ajsmith_7's review against another edition
3.25
As with any collection of short stories by different authors this was hit and miss.
I was lent this book by my sister and was hoping it would be about monsters and epic battles etc. but it was mainly about romance and forbidden love.
Having said that I did really enjoy the majority of the stories. All are around 20 pages long, for some that felt like an eternity, others flew by and left me wanting more.
My favourite stories were The Land of the Morning Calm, Code of Honor and Eyes Like Candlelight.
I was lent this book by my sister and was hoping it would be about monsters and epic battles etc. but it was mainly about romance and forbidden love.
Having said that I did really enjoy the majority of the stories. All are around 20 pages long, for some that felt like an eternity, others flew by and left me wanting more.
My favourite stories were The Land of the Morning Calm, Code of Honor and Eyes Like Candlelight.
dlberglund's review against another edition
4.0
Great collection of stories from multiple countries and cultures all over Asia. Some had the feel of a fairy tale or myth, while others were fully modern with only a hint of the myth which had been the inspiration.
burstnwithbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Forbidden Fruit by Roshani Chokshi- 5/5 STARS ARE YOU KIDDING ME THAT WAS SO FABULOUS. I'm obsessed. I hope the rest of the stories are this good.
Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong- 4.5/5 stars OMG. This anthology is shaping up to be SO incredible; I’m really enjoying it thus far. I only docked it a bit because there was a bit of confusion with the timelines, but I loved this story.
Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee- 2/5 stars I just wasn’t a fan. The story felt super forced and the plot really didn’t make sense. I’m not a fan of the writing style either.
Still Star-Crossed- 2.5/5 stars The premise of this story is interesting, but I guessed it too early and the entire thing was far too short. I didn’t have time to get connected or care or be surprised about the characters or anything else that happened in the story.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette de Bodard- 3/5 stars I liked this story more than the previous two, but there wasn’t much to it. The original story is so interesting- I would love to see a full-length retelling that’s closer to that and darker than this rendition.
The Land of the Morning Calm by E. C. Myers- 3.25/5 stars I liked the concept of this story, but I didn't entirely understand what was happening until the end, so it wasn't as fun. It was a neat idea though.
The Smile by Aisha Saeed- 3.75/5 stars This story (and its root) is super interesting, but it's just so incredibly short that by the time I got into it, it was over. Still, I'll check out what else this author has published.
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber- 4/5 stars I really enjoyed this. The concept is super cute and fun, the characters are super comfortable, and the lore aspect is very cool. Love this writing style!
Nothing Into All by Renee Ahdieh- 4.25/5 stars Of course, I really enjoyed this. Renee’s writing style is fantastic and the story was whimsically dark.
Spear Carrier by Rahul Kanakia- 1/5 stars No!! I can’t even form words for this story. It was stupid and pointless, the writing style was both uneducated and pretentious, and I hated the main character. Please let this story cease to exist.
Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz- 2/5 stars The concept is interesting, but it’s very typical YA stereotyping, and it was just kind of boring. It ended as soon as it started to pick up the pace.
Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman- 3/5 stars I liked the writing style and premise for this. It lacked the emotional response that it needed (simply because it’s so short), but it was interesting.
Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar- 4/5 stars I love this writing style! The concept of the story was so unique, albeit a little odd, and the writing was really magical.
The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon- 4/5 stars I actually enjoyed this quite a bit, but I wish the author hadn’t spoken directly to the reader. It made the story feel jilted and uneven.
Eyes Like Candlelight by Julie Kagawa- 4/5 stars I love Julie’s writing and the concept of this one!
Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong- 4.5/5 stars OMG. This anthology is shaping up to be SO incredible; I’m really enjoying it thus far. I only docked it a bit because there was a bit of confusion with the timelines, but I loved this story.
Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee- 2/5 stars I just wasn’t a fan. The story felt super forced and the plot really didn’t make sense. I’m not a fan of the writing style either.
Still Star-Crossed- 2.5/5 stars The premise of this story is interesting, but I guessed it too early and the entire thing was far too short. I didn’t have time to get connected or care or be surprised about the characters or anything else that happened in the story.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette de Bodard- 3/5 stars I liked this story more than the previous two, but there wasn’t much to it. The original story is so interesting- I would love to see a full-length retelling that’s closer to that and darker than this rendition.
The Land of the Morning Calm by E. C. Myers- 3.25/5 stars I liked the concept of this story, but I didn't entirely understand what was happening until the end, so it wasn't as fun. It was a neat idea though.
The Smile by Aisha Saeed- 3.75/5 stars This story (and its root) is super interesting, but it's just so incredibly short that by the time I got into it, it was over. Still, I'll check out what else this author has published.
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber- 4/5 stars I really enjoyed this. The concept is super cute and fun, the characters are super comfortable, and the lore aspect is very cool. Love this writing style!
Nothing Into All by Renee Ahdieh- 4.25/5 stars Of course, I really enjoyed this. Renee’s writing style is fantastic and the story was whimsically dark.
Spear Carrier by Rahul Kanakia- 1/5 stars No!! I can’t even form words for this story. It was stupid and pointless, the writing style was both uneducated and pretentious, and I hated the main character. Please let this story cease to exist.
Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz- 2/5 stars The concept is interesting, but it’s very typical YA stereotyping, and it was just kind of boring. It ended as soon as it started to pick up the pace.
Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman- 3/5 stars I liked the writing style and premise for this. It lacked the emotional response that it needed (simply because it’s so short), but it was interesting.
Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar- 4/5 stars I love this writing style! The concept of the story was so unique, albeit a little odd, and the writing was really magical.
The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon- 4/5 stars I actually enjoyed this quite a bit, but I wish the author hadn’t spoken directly to the reader. It made the story feel jilted and uneven.
Eyes Like Candlelight by Julie Kagawa- 4/5 stars I love Julie’s writing and the concept of this one!
robinks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Collections of stories are always tricky to rate, but I decided to read one story a night each time I picked up the book, and I really looked forward to what fantastic tale I’d read that night. It’s nice to see some modern takes on Asian myths and legends from folks who know the tales.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Animal death
Minor: Body horror, Alcohol, and Terminal illness
jayra's review against another edition
3.0
First of all, I love reading anything folklores or mythologies which is the main reason why I pick up this book. 15 short stories? Yep, you got me!
Like every other short stories, there are pros and cons. One of the cons would be you need to adapt with the writing style after each story. I have struggles changing every writing styles but not so much.
I like how every stories ends with the explanation of the original 'folklores'/tales (also from which country) and what inspires them to write an adaption.
My favorite would be Eyes like Candlelight.
Recommended!
Like every other short stories, there are pros and cons. One of the cons would be you need to adapt with the writing style after each story. I have struggles changing every writing styles but not so much.
I like how every stories ends with the explanation of the original 'folklores'/tales (also from which country) and what inspires them to write an adaption.
My favorite would be Eyes like Candlelight.
Recommended!
rukky_reads's review
3.0
Asian Readathon
At first it was hard to get into cause short stories are really not for me. But once I got into the format, I was enjoying it. I loved reading the authors’ explanations after each story, how they adapted the stories and what the original myth was about from all their different cultures, it was interesting. As for the actual adapted myths, I liked some of them, some were just okay. The last one was my favourite.
At first it was hard to get into cause short stories are really not for me. But once I got into the format, I was enjoying it. I loved reading the authors’ explanations after each story, how they adapted the stories and what the original myth was about from all their different cultures, it was interesting. As for the actual adapted myths, I liked some of them, some were just okay. The last one was my favourite.
novelheartbeat's review against another edition
4.0
Three words for you: Asian. Folklore. Reimagined. If that doesn’t catch your attention, I don’t know what will! I loved the culture, mythology, and folklore in this one! It was amazing to see different mythology from different cultures in Asia, and I also loved hearing where each author drew their inspiration from.
The stories were very hit or miss for me, but the few really amazing ones definitely made it worth the read!
Favorite stories: Eyes Like Candlelight by Julie Kagawa, The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon, The Land of the Morning by E.C. Myers, and Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman
FORBIDDEN FRUIT BY ROSHANI CHOKSHI - 4/5
This one was very strange, yet beautiful and heartbreaking (as it seems are all Roshani stories)! I love how she took a folktale and made it into her own story. This would have made a great full length novel!
OLIVIA’S TABLE BY ALYSSA WONG - 2/5
While I liked the concept of the Ghost Festival, I’m afraid I found this one rather boring for being a short story. I have a hard time becoming emotionally invested in short stories to begin with, but I wasn’t really interested in the story which made me even less invested. The pacing was very slow despite its short length. It was cool that the main character was gay as well as Chinese, though!
STEEL SKIN BY LORI M. LEE - 4/5
Ohh, I really liked this one! What an interesting twist, I didn’t see that one coming. The world building was a little shaky, but I think Lee did a really great job with what little time she had to put things together. I loved the futuristic dystopian feel this one had, and the androids. I enjoyed her writing style and found it engaging – I’d love to read more of her work!
STILL STAR-CROSSED BY SONA CHARAIOPOTRA - 2/5
I didn’t care much for this one. I think my real issue here is that I’m not a fan of romance, and this was one. It was an interesting concept, sure, but I was rather bored with the story and the mysterious ‘swoony’ guy that kept insisting he knew her. Um, creepy much?
I did like the Indian culture, though! I confess I had to look a lot of things up, but I loved the diversity.
THE COUNTING OF VERMILLION BEADS BY ALIETTE DE BODARD - 1/5
Well that was….f*cking weird. O_O I don’t even know how to review this one. I was kind of intrigued by the wall, but the story was so odd and confusing that I couldn’t really follow. I didn’t really understand the world, or the context of the Palace (?) that the girls were trapped (??) in. Lots of question marks here lol!
THE LAND OF THE MORNING CALM BY E.C. MYERS - 5/5
Oh my gosh, I loved this one!!!! I desperately wish that this had been a full length novel. Not only was the video game aspect awesome, but I adored learning about the Korean mythology! I loved the idea of the kumiho (a nine-tailed fox spirit), gwisin (ghosts), King Yeomra (god of the dead), and Jeoseung (a grim reaper).
It’s hard to say much else without giving anything away, but I really loved the direction Myers took with the ending! I definitely want to check out more of his work!
THE SMILE BY AISHA SAEED - 3/5
This one was kind of interesting – a simple smile that can undo everything. I kind of liked that her attitude was to die free rather than live in chains, and that she found freedom in the end one way or another. I don’t have much to say about this one – nothing about it was particularly memorable but it was enjoyable to read for the most part.
GIRLS WHO TWIRL AND OTHER DANGERS BY PREETI CHHIBBER - 1/5
Wow, this one was horribly juvenile. I did enjoy the mythology story in between, but that was it. The girls taking revenge on some guy that was a “butt” (their exact words, eye roll) was super shallow and petty and just had me sighing and rolling my eyes. I felt like I was reading a story meant for 13-year-olds.
NOTHING INTO ALL BY RENEE AHDIEH - 4/5
I don’t think there’s anything Renee could write that I wouldn’t enjoy! This one was fabulous. I loved the sense of family that Charan had, and the idea of the goblins and turning nothing into all. And of course Renee always has to have an ending that leaves things wide open!
SPEAR CARRIER BY RAHUL KANAKIA - DNF
Wow, I can’t say I’ve ever DNFed a short story before. I guess there’s a first for everything.
This prose was the most incoherent, sophomoric shit I’ve ever read in my life and made me want to spoon my eyeballs out. It was so disjointed and nonsensical that half the time I didn’t even know what the flipping hell was happening, and it gave me a headache to read. And what weird BS is going on in this story, anyway?! The narrator was thrown onto some field with a bunch of tents and aliens and “a huge glass structure full of blooming vines and flowers” (what American doesn’t know what a fucking greenhouse is?) and given a weird suit “somewhere farther in the future than [the narrator was] from” which was described as thus:
Um….
And then there was no other elaboration on that. Okaaaay then. (Also, might I add that the suits were later described as skin tight??) Did I mention that the writing was horrible?
Lol? Then he meets this “crab thing” that “turned its googly eyes on” him. (Or maybe it was a her?? I’m unclear.)
[Ridiculous description of creature as goofy with “googly eyes” (yes, again. Eye roll)]
Like what the actual fuck dude. I felt like I was on some serious drugs when I was reading this, and after like 3 pages of it I just couldn’t take anymore. I would have thought that perhaps it was badly translated, but this author is apparently a best seller?? Like how??? No thanks.
CODE OF HONOR BY MELISSA DE LA CRUZ - 3/5
It’s difficult to be honorable at your worst moment and to forgive those who do you wrong, to have to battle what comes naturally to you. But that’s what it takes to be a monster living among mortals.
I’m not a huge vampire fan, but this one was alright. I liked that she was a vampire with a Code of Honor. A killer with a code, so Dexter-like! (I love Dexter, btw.)
The story was okay. It felt like fluff though, more of a prequel than an actual short story. It was basically a prequel (with different characters, maybe?) to her Blue Bloods series, which I’ve heard of and possibly own one but have never read. Or maybe I tried a long time ago and DNFed.
BULLET, BUTTERFLY BY ELSIE CHAPMAN - 4.5/5
“We’re just the dragons guarding the gate, ordered to keep breathing the fire of those who cast the spell in the first place.”
Wow!!!! What a beautiful and heartbreaking story! I absolutely loved this one! I was really impressed by how Chapman was able to bring the world and her characters to life in such a short period of time. I really enjoyed her prose, I’m definitely going to have to try more of her work!
DAUGHTER OF THE SUN BY SHVETA THAKRAR - 4/5
What a strange and beautiful story! I really enjoyed this one as well. It felt almost like magical realism in a way, but it wasn’t absurd like magical realism is. I found the premise of the story very intriguing – Satyavan is fated to die in a year’s time,
Very interesting indeed!
THE CRIMSON CLOAK BY CINDY PON - 5/5
Ohh this one was amazing!!! It was very bittersweet, but absolutely beautiful. I loved Pon’s prose and the magical world she painted. I loved the idea of a forbidden love between a goddess and a mortal. I definitely need to pick up Want asap!
I desperately wish this had been a full length novel. I have no doubt that I would have cried, given more time to really connect to the story and characters! As it was, I still had plenty of feels for this being such a short novel. Bravo, Cindy Pon!
EYES LIKE CANDLELIGHT BY JULIE KAGAWA - 5/5
Talk about saving the best for last!!! Oh my gosh, I love Julie to pieces. There’s nothing that she could write that I wouldn’t love! And Julie, why do you always have to break my heart?! There’s a reason she’s one of my favorite authors. YOU BRUTAL AUTHOR, YOU.
First of all, I love Japanese culture. Asian culture is fascinating to me, but Japanese is my favorite of all of them! Second, I freaking love the kitsune myth, so I loved it even more!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
The stories were very hit or miss for me, but the few really amazing ones definitely made it worth the read!
Favorite stories: Eyes Like Candlelight by Julie Kagawa, The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon, The Land of the Morning by E.C. Myers, and Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman
FORBIDDEN FRUIT BY ROSHANI CHOKSHI - 4/5
This one was very strange, yet beautiful and heartbreaking (as it seems are all Roshani stories)! I love how she took a folktale and made it into her own story. This would have made a great full length novel!
OLIVIA’S TABLE BY ALYSSA WONG - 2/5
While I liked the concept of the Ghost Festival, I’m afraid I found this one rather boring for being a short story. I have a hard time becoming emotionally invested in short stories to begin with, but I wasn’t really interested in the story which made me even less invested. The pacing was very slow despite its short length. It was cool that the main character was gay as well as Chinese, though!
STEEL SKIN BY LORI M. LEE - 4/5
Ohh, I really liked this one! What an interesting twist, I didn’t see that one coming. The world building was a little shaky, but I think Lee did a really great job with what little time she had to put things together. I loved the futuristic dystopian feel this one had, and the androids. I enjoyed her writing style and found it engaging – I’d love to read more of her work!
STILL STAR-CROSSED BY SONA CHARAIOPOTRA - 2/5
I didn’t care much for this one. I think my real issue here is that I’m not a fan of romance, and this was one. It was an interesting concept, sure, but I was rather bored with the story and the mysterious ‘swoony’ guy that kept insisting he knew her. Um, creepy much?
Spoiler
I’m just not a fan of the whole reincarnated past lover thing because it feels to akin to instalove, even if they did know each other in the past (erm, her mother in this case, since he was getting them confused. Even creepier…).I did like the Indian culture, though! I confess I had to look a lot of things up, but I loved the diversity.
THE COUNTING OF VERMILLION BEADS BY ALIETTE DE BODARD - 1/5
Well that was….f*cking weird. O_O I don’t even know how to review this one. I was kind of intrigued by the wall, but the story was so odd and confusing that I couldn’t really follow. I didn’t really understand the world, or the context of the Palace (?) that the girls were trapped (??) in. Lots of question marks here lol!
THE LAND OF THE MORNING CALM BY E.C. MYERS - 5/5
Oh my gosh, I loved this one!!!! I desperately wish that this had been a full length novel. Not only was the video game aspect awesome, but I adored learning about the Korean mythology! I loved the idea of the kumiho (a nine-tailed fox spirit), gwisin (ghosts), King Yeomra (god of the dead), and Jeoseung (a grim reaper).
It’s hard to say much else without giving anything away, but I really loved the direction Myers took with the ending! I definitely want to check out more of his work!
Spoiler
It was so badass that there was a god of the dead in the game, and the souls of the gwisin were trapped in the game, ready to follow Jeoseung to the Underworld. LOVE!!THE SMILE BY AISHA SAEED - 3/5
This one was kind of interesting – a simple smile that can undo everything. I kind of liked that her attitude was to die free rather than live in chains, and that she found freedom in the end one way or another. I don’t have much to say about this one – nothing about it was particularly memorable but it was enjoyable to read for the most part.
GIRLS WHO TWIRL AND OTHER DANGERS BY PREETI CHHIBBER - 1/5
Wow, this one was horribly juvenile. I did enjoy the mythology story in between, but that was it. The girls taking revenge on some guy that was a “butt” (their exact words, eye roll) was super shallow and petty and just had me sighing and rolling my eyes. I felt like I was reading a story meant for 13-year-olds.
NOTHING INTO ALL BY RENEE AHDIEH - 4/5
I don’t think there’s anything Renee could write that I wouldn’t enjoy! This one was fabulous. I loved the sense of family that Charan had, and the idea of the goblins and turning nothing into all. And of course Renee always has to have an ending that leaves things wide open!
SPEAR CARRIER BY RAHUL KANAKIA - DNF
Wow, I can’t say I’ve ever DNFed a short story before. I guess there’s a first for everything.
This prose was the most incoherent, sophomoric shit I’ve ever read in my life and made me want to spoon my eyeballs out. It was so disjointed and nonsensical that half the time I didn’t even know what the flipping hell was happening, and it gave me a headache to read. And what weird BS is going on in this story, anyway?! The narrator was thrown onto some field with a bunch of tents and aliens and “a huge glass structure full of blooming vines and flowers” (what American doesn’t know what a fucking greenhouse is?) and given a weird suit “somewhere farther in the future than [the narrator was] from” which was described as thus:
Our bodysuits were incredibly warm, and you could piss and shit inside them with no problems.
Um….
And then there was no other elaboration on that. Okaaaay then. (Also, might I add that the suits were later described as skin tight??) Did I mention that the writing was horrible?
Cold clouds of visible air blew out of my nose and mouth.
Lol? Then he meets this “crab thing” that “turned its googly eyes on” him. (Or maybe it was a her?? I’m unclear.)
“Hey,” I said. We both looked away at the same time. Its pale fleshy body reddened. The creature said, “Hello.”
“What?” I said. “You speak…English?”
“It’s a language I have access to.”
[Ridiculous description of creature as goofy with “googly eyes” (yes, again. Eye roll)]
“Okay, wow,” I said. “Wow. This is…wow.”
“You’re American? Perhaps you can tell me…I wasn’t given that much information about why to come here.”
“That’s just…that’s fantastic.”
Like what the actual fuck dude. I felt like I was on some serious drugs when I was reading this, and after like 3 pages of it I just couldn’t take anymore. I would have thought that perhaps it was badly translated, but this author is apparently a best seller?? Like how??? No thanks.
CODE OF HONOR BY MELISSA DE LA CRUZ - 3/5
It’s difficult to be honorable at your worst moment and to forgive those who do you wrong, to have to battle what comes naturally to you. But that’s what it takes to be a monster living among mortals.
I’m not a huge vampire fan, but this one was alright. I liked that she was a vampire with a Code of Honor. A killer with a code, so Dexter-like! (I love Dexter, btw.)
The story was okay. It felt like fluff though, more of a prequel than an actual short story. It was basically a prequel (with different characters, maybe?) to her Blue Bloods series, which I’ve heard of and possibly own one but have never read. Or maybe I tried a long time ago and DNFed.
BULLET, BUTTERFLY BY ELSIE CHAPMAN - 4.5/5
“We’re just the dragons guarding the gate, ordered to keep breathing the fire of those who cast the spell in the first place.”
Wow!!!! What a beautiful and heartbreaking story! I absolutely loved this one! I was really impressed by how Chapman was able to bring the world and her characters to life in such a short period of time. I really enjoyed her prose, I’m definitely going to have to try more of her work!
DAUGHTER OF THE SUN BY SHVETA THAKRAR - 4/5
What a strange and beautiful story! I really enjoyed this one as well. It felt almost like magical realism in a way, but it wasn’t absurd like magical realism is. I found the premise of the story very intriguing – Satyavan is fated to die in a year’s time,
Spoiler
but Savitri is clever and tricks death (or in this case, a nymph) and gets to keep him for herself.Very interesting indeed!
THE CRIMSON CLOAK BY CINDY PON - 5/5
Ohh this one was amazing!!! It was very bittersweet, but absolutely beautiful. I loved Pon’s prose and the magical world she painted. I loved the idea of a forbidden love between a goddess and a mortal. I definitely need to pick up Want asap!
I desperately wish this had been a full length novel. I have no doubt that I would have cried, given more time to really connect to the story and characters! As it was, I still had plenty of feels for this being such a short novel. Bravo, Cindy Pon!
EYES LIKE CANDLELIGHT BY JULIE KAGAWA - 5/5
Talk about saving the best for last!!! Oh my gosh, I love Julie to pieces. There’s nothing that she could write that I wouldn’t love! And Julie, why do you always have to break my heart?! There’s a reason she’s one of my favorite authors. YOU BRUTAL AUTHOR, YOU.
First of all, I love Japanese culture. Asian culture is fascinating to me, but Japanese is my favorite of all of them! Second, I freaking love the kitsune myth, so I loved it even more!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
francisopal's review against another edition
4.0
Full review: https://bookpeopleteens.wordpress.com/2018/12/26/review-a-thousand-beginnings-and-endings/
One of my favorite anthologies I’ve ever read, these spooky and sparkly tales will leave you totally immersed in Asian legends. Rating: four/five
Quiz: https://bookpeopleteens.wordpress.com/2018/12/27/quiz-a-thousand-beginnings-and-endings/
One of my favorite anthologies I’ve ever read, these spooky and sparkly tales will leave you totally immersed in Asian legends. Rating: four/five
Quiz: https://bookpeopleteens.wordpress.com/2018/12/27/quiz-a-thousand-beginnings-and-endings/
kpharoah's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Some of the short stories were better than others, but overall there's a good mix, with each story explaining which myth it was based on.