First of all I’d like to thank the publisher and net!galley for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh boy where do I even start?? I was at first purely interested in this one due to it being compared to Mulan, which was one of my favorite Disney movies back when I was a kid. Guess even little me was very much in awe of strong women who weren’t afraid to claim their spot in a big scary world and just fight back.

While I definitely saw the similarities to Mulan, this novel definitely is so much more than that! Let me start off with the main character ‘’Meilin’’. I just loved her so much and she just deserved so much more than what she got :( I too can relate to constantly being disappointed by men so I’m sorry girlie. Hoping she’ll get the world and even more in the next book.

While I thought Sky was a pretty nice love interest and I was definitely enjoying his interactions with Meilin, I was literally kicking my feet and twirling my hair from the moment Lei was introduced. I NEED more of him in the next book, K.X Song if you happen to read this by any chance.. more Lei please.

In my opinion, this book did a beautiful (and very painful) explanation on how you as a woman can quite literally save the entire world and men will still find ways to blame you for the tiny things that went wrong. I was quite literally screaming in my pillow when Meilin’s identity was just diminished to a ’’woman’’ instead of being thanked or appreciated for all of the things she accomplished. She literally saved all those pathetic men just to be thanked like.. that?? Can’t wait for her to get her justice in the next book <3

5 ✯

When I found out about this Mulan retelling, I was so excited to read it. This book surpassed all my expectations, and I loved all the twists and changes compared to the Disney movie.

In this book, Meilin, leaves for war pretending to be a man however unlike Mulan who left to take her father's place, she leaves to escape being sold by her father to an abusive man. Her mother had died from suicide and her father, who had never quite recovered from her death, was an abusive man addicted to opium.

The magic in this book is unique and powerful. Qinglong and Zhurque (also known as the azure dragon and Vermilion bird in Chinese mythology) were used as the sources of magic for Meilin and Sima. “Just as the phoenix feeds off vengeance, the sea dragon feeds off greed.”. I loved how Qinglong had his own wants, trying to achieve them through Meilin. I really liked the aspect of the spirit realm where she would see and speak to Qinglong, as well as see others who were also connected to the spirit realm.

I love that it was never easy for Meilin to wield her magic, there were always struggles she faced. Using too much and she would lose her sight for a period of time and iron could be used against her to suppress her magic entirely. Not only did Meilin have to hide her identity of being a woman but she also had to hide her magic from everyone as it was viewed by most as black magic.

Unlike Mulan who only had one prince love interest, Meilin had two. Sky (aka the Shang of the story) who is kind, confident, whose duty is to his people. Lei, the enemy prince of Ximing, is darker, more secretive, and his ambitions were not always clear. As much as I liked Sky, I am definitely team Lei.

That ending!! I need the second book now, and the first one has not even been released yet. I have a lot of waiting to do.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC of this amazing book.

4 stars

The Night Ends With Fire is the first instalment of a duology. It is very much a Disney Mulan retelling with a twist. In the author's note K. X. Song describes her motivation for this book to be questions surrounding:

"What would happen to Mulan if she were no longer content? What if upon experiencing independence and freedom as a man, she no longer wished to confine herself to the restrictive boundaries of her society? Would society accept her as she was, or, by transgressing the norm, would they punish her for aspiring for more?"

With the above in mind, I think the author does a fantastic job. This book contains magic, adventure, feminism, betrayal, and hope. I found it very easy to read, there were a lot of action scenes and comradery, but there is also a lot of questions around trust - can Meilin trust anyone as a woman dressed as a man? Who is a friend and who is a foe? This story is great at making these questions hard to answer and is one of the many reasons I ended up being engrossed in this story.

This might be a Mulan retelling but it is far from a Disney story; it is dark and brutal at times with some heart breaking scenes thrown in for good measure. I found myself frustrated and heartbroken, but I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens in the next book and how our main character develops further.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Night Ends with Fire" is a historic fantasy retelling of Mulan that captures your attention with action, romance and magic. The plot follows Meilin who enlists in an army disguised as a man, after discovering her betrothed is violent and cruel.

This book beautifully depicts the struggle of our strong female protagonist in a male dominated society. Misogyny and the fight for independence is prominent throughout the plot. I appreciated Meilin’s selfishness as it grew, alongside her ambition. The love triangle is well developed and both love interests have individual draws, leaving it open. The complexity of the characters is really enjoyable as all of them can be considered morally grey to an extent.

I rated this book 4/5 stars and would definitely like to see more from this world

The Night Ends with Fire was retelling heroic story of Mulan at Chinesse inspired world featuring magic and girl powers. I genuinely love epic story of Mulan who disguise her self as man so she can take her old sick father's at army. And the premise to get twisted version of my favourite character with real ambition and strengths as woman truly intrigued me. Sadly, this book isn't really work for me.

First the writing and storytelling style weren't suited my taste. It is full of bones without enough meat at the narration. It is basicly all tell and nothing showing. It feel like read an outline novel and isnt the end product. I normally didn't enjoy too much description and flowery prose, but I need some of it for this story.

Half part of the plot look like coming straigh from the retelling Mulan version Disney cartoon. But the second part's plot is so much better and intriguing to follow. I still feel all characters two dimensional and not flesh out. But I enjoy Meilin more at here. The naming style of this book also isn't consistent with the real style/rules of Chinesse's name. Maybe extra research will help.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodderscape from Hodder and Stoughton Publisher for providing copy of this audiobook and ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 2 July 2024

🌃🔥𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝔼𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝔽𝕚𝕣𝕖🔥🌃
by @ksongwrites

This book was a delightful Mulan style story, with dragons, phoenix's and forbidden magic and I loved it!

We follow Meilin as she decides to seize her own fate after her father decides to sell her off for her dowry, she signs up for the war draft in his place as a formerly unknown bastard son and leaves to the war front within weeks. Her loyalty is struggling between the 7th Prince of her nation (who she grows close to during her training), a mythical dragon who offers her deeply forbidden powers, but the ability to command respect and loyalty from anyone she desires; something she as a woman has never known before - and an enemy prince who makes her question everything.
I loved this book! The relationships between the characters were so intricate and well developed, and I loved reading about how Meilin combated her natural disadvantage when it came to military training and being a woman in an army camp. The magic system was so unique and interesting too, and it was so fun to see how the different kingdoms within the book thought of magic users.
It had be gripped from beginning to end and that end o m g - the actual betrayal I felt from the actions of one of the characters right at then end was literally unfathomable; I couldn't believe they would have the audacity to treat [other character] as they did after everything [other character] did for them to keep them safe 😭💔
I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment in the series - I just have to know how [character] deals with the cards dealt to them and how they exact their retribution.
○
thank you to @netgalley for this e ARC!

Unfortunately, I gave up reading this book and I regret it. I didn't find the characters deep enough and I wasn't carried away by th plot.
Sadly it's a DNF :( Too YA for me

The Night Ends with Fire is the first part of a duology, which is a Mulan retelling at its core with the difference that the Mulan in this story is motivated by greed and isn't content with her allotted slot in life.

Please be aware that the following review includes spoilers.

PLOT OVERVIEW
Set in Tianjia, tensions escalate among the three kingdoms of Anlai, Ximing and Leyuan. Through the eyes of Hai Meilin from Anlai (our Mulan), we witness that her father is not an honourable man who will listen to the Imperial's call for arms but a greedy, abusive opium junkie with a gambling addiction. The family is destitute and requires Meilin to marry into a wealthy household as the dowry would offer financial stability for the family. Upon discovering her abusive fiancé and her desire to have "just a little more time", Meilin enlists in her father's steed - as his son Hai Ren who is born out of wedlock - despite her step-mother's worries that they will never allow a woman to hold onto power.

Upon leaving the family, her step-mother gives Meilin a jade amulet, which had belonged to her late mother. Unbeknownst to both women, the necklace contains a cardinal spirit: the dragon Qinglong. Concealing her identity as a woman and a spirit medium becomes crucial, as exposure could mean certain death, given the societal prohibition against women in warfare and the practice of black magic. Being assigned to the Seventh Company, led by the Seventh Prince of Anlai, Liu Sky, Meilin learns to fight and to be courageous. However, she discovers relatively soon that she is not the only spirit medium in the world; a vengeful man named Sima carries the seal of the phoenix: Zhuque. Where Qinglong feeds on greed, Zhuque feeds on vengeance. When the seal is stolen and broken, setting off a chain of events, Meilin embarks on a quest to find the remaining pieces to thwart Sima's plans.

CHARACTERS
There are three main characters, Meilin, Sky and Lei, who are accompanied by several side characters of different importance.

Meilin is, at her core, a greedy and power-hungry person who desires more than what society expects from a woman. I don't think that Song meant to portray her as a good and enjoyable character because, to me, she feels like a morally grey character who is selfish and driven by their own ambition and desire for more. Yes, she is a compelling main character as she grapples with her identity and confronts societal expectations in Anlai, but she is not a good character. Unfortunately, her greed makes her partly blind and stupid to anything around her (other characters, the environment, ...), which is always the reason for her getting hurt or getting into trouble.


Liu Sky is, on the other hand, the least power-hungry person in the story. While he is a kind and gentle character, who cares deeply for his people, his short temper and his sense of honour and duty are his main flaws. The only time where he moves away from following the law is when he discovers Meilin's gender. Instead of executing her for treason, which would have been expected of him, he tries to send her home to protect her as he cares deeply about her. I think, if Meilin hadn't been promised to another man, and if the war wouldn't happen, he would have asked for her hand in marriage relatively quickly (as they met at the beginning of the book where he saves her). In another life, he would have been a good husband for her as she deals with a lot of trauma from her childhood and early adulthood (loss of her mother, abusive father, ...) as he's a gentle character.


Cao Ming Lei, on the other hand, is Sky's total opposite. Where Sky is kind and gentle, Lei is enigmatic, indifferent, sly and ambitious, but also deeply vain. A rather morally grey character who also suffers from trauma (loss of his mother, abusive older brother, strained relationship with his father). While Sky says that he wouldn't use Meilin as a weapon, Lei doesn't hide it. He tortures her for his own gain and uses her as a tool to achieve his own goals, which are still unknown by the end of the book. While I don't doubt that he desires her, he feels like someone who would sacrifice Meilin if it meant that he would win in the end. Rather possessive as well but you have to protect your assets to win a war, I suppose.

WORLDBUILDING AND MAGIC
The story is set in Tianjia, which is a fantasy version of China in a way. Unlike the Disney version, the war in The Night Ends with Fire is caused by infighting between the three kingdoms. I felt that worldbuilding is the weakest part of the book as it's mostly created through reports or annals at the beginning of each chapter.

The strongest worldbuilding aspect is the magic. Song has created a whole new dynamic through the inclusion of forbidden magic and the Cardinal Spirits with their seals. Cardinal Spirits are the four spirits representing and controlling the time of day, seasons, elements and directions. These are:

⋙ Xuanwu - north, tortoise
⋙ Zhuque - south, phoenix - fire
⋙ Qinglong - east, dragon - water
⋙ Baihu - west, tiger

While only Qinglong and Zhuque play a role in the first instalment, there is a poem about all four seals, which gives me hope that we will meet the characters who will carry the spirit seals for Xuanwu and Baihu in the second instalment. As Qinglong is already associated with water (despite its element being wood in Qi Gong if I'm not mistaken), I think that Xuanwu will either be earth and Baihu will be metal or Song will go the traditional Western view of elements and will use earth and air for them.

One buried.
One drowned.
One stolen.
But none so pitiful as one forgotten.

Due to its traditional link with water, I think Xuanwu might be the one behind "one drowned" and Baihu being "one forgotten".

I want to point out, as it is a Mulan retelling that uses elements of the Disney version as well, that Qinglong is not Mushu. Yes, he's a dragon but where Mushu is there for comedic relief, Qinglong has his own agenda. He's sinister, cryptic and greedy. He uses Meilin as much as she uses him.


TL;DR
An epic fantasy book, blending elements of myth, history, and fantasy into a mesmerizing tapestry of adventure and intrigue. As readers embark on Meilin's odyssey, they are transported to a world teeming with magic, danger, and untold possibilities, ensuring that the flames of anticipation burn brightly for the next instalment.

The first few pages were really good. There was clear tension and excellent writing. When the chapter went on, I felt that the plot was starting to fall apart, even though the world building was easy to follow. I still enjoyed it

The Night Ends with Fire mixes the story of Mulan and of ancient China. When the kingdoms are at war and Meilin's father is too high on opium to accept the draft, she masquerade as a man to go in his place and so escape an arranged marriage. While Meilin knows the art of QiGong, she's not that familiar with weapons, and when she attracts the ire of one of the commander as soon as she gets to the military camp, Meilin is in for a wild ride. If that wasn't enough, the amulet that her mother left her contains the power of a dragon. If anybody finds out, she'll be sentenced to death as magic is prohibited in her kingdom. So now Meilin needs to navigate her life as a solider and how to use the powers of the dragon to stop the neighbouring kingdom from conquering her land.

I enjoyed the setting of the story and how Chinese mythology was included in the story. However, I felt Meilin's adventure was dragged too long and she didn't grow on her journey. Moreover she went through a lot only to be betrayed at the end. I hope that in book 2 we can see more of her strength and hopefully a love story with one of the princes.

The Night Ends With Fire by K.X. Song is a Mulan retelling set in a fantasy world resembling ancient China. Meilin lives with her addicted and abusive father in relative peace, until she must marry with a man who seems to be just as abusive as her father. Meilin decides she wants freedom, wants to have choice, so she enlists in the army instead, knowing the penalty for a woman to do so is harsh. When she leaves, her stepmother gives her an amulet that belonged to her mother and that unbeknown to them contains a dragon and the dragon’s water powers. In the army she decided she doesn’t simply want to survive, she wants to thrive, and she trains more than everyone else, which is being noticed by the handsome prince who is also leading the battalion. They become friends, but war is looming and everything is changing when the other side has fire magic on its side.

I really liked this retelling. I have to say, especially the beginning and some scenes reminded me a bit too much of the Disney version, and I wished the author would have tweaked it a little more, they felt a bit boring for me to read, but about halfway the story deviates enough to be wholly new and exciting. Meilin herself is an excellent character to have in a story, as she throws herself into any situation without thinking, and her willingness to prove herself is a great help, especially when you have a dragon backing you up. She has a lot of self reflection, if it is really so greedy to want more as a woman. The story was very feministic and empowering, sometimes a bit too much but I think that’s a good thing for a younger audience.

There is some sort of a love triangle in this book, but thank goodness Meilin is a bit too busy at war to be fully emerged in this, she has priorities straight. Both boys are very intruiging though, and both quite morally grey, which is a theme within this book and I’m here for it. The other characters fell a little flat for me, like her fellow soldiers. I don’t really know what they are like, and I would have liked to see more of the friendship with her stepmother, as this book doesn’t have many female characters (later on there is one but that one is a bit ambiguous).

This book is quite fast paced, and plotwise a lot happens, but I can’t really talk about it without spoilering. I liked how expecially the second half never got boring, that one has both action and intrigue in it and lots of scenery changes and new characters, the world got a lot bigger too. The antagonist was perfect, I loved to hate him, and the resolution was epic. I was a bit disappointed in the actual ending though, it was an unexpected turn but it annoyed me more because we have a cliffhanger than that I was shocked.

All in all, I recommend this book to everyone, especially anyone who loved Mulan and who likes epic adventures with lots of feminism.

I received a free copy through Netgalley but my thoughts are my own.

A YA fantasy inspired by Mulan and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I had high hopes for this novel, which has excellent world-building and does a great job developing Meilin's character. However the oacing ia inconsistent, the writing repetitive, and the ending unsatisfactory. Not for me.

This was a wild ride and one I didn't think I'd fall in love with like I have

Meilin
A woman would know, I thought with hate, glaring up at him. Pity you're not one.


Her character progression throughout this story was undeniable. I can't say it was an improvement, but it was definitely progression. She was a badass, but also, it was sad at times how trusting she was.

Prince Liu Sky
"I can't protect you out here. Half the time, I can't even concentrate— I'm only fighting with half a mind because... the other half is looking for you, making sure you're okay, wondering where you are..."


Sky is such a sweetie. I feel so much for him. The way he looks out for Meilin is so sweet. I am scared that he will turn on her at some point, though, but I really hope not

Cao Ming Lei
"I'm chained, unarmed, and can barely walk on my own. Do I pose a threat to you?"
"Yes," he said, his dark gaze flicking to me, to my eyes. "Several."


Did I hate him? Kind of. Do I currently hate him? No. This man is everything to me. I should hate him, but nah, I knew it from the second he appeared.. he's the morally grey man I've dreamt of. I want so much more of him. And the scene with him and Sky? I live for that. So much. Give me the drama 🤭

Plot and Pacing

Not gonna lie, I did get a bit confused at times while reading this, but it wasn't anything I couldn't figure out. It was mostly the way characters were sometimes hard to differentiate between, for example, the two (or technically 7? I think?) Prince Lei's. Eventually, I figured it out, but it took a bit of effort at times.

Also, if you've seen Mulan, you do know the basis of this story. Is it exactly the same? Not at all. But did it have extremely similar elements, even down to the use of the name 'Mulan' at times? Yes. It did. This just meant the story was on the predictable side. Not always a bad thing, but I did wish that some parts didn't feel like they'd been taken straight from the movie, such as the hot springs bathing scene.

While I did enjoy this story, the pacing was a bit off. For the first half of this book, I was bored. Not completely, but I did almost put this down. It was very slow. But then it suddenly changed, and I found myself getting drawn in and excited about what would happen next. By the end, I was hooked. I just wish that first half had been a bit quicker.

Overall, I truly thought this was a great story with everything I really enjoy in a fantasy book. Also, the authors note at the end was also an essential read, in my humble opinion. I'm impatiently awaiting the next book after that ending 🥲

➛ 𝟒 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘒.𝘟. 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

A fresh, new retelling of Mulan, with a stronger focus on feminism and the lack of control that women had in China's history.

The first few bits of the story felt a little rushed, a filler in order to build up some background and flesh out Meilin's character before we reached the bit where she disguises as a man to participate in a war. However, the plot does kick in, with a lot of questions revolving around ambition and power, with Meilin wondering how much can she be influenced by this new power that she receives.

The romance subplots felt a bit lacking. While it is clear who the main male interest in, we don't get much of his development and character showing through. It's completely overshadowed by the second male interest, who has proper interaction of a deeper sort with Meilin. The male lead seems reduced to a way for Meilin to root herself to her home country.

As for the ending... I understand why it went the way it did with the strong reminder that Meilin does not want to be reduced to a controlled possession, passing from one male (father) to another (husband) yet it was done in such an unsatisfactory way, in order to announce a "to be continued". Perhaps more can be revealed in the sequel, hopefully with more insight into the male lead if he is to carry on being so.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc

The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song is an absolute gem of a book! A Mulan retelling infused with gods? Count me in! From the moment I picked it up, I was completely engrossed in the captivating world Song has crafted.

The world-building is impeccable, drawing readers into a rich tapestry of mythology and adventure that kept me hooked until the very end. However, I must admit, the heroine could be a tad annoying at times, and I found some of her traits to be a bit unnecessary.

But oh, the pacing! It was like a whirlwind of excitement with something gripping happening in every chapter. I was so invested in the story that I found myself feeling a little blue when I reached the end – I simply didn't want to leave this enchanting world behind.

If you're looking for a book as heavy as The Poppy War, you might be disappointed. But if you're in the mood for a delightful blend of romance and adventure with a touch of fun, then look no further. "The Night Ends with Fire" is the perfect choice.

I'm eagerly anticipating diving back into this world and exploring more of Song's storytelling prowess. Bring on the sequel!

Mulan is one of my all-time favourite stories and films, so I desperately wanted to love this book. At first, I really did love it! it was different enough from the film to be unique, and yet similar enough to make me excited to read it.
Unfortunately, around 40% through this book, I started to fall out of love with it and couldn't finish it. I tried over the period of two weeks to jump back in but just couldn't seem to do so.
While I wish I had loved this story, I think it was perhaps the writing style that wasn't quite the right fit for me.

A Mulan retelling driven by greed rather than a sense of duty.

Meilin’s father sends her to a matchmaker wanting to use her dowry to pay for his gambling and opium debts. However, Meilin refused to escape her father only to fall under another master.
To escape, she enlists pretending to be her father’s bastard son to fight in the war, gaining the attention of Prince Liu with her kung fu skills and sheer determination.

”You would rather death out there in the wild, than death here, enslaved."

As the author acknowledges, at the core of The Night Ends with Fire is the question: What does our ambition cost us? Instead of Meilin fighting for her family’s honour, she fights to gain a position and place for herself, her ambition dangerous in a world full of men.

Personally, I felt the romance detracted from Meilin’s story. There’s a sort of love triangle although I hesitate to call it that. Not to mention, one of the love interests wants her to leave, not because she’s a woman of course, but because he wants to protect her. This always really annoys me in romantic entanglements. Especially in war when people have proven themselves.

I feel like this could have stood well as a standalone, especially in a market currently vying for them, however the ending felt abrupt and, whilst is more true to the climate of the age and environment, I felt a sense of disappointment that it wasn’t wrapped up.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for providing me with an arc in exchange for a review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Mulan retelling with gods!? Sign me in, please.
I couldn’t literally put the book down, the world created was so captivating that I couldn’t think about anything else.
The heroine at times was a bit annoying and I think it was a bit unnecessary to make her like this.
The pacing was fast and I loved it, in every chapter was happening something new and gripping in fact I was quite sad when I finished the book because I wanted more.
If you expect a book as heavy as the poppy war this is probably not the book for you, but if you want a bit more romance and a fun time this is perfect.
I can’t wait to read more from this world.

I received an ARC of this book from the publishing house via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I decided I’m not going to rate this book for many reasons. For starters, I didn’t like it and my rating would be low. Normally, I wouldn’t have problems with the raiting system, but in this case I feel like I don’t want to reduce this book to some stars, because I had really high expectations before reading it. In simple terms, I’d like to preserve a tiny amount of positivity when I think about “The Night Ends With Fire”. Also, I think K. X. Song has put a lot of passion and effort in her book, and I appreciate that.

“The Night Ends With Fire” is promised to be a crossover between “The Poppy War”, “Six Crimson Cranes”, “Mulan” and “Three Kingdoms”. I actually felt the vibes from TPW and SCC, but I think the major inspiration behind the book is “Mulan”. Meilin’s story follows perfectly Mulan’s one and its schemes (Meilin disguising as a man, being part of the army and training to became a soldier, falling in love with her superior, being discovered, etc etc). Unfortunately, I could not empathise with the character and I found the story not as appealing as I expected.

I think the first 200 pages are TNEWF’s real problem. In the first chapters there where so many time jumps I felt like I was loosing an important part in the narrative. Like, what challenges has Meilin endured to became a good soldier? How has the relationship between the mc and her love interest started FOR REAL? I think a lot of central elements happened off screen, and this annoys me a little tbh. In addition, I think Meilin discovered her connection to Qinglong too soon. I don’t know, something felt off about it.

At least, the final part was interesting and believable and it made me a little bit curious, but not enough to let me desire to continue this series. Shoutout to the notes at the start of every chapter. I adored them.

The Night Ends with Fire has a sick cover and an even sicker name. Though it has its flaws, this book stands up to them.

Pitched as a cross between Mulan and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a centuries-old Chinese classic, this book follows a girl named Hai Meilin as she runs from her arranged marriage to enlist in the army in her father’s place. The drumbeat of war is fast approaching, with each of the three kingdoms declaring itself the rightful ruler of all the others. But before Meilin leaves, her stepmother gives her a magical jade that her mad late mother wore — and she starts to hear a voice that whispers dreams of power in her ear. Fearing to follow in her mother’s footsteps, but called by her ambition, Meilin must survive battles, keep her gender hidden, and navigate the attentions of two princes she’s not sure she can trust, as she fights to prove her worth and claim her power amid the fires of war.

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned YA-esque fantasy novel about war and love triangles to get the blood pumping, and remember what it’s like to be a teenager for an afternoon — especially when that’s not all the book is about. I had my doubts for the first fifth of the book (in fact I almost dnfed it because it seemed to gloss over events, and felt too familiar as both a Mulan and The Poppy War redux) but I’m glad I pushed through, because it quickly gets more complicated. It isn't quite as dark, but I would definitely compare this more to TPW than to the Mulan movie in terms of tone, and in some ways in subject matter; while the plot bears some resemblance to Mulan, in all honesty, at times I felt that this was simply a reimagined Poppy War with more focus on the romance. But that’s not quite true: where TPW focusses on colonialism and warfare, The Night Ends with Fire puts greater emphasis on gender relations and feminism, taking specific aim at China’s historically extremely rigid patriarchy, which The Poppy War observes more in passing. In TPW, while sexism and gendered violence do exist, the military is supposed to be 'equal opportunity' and the main character Fang Runin faces few concrete obstacles due to her gender; this book was written to fill that gap, emerging from a similar worldbuilding premise to take a feminist angle rather than an anti-colonial one. Even in the original Ballad of Mulan, when Mulan returns home victorious after ten long years of war, she resumes the normal filial Chinese life of a woman, and lays down her sword to be ruled by the men of her family; this book instead follows a character à la Fang Runin, who would die before surrendering her ambitions to any man.

The execution wasn't perfect. Like I mentioned, I wasn't a huge fan of the beginning, as events just flew by and everything seemed very easy and obvious for the already-a-kung-fu-master, magically gifted main character. Later on, the romantic subplots also seemed to take over the narrative at times, leading to some weird pacing (though I didn't completely mind it lol). Still, the fast scenes and short chapters kept the story flying by, and while I didn't love Meilin's first-person narration, K.X. Song's prose contain some really beautiful (very Chinese) descriptions and metaphors. Most importantly to me, Song has something to say with these books — this is planned to be the first in a series, and I am very much crossing my fingers that the sequels can deliver on the promising conflicts set up upon this installment's foundations. The Night Ends with Fire very much reminds me of the YA of the good old days, when the fantasy conflicts weren't just about empty wars and the affections of indistinguishable love interests, but had messages about the world too; it feels fresh, like someone who grew up on the same generation of books is writing their own take on them, a love letter with their own ideas mixed in.

Bottom line: would recommend to any fan of The Poppy War who wanted fewer war crimes, more gender studies, and/or more romance. Or for a younger reader who didn't feel like traumatising themselves with said war crimes. I eagerly await (ugh, probably a year+ away) the next book!

CW: abuse, domestic violence, sexual violence, torture.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.