The Night Ends with Fire (The Dragon Spirit Duology)

Catherine

Highly Recommend!

"I’ll read it again. It was excellent! I enjoyed the world building, fantasy, action, adventure, and magic of it all! I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for those things in their next read! Thank you K.X. Song for the adventure! ["

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April 7, 2026 Verified Purchase

Maree LaRue

Great for Mulan and fantasy fans

"Yes, this has multiple scenes taken straight from Disney's Mulan (my favorite as a child) but it is still a well-detailed and deeper telling of this classic Chinese tale. I am not Chinese so I cannot speak to the cultural accuracy, but I very much enjoyed the ride! Meilin does not have Disney Mulan's happy home life but she does run to escape a marriage match. There is a dragon but he doesn't crack jokes and he has a very different goal than Meilin. The whole story is in first-person POV but through mind magic we get into other characters' heads and motivations. Lots of class and patriarchy commentary. Also on general prejudice against the unknown, which is as old as time. The romance subplot was interesting. I was glad that Meilin questioned Liu Sky and his actions. She doesn't think everything he does is perfect because she has a crush. When our love triangle becomes clear, she has to realize that she may be attracted to hot, bad guys. I vaguely knew this was the start of a series but it became clear at 70% that the story was not gonna wrap up in this book. While I hate cliffhangers (without the next book in hand) I appreciated the author's dedication to a more realistic ending with consequences. An ending for now, at least! Finally, the book does lightly address Meilin having to stop her periods, bind her breasts, and deal with homophobic slurs. All missing from Disney, of course, but important to quickly address in a novel. ["

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August 5, 2024 Verified Purchase

kari west

Mulan for adults!

"Did you love Mulan as a kid? Welcome to the darkside. The magic system is flawless. The characters are masterpieces. The plot had me on the edge of my seat. And the tension. Both hook one and two are incredible! Buy them! ["

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March 19, 2026 Verified Purchase

Laurie M.

Good story suitable for YA

"I initially picked up this book because it sounded interesting, and I admit the cover attracted my attention. It is tagged as Science Fiction and Fantasy, both genres I enjoy, but it failed to mention it is also a romance, a genre I avoid at all costs. When I first started reading the book, I thought the writing style and characters were more in line with a Young Adult audience than with the Adult Fiction book it was billed as. It took me two tries before I was engaged enough in the plot to finish the book, but finish it I did! What finally drew me in was the exploration of myths and Meilin's use of her spirit powers. I found both good examples of the Fantasy genre. Eighteen-year-old Meilin's life is rapidly going downhill. Living with an opium-addicted, abusive father, she is destined to marry an equally abusive husband. When war breaks out in the Three Kingdoms, Meilin sees her chance to escape by posing as a male and joining the army. She pulls it off and quickly makes friends through hard work and bravery in battle. She has also caught the eye of Sky, one of the warlords' sons. Although Sky doesn't suspect Meilin's duplicity, Meilin has feelings for him that are unbecoming of a soldier. What Meilin also discovers is that the necklace she just inherited from her mother has special powers that grant her access to the spirit realm, and a sea dragon spirit who guides her. Unfortunately, her powers are seen as black magic and punishable by death. With her secrets mounting, Meilin is torn between her deepening feelings for Sky and using her powers to help win the war. This is a fast-paced book that follows Meilin as she overcomes one obstacle after another — either through sheer determination or by using her magical powers. This is an action-driven story that spends little time developing the characters. I did get used to the writing style and skimmed the parts dealing with Meilin's feelings for Sky. For me, an annoying part was the use of names. Both Chinese and English names were used haphazardly. For every "Zilong", there was a "Sparrow." The author should have decided which to use and stuck with that. I know my reading taste is selective, and this review will be an outlier, but I can't give this book more than three stars. 3/5 stars. ["

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March 24, 2026

Kelci Heatherly

Captivating!

"I don't read retellings often. But this one kept coming up on my recommended list. I wanted a break from some of my usually genres and really liked the description. Beautifully written, Hai Meilin's story will grab your heart on the first few pages. Having watched the Disney movie as a child, I've always found the story captivating. The author tells a story that goes so much deeper than the childhood movie ever dared. Song produces all the major figures I knew from my childhood, with far more depth. This book does not drag on, it moved like a rushing river. The urgency is palpable. As to its authenticity to the legend, I cannot attest. The authors note at then end gives a window into how the book compares to the legend. Having said that, do not skip ahead and read it first. Wait until the end and let her thoughts sink in. I and eager to see how the second book unfold. ["

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June 14, 2025 Verified Purchase