I have never read this author prior to THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE but I did live this story well enough. It had some of my favorite things.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I had no prior knowledge of this author before I requested this arc and did so purely because the plot sounded interesting. That being said, the execution unfortunately didn’t work for me. I thought the story was all over the place and it was hard to figure out what exactly the story was trying to achieve.

Fei is a character who is presented to be brave and strong-willed, but the story didn’t do much in the way of making her a likable character. I found her and the two male leads annoying, boring even.

The romance plot was also a bit hard to buy into. While Siwang’s love for Fei was believable, Yexue had exactly one interaction with her, and we were suddenly meant to believe they had this undeniable attraction... sigh

Lastly, I’m usually not a fan of love triangles because indecisiveness is a pet peeve, but I do occasionally give them a try. I can’t see why Fei would struggle to choose between two bad options in the story when she’ll be better off on her own.

Fei, has taken from her family as a child and is being groomed to marry the Crown Prince, but she changing all that when escapes to hunt a legendary tiger and then ends up bound to Yexue, the enigmatic vampire prince of a rival realm
There is an enemies to lover tension which makes the story intense.
There’s
Enemies to lovers
Battles
World building
Vampires
Supernatural element
And this was
A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick

I was looking forward to this one because I thought this author had good writing in her adult fantasy, but I wasn't a fan of the characters and was looking forward to seeing what she could do within the YA genre. I did like some aspects of it, but it ultimately ended up not being for me.

A lot of the writing felt repetitive, especially with how the MC talked about men, but still had feelings for the two main guys. I frankly didn't know what she say in them and felt both were terrible choices. I am usually a fan of love triangles but because I wasn't a fan of either pick it was just unbearable.

I was confused with timelines and trying to understand the politics of this world because it felt like loyalties were changing and it was never consistent which was fine but I would have liked more depth into it.

Overall, this was okay but it ended up being not for me.

Fei was prophesied to become the Empress of All Empresses, so she was taken from her family and raised in the palace. While she is intended to marry the Crown Prince, she is incredibly lonely. She decides to hunt a legendary tiger as a means to seize control of her destiny. This brings her into contact with Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom. He harbors dangerous magic and commands an army of vampires. To outrun destiny, Fei must change the world as she knows it.

Fei is incredibly angry with the lot in life she has, trapped in a gilded cage with no agency, meant to be used as property for Siwang's eventual glory. As much as the two genuinely care for and live with each other, Siwang never questions this and doesn't understand the simmering rage coiled inside of Fei. The first third covers life in Rong, and the tension between the kingdom and that of Lan, where Yexue is from. Both love her, which she questions because of the prophecy declaring her the Empress of all empresses, so the princes, emperor, and people of all kingdoms on the continent assume whoever marries her will be the emperor of all emperors.

From the gilded cage of the palace to going to war in her father's place like Fa Mulan, Fei continually strives to be her own woman. She tries to make choices for herself, feeling guilty for not being a good enough daughter. The final third of the novel is from a different perspective of the war, further complicating what we know about both princes and their role in Fei's life. She has the best interests of ordinary people in mind, not national pride or prophecy. It still hangs over her at the end of the novel, and I look forward to seeing what happens with it in future novels.

‘Never trust powerful men’s words.’ A prophecy, a girl destined to become the "empress of all empresses," and a quest to gain freedom and her own place in the world make Fei’s journey a compelling one. It gave me Mulan vibes at times, but with unique magical twists that kept things fresh and unpredictable. I was genuinely curious to see what Fei would do next, this is an adventurous and empowering read!

The Nightblood Prince was the Mulan retelling I didn’t know I needed. It was a beautifully written, excellent YA romantasy brimming with female rage, defiance, prophecy, and magic. It had rich world building, vibrant Chinese folklore, high stakes political intrigue, an interesting take on vampires, and the beginnings of an intriguing love triangle.

I loved Fei as a protagonist. She was courageous, determined, and fought for the future she wanted, instead of letting men determine her life. She turned down an arranged marriage, even though it was to her best friend who she loved, because she knew he would become corrupt with too much power, and because she was willing to sacrifice her own happiness to save her kingdom.

Siwang and Yexue are enemy princes of warring kingdoms and both want Fei, to use her for her prophecy and also because they both have feelings for her. They are both morally grey and both do terrible things to try and win the war, but I have a clear favorite and it’s Yexue. He’s misunderstood and villainized for things outside of his control, but he’s willing to listen to what Fei wants and to try and give it to her. He doesn’t push his will on her, but gives her the facts and lets her come to her own conclusions.

This book set things up perfectly for the next one, and I’m so excited to see where Fei’s journey takes her. If you want a high-stakes YA romantasy with a strong-willed heroine fighting against her destiny, warring kingdoms, dangerous magic, vampires, Mulan vibes, and two love interests, definitely pick this up!

Thank you to Get Underlined, Random House Books for Young Readers, Random House Children’s Books, Penguin Random House, Molly X. Chang, and NetGalley for the eARC, physical ARC, and finished copy.

📔The Nightblood Prince
✏️ Molly X. Chang
📆 July 1, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

READ IF YOU LIKE:
⚔️ the “chosen” one
⚔️ Mulan retelling
⚔️ prophecy & visions
⚔️ magic & vampires
⚔️ warring kingdoms
⚔️ female rage
⚔️ morally grey characters
⚔️ beginning of a love triangle

I LOVED this book. I'll devour anything vampires, but this is such a delicious twist into the typical vampire genre. It's truly an incredible mash-up of elements from "Mulan" meets a "Helen of Troy"-esque character, and I was completely sucked in from start to finish. I loved the FMC and her development throughout the series and I cannot wait for book two!

First off I would like to thank NatGalley for the e-arc. I’d like to start but saying I am in a book slump during my read of this book. It took me awhile to get through it I found the main character Fei and both princes rather irritating. It felt like everyone just said the same thing over and over and then the book was done. I don’t think it was a bad book but I think I just expected more. If there is a sequel I think I would still read it.

I CAN’T BELIEVE I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH AN ARC. I’ve been quietly stalking the author’s socials for every snippet, teaser, and scrap of news—and now I’ll be holing myself up to fully devour this story in peace.

“As daughters, we were the property of our fathers. As wives, we were the property of our husbands. And one day, if we ever outlived our husbands, we would become the property of our sons.”

The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang is a lush, powerful fantasy steeped in Chinese mythology, court intrigue, and female defiance. From the moment of her birth, Li Fei has been fated for greatness, but raised as a pawn in others’ games. This is a story about reclaiming power, rewriting fate, and choosing oneself. It’s a love story, yes, but above all, it’s a declaration of autonomy.

Fei is one of those heroines you root for with your whole chest. Born into a life of political significance and emotional confinement, she’s been used, controlled, and commodified her entire life. Watching her slowly reclaim her voice and agency? Deeply satisfying.

And look, yes, this is technically a love triangle. But let’s be honest: there was never really a contest. Siwang lost me hard around the 30% mark, right about the time this exchange happened (paraphrased but spiritually accurate):

Him: I love you. I’ll only ever love you. I would do anything for you.
Her: So… no concubines?
Him: Oh, don’t be silly. Every nobleman needs a hundred lovers. It’s tradition.

Like. Sir. What?

Team Yexue forever. That is all.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s | Random House Books for Young Readers, and Molly X. Chang for the absolute <i>privilege</i> of receiving this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Molly X Chang came with an innovative C-Drama esque book and I was locked in 100%. Fei was fated to be the empress of all empresses but she craves a life outside of her fate and duty, but the emperor is not forgiving and exiles her and her family back to their home village. But when a war plagues the lands, it tests Fei's loyalty to the former prince she was bethrothed to, and the prince who operates in darkness, or so it seems. I need everyone to experience this book!

One of the most popular tropes in current romantasy is that of fated mates. By examining a lot of the inherent assumptions of this tropes, and of the idea of fairytale romance, Chang writes a unique book with reference to the tale of Mulan.

I admit, I was a little skeptical how Chang would get from the opening - her heroine, Fei was a peasant girl elevated to marry the crown prince when a prophecy claimed that she would be the empress of all empresses, to the Mulan inspired plot line where Fei takes her father's role in the army, but Chang keeps the plot tightly moving.

I loved that the book deconstructs how much power women are often given in fantasy is in being the motivation and inspiration for male actions, and being provided little agency within themselves. Chang also silently demonstrates that it is much easier to be unfulfilled and privileged than unfulfilled and impoverished, adding an economic layer to her critique. I also appreciated that Chang lets both of the love interests be unlikable in many ways. It's almost a cliche that love interests are "too intense" in fantasy, but Chang is able to deftly illustrate how difficult that would be for maintaining a relationship.

The book kept me guessing and I am excited to continue reading the series. Thanks to Random House for the early copy, and this will appeal to fans of Sue Lynn Tan and Lauren Roberts.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Molly Chang’s stories. She is quickly becoming an autobuy author for me. The Nightblood Prince was truly a story about Female Rage. Fei from the moment she was born had her fate decided for her. She became too precious to be around, a symbol for the future of the empire, whose future was built around marrying Siwang.

All she has ever wanted was the freedom make her own decisions and to not be stuck behind the same four walls. I loved her and her anger and her empathy and courage. She was such an amazing character. She truly stood up for herself and bravely took control of her destiny and turned it into something new and unknown. I really enjoyed her character arc and seeing how she handled the attention from both princes, the war, the prophecy, etc. She was in a position under so much pressure and yet she felt like the most reasonable thinker of them all and still no one would listen to her a woman.

While I did enjoy the romance, I would almost rather see Fei end up alone than with either of the men. However, I do have my preference and feel like with more books they could potentially develop into someone I like more as a character than I currently do. Both Yexue and Siwang had their faults, some felt bigger than others, but both intensely devoted to Fei in their own ways.

I honestly really enjoyed how the ending played out and am so excited for the next book already. This was so much fun and I am so happy that I was able to read it.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an earc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an eARC of The NightBlood Prince.

The book follows Fei, who's birth was foretold in a prophecy as a woman to be the Empress of all Empresses and who would unite the continent. I would describe Fei as someone with incredible foresight, whether from her gifts or from her personality, as she understands that her position as the betrothed to the Crown Prince doesn't necessarily guarantee her a great life--women do not enjoy the same freedom of men, and the Empress of all Empresses is no exception. Wanting a life of her own, she makes a set of decisions that changes not only the course of her life, but the course of two princes and the rest of the continent.

I'd describe the book as Mulan meets messy love triangle (which I absolutely love). Throw in an awkward one bed at the inn scene, two men who would burn the literal world down for her (not one, TWO), I would definitely read the second book.

Tired: Love triangles with two viable options
Wired: Love triangles with two men who should be stoned to death

I enjoyed reading this but it’s a bit of a mess. The pacing is all over the place and every scene with either love interest gave me the heebie jeebies. Fei is both an ultra dumbass and a feminist icon (supposedly). The dialogue was. . . Something.

Honestly the only thing pulling this one through for me was the setting, which really could’ve done with some more descriptions. We’re in a warring empire in an alternate historical China (idk era names my b), but with a twist - the enemy nation has vampires in their front lines. The descriptions of war and the consequences faced by regular people for the decisions of rulers was solid, but could’ve punched harder.

Thank you so much to Random House Children's for this e-ARC of The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang. This marks Chang's debut into the YA fantasy space, after her debut was the adult fantasy To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, which stirred up a lot of controversy. However, I wanted to give this book a fair shot. And I'm not sure if I'm glad that I did or not. I try to be kinder with the characters in YA books because the target audience is supposed to be no older than, to be generous, 19. But Fei was not someone I could honestly root for without constant reminders that 1) this is the first book so I should give her more of a chance and 2) she's a teenager. But! She struggles from a severe case of "not like other girls" and again, teenage girls want to claim they are different, that they are the only, and in this case, the author really tries to force it down your throat that she is the special chosen one! The empress of all empresses. She is a champion for feminism too, and what that means is that two guys are in love with her. And really, I can't be mad at the love triangle aspect because that was honestly why I bothered to read the book: I love a good dramatic teenage soap opera. The two love interests are both villains (so very Alex Aster and Lightlarkesque) and honestly? Their biggest crime was how boring they both were to me. They were villains, but they were also????? Really sure that Fei could do absolutely no wrong. I'm sure the author is very she is wrong but not really because she's morally grey, which???? There are also a lot of tropes because to me, the Mulan thing came out of NOWHERE????? I honestly have no idea what was going on but good for them, I guess. And good for whatever happens next. I would recommend this to a young adult looking for something to read with a lot of tropes, which is also most of the market these days, but I guess it's for fans of Lightlark and Powerless. Most of all, I just don't think the author's writing style is for me. It's repetitive, it's clunky, the social commentary is pretty heavy handed like the author kind of just wanted us to know exactly how she's thinking and that's great, but I just didn't like reading it.

Once again, I have fallen in love with the way she writes, the world she created, and its characters. I loved it so much that I could not put it down! It was so addicting!

Fei was born with a Phoenix mark on her forehead, and a prophecy declaring she would unite the continent and become the empress of all empresses. Despite her engagement from infancy to crown prince of Rong, Siwang, Fei desires freedom from the prophecy and her stifling life in the palace. Believing ending her engagement with the prince will prevent war, she breaks her engagement with Siwang. However, war still breaks out between Rong and Lan, whose prince regent Yexue is a vampire. Described as a mix between Helen of Troy and Mulan, The Nightblood Prince is a Chinese inspired fantasy with a supernatural twist.

I was drawn to The Nightblood Prince initially because of the stunning cover, but was really hooked by the premise. However, I do feel that the book ultimately fell short of my expectations. While certainly entertaining, I would not describe it as good. The prose is easy to read but overly simplistic, and often times too on the nose. It is very much telling and not showing. Setting, tone, characters--almost nothing is really described in this book, so it did not feel immersive. The feminist themes in this book also feel very juvenile. The main character Fei makes decisions based on her desire for independence, which I suppose I'm supposed to pat her on the back for, but ultimately she comes across as impulsive, selfish, and genuinely stupid. There is more of a suggestion of a plot than a genuine plot. None of the relationships between the characters are fully fleshed out. All that being said, this was a pretty quick and easy read, and I did want to know how it would end. I will probably read the sequel, and would still recommend this to someone looking for a quick, fun read they don't have to think too critically about.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion

If you enjoy YA fantasy with romance, vampires, witches, love triangles, and a retelling of Mulan (mixed in with a little of Helen of Troy, then you need you to pick up this book and read it. This book has a lot more in it as well supernatural elements, forced proximity, morally gray characters, filled with action and drama and so much more.

I really enjoy all of Molly X. Chang books so much, they have so much attention to details that most wouldn’t think of adding it’s not over done but done in a way that the readers get throughout the book. I like the fact that this author knows who to capture the readers and keeps them engaged throughout the book and even afterwards. I really want to know the ending of this story more, I have so many more questions now that I have finished this book and I can’t wait to see what is next for Fei, Yexue and Siwang. I loved that we got to know about the plot of the book in this one, but it was the characters in this book that really grabbed me and kept me there. I loved that we got to see character development between all the characters in this book but mostly for me it was Fei growth. With Fei is a girl that was born on the new year, with a blessing from the goddess and on the day of her birth it was prophesied that she would be the Empress of all Empresses, so she was whisked away to be trained in the ways of the court, taught to be obedient and honestly to be used as a pawn for political reasons. She was okay with it until she started to get older and now all she wants is to live her life the way that she wants, to break free from her prophecy and just be free to do what she wants and live her own life as she sees fit. However, with two kingdoms raging wars on each other she is supposed to sit back and watch everything unfold while being someone’s arm jewelry. With Siwang and Yexue… I am not sure who I am mad at the most, they’re both great men, but they’re fighting their own demons (and one of them more so), they both have a hard time with their feelings and knowing when to listen to the “woman” that they love/think they love. I can say that I am more leaning towards Yexue, but I think that is because I just want more answers and I think they fit well together. However, even he has a lot of graveling to do.

I really need book 2, and soon please because I have to have more answers and I need to know what prince to love and who to hate. Lol

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to review this book.

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.