ends With Fire to review for K. X. Song's debut fantasy novel.

The Night Ends With Fire is a gritty, fly-by-seat of your pant and seize the moment retelling of the legends of Mulan with a bad-ass female protagonist compared to the more Disney-depicted dutiful daughter version of Mulan. I loved this recast of Meilin as a gritty, ambitious character who wants to go to war to make a better life for herself, not prompted to do as a sacrifice to save another. Sometimes, leaving your family for your self-preservation is an act of self-love, not a selfish act. I loved her because she wasn't another self-sacrificing, people-pleaser battling to belong in a society where women are property and second-class citizens to menfolk. Meilin's not on character journey to discover herself like Mulan – she takes up her warrior mantle with self-assured agency and full of a zesty boldness fuelling; she got gumption by the bucket-full and is not afraid to jump out of a window, damn the consequences.

Song has excellent potential as a storyteller. Her worldbuilding craft is exquisite, allowing her to create an expansive, complex fantasy world with a turbulent history, political intrigues, and clashes inspired by the Chinese dynasties and beautiful Asian mythology elements. Danger, treachery, and deceit dog Meilin throughout the plot, leaving the reader with no idea who she can trust.

I've mixed feelings about The Night Ends With Fire regarding the plot and storytelling. I'm hovering on a 3.5-star rating, primarily due to a couple of plot inconsistencies and the story being stretched to a breaking point to give it a darker, ferocious, and angrier vibe. I felt it jarred and slowed down the storytelling.

The romance and love triangle distract the plot from Meilin's journey as attractions flare between her and two rival princes, Sky Liu and Cao Ming Lei. I wanted Meilin to run from these potential love interests as they all treat her horribly and have their agendas for her abilities and power. There is so much misogyny, sexism, and exploitation of women in parts of this story made my stomach roll and roil.
I'll pick up the sequel out of intrigue to see where Meilin's journey takes her because I'm invested in her journey. Will ambition for power win, or her attraction to one of the love triangle princes? If I were in her shoes, I'd say let the world burn for events at the book's close. Is it wrong to have my fingers crossed to see her embrace her power and recognise her ambition isn't greed but seizing her moment to shine?

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

It gives me no joy to assign a 1 star review for a book, but this one made me do it. While being advertised as an adult, it really reads as YA, has no character development and just a bit of world building. I finished it hoping for some amazing twist at the end, but got let down.

Mulan is one of my favourite stories , so I couldn’t resist to this book! I found entertaining,real , and vivid! I loved the world building , I couldn’t put it down and now I want more!

A Mulan retelling is exactly the kinda thing that makes me pick up a book. This Mulan retelling even has a 'what if' twist that I adore very much because it makes things very interesting. The writing style is intense and entertaining, made me go through the novel at breathtaking speed. And I very much appreciate what the author wanted to transport with this story.
However, the execution fell a bit flat for me. It hit a lot of marks, but I kept thinking that I've already read this in a better way in other books. The characters were well formed, but they didn't touch my heart. The plot was fast paced, but the conflicts were solved a bit easily. And the FMCs motivation was more told than shown. Or at least what she thinks her motivation is, as I was missing something from her inner life to make it truly engaging.

However, it's still a very good story. 3,5/5 stars.

Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks for the eARC!

#TheNightEndsWithFire #Mulan #Netgalley #Bookstagram

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
🌟🌟✨/5

TL;DR: R. F. Kuang did it better.

I always have high expectations from books that have pretty covers AND are inspired by mythology. Unfortunately, The Night Ends with Fire ended up being a huge disappointment.

The first part of this 'Mulan retelling' feels like a retelling of Disney's Mulan rather than the original Chinese legend. Many of the scenes were reminiscent of the Disney movie. I liked the way the author put forth a new perspective on MC's motivations. I liked how the Meilin's stepmother wasn't evil but formed a sisterly bond with her instead. I also loved the fact that the Mulan in this book was driven by greed and ambition and not filial piety.

Unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good in this book. The names are a mess, to begin with. This doesn't affect the plot but I found it weird that some characters have Chinese names while others have names like Sky, Sparrow, Little Pig and more. The worldbuilding and magic system had SO MUCH POTENTIAL but I felt like the author did not utilise it to its fullest. I get where the poppy war comparisons are coming from , but R. F. Kuang is one a whole another level. Rin from the poppy war was super compelling as a character, if not exactly likable. Meilin is neither compelling nor likable and made stupid decisions frequently. Rin's ambition felt believable where Meilin's felt forced. It was like the author was constantly trying to remind us that SHE IS NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS. Sky was a terrible love interest. The book just went downhill after part two, especially with the introduction of a second love interest, making me realise that the book featured a LOVE TRIANGLE. I'd have loved to see more of Sima and Winter. That would have made the story way more interesting. The book feels very YA, which didn't bother me but if you want your adult fantasy to be adult, this might not be for you.

I liked the ending though, and I'll be reading book 2 just to see how it all ends (but mostly because I have a toxic trait of forcing myself to finish series I've started). I had high expectations from this book because it featured a character fueled by ambition and because it was compared to the poppy war and six crimson cranes, two books I absolutely adore ( I don't get the SCC comps tbh). The author had an amazing concept but the execution fell flat.

Firstly thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book in return for my honest opinion .

Wow what a book devoured this in 24 hours . It was brilliant. Thoroughly enjoyed the writing style the main female character was likeable in parts very determined and ambitious to prove a woman can win in a man’s world . The two love interests were very different in personalities . Magic system was easy to follow and I cannot wait for the second book . Will be first in line to read it . Loved it easy 5 stars .

I loved this book so much! It is honestly my top read of the year everything about it is perfect.

Meilin is a flawed main character she's selfish and often puts herself first which i absolutely love to see in fmc

The romance is flawless, I usually hate a love triangle but I am obsessed with how its done in this book, I cannot wait for book two

If Mulan was your favourite disney princess or you are a big fan of mythology retellings but make them fantasy then you have to read this!

Thank you so much for this arc copy <3

that was everything i could’ve wished for in a book. it was captivating in a way where i couldn’t put the book down. when i did, i couldn’t stop thinking about it. the plot was so engaging and fast paced - there was no “boring bit” in the middle!

the characters were loveable (meilin, sky and lei own my heart). both sky and lei were somewhat confusing, as i never knew who i should trust (if either of them), but i found the conflicting emotions really added to their characters and their depth. meilin is a classic heroine, our mulan. i was overjoyed when she used it as her name while in disguise! i wonderful nod at the original tale.

and of course the dragons. the dragon didn’t play as big of a role as i’d expected. it was all mental, communicating with meilin through her mind. i enjoyed the different twist on this, instead of the traditional (western) dragons we normally see in fiction.

the night ends with fire truly blew my mind. it was so easy to get lost in the world and the characters. i can’t wait to read the next book (although, i think the wait will be long 😭). the book ended on a somewhat cliffhanger, and i need to know how meilin will worm her way out of her predicament.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book is advertised as a Mulan retelling, and it does fulfil that, although I think it does a disservice to the novel to just think of it that way. Meilin is a much more developed character and, while I would have liked a bit more of her family life at the start, she is a really relatable and unidealised protagonist. The narrative did seem a bit place-holdery at times, especially when Meilin was captured, but Lei certainly livens it up whenever he appears! As love triangles go, this one is fairly well written and I'm intrigued to see how it plays out.

I really enjoyed this Mulan retelling! Meilin is a brilliant, bold character whose inner strength is evident even when she doesn’t believe in herself. Her zest for life is infectious and the ending had me raging - thankfully it’s part of a trilogy! She is beset on all sides by danger, treachery, and deceit, landing her and her trusting nature in some sticky pickles. Her complex relationships with Qinglong, Cao Lei, and Liu Sky are fascinating and thrilling especially as neither of the boys is clear end game and Qinglong has mysterious objectives of his own.

I haven’t read Song’s YA but I’ll definitely be getting the follow up to this!

**book spoilers!!!!!**

i really really enjoyed this book omg so much so that the physical copy is waiting in my waterstones basket🫶

this book is a retelling of mulan, but not the disney version, so not everything is seen a rose tinted lens. meilin (mulan) wants to become something, and being a woman restricts her to just becoming a doll and slave to this old, disgusting and abusive man in her village. when the call comes for her father (fyi, we hate him), it’s meilin who answers and acts like a man to escape the future that laid out for her.
the story and plot is easy to get into, esp since the tale of mulan is so wildly know, which for the author might have been a pitfall. thankfully i enjoyed the book so much, i’m not even sure she did! 😂
the writing style reminded me of elizabeth lim but with less cute-ness, i’ll say.

the ending didn’t go the way disney did - which was, mulan gets favour from the emperor despite being a woman and is able to live freely and get with the hot prince. in this version, and very similar to the original tale, this does not happen. instead meilin gets told that bc she’s a woman she can only live as someone’s wife or be imprisoned despite the role she played in the war.
it’s such an 180 degree turn that i actually didn’t see it cause everything was going so well - which of course should have been a red flag🚩🚩🚩. the way that her “friends” betrayed her and the fact that mr prince didn’t seem to see her for what she was and her ambitions. sadly her imprisonment seemed to be the only option for her to have some dignity for herself. because of course, women cannot have their cake and eat it too, as we find out in the ending pages where they essentially labelled meilin as treasonous and a traitor and erased the results of her role in the war, effectively erasing her ambitions.
such a sad ending but the journey was fun!!!😂

THIS BOOK.

This book does not end with fire, it ends with Gabby staring at her iPad (e-arc gang) in absolute horror and dismay that the sequel is not available to read immediately. The highs and the lows of reading arcs, hey?

Damn, this was so good though. I loved Meilin and her ambition, and how Song explored this throughout the book, with Meilin and others believing that a woman with ambition and greed and wants is something perverse. Seeing Meilin come in to her own and accepting who she is and pulling down the social constructs around gender ideologies was brilliant. Definitely the best part of the book.

The romances I struggled with a bit as they both treated her terribly and there wasn’t that many redeeming qualities to either of them?? I think I’m leaning one way, and I don’t think it is in the direction of the Sky…idk there’s something else going on there I think that we haven’t seen yet.

The world building I did find a little bit confusing and I felt it did throw you me in the deep end a bit. The geography and politics of the world was hard to understand (I suppose in that way we echo Meilin, who is shut out because of her gender) and I often found myself getting players confused. The magic system was not clear to me either, although what I did understand I thought was fascinating.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the sequel. This book had excellent bones and Song is an excellent storyteller, so I can only see the sequel being an added brilliance to what was already really good.

Mulan has always been one of my favourite characters, setting my expectations for this retelling high. I need to admit that I was a bit disappointed. The storytelling seemed clumsy at times, and the characterisation was inconsistent. For example, Sky was portrayed as a noble soldier and leader, but that did not stop him from openly flirting with a stranger in a dark alleyway. As to Meilin, she repeatedly stated her love for her siblings and stepmother, but she never worried about the consequences they might face for her escape, especially when the dowry was already paid. Also, she was hard to like as she was selfish, greedy, and hungry for power. She did not want to be equal to men; she wanted to be recognised as better than them. There was no balance between her softer side and her desire to be a badass. I also find the romantic subplot awkward.

To sum up, the book had potential but was ruined for me by unlikeable and unbalanced characters.