I'll be posting this review on my instagram and Goodreads closer to date

I just pre-order this book. Beautifully written. Brilliant. Phenomenal. Breathtaking. This was an action packed book that had me up all night reading. I’m so taken back. This might be my favorite fantasy this year!!

What To Expect-
-Mulan retelling
-Badass FMC
-Dragons
-Mythology


I ate this one up. I loved everything about this book.. The ending had my jaw on the floor. I have so many questions. I hope we get a second book. I absolutely recommend this book!!!

"With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart." Romance, fantasy, magic and more! This book is an enjoyable read.

Not your childhood Mulan retelling.

Beautifully written, epic fantasy that hit all the right tropes, twists, and plot points for me. With any retelling, there's concern it'll follow the original too closely. Other than Meilin taking her father's place in the army, this story stood on its own with its increased emphasis on spirit magic, a dragon that's dropping colder lines than "dishonor on your cow", and a FMC driven by green instead of honor.
It set up her descent into a bit of madness, and I rooted for her every bit of the way. Song crafted remarkably relatable and complex characters, meaning any betrayal cut me even deeper. The ending had me desperately trying to turn the page on my kindle, I just couldn't believe it'd end like that! So I will definitely be picking up book 2 when it comes out.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

A feast for the senses. The writing, the descriptions and, the action are amazing in this story. If you like women in disguise, mysterious princes, cursed dragons, and political intrigue, you'll love The Night Ends with Fire. The lead character, Meilin, leaves her abusive father when war breaks out to escape an even worse fate in marriage. The night before, she meets a prince who turns out to be one of the commanders in the platoon she's assigned to as she escapes to war. She's desperate to keep her secret and prove she's better than the rest. As the story plays out, we see the relationships between Meilin, Sky, and her squad. Her antagonistic relationship between Lt. Fang is fun to see play out. I loved this story, her battle with her inner demons (figuratively and literally) Will she distinguish herself through her valor or will she meet her doom?

I loved this so much! The dragon? The princes?! The main character being torn three different ways?! It was well done, and I cannot wait to read the next installment!

This is beautifully written! Reminds me of books like Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Unfortunately I DNF as this isn’t really my style, but I can absolutely appreciate the skilled writing.

I've been hyped for this Mulan retelling since I heard a bookish rumor it might be in an upcoming subscription box. The cover is amazing and Meilin is every bit as strong, brave, and courageous as I could have expected. I did wish we had gotten a different ending though, but I am excited for a sequel or even a duology. I have so many more questions, like what happened to the other jade holders because there are four cardinal directions and I really hope we see the others.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The above is my honest critique on this wonderfully engaging Mulan retelling.

I ate this book up! I loved this fantasy retelling of Mulan and can’t wait to continue the story (will there be more? please?) I will say that the book did drag once we hit the third act, but I loved the first 60% of the book. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a fast paced fantasy. I do not personally love books centered on military, but the way the few battle scenes were written, it was fast paced and exciting enough to hold my attention without being gruesome. I loved our main characters, felt boiling with anger at some (you know who you are), and would love a spin off of others! Overall, a great read that I finished in 2 sittings!

Meilin feels trapped – her father’s opium addiction has destroyed their family’s wealth, she’s forced to become betrothed to a violent older man, and war has begun between the kingdoms. Knowing she has to take matters into her own hands, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father’s place. Despite her mastery of kung fu, she is weaker and smaller than everyone in the army and must work much harder to prove herself. While there, she begins to form attachments, including to the handsome prince, but it’s only a matter of time before she’ll find her loyalty to her kingdom and her inner strength tested when she’s faced with a difficult choice.

I was excited by the idea of this book as I grew up with the Disney movie Mulan and loved it, and I loved the idea of the story being retold by a diaspora author. However, there were several things that didn’t quite work for me.

One of these was that most characters had Chinese names, but then randomly there were a few named things like “Plum” or “Sky.” It’s possible that there was a good reason for this, but I couldn’t figure it out. The primary romance was also awkward. It was lacking chemistry and felt forced. There was much more chemistry with another character, though I’m afraid this is leading to a love triangle for the next book. The characters in general just weren’t compelling. I honestly didn’t care much what happened to Meilin or any of the other characters based on how flat they felt. I wondered if this was because the author was staying too close to the Disney characters and not really branching out much in their development. I also disliked that Meilin was one of those protagonists who is “not like other girls,” and that that seemed to be the only thing driving her to be better, stronger, more powerful, etc. than all those other women who just submit to their abusive husbands and depressive lives.

The plot itself was weak. Everything was linear and simplistic, with a new difficulty being introduced then easily resolved before moving on to the next challenge. This kept the plot trudging forward in a predictable way without allowing any space for the characters or world to feel alive or to feel like there was any agency. It also made this book feel much, much longer than its already somewhat long 432 pages.

If you’re looking for a Mulan retelling that’s relatively approachable and easy to read, then this might be worth checking out. Do be warned, almost nothing is resolved so you’ll need to read book two for that, which I probably won’t. My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me to read this work, which will be published July 2, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this Mulan-inspired story. Unlike some other reviewers I did not find it to be unoriginal because of its inspiration. I liked the exploration of appropriate and approved behavior by women and Meilin's character. Be warned that you will be frustrated by the cliff-hanger ending but there is now a sequel I have to look forward to.

The Night Ends with Fire

Thoughts:
This book blew me away! I really loved the rich details of this Chinese inspired fantasy. You can really get fully absorbed in this world. The world building was done with an expert hand!
Meilin was like any other character l've read! I loved her conflict of being a women yet describing things such as power, and recognition for her skill!. You get to see her strive, fall, and get back up again. I really bonded with her!

The entire cast of characters played with my emotions!
What I love best are the genuine interactions between the characters that really make the idea off friendship and camaraderie come alive and dance across the page. You can feel it in your heart and it build both a connection between the characters themselves and the characters and the reader.

The main plot had me gripped and I was hooked on every word! I loved the twists and the build up in emotion. Every act keeps the story moving at a perfect pace.

I absolutely loved the way the mythology was handled.
You really get an authentic Chinese fantasy. The details and the way it is written is so immersive. I loved the concepts of di gong, and the way martial arts was depicted.

Final Thoughts,
This was an action packed story that kept me turning the pages long into the night. I laughed, screamed, cried and begged for more when it was over. The nods to the Disney Mulan made me happy. This is a fantasy story that will pull you into this world and make you never want to leave! After reading this I pre-ordered the physical copy it's super beautiful

Thank you to Berkley and Ace for this e-arc

This book was FANTASTIC!! I love retellings, and I very rarely see a Mulan retelling.
Let's talk about some things that I liked:
- DRAGONS!!
- Mulan retelling
- Bad a** fmc
- Spirits
- Great supporting cast
- Clearly well-edited
The ending had my jaw dropped, but this is a part of a duology so I cannot wait to read book 2! Also duologies are the best book format and you cannot change my mind. Congratulations to K.X. Song on a fantastic book!!

This was a wonderful retelling of Mulan—which is one of my favorite Disney movies. The authors did a great job with this one. I was fully immersed in this story.

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. All of the stars. When I first started reading and realized this story would be centered around feminine rage, I already knew I’d be a fan. That is all just too close to the surface and every feeling Meilin had to fight about how those around her treated her for her gender and her ambitions, made me want to go down swinging for her. She is just such a juicy character and I am screaming to see what happens in the next book.

The potential love interests have me split because they’re gonna have to do some growing for anyone to be end game AS A MAN SHOULD 🙌. This was such a solid read with a unique magic system and complicated and layered characters. Phenomenal and I’m now on an auto buy for this author.

thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC!

what to even say about this book! it was such an engrossing, emotional read. I’d say this is one of the books where the blurbs/marketing is quite true to the story- it very much felt like an adult, morally complicated, and fantastical take on Mulan.

the characterization in this was very strong; I felt it so easy to inhabit Meilin’s mind and life and understand her motivation. she also had good, fleshed-out relationships with the other characters. her and Sky’s relationship was moving for me, and I often do not appreciate romance in this type of book. her relationships with the other soldiers were also very compelling, and gave a lot of insight into both the setting and Meilin’s character. I found myself sometimes frustrated with the repetitiveness of Meilin’s internal monologue, in which it felt like she was not progressing in the middle of the book, but it wasn’t major.

the plot was well executed and interesting. it wasn’t that twisty, but the magic gave it some interesting turns that I didn’t expect. I enjoyed the worldbuilding around the politics and the magic, though some might find it overwhelming or complicated. I’m really excited to see where the politics go in the next book though!

I give this a 4.5★, and I’m excitingly awaiting the next book (especially after that ending, whew!)

I will post my review to my bookstagram over the next few weeks, and will update this to add the link when I do- UPDATED NOW WITH LINK

This book was exactly what I was hoping for based off the description! Though dark at times, I really enjoyed following along with Meilin's journey and found her determination to push against the confines of what being a woman means in her world inspiring. K. X. Song did an excellent job incorporating a romantic subplot without letting it over power the bigger story. While I am not typically a fan of love triangles, I found Meilin's interest in both Sky and Lei believable and intruiging, as well as cruicial to her character developement. I very much hope that this is the beginning of a series--I want to see what Meilin is going to do next!

In a kingdom at war, and facing a forced marriage to an abusive man, Meilin takes matters into her own hands and joins the army disguised as a man, hoping just to survive for a few months of freedom. But when survival isn't enough, Meilin works hard to be more than just another mediocre soldier, and soon her hard work has paid off and she's befriended the youngest prince of her realm and the one in charge of her troop. But things get a little more dicey as she discovers a link to a magical realm and must fight to save not only her kingdom, but also the world as she knows it, all while in disguise. Will she ever be free to be herself - a woman?

This is a well-written retelling of Mulan, a favorite of many. But this is also a darker, richer retelling, set in a mystical world full of political machinations and revolt. They who weld the power run the world, and Meilin just might be the key to restoring the balance the world needs.

This was so unique and interesting! I really loved the characters and the setting. It took a little while to get into the story for me but once I did I enjoyed a lot!

This was an awesome Mulan retelling! This book explores the “what if” side of Mulan: what if Mulan not only joined the army and saved the empire, but what if she aspired for more? Featuring fickle gods, elemental Magic, Asian mythology, a tenacious FMC, and a love triangle! This book really has something for everyone! Also, THE CLIFFHANGER ENDING?!? I’m signed up and patiently waiting release of book 2! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

→4✰
-spoiler free review

.𖥔 ݁ ˖"I needed to prove that I as a woman could be better than the rest of them. That I too could belong. That I too could be free."


when i finished this book all i could think was wow. wowowowow. i adore retellings and mulan is one of my favorite disney princesses so absolutely no surprise that i ended up loving this!

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ hai meilin.
MEILIN THE WOMAN THAT U ARE. i want to be her when i grow up please. she is the strong feminine girlboss mc that we didn't know we needed. i need her bravery puhleez

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ prince liu sky.
i was clawing for those tiny minuscule crumbs we get of him and meilin. i really hope there's more of this man in the next book (if not i may cry)

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ cao ming lei.
well. he was a character! he really wasn't all that bad near the end i guess. at some points he was giving fuchai from a song to drown rivers. that does NOT mean i love him. i just saw some similarities

.𖥔 ݁ ˖"In the dark, I rephrased the Imperial Commander's words:
A woman who could use a blade endangered the social order.
A woman who could think for herself jeopardized the mortality of the law.
A woman who could take power away from those who held it threatened the welfare of the state."
╰ i could never imagine living in a society where women are forced to live under a leader who believes these things. this book really opened my eyes to how it feels living a life that you don't want to live. women in this time and setting were expected to be at their father or husbands beck and call. meilin didn't want that for herself so she chose to fight in the war under her father's name in the hopes that she would someday be accepted for who she was as a woman.


.𖥔 ݁ ˖"They would never let a woman get away with something like this."
"Something like what?"
"They would never let a woman hold on to power."

# thank you to netgalley for the arc!