The night ends with fire by K.X Song

The Night Ends with Fire is a dark retelling of the Ancient Chinese folk story of Mulan, a young woman who disguises herself as a man, enlists in the army and finds great glory. Gone is the clumsy, naïve, and loveable heroine of the Disney imagining however, and in her place is Meilin, angry, troubled, and desperate to make a name for herself in a world of men.

Traumatised by her opium addicted father and haunted by her mentally ill mother’s death, Meilin reaches her breaking point when her father decides she must marry so he can clear his debts with her dowry. While the original Mulan is driven by filial piety, choosing to sacrifice herself for her aged and sickly father in the imperial draft, Meilin decides that the front line of a battle between war lords is preferable to her violent household and impending marriage.

Disguised as Ren, Meilin joins a squadron of other young conscripts. At first scorned for her small stature and lack of training, Meilin soon catches the eye of the battalion commander, the royal prince Sky. But as the two grow closer it becomes harder for Meilin to maintain her physical charade. Not only that, ever since she left home, Meilin has begun to hear voices. Is she going mad like her mother or is there something more deadly at work?

The Night Ends with Fire is a story characterised by strength – strong writing, strong world building and strong characters. Meilin is a well-developed and multi-layered figure whose emotional journey adds depth to the novel. Fans of emotional and character-driven stories will find The Night Ends with Fire particularly enjoyable. It is necessary to warn however that the novel contains some scenes and acts of violence and brutality. As such, it is best suited for an audience of sixteen years old and above.

Themes: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, War, Ancient China, Mythology, Magic.

Rose Tabeni