I usually enjoy these retellings of Asian legends and I liked the story this book was based on. But the pacing of the storytelling was a bit off: at places it was way too slow, and then suddenly lots of things happened. I couldn't keep up with the jumps in the timeline either. Maybe this is only me. The romance is there, the narration of the dual POV was great in the audio version, so give it a chance and maybe it will work better for you.

Book Review: The Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee

I really enjoyed The Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee. I liked how the story kept the heart of the original tale while adding new ideas to make it feel modern and fresh. The romance between Prince Xian and Zhen is very sweetly written but I do wish there was a bit more time for development, especially before they reconciled.

The audiobook was a great way to experience this story, the narrator did a great job and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found the mythological basis for this story interesting and will always be drawn to a retelling so I'm glad to have read this book, though it didn't necessarily quite hit the mark for me. The concept is really interesting, particularly with shapeshifting snakes and magical pearls, plus there were some unexpected twists and a promise of drama within the romance element. Zhen is a kind and self-sacrificing character and his being so genuine was sweet but I think really I'm mad at Prince Xian for perhaps taking advantage of him, and for turning out the way he did when some secrets came to light. Up to that point, I hadn't any strong feelings about his character but while I appreciate he had a lot of emotions, he did not treat Zhen well and having seen how sweet Zhen is, it was even more painful to see. The romance itself didn't sell itself to me, as I didn't feel the emotion between the characters and was more being told it was there. All in all it made for an intriguing delve into this particular legend and I'd be interested to learn more of the original. Plus the audio is well narrated and made for an enjoyable experience.

I received a free copy of this book.

I enjoyed this story but it fell short of being great or a favorite for me. Mostly because of the way it was written, so that it feels like a traditional fairytale. The characters are pretty one-dimensional throughout and it's hard to really feel connected to any of them. The writing style keeps the reader at a distance and also contributes to the lack of connection. The romance is very must insta-love and you just sort of have to roll with it. It's an enjoyable story if you can manage that, I just was hoping for a little more. I also struggled with the frequent info dumps that interrupted the plot over and over again in the beginning. They got a little better as the story progressed, but they kept taking me out of the story in the beginning and contributed to my struggle to connect with the story.

The audiobook was well done and contributed to my enjoyment of the story. The narrator did a good job giving each character an easily distinguished voice. I think I enjoyed listening to it more than I would have enjoyed reading it.

*Thanks to Macmillan UK audio for providing an early copy for review.

I will be unable to give feedback on this book because the audio quality is awful. It sounds like the speaker is under water

In this Chinese folktale retelling, we come across a strange pair: a snake who transformed himself into a boy and a young prince. The prince has been in search of the white snake to find the antidote for his mother's illness due to a snake bite. History has connected their past long ago, but they are yet to discover the forbidden bond between them.

I often enjoy these folktales and their twisted versions & with a pair so unique it was hard not to immerse myself immediately in them. The story's protagonists have a refined development that helps the readers understand why they act a certain way. I cannot however guarantee the same with the side characters. With the prominent roles they play in the story, they could have been given more scenarios rather than just a handful of dialogues. Besides that, I enjoyed the overall book without much hiccups.

A white snake, after saving the Prince from drowning, swallowed a precious pearl. This granted him the ability to become a snake spirit and assume human form. Zhen will reunite with Prince Xian and discover that the pearl was intended to save his mother. Thus, our story commences. I kistened to the audiobook. The narration was excellent, and the story was superb. This book of adventure, hope, love, and loss features outstanding characters. Every page, with its twists and turns, was a delight to read.

Legend of the White Snake was a fun, romantic, humorous tale, layering Chinese folklore and romantasy in a perfect marriage of genres.

It took me a little while to get to grips with all the characters, the only downside of audiobooks is you can't go back as easily, but once I had everyone in hand, I found this a wonderfully immersive and engaging read. The story surprised me, without ever losing itself, and maintained a strong romantic core throughout.

I would highly recommend this audiobook, for anyone who enjoys MM romance, fantasy, folkloric retellings, or flirty banter. 4 stars.

Despite being his father’s favored son, Prince Xian feels lost, desperately seeking a cure to save his dying mother, still blaming himself for losing the spirit pearl that was meant to heal her.

When an oracle predicts that he’ll find the cure in the city of Changle, Xian wastes no time and manages to convince his father to let him lead the mission.

Meanwhile, Zhen, a white snake who once devoured the spirit pearl and gained the ability to transform into a human, also arrives in the same city, unaware that his fate is tied to the prince he had stolen the pearl from.

But when destiny plays its hand and the two boys come face to face, will their bond be strong enough to withstand the storms coming their way, or will they be torn apart by past mistakes?

Xian and Zhen's story made me smile and laugh like an idiot in the middle of the night, while also frustrating me enough to throw my hands in the air. The twists and turns kept me hooked, and the fast pacing made it easy to follow. Although I found the world-building and legend itself somewhat lacking, I enjoyed the book all the same. The side characters were fun, and the Chinese cultural elements were fascinating. I just wish the author had taken more time to develop their romance because, while sweet, it felt a bit insta-lovey for me personally.

This is a such a nice read, specially so if you enjoy mythology and want to read something that is approachable and light but still thrilling.

This book was exactly what I needed! It’s a beautifully crafted, fast-paced, and fun read that had me laughing, reflecting, feeling tense, and nearly tearing up. It left me with a big smile.

The story follows Prince Xian on his quest to find the white snake that can cure his dying mother. Along the way, he meets Zhen, a stable boy who captures his attention but is hiding a secret: he’s actually a white snake spirit.

At first, it feels like a classic YA setup, so you might think you know where it's going, but that doesn’t detract from the journey. Both main characters have their own desires, regrets, and motivations, which drive their actions and lead to genuine growth along the way.

What surprised me was how deeply it made me think. There were moments when I found myself asking, “What would I do if I were in their shoes?” The story delves into complex conflicts that aren’t simply black or white, it’s all about the shades of gray, which really feels like the heart of the story: the idea that good and bad are often intertwined.

The relationship between the two main characters is incredibly sweet, though I do wish there had been a little more time to see their bond develop fully. The book is a bit short, and with so much happening, their connection felt a bit rushed, but it still worked well for the story.

There were moments when I questioned one of the characters’ decisions, and forgiveness came a bit quickly for my taste, but considering everything on their plates, it made sense in context.

It was also wonderful to explore the culture and traditional Chinese folklore woven into the story. I found myself curious about the world they inhabit, with some elements sending me off to Google for more background!

The audiobook was a delight, with each character having their own narrator, making it easy to follow and bringing each perspective to life.

All in all, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it if you’re looking for a well-written, fast-paced, and emotional YA novel infused with Chinese culture and an enchanting story.

Gosh what a book, I’m still a bit misty eyed from the last 30 pages. I really enjoyed reading this book to the point where I read it in two sittings. I love reading fantasy books/books with fantasy elements explore multiple points of views, and so luckily we got to read the story from both. Xian and Zhen’s povs which I loved. They were so sweet and loveable, but Zhen especially with his naivety but also desire to know more and his appreciation for life and the world around him. You can’t help but love him. I hadn’t expected the romance to hit off that quickly, but it made considering the length of the book. Xian was definitely an interesting character, and quite realistic in the ways in which he dealt with all the revelations he was faced with. I will say, I didn’t expect ANY of the plot twists we got, and I say it in the sense that, it still made sense for the story and didn’t feel like it was just make the readers shocked. It’s been a while since I haven’t been able to anticipate the direction a book was going in which was very refreshing.

I will say, I didn’t give this 5 stars as I feel I have grown out of the YA genre, and so I rarely rate them anything higher than 5 unless they really impact me. Also, at times the dialogue did feel slightly more modern than I would have like for a book set during this period. However, it wasn’t something that happened too often and so it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of reading the book.

The Legend of The White Snake was a cute read. I discovered the story through the audiobook, and even though it took me a while to get used to the narrators at first, as much as words I’m not used to (in Chinese, I suppose, as English isn’t my language either), after a few minutes I got carried away by the whole.
This is a retelling of the Legend of the same name. I discovered it through the book, so I (obviously) can't tell the differences. In any case, I loved the Ecology message as much as all the cultural references sprinkled here and there in the novel. The sacrifice theme was also interesting, even if it was a bit too much a one way road to my liking (I suppose it’s the original tale’s meaning too).
Xian and Zhen’s story is super soft, like a vaporous cocoon, no matter all the twists and difficulties they have to go through. I loved that soft romanticism that was the perfect companion for the long car rides during which I listened to the book. Maybe I would have preferred more deep in the romance, less precipitation, but instalove is frequent in tales after all. The last 20% of the book taste the same, a bit rushed and lacking in explanation, for the action as much as for the characters’ motivations, where other parts of the story were a lot more sinuous and detailed (which corresponded more to the writing style and story).
In the end, The Legend Of The White Snake remains a nice story, perfect to make a break during your day.


Rate 3.5/5

Thank you Sher Lee, MacMillan UK audio and NetGalley for the ALC. My opinions are my own.

Sher Lee's debut YA fantasy was beautifully written. The story tells of a Prince looking for the cure for his mother's ailing health thanks to a white snake bite many years ago, after losing the spirit pearl he needed to save her, he goes on a quest to try and find it again.

The story gives us an adorable meet cute, and a tale of love and empathy that questions the way people use power and the effects that may have on them and others. The world is lush, the romance swoon worthy, and the found family is just beautiful. If you love myth retellings or fantasy in general then I would recommend.

This is a beautiful and magical M&M romance fantasy. The plotline is based on old chinese civilization and the details were mystical and mesmerizing.
The author has beautifully penned down the fantasy of white snake spirit and a human prince, I absolutely loved it. Started with the mistaken identity, the tale flows in slowly to explore the different elements of the tale, the enemies to lovers trope is beautifully included in this book. I devoured this book and absolutely love each bit of it.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook arc

Legend of the White Snake is a fast paced, well written tale full of loveable characters, betrayal and a whole lot of angst. It was a thrill filled ride with a few twists that took me by surprise.

Xian, Feng, Zhen & Qing are fantastic characters, with wonderful personalities and the banter between the two sets of friends really cements their long-standing relationships and make their friendships all the more believable.

The fight scenes were detailed enough to picture clearly but too heavy on the graphic, gory description.

There were definite sad parts too and difficult choices.

I'm interested to read more by this author

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this. It was a really enjoyable read, it is action packed, romantic and so wonderfully narrated.

A white snake swallowed a precious pearl after rescuing Prince Xian. This gave him the ability to be a snake spirit and take on human form. As Zhen later meets the prince again he finds that he has caused despair as the pearl was meant to save the Prince’s mother’s life. Our tale begins.

Wonderfully well written and well narrated (I listened to the audiobook). Great characters and plot. An adventure to find a cure, of love found and lost. Caring for others above oneself.loved every page with it’s twists and turns.

a prince and a snake spirit's fate was intertwined that momentous day 7 years prior to the book's main timeline. the prince was having a rare pearl to heal his mother from severe illness, and a white snake swallowed that pearl. the prince had been hunting for snakes since. 7 years later, the oracle prophesied that the antidote can be found at a certain city. the prince went to that mission. lo and behold, the snake he was searching for was closer than he was expected.

this book was a grower. i didn't really sure at the beginning, but it progressively get more interesting as the story went on. at 50% mark, i was hooked. a lot of things i still couldn't completely understand, idk what cultivation is and i dont really get what the extend of the snake spirit's ability. but the main couple dynamics was nice, the plot twist was unpredictable, and the ending was acceptable even though it made me frown a bit. pretty fine for a standalone.

for the audiobook, why did it sound like using radio effect? like the voice didn't clear. but the narrators were okay.

I was kindly given an Audiobook ARC for this book on NetGalley but will be unable to provide a review at this stage, due to the recording quality.

The audio sounds like it was recorded on a cassette tape or an old fashioned voicemail recorder, making it extremely difficult to listen to.

Having listened to the Preview on Audible, the quality does sound much better, but I would suggest listening to a sample/preview before investing in this audiobook, to be sure the quality is up to scratch for you.