This book was such a bittersweet ending for these characters' stories. I was screaming, crying, throwing up about all of it. The angst, thee decisions, the journey, the magic. Everything was exactly what I was looking for. I'm both devestated and happy with the ending and can't wait to see what happens next. Every single on of these characters is so deliciously flawed and I want to give all of them a hug. I never could have guessed where this story went and I just hope we get more from this world in the future.

An engaging sequel as we follow Meilin with her internal struggle against the dragon and her spirit power, as well as her external struggles to maintain status in the palace and navigate uncertainty between love interests. This one focuses more on the palace politics and gender roles, which felt like a mix of historical and xianxia genres. Readers who enjoy a blend of action, intrigue, and flawed main characters will enjoy this one. Will be recommending to readers of Shelley Parker-Chan, R.F. Kuang, Sue Lynn Tan, and Ann Liang.

While this was a little slower than the first book and the plot is a bit of a turn, I really loved this!

Meilin is not for you if you expect a FMC to have linear growth and development--she spends the whole book internally battling about keeping her power or giving it up to save herself. Her arc as she learns what her REAL power is and chooses to pursue that and a life is incredible--I love her and I hope she has a happy fictional life--lord knows she deserves it!!

I also loved her relationship arc with Sky a LOT. I'm probably going to be in the minority there, but it was great and I don't want to spoil anything with how it ends. But no notes, and we need more of that for SURE.

My biggest gripe is with the pacing--there are a lot of sections (especially the ending??) that I feel were the most important and interesting parts of the book, but they didn't get the pages dedicated to them that they should have. And the beginning of the book felt a tad long for the set up. It DOES work long term, but it definitely feels like it could have been organized in a different way to even out the pacing a tad.

Overall I really loved this and I hope there's another book to continue the story after that ending--it would definitely make it feel less rushed and give Meilin a chance to use her "new" power.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I am so invested to this series and i am not disappointed! but i have the love triangle trope btw..........

Thanks to Berkley pub for this ARC. Wow, what a great way to end this series. I have to say the first book was difficult to get through in that Meilin is a horrible and selfish person. She has a hunger for power and freedom that overrides sense and compassion but this book is her now facing the outcomes of her choices and finally growing. I strongly encourage those who struggled with the first to read this book because I loved it. The book starts with her actual imprisonment and continues with a sort of imprisonment for quite a while. A woman is imprisoned by her gender in this world and I connected with her struggles to survive when men literally hold the keys. There were many memorable characters, mostly women, who I found intriguing. The author is brutal and a lot of people died. This is a war between kingdoms and the spirit world and the human world. There are difficult choices to be made and Meilin wants to make the best ones for her life but finds the cost too great. I finally found empathy for Meilin in this book and was able to support her as she journeyed all over to save the world and herself. There are no true heroes in this story and everyone betrays everyone. It was a wild ride and a unique fantasy story that I enjoyed quite a bit.

The Dragon Wakes with Thunder is an end to the The Night Ends with fire duology by K.X. Song that I've loved. It was such an emotionally charged ride that ended in the most satisfying conclusion. I hope there are more stories to come in this universe as the worldbuilding was truly so well done and allowed for an immersive reading experience. Really looking forward to reading more from K.X. Song!

Thank you to Berkley for the e-ARC via The Berkley Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices!

Oh my gosh I'm obsessed with this duology!!! As a massive Mulan fan this gave me everything I loved about the original story but added layers of complexity that made this such a rich story. This book built on the conversations about the limited ways women can access power in such a natural way. Book 1 focused on Meilin grabbing for power outside of the system while this book focuses on what it would look like to attempt to hold power within the system. Watching Meilin navigate the conflict between her craving for power and societal expectations was fascinating. The prose is beautiful and thought-provoking and I didn't want to put this book down. I loved the politics, the court intrigue, and the bit of romance that we get. This series is definitely going to stick with me.

Amazing conclusion! Fast paced, kept to the want of being recognized and remembered. Watching the change in the characters were amazing and the tension between the love interests was great. There is more build up on the spirit magic and the spirits themselves. Flew through the book!

The Dragon Wakes with Thunder was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I truly hoped for an explosive sequel. Sadly, this one missed the mark for me.

Meilin, who should’ve been a compelling lead, became almost impossible to cheer for. She came across as selfish, and instead of feeling like she was fighting for freedom or helping others, her actions felt unlikable and contradictory.

On the other hand, I adored Lei — easily my favorite character since book one.

The author is undeniably a talented storyteller, but overall, this wasn’t the sequel I had hoped for. I wanted to love it, but it just didn’t work for me.

The Dragon Wakes with Thunder is a compelling, high fantasy, Mulan retelling that fuses courtly intrigue, shifting loyalties, mythic power, and the ache of impossible choices. In this second book, Meilin is bound to a conniving, evil dragon who seeks to use her power and political sway for his own purposes. On top of that, she also faces personal betrayal from those she trusts, forcing her to make heart wrenching decisions between her love and conscience.

Meilin’s fearsome reputation leads her to be hated and feared by some, and trapped by others. She must fight for her freedom, and decide if having her name be remembered is worth the destruction of the world. I loved this book. It was fast-paced, had a swoon-worthy romantic subplot, and was bursting with female rage. Definitely give this series a try!

Thank you to Ace, Berkley, Penguin Random House, K. X. Song, and NetGalley for the ARC.

📔The Dragon Wakes with Thunder
✏️ K. X. Song
📆 August 19, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🐉 Mulan retelling
🐉 dangerous magic
🐉 untrustworthy dragon
🐉 court politics
🐉 enemies to lovers
🐉 morally grey characters
🐉 female rage

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and I was not disappointed. The chaos, the betrayal, the heartbreak. It's all there and more. There is a small spicy scene, but it doesn't deter from the story. I love who she ends up with and I love seeing Meilin be a flaw character. It adds to your want to see her succeed and be happy.

The author wrote this book because neither the fluffy disney version of Mulan nor the traditional tales satiated her need for a story that sets Mulan in a truly empowering way. The author wrote this inspired by the story of Mulan but with a realistic demise. Things would not end like a fairy tale but things won’t end in a way that supports the oppression of women. This series (so far) truly delivers on a story about a woman who would stop at nothing for her freedom. She is not dutiful to her country or her abusive father. She spends every moment fighting for her freedom and putting her ultimate freedom above small pleasures or immediate satisfaction. It is incredibly powerful to read a female main character who is flawed and strong willed. She will not let anything get in the way of her freedom from the life that her culture tells her she has to live. Asian cultures often define a “good” woman as someone who does not ruffle feathers nor make waves. A silent obedience and grateful attitude are all that is expected from a woman. Hai Meilin (our Mulan) wants none of that. She wants to be a warrior because a warrior means freedom from the life she would have otherwise.

This second installment continues the journey and it’s interesting that it starts off with her imprisonment and freedom (continued imprisonment) as Sky’s beloved. She convinces herself that with her love for Sky, she can make changes as a wife and partner. Her choices then are in support of Sky’s agenda for power. The push and pull between what power means to her and the difference between power for good and power for greed was an incredible journey to read. Song, really brought something new to this journey. Such a pivotal installment to the journey of Meilin.

Unfortunately, this was a massive miss for me. The 1st book was on shaky ground to begin with, and this follow up just made the whole story go downhill. It read like a sequel that didn't need to exist, and I'm comfortable saying that this all should've just been one 600 pg book. Splitting it in half did it no favors considering book 1 had way more active plot and characters worth rooting for.

This book made Meilin completely unlikeable. I was not rooting for her at any moment and I found it hard to believe that anyone was rooting for her. She was selfish and power hungry and that would be fine but the way she's written wants you to believe she's doing it to be free or that she's doing it to help others. Like, no! She's doing it because she's corrupted. Her motivations regularly conflicted with her actions and it took her the whole book to become honest with herself about what she had going on.

Her continuous trust of the dragon even though the entirety of book 1 is her realizing the dragon is power hungry and evil makes no sense. The whole reason you're in this situation to begin with is because of the dragon!!!!

The love story? Why does it exist? I didn't like either of the romance choices in book 1 but if I had to pick one, I would've chosen Sky. This entire story is character assassination on his behalf. Meilin treats him terribly chapter after chapter and he's so down bad and in love until suddenly, he loves her so much that he's physically abusing her? HUH? It felt so out of left field for his character that I was getting whiplash. I know it was supposed to be type of representation for how all the men in her life did her dirty and can't be trusted but .....wrong vessel for that message.

The romance ends up switching to Lei who is also in love with her while attacking her and really it had me exhausted. You need to be single sis!

To add, the plot was slow and had nothing interesting making me want to keep reading. The palace politics were interesting to an extent, but again, I struggled finding someone to root for. Everyone can't be evil. There needs to be someone willing to do good to make this all worth it in the end.

By the halfway point I was reading just to read and get it over with. Sad that a story that started off interesting ended so badly.

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley!

A stunning conclusion to this duology, The Dragon Wakes with Thunder is a tale of self-discovery and growth that explores power dynamics, gender expectations, and the cost of wielding power. It is also a tale of love, loss, redemption, and the legacies we leave behind.

The ending is bittersweet, haunting, yet realistic.

I'd be very open to reading more stories set in this universe.

3.75 STARS

Both books in this series had so much heart and soul and I really felt like the journey Melin went on in this story was so real. The power struggles and the desire to fight for your place as a woman in society is something that resonates with so many and I think it was well done here. There was a ton of plot points that were overlapping with a lot of political maneuvering and although I felt some points could be a bit repetitive, I still think it was a great overall story with an ending I didn't expect. Feels like there may be a little left open for potential to return to this world in the future, which I'm not mad about. Would return to this world, and the author's stories in a heartbeat.

Some Tropes I Love:
- Occasionally morally gray FMC
- Spirit/Elemental Magic
- Feminine Rage
- Love Triangle
- Political Intrigue
- Magic as a Burden

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! #TheDragonWakeswithThunder #NetGalley

4.5 stars!! This one is definitely much better than the first! It still gave some pretty big Poppy War vibes but the FMC was a lot quicker at catching onto things and her growth was really great to read!

If you liked Mulan, Poppy War, or even Manacled - you’ll enjoy these two books!

I’m definitely curious if there will be a third considering how this one ended!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the Advanced copy!!

The bittersweet finale in the fantasy Mulan retelling featuring betrayals, dragons, and love triangles as one woman must see how far she will go for power and just how much she is willing to risk to make a name for herself. Picking up where the last book left of Meilin is thrown in prison but is offered an escape... if she marries Prince Liu Sky and becomes his wife. Yet she is suffering from withdrawal and also the fact that the dragon she is bond to is trying to not only take over her body but use her as his own puppet.... and then there is the prince's other brother, Lei, who is as cunning as he is handsome... who understands Meilin more than anyone else... Meilin finds herself navigating not only court but the deadly spirits as well as realizing that her heart lies between the prince who saved her but might not be the one her heart yearns for, who does not see who she is now and will do anything to force her to be what he wants or the other prince who tortured her... but sees her for who she truly is and who will go to any length to prove his love to her. This was definitely an interesting finale to the series, I definitely loved the first book more but the stand out character for me is Lei in this one. Oh how I adored him so much and honestly that ending made me kinda bitter for him. I get what the story was trying to do but my boy deserved a bit of a happier ending after everything. Overall its a fantastic action packed series filled with intrigue, romance, and is a propelling read!

Release Date: August 19, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A great read this book had such  immersive storytelling, between the Chinese mythological lore the character work & the action this book is a amazing read.

The Dragon Wakes With Thunder is K.X. Song’s epic, serene, breathtaking second book conclusion to Meilin’s story. Like in the first book, Song uses Three Acts (Parts) and missives and sections from real and fictional historical texts at the beginning of each chapter, as parts of the story’s main structure and skeleton, which was very immersive and enriching for me.
In Part I, we resume where we left off at the end of The Night Ends With Fire, where Meilin chooses a literal prison sentence over the shackles of living as “a proper, respectable woman” waiting to become someone’s wife back at her father’s home. Meilin has to endure physical and mental torture before she (and her love!) find a way to escape her imprisonment…and becomes a royal political ally to Prince Liu Sky.
In Part II, Meilin knows she must leave the red haze of palace life behind, for the war and fight is not truly over yet.
In Part III, Meilin, on the brink of death from lixia addiction, must face off in one last battle against the Dragon Spirit, who has given her the most physical power she has ever had and will ever know.
Meilin must make the hardest decision of her life thus far to give up her spirit power or succumb to its addictive power. Is the knowledge of and lived experience from said power the key to creating the life she envisions for herself?
The Dragon Wakes With Thunder ended me. I felt and feel lucky to be alive at the same time this story was published. This duology was so emotionally and psychologically satisfying to read, and it was a masterclass in speculative fiction, tension, and romantic love. I encouraged my "audience" to add it to their personal library collections!
Thank you @kxsongwrites for writing and sharing this story.
I was inspired to provide additional reading suggestions to my "audience" based on K.X. Song's Author's Note.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Dragon Wakes with Thunder will publish on August 19, 2025.

The Dragon Wake with Thunder is the sequel to The Night Ends with Fire (a retelling of Mulan). It deals with the fallout from the first novel in a society where women are expected to get married and take care of the household, not fight in battle. A lot of action, especially towards the second half of the novel, high stakes plot and morally grey characters. Major themes include ambition for power, a woman's role, and loyalty vs betrayal. While different than other novels I usually read, I enjoy reading the story and finding out what happens next. Personally, I find that the sequel to be stronger than the first novel in the series.