4.5*

This was an amazing book and I plan to keep my eye out for more of Sher Lee’s works. The romance, the characters, the mythology, the setting etc. It was all just so good.

It did start to drag a little bit in the middle but the beginning and ending were great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books and Quill Tree Books for the e-ARC. All opinions are honest and my own.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars, rounded up

TW: violence, torture, oppression,illness, death, grief, loss

When this book was first announced I was intrigued immediately! First, there was the recognition of the name and the legend, which is one of my favorites and I have consumed the story in various mediums. Secondly, was the cover which has beautiful artwork and emotional depth to the characters which draws you in. Then, this popped up as a ‘READ NOW’ option on NetGalley so I quickly hopped on board and buddy read this over Labor Day weekend (2024) with friends. This book was a delight from the start to finish, while I was already accustomed to the legend, Sher Lee was able to make it her own and had new life and heart to the story. This is a gay retelling of the legend where we have Prince Xian who is desperately trying to save his dying mother, and Zhen the boy with the secret, the snake with many secrets and potentially an answer. This book serves up all the best elements of a YA story, quick, engaging pacing, interesting characters and a good balance of conflict, heart, tension, and resolution.

Honeslty, my only gripe with this story is that I wanted more and felt it was a wee bit too short. Yes, everything was accomplished and I would definitely read this again, however, how dare you make me care about these characters without giving mee hundreds of pages more of their timeline. The story was not rushed, but it would’ve been nice to luxuriate in each moment longer, from the Xian and Zhen’s initial meeting, to Zhen’s discovery that Xian was in fact a prince and what they’re relationship looked like as princes and attendant. More tension, when the “truth” was revealed and how each character had to grapple with the other. Of course the ending as well, I would love to see another novel in this world focusing on Qing or at least an epilogue novella…I simply crave more. There was a moment where I was like umm, isn’t this YA, but I should’ve had more faith in the author for while she portrayed a romance she still wrote for the intended age group and kept things appropriate for the target audience.

One key element that I loved in this story is the parallel of power and betrayal. Initially, you may think as a Prince Xian had an unbalanced power of Zhen, but then that is subverted by the things that I cannot speak of without spoiling it. Also, when it comes to the conflict both gentleman are able to feel betrayed and conflicted by the others actions, or lack thereof. Since this story is dual narration between the two, we get to spend time with each on intimately and see their struggles within the situations they’ve encountered. Fahai and Qing were great supporting characters that still had their own identities and key traits that kept them from fading into obscurity. Instead their roles lending themselves to the story as well as to the development of our two leads. All in all this was a solid read which I flew through in about two days.

All the things that I liked about this book:
- lots of cultural history
- philosophical, ethical, and mythological beliefs
- magic system
- tea brewing and board games
- snakes!
- some really cool action scenes
- good balance between imagery/descriptive narrative and plot/story-telling
- surprise villain!
- Xian is a compelling MC (and is bi/pan, yay!)
- queer norm setting, emphasizing how same-sex relationships have historically been a normal thing
- some very interesting side characters
- gay angst and sexual tension
- prince and pauper/hunter and hunted/lovers to enemies to lovers vibes
- snakes!!!

A cute, gay, character-driven, mythology-inspired retelling. The story dragged quite a bit in the middle and I unfortunately didn’t feel connected to either of the protagonists despite the dual POV chapters. I enjoyed how well the culture, customs, religions, and philosophies were integrated into the story but since I’m not at all familiar with the actual legend of the white snake/other animal spirits, I would have liked to read more lore about that.

I am not a big fan of the insta-love trope so the romance was a little disappointing, even though there was an attempt to explain it both as ~past connection~ and as ~destiny~

There was a somewhat cool twist that I did not foresee (and somewhat still don’t really understand) but other than that, the story felt formulaic and predictable. I found the side characters more interesting, to be honest.

As always, glad that this was a low spice, closed-door? romantasy and especially glad that this was set in a queernorm world. Homophobes still exist, though, so beware. Also cw for snake attacks, animal cruelty, torture, and (very) mild violence/gore.

Ever since I saw the cover I knew I wanted to read this, and was able amidst the rest of things going on in life did pick it up it was a sort of sweet spot intersection I needed among other subjects I've been reading. Legend of the White Snake is a retelling of well, the legend of the white snake, considered one of China's greatest folk tales, but with the twist that the snake spirit here is a young man instead of a woman, and as there are various versions/retelling as you do with old stories, it's neat to see a sort of more modern-written take (though the setting is the same/similar as the tales). It's not YA but it does feel more YA-leaning and that's fine actually, it made it a quick read that I enjoyed throughout, and watching Xian fall for this beautiful (snake) boy, even if quickly, was a delight, and the conflicts, while very high stakes, still had some feeling of everything will be all right in the end, which is just what I wanted at this time.

The story is rife with Chinese tradition, culture, and ritual, which seems like a great intro to a lot of people and a nice familiarity to those already familiar with culture itself, and a lovely little addition (or intro) into xianxia fantasy stories with that hit of danmei flavor.

I think the story was made more with Qing as Zhen's sister-friend and Feng as Xian's bodyguard-friend, like sure, a friend is a potential weakness but also someone to tease you about falling for the prince! Oops! Friends and found family are so important, especially in a rigid royalty-type structure and also when you're just a little snake guy navigating the human world.

This is one of the very rare times I reached out to the author on Instagram like Mona-Lisa Saperstein, "widget pleeeease!" and I'll be continuing to purchase Sher Lee's books until I have some reason not to. Thank you to Lee, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books for granting access to the eARC in exchange for review!

4.5 ⭐️
thank you to the author for the arc! *HELP I JUST REALIZED I NEVER LINKED MY REVIEW HERE*

i don't even know how but this book managed to make me sob and i needed like 24 hours to recover. i've always loved this myth/legend, i distinctly remember my mom reading about this to me when i was young and i absolutely adored this retelling! this book has me screeching and pulling my hair out but also kicking my feet (mentally bc i read the majority of this sitting 3 m away from my teacher). personally, i think this book started off a bit slow but i literally couldn't stop after i got a bit more into it. the plot was very interesting, the big twist honestly had me "???" for a whole minute before i could continue reading. also, the romance was just soo sweet i love them sm, their chemistry was so natural. i was so attached to the characters i could feel myself experience everything that was happening in the book and let's just say the last few chapters literally destroyed me...

anyways, i highly recommend this book is you want your heart torn out <33

Touching and unique.

I was intrigued from the start and engrossed through the finish. I loved the romance, the destiny, the twists, and the heartbreak. Sher Lee poured so much emotion into this story, and I felt it all.

I can safely say Sher Lee is now an auto-buy author for me.

While I’m usually a sucker for worldbuilding, this book had very minimal. It was just enough to keep the plot compelling. It was not a turn off for me at all. While the characters felt a little underdeveloped, I also adored them from the start. Their relationships were strong. Family, platonic friendship, duty, found family, and romance were all mixed in so beautifully.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc of this title. All opinions are my own.

Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5

Review:
I was impressed 💯 by how Sher introduced the Chinese culture, e.g. Making and drinking tea, their clothing, the magical elements to the readers while keeping true to the original story, thus giving readers an in-depth of the Chinese culture without giving headaches.

The meet- cute meeting between Zhen and Xian did manage to capture my heart! It was so so sweet and definitely swoon worthy! I loved Qing, Feng and Fahai. Their characters were amazing. The simplicity of the plot makes it an easy light read for me. I did shed some mini tears at the end of the book 🤧

I didn't give it five or ten stars because I kinda feel like the love between Zhen and Xian developed too fast for my liking. Nevertheless, it was one of my best reads in 2024.

If you love xianxia, danmeis and Chinese mythology, this book is for you!

I didn't really know what to expect going into this, but I ended up enjoying this immensely.

Look, it's very YA. It's got a lot of trope's. I figured out who the villain was on page 18. This wasn't some epic adventure story. What it is: A super cute, sweet romance full of family (actual and found), good friends, love, myth, magic and hope. I really loved all the characters. I also loved all the culture in this. I don't actually know a lot about the original myth or Chinese culture, but I loved learning about it through this story. It was a fast, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read.

I also finished this on the Chinese New Year - Year of the Snake...so it felt especially fortuitous.

Zhen and Xian: xoxoxo

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

DNF @ 15%
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books for the eARC copy!

I had such a hard time starting this one - I am unsure if I am just not used to Chinese myth stories or how they work, but this just was not for me. I waited until my local library had the audiobook copy available and was able to make it to the 15% mark before I DNFed. The characters are very interesting, and I like the start of the world building - however, I could not get into the writing style completely. Word choices and descriptions used were not my cup of tea YA wise.

But while this book did not work for me, I hope it can work more for others. I plan to read similar stories to familiarize myself in how stories like this work and understand the background mythos better and try again another time.

So so cute!!!!! The characters were well fleshed out and the writing style was very easy to get through. Sher Lee always writes the sweetest romances ever, I’m so happy I was able to read this

This book is everything: angsty, atmospheric, and heartbreakingly romantic. Legend of the White Snake takes a classic Chinese folktale and weaves it into a lush queer romance that will have you clutching your chest. Zhen and Xian’s connection is electric, full of longing and quiet, stolen moments that you know are building toward a devastating reveal—and oh, does Sher Lee deliver the pain. The world feels alive with magic and tension, and the stakes are as sharp as a blade. If you’re into forbidden love, folklore, and protagonists who would burn the world down for each other, this one’s for you

In this romantic and exciting retelling of a traditional Chinese folktale, readers follow Prince Xian on his quest to find a spirit pearl belonging to a white snake since the original pearl he found, seven years before the events of this book, was eaten by Zhen, a white snake spirit who can change into human form. Meeting in Changle, Xian and Zhen are drawn to each other, and Zhen is drawn into Xian’s quest, but the truth of Zhen’s identity may just destroy any chance of a happy ending. Alternating between their perspectives throughout the novel, readers discover the world of spirits and mysticism in the kingdom and how it affects the royal family. With two complex protagonists unknowingly on opposite sides, the tension and drama is certainly present in this novel, especially since the tension is not only over the pearl but over their feelings. The other characters -- humans and spirits alike -- help develop this world and provide necessary juxtaposition to Xian and Zhen and their relationship. Sher Lee’s worldbuilding in this novel is particularly excellent through the different spirit characters, those who use the spirits’ powers for evil, and the other characters, all of whom bring this fascinatingly complex world to life.

I loved both the main character. The story was fun. I had some issues with the pacing occasionally, but I think that was just a minor problem on my end. The reveal for the plot twist was very good.

Review: 5 Stars

Sher Lee’s Legend of the White Snake shattered my heart in the best way possible. It’s an emotional story and a beautiful romance. The story of Xian and Zhen is everything—soft, star-crossed, and filled with high stakes. Their love felt real, tender, and transformative, and I was hooked on their journey from start to finish.

Lee’s poetic writing brought Imperial China to life, weaving rich cultural details with themes of sacrifice, love, and forgiveness. The ending had me sobbing, but the epilogue gave me hope. A must-read for fans of folklore, fantasy, and love stories that break and heal you.

"Legend of the White Snake" was a simplistic and entertaining story. The cover is absolutely stunning, probably my favorite thing about the book. I liked the plot and how the drama built up the suspense towards the inevitable discovery. The fantastical parts were interesting and easy to understand. However, I do wish there was more depth to the characters and plot. And although I'm not familiar with the folktale this story is based on, this was a good fantasy read.

Thanks again to Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

Sher Lee writes another sweet gay romance YA, this time taking on the fantasy genre.

Legend of the White Snake delivers a forbidden romance between Prince Xian and snake spirit Zhen. This is a bit of insta-love, but I enjoyed seeing their initial connection grow into something more, even when the truth comes out. The main villain was a surprise and felt not fleshed out enough, but this book gave us a happy ending I enjoyed.

This is an interesting and unique queer fantasy romance!

Brings to mind xianxia Chinese dramas! If you're a fan of the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, I highly recommend you read this. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was that it was a little too insta-love for me, which is NOT my favorite trope. Give me slow burn ANY DAY. With that said, this is still quite enjoyable.

In most versions, the tale chronicles the scholar's encounter with the snake spirit-turned-human on a boat, eventually falling in love and getting married before opening a medicine shop (or an apothecary). Then a temple abbot named Fahai warns the scholar about Suzhen's true nature as a white snake, which is revealed during the festival when she drinks a realgar wine, a reveal that unfortunately shocks Xian so much that it kills him. Suzhen then travels to find a way to resurrect her love, a feat she succeeds, yet, Xian still fears her identity and gets imprisoned by Fahai to protect him. He realizes her genuine love when she saves him again, being reunited and having a child on the next journey.

As a Chinese-descent Singaporean, Sher Lee is very familiar with how the legend goes, so her aim in recontextualizing the story is to pay the highest respect to the source despite implementing her own vision and twist in the process. Some apparent changes are notable in Sher Lee's concept; the folktale retelling transforms into a queer rendition with the shift in Bai Suzhen's gender from female to male, the use of the word "Zhen" and "Qinq" in describing the snake-human mutants instead of their full names (Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing), the replacement of Xu Xian's occupation from a mere scholar to an intelligent second born prince of a sick concubine, and the alteration of Fahai from a monk leader to a court advisor.

Another change is the additional fantasy plot embedded in the novel. Sher Lee attaches the storyline of Xu Xian seeking the elusive white snake in hopes of creating the cure for his sickly mother due to being bitten by a snake years before the present events, in which the snake happens to be Zhen, who has transformed into a human because of the magical pearl he accidentally swallows at the same time as Xian's mother being bitten.

The changes implemented in the novel do not disturb the fundamental storyline of the source. Instead, they elevate what's already there and transpose the story to execute the quite intricate themes about divine beliefs and cultural traditions; examples are evident in the way Sher Lee often takes time to input passages that define sacred customs and ethnic conventions related to the story, or the mythical lores built and emphasized by the Chinese people for generations. It also enriches the topic of family and duty, which are something intrinsically latched onto Chinese myths that become the characteristics in their world-building as well, through the role modification of Xu Xian in this novel.

As many Asian novels go, or other novels by authors of color, there will be unfamiliar terms penned in the narrative that use the native tongue of the authors. It's no different for Lee, who aims to display the cultural element of the story. She provides a contextualized definition of the phrases and customs in a dynamic exposition, using dialogues and interactions as a medium to give new perspectives and knowledge to the readers.

While I have no familiarity with the textual origin, I believe that the characterization in the novel maintains the essential, original personalities of each character. Let's discuss Xu Xian first.

I am not exactly sure if this is a trend in Asian-inspired fantasy, but Xian shares similar traits of independence, courage, playfulness, and intelligence as his fellow princes, such as Liwei (from Daughter of the Moon Goddess) and Takkan (from Six Crimson Cranes). Moreover, Xian is highlighted to exude profound empathy in his words and actions thoughtful despite the naivety he emanates due to his age. And yet to my surprise, Xian is unexpectedly a humorous and sassy character; his penchant to speak so bluntly is vastly entertaining, particularly when he attempts to clock someone for their deceit and manipulation.

Meanwhile, as a snake spirit, Zhen exhibits quite a different personality from Xian, such as being forgiving, kindhearted, and naturally inclined to protect all forms of life, and similar attributes to Xian, like intelligence and inherent curiosity to learn. This personality bleeds through his character arc throughout the story, notably in his reflection on his mistakes and determination to set things right despite his fear of his own fate in return. Perhaps, relating to the discussion of themes, Zhen's character arc finds itself to embody the theme of duty—in a different aspect that is much more humane than the usual attribute to royal responsibilities.

Their not-so-different personalities make the romantic alliance between Xian and Zhen intriguing and gut-wrenching, partly because we dread the upcoming truth and potential star-crossed ending with one of them sacrificing their life, and another part is their chemistry with one another just hits off right from the beginning. The build-up from their introduction to the blooming relationship, then tragedies, and lastly, the resolution as soulmates is threaded nicely; well-written with perfect pacing that doesn't feel too fast or too slow.

Moving to the side characters, Qinq truly embodies the role of a sister far younger than Zhen (although, I might suspect they're not that far in age gap). She's headstrong as much as she is reckless, bold, and adventurous, yet, oozes the same kindhearted charisma as her stepbrother. Feng, an original creation by Sher Lee, is that overprotective best friend or brother who is mostly blunt and terse in his mannerisms, but occasionally shows wisdom in certain times. Sher Lee might be setting them up as a side couple in the narrative judging by their interaction, and I find myself not minding it at all. In fact, I hope that Lee would be generous enough to write a small story about their adventure together post-novel.

Speaking of Fahai, well, this has anything to do with the third act of the book itself—it is surprisingly quite disappointing in execution.

Fantasy novels will definitely feature characters that position themselves as enemies, of course, as Sher Lee has also done the same thing with Wang and Fahai in her version of Legend of the White Snake. While Wang, another original creation by Lee, is fairly treated by a small background story that encourages his treacherous actions, Lee's writing of Fahai does not implement the same treatment, especially when Fahai is considered the main villain. I wish Lee would've written clues, hints, or any kind of foreshadowing regarding Fahai's deception because the reveal of his true nature springs out of nowhere and feels out of place. Not to mention, the resolution in defeating Fahai at the end is also equally dissatisfying—it looks too simple for someone ready to maximize the horrors of torturing someone else for personal gains.

Nonetheless, the overall verdict of Legend of the White Snake is that this book is recommended for those who love fantasy novels as much as they desire to search for queer representation in the more folktale-inspired mythical subgenre, in which Sher Lee honors all aspects in grace and fascination.

A sweet retelling of the Chinese legend of the white snake. While I will absolutely be giving this to teens I don't think it's particularly special. There are lots of moments of infodumping and it has a slow start. perfect for fans of c-dramas though.