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larryhammerContinuing my Chinese reading kick, this one a YA fantasy: Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon.
The story itself is solid: to evade an arranged marriage (being imposed not by her own family, but upon her defenseless mother) Ai Ling sets out for the capital to find her father. Cue road trip through a secondary world that's a thinly veiled early Sung Dynasty, complete with folkloric monsters, during which Ai Ling slowly discovers there's more to what's going on (and what she is) than she initially, or even thirdly, believes. That said, while the story's solid, it took a while to engage me -- took a couple days to read the first half, but then I read the second half in an evening. The climax is strong, and best of all, Pon nailed, bolted, and riveted the ending. 10.0 for the dismount.
Part of the problem is, I think, that the setting and sensory descriptions are initially not very strong -- the Imperial Palace was the first place I felt like I was there, which contrasted particularly to the somewhat bland Island of the Immortals, which the Imperial Palace should be aspiring to be when it grows up. On the one hand, I liked that Pon didn't exoticize the setting -- Ai Ling is used to her town and surroundings, and so details there do not get called out. On the other hand, I missed the vividness that comes with orientalizing. It's possibly unfair that the last China-based fantasies I've read were Journey to the West, which has enough vividness and energy to power a small city in a developing country, and Twelve Kingdoms, which is out to explore its world in the way of western high fantasies. Unfair, but I was unable to avoid comparing it to them.
Possibly it's just me, but I'm bemused at how much nudity there is in this YA novel -- two significant action scenes, Ai Ling is naked and quite aware of it.
But best of all, China-based fantasy! in mainstream YA! Worth supporting for that alone, but possibly by way of library or paperback.
Other takes: reviews by oyceter & rachelmanija.
---L.
The story itself is solid: to evade an arranged marriage (being imposed not by her own family, but upon her defenseless mother) Ai Ling sets out for the capital to find her father. Cue road trip through a secondary world that's a thinly veiled early Sung Dynasty, complete with folkloric monsters, during which Ai Ling slowly discovers there's more to what's going on (and what she is) than she initially, or even thirdly, believes. That said, while the story's solid, it took a while to engage me -- took a couple days to read the first half, but then I read the second half in an evening. The climax is strong, and best of all, Pon nailed, bolted, and riveted the ending. 10.0 for the dismount.
Part of the problem is, I think, that the setting and sensory descriptions are initially not very strong -- the Imperial Palace was the first place I felt like I was there, which contrasted particularly to the somewhat bland Island of the Immortals, which the Imperial Palace should be aspiring to be when it grows up. On the one hand, I liked that Pon didn't exoticize the setting -- Ai Ling is used to her town and surroundings, and so details there do not get called out. On the other hand, I missed the vividness that comes with orientalizing. It's possibly unfair that the last China-based fantasies I've read were Journey to the West, which has enough vividness and energy to power a small city in a developing country, and Twelve Kingdoms, which is out to explore its world in the way of western high fantasies. Unfair, but I was unable to avoid comparing it to them.
Possibly it's just me, but I'm bemused at how much nudity there is in this YA novel -- two significant action scenes, Ai Ling is naked and quite aware of it.
But best of all, China-based fantasy! in mainstream YA! Worth supporting for that alone, but possibly by way of library or paperback.
Other takes: reviews by oyceter & rachelmanija.
---L.