Grace Lin's stories are always full of magic and young heroes - the kind of stories I adored as a child, and love still. In Mulan: Before the Sword, she gives our heroine a fleshed-out character and story , so much more than a cartoon movie ever could (and I love the Mulan movie)! NOTE: This is not a retelling of the popular movie, but an original prequel. As young Mulan journeys to find the cure that will save her younger sister, the stories she hears along the way add to her understanding of the world around her as well as who she truly is inside. With the periodic switches to the point of view of the Red Fox, we learn the backstory of another character that will come to play in the live-action movie. Grace Lin is such a gifted storyteller that this book can easily stand on its own without any movie connections. Readers will love Mulan's humble, awkward, kind nature, as well as her persistence, ingenuity, and courage. And one cannot help but fall in love with Rabbit and Lu Ting-Pin. I look forward to sharing this book with young readers!

'Mulan: Before the Sword' is a delight to read. Like she does in other books like 'Where the Mountain Meets the Moon', Grace Lin weaves elements of Chinese myths and legends into the story. This has become part of Lin's signature style, and part of what makes her novels so wonderful. You can feel the gentle pull of history and culture in her books, and it makes the story even more compelling.

'Mulan' is full of magic, history, and adventure. Lin takes a classic hero of Chinese legend ands tells a new story, from when she was younger and before she met the Emperor. Mulan must journey to find a cure for her sister before she is killed from poison. She has many adventures along the way.

I have for many years been a huge fan of Lin, and I have read many of her books for younger readers. I frequently recommend her books to teachers and students. I am excited to add this book to our library, and have already recommended to several colleagues.

This is a must read for fans of Disney and Mulan. A story that contains love, loss, and bravery through perseverance.

I have had trouble lately finishing books in a timely manner, so I'm hesitant to say what exactly took me so long to read this one. The story itself is very intriguing, and there are some fabulous characters (both good and bad). I did enjoy the book, and by about halfway through I found myself reading pretty large chunks in each sitting. Lin uses a lot of similes in this book, and sometimes it drew me out of the story. I also worry that my language learner readers are not going to understand some of them because they are comparing things to animals (I seem to remember a kingfisher? I don't even know what a kingfisher looks like) or other objects they don't know. However, I think even struggling readers will power through to find out what happens to Mulan and the rabbit because it's a pretty exciting story and the villain is just so bad. I also appreciated the conflicted sidekick in the Red Fox.

I tried to read this book and just couldn't get into it. It is so different from the original Mulan movie and other books. I couldn't get past the 7th chapter and found it weird that there was a shape-changing rabbit. This book might be good for some but I couldn't get into it and would not feel comfortable recommending it to someone else.

This terrific adventure story is about Mulan, who is clumsy and graceless and impulsive. Her sister is the opposite and one of them is expected to fulfill a prophecy to save the emperor. Mulan likes to tease her sister, especially about spiders. When Xiu is bitten by a poisonous magical spider, it's up to Mulan to go on a quest to save her sister. The story has big themes of trust (in others as well as in yourself) and perseverance and loyalty. I really liked the connection to the folkloric elements too. I think the kids are going to like this one a lot!

I cannot think of a better author to tell the story of Mulan, than Grace Lin! Completely blown away by this story! I just purchased it, and cannot wait to share it with my 5th graders!

What prepared Mulan to be a mighty warrior as she is seen in the many stories about her? Grace Lin has offered an exciting and adventurous tale that shows how Mulan discovered her strengths. It's a book about identity and figuring out the balance of honoring family and yet also being true to one's own needs and dreams.

Mulan knows how a young woman is expected to think and behave according to her mother and others in her community, but she also knows that her instincts and wishes don't always match up with that.

Grace Lin is a storyteller and she is able to include stories within stories again as she did in her Where the Mountain Meets the Moon books. There are often stories to explain the current predicament that Mulan is facing or to explain who it is she must face or beseech. I love this aspect of the book. The author is great at including little clues here and there that can enable the reader to have moments of realization when they can see the connections between characters and stories.

For fans of Grace's earlier works, this book will be a delight. For those unfamiliar with her books, this will be a fun adventure to give Mulan a little back story. I know I'll be purchasing it for my school library.

This book is a prequel to the story we all already know and love about Mulan from the animated movie. We are introduced to side stories and characters in more depth that we were not aware of before. It contains much more Chinese mythology than the movie, and I found it to be a distraction rather than adding to the story. The story of her sister Xiu, who is bitten by a spider puts Mulan on a quest to help heal her.

This is a must read for fans of Disney and Mulan. A story that contains love, loss, and bravery through perseverance.

The publisher generously provided me with a copy of the book upon request on NetGalley. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing the digital ARC for this book. I am a librarian and read it to see if we would want to add this to our library. Great book for Young Adult readers.

I received this e-ARC from NetGalley and Disney in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This story take place before the events in the Disney animated movie. Mulan’s sister, Xiu, is bitten by a 9-legged white spider and is slowly dying. Mulan seeks help from the Healer, also known as the Jade Rabbit, to help save Xiu. They have until the new moon to find the rare ingredients that will cure the spider venom. Mulan and the Rabbit are constantly thwarted by the White Fox, who wants Xiu to die to prevent a prophecy. Interspersed throughout the story are vignettes of Chinese myth and legends. These vignettes are important to the story, however, in e-ARC form, they can be a little distracting. There is much adventure in this book and Mulan is portrayed as the heroine we have come to know. While I did enjoy this original story, I felt it was a bit disjointed to warrant a higher rating. Still, I would recommend it for readers in grades 3 and up.

#MulanBeforeTheSword #NetGalley

I really wanted to love this book but it just wasn't for me. I very much appreciated the references to Chinese folklore, but could not embrace the story line the way I hoped I would.

This story focuses on Mulan, before she saves the emperor (like in the movie). This is set a while before that, when Mulan wonders if she will ever be able to honor her family, because she is seen as outspoken and spirited. A good book, full of side stories that tell the tales of the gods.

I received an advanced copy of Mulan and was so excited partially because of the amazing backstory but also because Disney Press releases some amazing material. Wether you are a Mulan fan or a Disney fan or non of the above I think readers of all ages will enjoy and appreciate this book. It is a fun look into the backstory of our friend Mulan. Well written and clearly done so with careful research.

Fairly interesting and quick read for anyone who loves the story of Mulan and wants to hear about her before the events of the movie. I probably would have enjoyed this more if I was on the targeted age range.

This Mulan story takes place before she becomes a warrior but shows her strength as she endeavors to save her sister. A great story for those who love Mulan and can't get enough of her and Asian fairytales.

"Mulan: Before the Sword" is a fun novel for a junior audience. I'll be looking for more from this author to add to our shelves.

Deeply uninteresting tie in to the upcoming live action Mulan. Mulan seeks to save her sister, who has become entangled with the celestial gods. There's a nice bit of tying in to traditional Chinese folklore, but the connection to the Mulan film is unnecessary and the entire thing feels like a money grab.

In this prequel to the Disney movie, we are introduced Mulan’s sister Xiu. When a poisonous nine-legged spider bites her sister, Mulan must gather all her courage and go on a quest to find the magical ingredients needed to save her. She must have Dragon Beard Grass that only grows on one island and a blossom of the Essence of Heavenly Majesty from a plant in the garden of the immortal Queen Mother. Without these ingredients, her sister will die and time is running out. Her companions on this quest are the Rabbit on the Moon and her horse, Black Wind. Demon slayer Lu Ting-Pin also joins them for part of the journey. As the story unfolds, we learn that the nine-legged spider is not just any spider but an evil demon shape-shifter named Daji. Daji also frequently takes the shape of a nine-tailed fox and of a beautiful wealthy woman to trick people. Years ago Daji learned of a prophesy saying a daughter from Mulan’s house will save the emperor, but which daughter? Is it Mulan or her sister? Daji is convinced that it is Xiu, who is destined to save the emperor because she is so graceful and beautiful, not clumsy and bringing shame to her family all the time like Mulan. But, could it possibly be Mulan that will fulfill the prophesy? Daji throws attacks and tricks at Mulan every leg of the journey trying to make her fail. Grace Lin weaves Chinese legends, mythologies, and historical figures together to create this beautiful new action-packed story of Mulan. It is a delightful read.

This book was received as an ARC from Disney Book Group - Disney Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies and when I heard about this book I had to jump at the chance and see for myself if this book met my high expectations and I must say not only did it do that but it took my interest into a whole new level. This book was the real meaning of why I fell in love with the tale in the first place. The reign of her father and her love for the kingdom in doing whats right but what kept my attention was the story of her ancestors and the role they played throughout her life which made the creation of MuShu come to an even brighter light. I am so excited to share this book with our community and especially for our young readers who are Disney fans at heart because I know they will love it more.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction section at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.