Title: The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan
Author: Sherry Thomas
Publisher: Tu Books
Publication Date: September 10, 2019
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Summary
All her life, Mulan has trained for the duel that will determine her family’s fate. The duel that left her father paralyzed and that no one has one in years. If she wins, she brings her family honor and unites two legendary swords that have been apart since her father lost his duel.
However, war gets in the way. When a messenger comes to their village in northern China looking for soldiers, each family much send one member to fight. Mulan’s father can’t fight and her brother is too young, so she goes in their place.
But when she gets to her place in the army, things are more complicated than they seem. Placed in the princeling’s personal army due to her skill, both Mulan’s and the princeling’s secrets may place them in danger.
Review: The Magnolia Sword
I won an ARC of this in a giveaway thanks to Shelf Awareness! Mulan was probably my favorite Disney movie growing up, right there next to the Lion King. When I got the chance to read a more historically accurate account of Mulan, set in the actual time period when she existed, I jumped at the chance. And I’m so glad I did!
There’s a lot to learn in this book, especially if you’re only familiar with the Disney version of Mulan’s story. Personally, I knew a little about the original story from a class I took in college, but not a lot. In this book, she’s actually a trained fighter, able to pluck arrows out of the air blindfolded. Not only is she fighting in this war, but along the way she’s learning things about her family and their duel that she’s never known before. This all causes her to question herself, her identity, and what she’s really fighting for.
Written by a Chinese-American author, there are also notes in the back of the book about some of the language and cultural things included in the novel. This book really is a glimpse into early Chinese culture, with a lot of action, martial arts, and family drama thrown in as well. This retelling is rich and full of everything you could ever want in a Mulan story. There’s cultural accuracy, a badass heroine, a smattering of romance, and lots of excellent martial arts fighting. If you love Mulan, definitely pick this one up!
4/5 stars