Holding Onto Her Power
Spoiler-free review of The Night Ends With Fire by K.X. Song
When it comes to kick-ass women, there are none more so than Hua Mulan. It is from the legend of Hua Mulan that author K.X. Song derives inspiration for The Night Ends With Fire, the first in a fantasy series. But does Song’s fantasy adaptation live up to Mulan’s legend?
The Night Ends With Fire follows the traditional story (and its Disney counterpart) in its basic plot structure–Meilin disguises herself as a man to go to war. Unlike its inspiration, however, Meilin leaves home not to save her father, but to save herself. I can’t go into great detail because spoilers, but Meilin’s journey is a discovery of her own power and ambition, set in a world that will let her have neither because of her gender.
War is coming . . .
Meilin’s pursuit of greatness isn’t without missteps; she is after all, only human, albeit one with strong control of her qi, and a connection to the mystic via one supernatural frenemy. She masters her qi through years of practice, and her skills as a soldier only improve through many, many sleepless nights of intense training–overseen by the handsome Prince Sky, of course.
Many readers will identify with Meilin because we, too, know what it is like to be left on the outside looking in because of how we were born–whether it be because of our gender, race, sexuality, or ableness. Song’s writing shows how Meilin struggles against internalizing her society’s gender norms. In Meilin’s world, only men should have power and ambition, so when Meilin has it, she tries to suppress this side of herself, calling it “greed” and mentally berating herself for wanting more than a woman should.
“Xiuying’s parting words resounded in my head. ‘They would never let a woman get away with something like this…They would never let a woman hold on to power.’”
Meilin chooses her own destiny in a world that continually tells her that she can’t. It’s a story that, like Hua Mulan’s, resonates with anyone who wants to rise above what society expects from them. Meilin’s quest is as much inward as it is outward.
With Song’s engaging and immersive writing style, it’s easy to read the first part of Meilin’s journey in one (or maybe two) sittings, but heads up: The Night Ends With Fire ends on a cliffhanger, and the next book’s release date has yet to be announced. So, you may be waiting for a while to see what is next for Meilin!
Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Would read again: 10/10
Personal recommendation: Read this book if you like stories about kick-ass women who create their own destiny. Oh, and dragons.
Favorite line(s): “In victory, I could have my sword, my name, my freedom.”
Get your own copy of The Night Ends With Fire from Something Novel here.
