kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I especially enjoyed this because I learned so much about Chinese history, language, and culture. This is an engaging adventure story of a young woman named Mulan, who has trained from childhood to be a master swordsman in preparation for a duel with a member of a rival family. When the army demands one conscript from every house in their province, Mulan, who is registered as her brother who died when they were children, answers the call to fight. When her martial skills come to light, she is assigned a special mission to the Wall in the North. Not everyone, including Mulan, is who they say they are, and there are plots and conspiracies and failures and triumphs. I particularly enjoyed the ending and resolution.
birdyreader's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
pagesofpins's review against another edition
4.0
In this version of The Ballad of Mulan, Mulan has trained all her life, dressed as a boy, because she must take the place of her dead brother Muyang to defend the family honor in a match. Instead, she ends up conscripted to save the family and fighting in battle alongside the same Duke's son she was set to fight against.
I really enjoyed that most of the conflict and suspense in the novel is over family secrets, uncovering spies and outsmarting the enemy rather than Mulan freaking out about hiding her gender. I also liked that all characters are good fighters, but have realistic vulnerabilities.
And the romance didn't try to waste a lot of time with love-hate sparring or pretending not to like each other. There are bigger fish to fry, but from the beginning they clearly both want to know and support each other.
I really enjoyed that most of the conflict and suspense in the novel is over family secrets, uncovering spies and outsmarting the enemy rather than Mulan freaking out about hiding her gender. I also liked that all characters are good fighters, but have realistic vulnerabilities.
And the romance didn't try to waste a lot of time with love-hate sparring or pretending not to like each other. There are bigger fish to fry, but from the beginning they clearly both want to know and support each other.
ashtree11's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
gingerlaura's review against another edition
2.0
This book was boring.
I kept waiting for the story to take flight and become interesting... but it didn't and ended up in quite the disappointment.
I was very excited to read this retelling of Mulan. I love the movie, so I was ready for a great adventure! Unfortunately, that wasn't what I got. Most of this book, I'd say like 80%, describes Mulan and her gang traveling. Now, traveling can be fun and interesting, but this was the eat-sleep-travel-repeat kind of traveling. Nothing remotely interesting happened along the way, and with the writing style not really appealing to me, this made for one boring book. Even Mulan's reveal of being a girl was boring, something I didn't think would be possible.
I did like reading about the old Chinese culture, seeing as this takes place 500 A.D., and I did learn some new things. The ending was also nice and heartwarming, but seeing as the build up to it was again, boring, I didn't really care for it that much.
All in all it wasn't a book for me, as it failed to hold my interest.
I kept waiting for the story to take flight and become interesting... but it didn't and ended up in quite the disappointment.
I was very excited to read this retelling of Mulan. I love the movie, so I was ready for a great adventure! Unfortunately, that wasn't what I got. Most of this book, I'd say like 80%, describes Mulan and her gang traveling. Now, traveling can be fun and interesting, but this was the eat-sleep-travel-repeat kind of traveling. Nothing remotely interesting happened along the way, and with the writing style not really appealing to me, this made for one boring book. Even Mulan's reveal of being a girl was boring, something I didn't think would be possible.
I did like reading about the old Chinese culture, seeing as this takes place 500 A.D., and I did learn some new things. The ending was also nice and heartwarming, but seeing as the build up to it was again, boring, I didn't really care for it that much.
All in all it wasn't a book for me, as it failed to hold my interest.
stelliforusfox15's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sarah_shelf's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
amarylissw's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from the Goodreads giveaway, and I am so glad that I did!
When I first got the notification that I won the giveaway, I was just like, "oh cool," and didn't pay much attention to it. Then, when I actually got the book in, I was pleasantly surprised to see what it was about and that it was by an author I liked (and have actually met!).
So, when I first started this book, I wasn't sure what to expect, since most of my experience with Mulan is from Disney . . . although the first chapter was a bit confusing to me, I was quickly drawn into the world of ancient China. Thomas's writing is simple and easy to read, which makes her dive into Chinese history all the much easier to understand. I do think a map would've been nice to be able to visualize where the characters traveled, but overall, I enjoyed learning more about the world.
Although a good bulk of this story is traveling, the characters make the journey engaging. Their individual personalities quickly grow on you. Of course, I especially liked the romance between Kai and Mulan. It's definitely not a central point to the story (), but it's so sweet. I love vulnerable characters like Kai, and his relationship with Mulan and how they both strengthen each other is definitely ship-worthy.
I would have liked a bit more development with Mulan. Despite her thing with her dad and having to dress up as a boy her whole life, I feel like we only touched the surface of her feelings about the topic. I would've liked to see her struggle more with her identity, her duty, and her desires.
I do kind of wish this book had been a little longer. I think there's definitely some room for more character development, more world-building, and yes, more romance. However, the length doesn't deter from the story at all; it never feels too rushed. Still, for such a solid story, I wouldn't have complained at all if there'd been another hundred pages.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. Its action scenes feel straight out of a movie and its characters are a delight. After enjoying both this book and the Elemental Trilogy, I'm looking forward to what Thomas brings to the YA community next!
When I first got the notification that I won the giveaway, I was just like, "oh cool," and didn't pay much attention to it. Then, when I actually got the book in, I was pleasantly surprised to see what it was about and that it was by an author I liked (and have actually met!).
So, when I first started this book, I wasn't sure what to expect, since most of my experience with Mulan is from Disney . . . although the first chapter was a bit confusing to me, I was quickly drawn into the world of ancient China. Thomas's writing is simple and easy to read, which makes her dive into Chinese history all the much easier to understand. I do think a map would've been nice to be able to visualize where the characters traveled, but overall, I enjoyed learning more about the world.
Although a good bulk of this story is traveling, the characters make the journey engaging. Their individual personalities quickly grow on you. Of course, I especially liked the romance between Kai and Mulan. It's definitely not a central point to the story (
Spoiler
they don't even kiss, which I'm not sure if I'm disappointed with or notI would have liked a bit more development with Mulan. Despite her thing with her dad and having to dress up as a boy her whole life, I feel like we only touched the surface of her feelings about the topic. I would've liked to see her struggle more with her identity, her duty, and her desires.
I do kind of wish this book had been a little longer. I think there's definitely some room for more character development, more world-building, and yes, more romance. However, the length doesn't deter from the story at all; it never feels too rushed. Still, for such a solid story, I wouldn't have complained at all if there'd been another hundred pages.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. Its action scenes feel straight out of a movie and its characters are a delight. After enjoying both this book and the Elemental Trilogy, I'm looking forward to what Thomas brings to the YA community next!