The Night Ends with Fire

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Night Ends With Fire by K. X. Song
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Series: The Night Ends with Fire #1
Published by Ace, Penguin Random House Audio on July 2, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures
Length: 12 hours 35 minutes
Pages: 432
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Libro.fm

RAISED TO OBEY. DESTINED TO REBEL.
The Poppy War meets Six Crimson Cranes in this gripping crossover fantasy, inspired by Mulan and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin's father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry instead - but when she discovers that her husband-to-be is violent and ill-tempered, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father's place.

In the army, Meilin's hard work brings her recognition, friendship - and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner.

But as her kingdom barrels towards destruction, Meilin must decide who to trust: Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; a sea dragon spirit with the power to grant her impossible magic; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew - about her kingdom, her loyalty and her own heart.

Authors Love The Night Ends With Fire

'I devoured every page of this truly epic tale' THEA GUANZON

'Sweepingly epic and tenderly romantic, The Night Ends With Fire is a fiercely feminist adventure' AMÉLIE WEN ZHAO

'Adventure, romance and dragons abound in this fantastic tale' PATRICIA BRIGGS

'A breathless adventure and an unflinching portrayal of power, female ambition' GRACE D. LI

'A cinematic tale of epic proportions, with jaw-dropping twists and a take-no-prisoners heroine' AXIE OH

I enjoyed this book! I was intrigued by the fact that the story is a Mulan retelling and couldn’t wait to start reading. I had a lot of things going on in my life when I picked up this book but that is okay because it allowed me the time to savor the story. I read most of the book with my eyes and then went back to the beginning so I could experience the whole story in audio. I found this to be an incredibly entertaining story filled with just enough magic, and action to keep things interesting.

Meilin is going to be forced to marry a cruel man to help her family financially. She is skilled in qi gong so it makes some sense when she poses as a man and joins the army. She has some help from a dragon spirit that talks to her. I was always worried that her gender would be discovered as she worked to train with her unit. She contributes a lot to the overall effort and I was impressed by just how tough she was.

Natalie Naudus does a fantastic job with the narration of this story. I have had a lot of luck with her narration in the past and was excited to learn that she would voice this book. I thought that she was able to add just the right amount of emotion to her reading to really bring the story to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and I am certain that her performance added a lot to the excitement of the story.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a very well-done take on the Mulan legend and I liked the way that this story explored gender roles of the time. I felt for Meilin and wanted to see things work out for her. I hope to read more of this talented author’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from Ace and Penguin Random House Audio.

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