Scan barcode
A review by pagewanderer_
Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
The Legend of the White Snake is based off of Chinese folklore. Though I am not super familiar with this legend, I know that this novel has a queer twist to it. And it did not disappoint.
The story follows Prince Xu Xian who is looking for a cure for his mother’s sickness. With the guidance of the king’s advisor and the vague advice from his temple’s oracle, Xian is set on a path to hunt a white snake to find this cure.
This path sends him to Chengle where he meets a handsome stable boy named Zhen. Due to an instant connection, Xian ensures that Zhen becomes his personal attendant and guide around Chengle to help him find the white snake. Little does he know that Zhen is actually the white snake that he is hunting and that they share a past encounter.
I think it was clever of the author to have a dual POV for Zhen and Xian’s journey because it is full of mixed emotions: pleasure, joy, guilt, fear, and anxiety. Both characters are flawed, yet so easy to root for. Watching their relationship blossom was beautiful and organic. The plot was quick and engaging, filled with lots of Chinese tradition. The side characters enhanced every aspect of this book and there was a decent plot twist!
My only gripe with this book would be the writing style: it seems like this is meant to be set in Ancient China, but the dialogue sounded very modern for that time period. Also, though I loved all the Chinese cultural references, sometimes there were too many at one time and because they all came with explanations, it interrupted the flow of reading.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, quick YA read. Thank you to Sher Lee, NetGalley, and the publishers for this eArc. All opinions are my own.