MIDDLE GRADE SPECULATIVE FICTION (Fantasy): Mulan -- Before the Sword by Grace Lin
ABOUT THE BOOK
Family is important to Hua Mulan-even if her parents don't
understand why she would rather ride her horse, Black Wind, than weave,
or how her notorious clumsiness can be so different from the graceful
demeanor of her younger sister, Xiu. But despite their differences,
Mulan has a deep love for her family, especially Xiu. So when her sister
is bitten by a poisonous spider, Mulan does everything she can to help,
including seeking out a renowned healer. However, it quickly becomes
apparent that there is more to both the mysterious spider bite and the
healer than meets the eye.
On a quest with the
Jade Rabbit of legend, Mulan visits extraordinary places, meets
Immortals, and faces incredible obstacles while searching for an
antidote for her sister. And the danger only rises when Mulan learns of a
prophecy foretelling that a member of the Hua family will one day save
the Emperor . . . and of the powerful enemies who will stop at nothing
to prevent it from coming to pass.
REVIEW
Grace Lin has produced another great book. I've long been a Mulan fan so when I heard about this book I was excited to read it. It did not disappoint. As she did in her Where the Mountain Meets the Moon series, Lin has combined tales of Chinese folklore with her original tale of Mulan before she joins the army and saves the emperor. In this story, Mulan's sister is bitten by a nine-legged spider and has little time to live. Mulan joins forces with a healer who turns out to be the immortal Jade Rabbit to gather the ingredients necessary to save her sister. But things get really complicated when the evil White Fox intervenes to stop Mulan and Rabbit. A prophecy about a member of the Hua family saving the emperor turns out to be at the heart of it all. Enormous challenges face Mulan and Rabbit, will they be able to make the antidote in time or will the White Fox prevail?
I found the book to be compelling and full of fascinating tidbits of folklore. It's always interesting to me to read about folktales that I am not familiar with and the Jade Rabbit certainly fits that description. The folktales are integrated beautifully into the story, each placed carefully to move the story forward to it's fitting conclusion without giving away too much along the way. I also appreciated the fact that Mulan faces some challenges on her own, without immortal help, allowing her strengths and courage to shine through, even though she doesn't see those strengths herself. Another winning tale by talented writer Grace Lin. Highly recommended.
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